Description
Object description
British trooper served as driver with Royal Field Artillery in GB, 1902-1914: served with 68th Bty Royal Field Artillery and 4th Divisional Ammunition Column on Western Front and in Germany, 1914-1920
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of family background in Hackney, London, 1883-1902: daily life and living conditions; transport; local farm and shops; family homes; education and attitude to school; employment as van boy and horse keeper with meat processing factory; reason for joining Royal Field Artillery; comments on Boer War; story of joining up in Stratford, London, 1902. Aspects of training with Royal Field Artillery in GB, 1902-1903: posted to Weedon Depot, Northamptonshire; accommodation; food; training with 101st Bty; care of horses; daily routine.
REEL 2 Continues: issued with khaki uniform; training at riding school; uniform; physical training; discipline and punishments; gunnery practice on Dartmoor and role as Range Officer's horse holder; drill; training in horse teams; reaction to outbreak of war, 8/1914; posted to France. Aspects of operations with 68th Bty Royal Field Artillery and 4th Divisional Ammunition Column on Western Front, 1914-1918: reception by French civilians; summary of operations in France and Ypres area, Belgium, 1914; problem of mixing horses and mules in gun teams; attitude to use of Indian troops; casualties in gun team; story of carrying shells; opinion of mules; problem of lice.
REEL 3 Continues: relations between regulars and new recruits; problem of saddle sores; further comments on Indian Army troops, Aspects of operations in Germany, 12/1918-1/1920: relations with German civilians; food and accommodation; ammunition dumps; abandoned horses; various memories of incidents with Germans; daily routine and duties; reason for staying in army at end of war; home leave.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of family background, education and employment in Hackney, London, 1883-1902; enlisted with Royal Field Artillery, 1902; various memories of Boer War and popular songs; meeting with Boer War veterans; reason for enlisting with Royal Field Artillery in Stratford, London, 1902; reaction of parents; posted to Weedon Depot, Northamptonshire. Aspects of training with Royal Field Artillery in GB, 1902-1903: opinion of accommodation; description of uniforms; riding drill; gunnery and gun team drill with 25 pounders on Salisbury Plain; musketry drill; inspections; care of horses; breaking in new horses; description of daily routine as new recruit at Weedon Depot; food.
REEL 5 Continues: practical jokes; attitude to army discipline and punishments; duties as sergeant's batman; story of weekend pass; relations with local civilians; leave; gunnery practice on Dartmoor and role as Range Officer's horse holder; fatigues in officers' mess; description of role as driver with gun team; reaction to outbreak of war, 8/1914; attitude to treatment of ex-servicemen after war; patriotism; joined 68th Bty in Colchester; preparations; sailed from Dover to Boulogne, 8/1914. Aspects of operations with 68th Bty Royal Field Artillery and 4th Divisional Ammunition Column on Western Front, 1914-1918: reception from French civilians; moved into trenches in Mons area, Belgium; reaction to first casualties in Bty.
REEL 6 Continues: weather conditions; story of General Smith-Dorrien; summary of movements across France; transferred to 4th Divisional Ammunition Column, 1915; description of duties loading and transporting shells; types of shells and fuses; story of horse injured by shell; problem of mixing mules and horses in teams; various stories about Indian troops; gas masks.