Description
Object description
British gunner served with 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia, 12/1940-5/1941
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 10/1939-9/1940: call-up to Royal Artillery, 10/1939; posting to 144th Field Regt; start of training; receiving Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun; composition of his gun detachment; rate of fire; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; rumours of overseas service; wife's reaction to overseas posting. Recollections of period as gunner with 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Sudan, 12/1940-1/1941: exercise with Sudanese troops; nature of briefings prior to posting to Sudan; water supply; discipline; strength of regiment.
REEL 2 Continues: bombing of troopship in Liverpool, GB; voyage from GB to Sierra Leone; attack on troopship by Italian submarine; disembarkation in Egypt, 11/1940; desert driving including recovery of bogged vehicles; overnight stops; unloading guns at Port Sudan, 8/12/1940; contrast between Egypt and Sudan; duties at Mekali Wells; cleaning the guns; working routine and climate.
REEL 3 Continues: Christmas at Mekali Wells, 25/12/1940; medical role and acquisition of medical supplies; state of health in battery; treatment of camel thorn injury. Recollections of operations as gunner with 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea, 1/1941-4/1941: advance into Eritrea; Italian cavalry attack at Keru; character of gun line; range of vision at Keru; use of creeping barrage; range of artillery shoot; Italian guns in caves; unit casualty; attitude towards Italian counter-barrage; command post and fire command; sight of artillery fire on Italian post.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to effects of bombardment; hold up at Agordat; night movement to deceive Italians; terrain at Agordat; mail from home; advance towards Keren; description of gun positions at Agordat and Keren; recoil system on Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun and Italian guns; Italian air attacks and drill for air attack; psychological effects of arrival of mail; sources of war news; positions taken at Keren; retraining period as Tessenei; return to Keren; supporting 1st Bn Cameronians; burning by cordite; Italian counter-battery fire; treatment for burns; evacuation to Khartoum, Sudan. Aspects of operations as gunner with 144th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry, Queen Mary's) Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Ethiopia, 4/1941-5/1941: return to regiment via Asmara, Eritrea; positions at Amba Alagi.
REEL 5 Continues: Italian positions at Amba Alagi; news of Italian surrender, 5/1941; Italian prisoners of war; opinion of Italian uniforms, arms and artillery; return to Egypt, 6/1941; recuperation for six weeks; prior recollection contact with civilian population at Keren, Eritrea; unit casualties during campaign; lessons learn from campaign.