Description
Object description
British NCO served with Surrey Yeomanry in GB and on Western Front, 1912-1917; served with 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regt in Ireland 1917. Civilian worked as area leader with South Eastern Works and Buildings Emergency Organisation in Dorking area, Surrey, GB, 1942-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Wallington, Surrey, 1899-1913: family circumstances; education; Recruitment and training with E (Cadet) Sqdn, Surrey Yeomanry, 1913-1914: drill night training; learning to ride at SY Headquarters, Clapham; summer camps; .22 rifle range; reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; mobilisation of unit and dissolution of E Sqdn; anomalous situation assisting with horse grooming for unit of Royal Army Medical Corps. Period with C Sqdn, 1/1st Surrey Yeomanry at Selling, 9/1914-12/1914: enlistment underage; conditions of service; parents' reaction; discovery of underage status. Period with 2/1st Surrey Yeomanry at Dorking, 12/19145/1915: billets; organisation of units. Recollections of period with 3rd Reserve Cavalry Regt at Canterbury Barracks, 6/1915-6/1916: relationship with NCO and officer regular instructors.
REEL 2 Continues: relationship with NCO and officer regular instructors; inspection of horse grooming; attending instructors' course in rifle and Lewis gun; sword and bayonet training; relationship with local civilians; question of news of progress of war. Journey out with draft to Cavalry Base Depot, Rouen, 6/1916. Recollections of period with C Sqdn, 1/1st Surrey Yeomanry at Bavelincourt, Ailly-sur- Somme and Wafusee in Somme area, 6/1916-3/1917: reception, question of role of cavalry; story of seeing various VIPs and attitude of marching infantry during traffic control duties on Amiens-Albert road; working parties making fascines; stories of traffic control and ration parties.
REEL 3 Continues: working party to move ammunition dump in front line area; nature of battlefield; recreations including bathing in river, ice skating and horse race meeting; barn billet; lice problem; brewery baths; move to Ailly-sur- Somme; move to Warfusee; condition of former French cavalry stables; rat problem; estaminets and informal drinking club; quarantine due to outbreak of measles. Recollections of advance following German retreat to Hindenburg Line in Somme area, 21/3/1917-30/3/1917: crossing temporary bridge over River Somme during advance to Brie; view of effects of German 'scorched earth' activities during four man mounted patrol towards Vermand; minimal food rations; four man mounted patrols in diamond formation.
REEL 4 Continues: account of four man mounted patrol including awareness of possible booby traps, false alarm, barbed wire hidden in stream, passing through wood and question of running into German cavalry, story of arm wound on approaching German trench and being carried away by bolting horse; medical treatment and evacuation partially by motorcycle sidecar to dressing station. Evacuation on hospital ship Gloucester Castle to GB, 3/1917. Period at in hospital at Southampton, 3/1917-10/1917: reception at docks; patients; state of wound.
REEL 5 Continues: recreations. Period at Convalescent Camp at Shoreham-by- Sea, 10/1917-12/1917. Recollections of period with 4 Troop, A Sqdn 1st Reserve Cavalry Regt at Curragh Camp, 1/1918-8/1918: journey out; training role of unit; story of practice cavalry charge using lance; tent pegging; duties in remount stables; barrack accommodation; stable guard duty; story of grooming difficult horse; question of contact with Irish civilians; recreations and canteen; question of role of cavalry and tanks; background to applying for commission in RAF including delay in processing application and passing medical.
REEL 6 Continues: story of contemporary relevance of medical fitness certificate. Recollections of training as officer cadet with No 8 RAF Cadet Wing at St Leonard's on Sea and Sandgate, 8/1918-12/1918: billets; uniform; PT and drill; map reading; suspension of course on news of Armistice, 11/11/1918; story of stunting and difficult landing during flight as passenger. Problems with arm and discharge as physically unfit with 1st Reserve Cavalry Regt at Curragh, 1/1919. Post-war career: initial difficulty in securing steady employment; establishing firm working in building trade based at Dorking. Relationship with officers in C Sqdn, 1/1st Surrey Yeomanry, 1916-1917. Service with Air Raid Precautions Unit in Dorking, 1939-1940: training for anti-gas role as foreman with Decontamination Squad; practise on bomb damaged building and liaison with firemen on conversion to Rescue Squad; lack of active role and recruitment to Local Defence Volunteers, 1940. Recollections of period as Area Leader with South Eastern Works and Buildings Emergency Organisation, Ministry of Works, 1942-1945: selection as President of Mid-Surrey Building Trade Employers Organisation; role keeping register of builders available for emergency work; responsibility for sending building workers to assist with repairing bomb damage in London; resignation from Home Guard; liaison with surveyors.
REEL 7 Continues: liaison with surveyors and efforts to speed up commencement of repair works; assessment of temporary repairs required to secure building; arrangements with builders and payment system; example of temporary measures required to secure bomb damaged church and minimal role of surveyors; question of permanent repairs; visits to London and extra petrol required; question of own building business; situation of workforce; story of close escape from V1 driving in foggy weather; area of responsibility; question of civilian recognition of role; story of close escape from V2.
