Description
Object description
British civilian worked in Vickers Shipyard at Barrow in Furness, GB, ca 1916-1917, served as private with 17th Machine Gun Coy, Machine Gun Corps on Western Front, 1918
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Barrow in Furness, 1898-1916: family circumstances; work as apprentice plater in Vickers Shipyard, Barrow in Furness, 1916-1917, including duties, effects of war, initial surge in recruitment and consequent employment of semi-skilled labour, hours worked and overtime; awareness of approach of war; reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; reporting to recruitment office and assignment to reserve, 5/1916; recruitment into King's Own Lancaster Regt, 9/1917. Recollections of training with 3rd Bn, KOLR at Harwich, 9/1917-11/1918: prior kitting out; removal from draft for service in India; tent and billet accommodation; food rations; reactions to army lifestyle and discipline; drill; hand grenade, bayonet and rifle training; gas mask training; route marches and songs sung; kit inspections; cleaning rifle. Recollections of period with Machine Gun Corps at Clipstone Camp, Mansfield and Belton Park, Grantham, 11/1917-2/1918: review of movements.
REEL 2 Continues: hut accommodation; food rations; training and role of crew on Vickers machine gun; equipment carried; opinion of Vickers machine gun and question of over-heating; move to Belton Park; tactical exercises; recreations. Journey out with draft and initial period at Machine Gun Corps Depot, Camieres, France, 2/1918: nature of draft; personal morale; Channel crossing; volunteering for draft. Recollections of period with 17th Machine Gun Coy, Machine Gun Corps in Jeancourt sector, Somme area, 2/1918-3/1918: initial movements; first impressions on move into line; situation and nature of defensive arrangements.
REEL 3 Continues: question of moving to forward positions; disposition of machine gun posts; sentry duty; question of awareness of imminent German offensive. Account of German attack, 21/3/1918-5/4/1918: effects of German bombardment whilst acting as sentry in advanced post; personal morale; return to main defensive position; foggy conditions; digging trenches and joining infantry unit; casualties; firing on German advance; move to exposed position and subsequent retreat to Hervilly; personal morale; situation and nature of fighting during continued retreat to Villers Bretonneux including state of morale and question of German situation; relief and move to St Valery. Period at St Valery, ca 4/1918-6/1918: state of unit and personal morale; recreations; letter contact with GB. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period in Loos sector, Bethune area, ca 6/1918-8/1918: question of status as quiet sector; nature of trenches; German sniper activities.
REEL 4 Continues: trench signposts; German sniper activities; trench system; nature of dugouts; fuel; revetting and duckboards; stand to; routine duties; officer's roll call; wiring parties; role providing covering fire from No Mans Land during trench raid; night firing of Vickers machine gun; overhead fire to supplement artillery barrage during trench raids; special training and preparations for raiding parties; German shell and minenwerfer fire; personal morale and attitude to German soldiers; comparison of role of infantry and MGC; story of soldier who lost his nerve; question of executions; question of deserters. REEL 5 Continues: punishments including Field Punishment No 1 and officers and NCOs reduced to ranks; rations parties; food rations and cooking arrangements; rum ration; state of health; washing and shaving; latrines; rubbish disposal; relationship with officers; lice and rat problems; corpses; initial treatment of wounded using field dressing; collection of identification discs and burial of corpses; German shellfire on communications; latrines; wet conditions.
REEL 6 Continues: question of religion and padres; rest periods including working parties, recreations including Crown and Anchor games, concert parties, minimal contact with French civilians, parcel and letter contact with GB including question of censorship, leave system and canteens; local leave. Recollections of operations during advance in Cambrai area, ca 8/1918-11/1918: rejoining unit in Marcoing sector; crossing Canal du Nord; tactical employment of infantry in attack and consolidation role of MGC; briefing; nature of fighting during advance; question of making will.
REEL 7 Continues: personal morale prior to attack; awareness of approach of Armistice; entry into Cambrai; casualties from British shells dropping short; advance through Solesmes into Mormal Forest; overnight billet; view of French and German corpses on entry into villages; nature of fighting during advance; food rations from mobile cookhouses; fatigue; reorganisation during breaks; reaction to news of Armistice at Bavai, 11/11/1918. Recollections of march to Tournai, Belgium, 11/1918-12/1918: 'return of spit and polish'; reactions of French and Belgian civilians. Period of GB leave, 12/1918-1/1919, attitude of civilians; story of post-war visits to family and graves of casualties; illustration of food shortages; securing documentation from Vickers Shipyard to secure early demobilisation; demonstration of troops demanding demobilisation; circumstances of early demobilisation using documentation from Vickers Shipyard, 1/1919.
REEL 8 Continues: circumstances and procedure of early demobilisation using documentation from Vickers Shipyard, 1/1919; question of remaining in army. Post-war career: return to work at Vickers Shipyard and dismissal after completing apprenticeship, 1919; background to rejoining army as regular; question of effects of war; question of justification of war; attitude to high command and tactics employed.
