Mallalieu, John Raymond (Oral history)

British officer served with 9th Bn Cheshire Regt on Western Front, 1916-1918; served with 2nd Bn Cheshire Regt in Salonika and Gallipoli, 1918-1919

REEL 1: Background in Liverpool, 1897-1914: training with Officers' Training Corps at school; commencing law degree at Liverpool University, 10/1914; outbreak of war during school exchange visit to France, 8/1914, including French reaction, passage through village of British troops and return to GB; rejection as underage by King's Liverpool Regt. Background to obtaining commission with Cheshire Regt, 3/1915: reasons; subsequent officers' training course at Oxford University. Recollections of periods with 14th (Reserve) Bn Cheshire Regt at Birkenhead, Kinmell Park, Prees Heath and St Asaph, 1915: opinion of 'dugout' officers; role as 'scout' officer and nature of training; volunteering for draft, 12/1915; story of spy false alarm; lack of contact with other ranks. REEL 2 Continues: question of colour of officers khaki shirts; officers' rugby activities; officers' mess. Period at Infantry Base Depot, Etaples, France, 12/1915. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 9th Bn Cheshire Regt in Neuve Chapelle sector, 12/1916-3/1916: reaction to first experience of German shellfire during working party; nature of breastwork trenches; attending brigade hand grenade course and posting as battalion bombing officer with Headquarters Coy, 1/1916-4/1916; background to fatal accident whilst training battalion bombing party and policy of holding hand grenades for 2 seconds before throwing; training troops in hand grenades; selection of bombing party; front, support and reserve lines; story illustrating shortage of shells; billet; opinion of Colonel W E Dauntesey and his trench pamphlets 'Dauntesey's Remembrances'; opinion of Colonel R B Worgan; age of officers. REEL 3 Continues: role checking, defusing and fusing hand grenade stores; demonstration of power of hand grenade; quiet nature of Richebourg St Vaast sector and cancellation of trench raid; tours of duty; nature and construction of breastwork sandbag trenches; trench feet; barbed wire; reconnaissance patrols; food rations and cooking arrangements; officers' mess; story of illustrating Colonel Worgan's devotion to smart appearance; role of officer's servant; question of officer's superior conditions of service; parcels from GB. REEL 4 Continues: headquarters personnel; latrines; stand to; officer's role in checking sentries; effect of star shells on No Man's Land activity; posting to No 2 Platoon, A Coy, 4/1916; opinion of officers; role as platoon commander and question of military discipline; German shellfire; evening stand to; German sniping; unpopularity of British mortar teams; minenwerfers; German aircraft attack on British observation balloons; personal morale; suicide drugs. REEL 5 Continues: suicide drugs; personal kit; working parties advised by Royal Engineers; effects of wet conditions; periods in reserve lines at Veille Chapelle including sleeping arrangements, cellar dugouts and officers' mess, GB leave, 4/1916; posting to No 2 Platoon, A Coy, 4/1916; rest period, 4/1916-5/1916, including visit to estaminet, training, baths, sports days, attack of trench fever, 6/1916, rejection as observer on attempt to join Royal Flying Corps. Move into Somme area, 6/1916-7/1916: view of destruction of artillery battery during prior visit to front; view from reserve lines of attack on Fricourt, 1/7/1916; move up into positions in La Boiselle crater, 2/7/1916. Recollections of attack on La Boiselle, 3/7/1916: briefing; crossing No Man's Land under German machine gun fire; reaching line full of British casualties; wrist wound from German shell. REEL 6 Continues: crossing No Man's Land and reaching line full of British casualties; wrist wound from German shell; second upper leg wound from German shell. Evacuation in stages to GB, 7/1916: initially walking wounded and dispute with stretcher bearers; medical treatment. Period at Worsley Hall Hospital, Manchester, 7/1916-9/1916. Leave, 9/1916-11/1916. Period with 3rd Bn Cheshire Regt at Birkenhead, 11/1916-5/1917: signal courses; medical board. Journey out to rejoin 9th Bn Cheshire Regt in Messines sector, 5/1917: journey out; reception and posting as signal officer, Headquarters Coy; state of unit. Recollections of operations in Messines sector, 7/6/1917-9/6/1917: briefing using model of battlefield; move into line; view of detonation of mines at 03.10am; 7/6/1917; following first wave with signallers; drinking German coffee and souvenirs on capture of German headquarters at Onraet Wood; replacement officers system; use of semaphore, role supervising laying and maintaining of telephone lines back across No Man's Land; role of runners; personal morale. REEL 7 Continues: rejoining unit at Oosttaverne Ridge; minimal casualties; movements; discovering messenger pigeons; washing; absence of lice; rumours of Germans industrial use of corpses; battalion headquarters in pillbox; amusing story of misunderstanding between two youthful acting colonels during relief; situation; story of officer killed on first night in trenches. Aspects of rest period, 6/1917-7/1917: parcel from GB; German high velocity shellfire; sports day; officer wounded by British shell during Messines attack, 6/6/1917; concert parties. Periods in Messines, Ypres and Cambrai areas, 7/1917-12/1917: successful trench raid on Junction Buildings; use of 'power buzzer' wireless; attending wireless signal course; situation during intense fighting over Junction Buildings; movements, 9/1917; injury from barbed wire at Spoil Bank; promotion to second in command of A Coy, 10/1917. REEL 8 Continues: attack towards Hessian Wood, 20/9/1917; GB leave, 9/1917-10/1917; movements, 10/1917; opinion of company commander; attack towards Hessian Wood, 20/9/1917-21/9/1917, including role establishing communications post in pillbox, actions of Lieutenant Hugh Colvin for which he was awarded Victoria Cross and story illustrating his character; ground conditions in Shrewsbury Forest; periods acting as company commander; story of reconnaissance patrol in Marcoing sector and failed request for white suits for use in snowy conditions. REEL 9 Continues: failed request for white suits in snowy conditions; dugout in Marcoing sector; Christmas celebrations on local leave in Amiens, 25/12/1917. Aspects of German offensive, 21/3/1918: prior warning; German success in capturing trench; situation; story of shooting German soldier and hand wound; retreat; effects of gas shells; setting fire to hut for smoke screen; loss of voice and evacuation to GB. Story of troops reaction to sergeant major with minimal active service during period training with 3rd Bn Cheshire Regt in Seaton Carew, 4/1918-10/1918. Periods with 2nd Bn Cheshire Regt in Salonika, Greece and Gallipoli, Turkey, 10/1918-2/1919: reactions; circumstance of demobilisation, 2/1919. Post-war career: rejection of law and work in cotton trade; service with territorial artillery; questions of effect of service, 1914-1919; enduring comradeship of officers of 9th Bn Cheshire Regt.