Description
Object description
British private served with 51st Machine Gun Coy, Machine Gun Corps in GB and on Western Front, 1915-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Suffolk, 1896-1915: work as farm labourer; recruitment underage, 3/5/1915. Recollections of training with 3rd Bn Suffolk Regt at Felixstowe, 5/1915-9/1915: reasons for refusing to volunteer as sniper; method of making 'jam tin' hand grenades; route marches; trench digging; conditions of service. Recollections of period with 51st Machine Gun Coy, Machine Gun Corps, Belton Park Camp, Grantham, 9/1915: relationship with civilians; selection for posting to MGC; learning to ride and drive wagons at riding school at Bradford; role of Vickers machine gun crew; role as driver on Western Front; embarkation leave and parents' reactions to enlistment. Recollections on initial period in Ypres area, Belgium, 1916: German shellfire and air raid on arrival at Poperinghe, 1//1916; reception from Brigadier; move into line; overhead fire; activity in No Man's Land; situation; reports of early gas masks, 4/1915.
REEL 2 Continues: gas masks and importance of facial fit; positions on Bluff near Hill 60; shell shortage; ammunition supply and loading machine gun belts; machine gun situation. Period in quiet sector at Armentieres, 1916. Recollections of period in Somme area, France, 6/1916-2/1917: prior training; story illustrating effects of fatigue; role as driver with water cart in supplying water to walking wounded in Fricourt sector, 1/7/1916; story of coming under German shell fire whilst bringing up water cart; question of polluted former German wells; effects of thirst; daytime carrying party; walking wounded; role bringing up rations and water; story of getting lost with pack mules; question of failure to cut German barbed wire; reports of skirmish at machine gun post in No Man's Land; writing letters for illiterate soldier; difficult position of Southern Irish soldier, 1916; effects of weather conditions. Recollections of period in Somme area, 3/1918-11/1918: German offensive, 21/3/1918; separation from unit; avoiding going into action with makeshift unit; strafing by German aircraft; situation on rejoining unit; story illustrating inexperienced nature of reinforcements drafts; success of German offensive.
REEL 3 Continues: advance to victory, 8/1918-11/1918; opinion of Australian troops; and their action in releasing soldier sentenced to No 1 Field Punishment for accidentally firing rifle; question of compulsory promotion to sergeant. Period in Ypres area, 1917: horses drowning in shell holes; sleeper tracks; German air raid and casualties caused by bombing of rest area huts; role of stretcher bearers; soldiers drowning in shell holes. Various aspects of service on Western Front, 1916-1918: close escape from shell in Arras area, 4/1917; retreat in Somme area, 3/1918; firing in support of US troops at Villers Bretonneux, 1918; dispute with US soldier; role bringing up rations; Armistice, 11/11/918; Christmas celebrations, 11/11/1918; organisation of ration supply system; food and rum rations story of looting duck from French civilians.
REEL 4 Continues: relationship with French civilians; French mutinies; parcel and letter contact with GB; state of health; food ration shortages through feeding civilians and German POWs during advance, 8/1918-11/1918; story of German POWs latrines exposed to view of civilians; question of avoidance of VD; lice and rat problems; German dugouts; opinion of German troops and story of shooting German corpses; aerial warfare; artillery situation; relationship with officers; casualties caused by inexperienced officers; opinion of high command; question of religion; tours of duty and rest periods; question of keeping warm.
REEL 5 Continues: recreations; opinion of Military Police; disciplinary punishments and announcements of executions; comradeship; examples of songs sung; GB leave, 1917, including leave train and civilian ignorance of conditions on Western Front; impromptu treatment for boils; casualties. Demobilisation, 2/1919. Influenza epidemic, 1917-1919. Post-war career. Story of soldiers reaction to sight of female nurses on coming out of front line, 1916.