Seymour, John (Oral history)

British private served as driver with Army Service Corps on Western Front, 1914-1918

REEL 1 Background in Brighton, Sussex, 1896-1914: family; employment on railways; story of father's service in Boer War; reason for enlisting with Territorial Army, 1913; description of military training and working with horses; question of call-up at outbreak of war; role of Trade Union in protecting job; memory of outbreak of war, 8/1914. Aspects of training with Army Service Corps in GB, 1914-1915: attached to Surrey Yeomanry in Maidstone, Kent; daily duties transporting rations; posted to Winchester as part of 27th Div; story of riding from Winchester to Canterbury; description of journey to France, 12/1914 and question of entitlement to Mons Star medal. Recollections of operations as driver with Army Service Corps on Western Front, 1914-1918: description of tented camp at Le Havre; memory of first cigarette; memory of Christmas Day 1914 in Poperinghe, Belgium and receiving Princess Mary's tobacco box; knowledge of war situation and question of morale. REEL 2 Continues: description of Poperinghe and proximity to Ypres; role in delivering rations at night to front line; memory of Church Army providing free tea for Army Service Corps drivers; problem of lack of signposts on roads; story of being gassed during 2nd Battle of Ypres, 4/1915 and question of gas masks for men and horses; description of bombardment of Ypres; question of morale; moved to Armentieres, France, 12/1915; question of Christmas truce; description of rations taken to front; rum ration; question of contact between Army Service Corps and front line troops; story of using same pair of horses throughout war; story of deception devices used by German machine gunners, 1918. REEL 3 Continues: description of role during 3rd Battle of Ypres, 1917; problem of mud and bad weather; daily duties; memory of German offensive, 3/1918; question of intelligence of horses; problem of German booby traps during Allied advance, 1918; memory of hearing news of Armistice at Mons, Belgium, 11/Nov/1918; story of conscientious objector; attitude to war and question of killing; description of home leave and attitude of civilians; further description of living conditions in Ypres area; story of muddy boots; sanitary facilities; kit inspections; problem of lice and rats; opinion of Canadian and Portuguese troops; relations between officers and other ranks. REEL 4 Continues: story of hazardous driving conditions; story of seeing Field Marshal Haig during a snowstorm and being reprimanded for not saluting; description of veterinary services and memory of meeting father during service with Army Veterinary Corps; memory of 1918 influenza epidemic and story of Germans being responsible; relations between Army Service Corps and other troops; attached to 55th Div and question of friction between men from the north and south of Britain; recreational activities; memory of visit to Delville Wood; communications with home; question of comradeship and loss of friends; memory of Armistice celebrations; demobilization, 3/1919; description of area around Brussels following Armistice; opinion of Belgians; story of Belgian spies. Post-war life and employment and reflections on period of military service.