Bickersteth, John Monier (Oral history)

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Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Sound: © IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British officer served with 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 219th Independent Infantry Bde (Home) and General Headquarters Reserve in GB, 1941-1942; served with 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 12/1942-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of period as officer with 11th Bn Buffs (Royal East Kent Regt) and 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 219th Independent Infantry Bde (Home) and General Headquarters Reserve in GB, 1941-1942: background to enlistment and commissioning in the 11th Bn Buffs (Royal East Kent Regt); conversion of unit to 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 11/1941; training in GB, 1942. Aspects of period as officer with 89th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in GB, 12/1942-6/1944: joining division, 29/12/1942; attachment of his battery to 185th Field Regt, Royal Artillery; embarking at Tilbury, 6/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 89th Light Anti-Aircraft, Royal Artillery, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: near blinding with ash during voyage to Normandy, France; landing in Normandy, France; incident of infantry being demoralised and driven back by mortar fire; effect on morale of own unit of shooting down aircraft; prior recollections of visits by General Bernard Montgomery in GB; impressions of Normandy Campaign; attitude to scrounging. REEL 2 Continues: organisation of his troop; question of degree of knowledge of guns; opinion of Bofors Gun; importance of well cooked rations; origins of gunners; men's reaction to conversion to artillery; discipline in unit; advance through Northern France into Low Countries; role protecting Nijmegen Bridge from floating charges, Netherlands;; positions on The Island, Netherlands; Dutch civilians; plans during Ardennes offensive, 12/1944; briefings and sources of information; surrender of German general in Netherlands; move to Germany; influence of regimental padre on his joining church; degree of awareness of German attacks during Ardennes offensive, 12/1944; traffic accident; situation in Nijmegen, Netherlands, winter 1944-1945. REEL 3 Continues: burial of British soldier; unit casualties; effect on unit of casualties; absorption of replacements; sense of belonging in regiment; counter battery work; ground fighting at s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 10/1944; opinion of quality of German Army troops; non-fraternisation with Germans.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
de Lee, Nigel (Recorder)
Bickersteth, John Monier (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1986-09-02
Dimensions: whole: Duration 90, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 9225

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Bickersteth, John Monier
British Army, Royal Artillery, Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, 85
British Army, Independent Infantry Bde (Home) 219
British Army, Infantry Div, 49 (West Riding)
British Army, Reserve, General Headquarters
Associated places

England, United Kingdom
Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom
Tilbury, Essex, England, United Kingdom
France
Normandy, France
Netherlands
The Island, Gelderland, Netherlands
Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Nijmegen Bridge, Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Germany
Associated subjects

Anti-Aircraft Gun, British: Bofors Gun
Associated themes

Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944-1945

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Bickersteth, John Monier (Oral history)

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