Description
Object description
British civilian conscientious objector served with Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, Finland and Norway, 1939-1941 and with Friends Ambulance Unit and Hadfield Spears Ambulance Unit in Middle East and North Africa, 1941-1943; officer served with Political Warfare Executive in Egypt and with Force 133 on Crete, 1943-1946
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1919-1939: family background and childhood in Claydon House; religious upbringing; education at preparatory school and Harrow; development of pacifist beliefs following Hitler's occupation of the Rhineland; story of opting out of the OTC at Harrow to join the Scouts; opinion of military aptitude; influence of the First World War on pacifist stance; story of first shooting experience and attitude to killing; story of being labelled a 'Liberal Jew' during election at preparatory school; continued education at Oxford University, 1937; reasons for joining the Peace Pledge Union; story of writing scholarship essay at Harrow advocating destruction of the German Fleet; attitude to use of violence to prevent war; Christian basis of pacifist beliefs and attitude to military service. Aspects of period in GB, 1939: story of registering as a conscientious objector, 4/1939; reasons for wanting to join the Friends Ambulance Unit; story of joining Friends Ambulance Unit at Camp 2, Birmingham, 10/1939. Aspects of period with the Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, 10/1939-1/1940: description of Tribunal; story of visit to Czechoslovakia, 1938; attitude to Hitler and Nazi regime; reaction of family and friends to registering as a conscientious objector; attitude to stance as conscientious objector and member of the Friends Ambulance Unit; description of training with Friends Ambulance Unit in Birmingham; opinion of Quakers; story of being selected for the Finnish Convoy, 1/1940; description of further training and journey to Finland.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period with Friends Ambulance Unit in Finland and Norway, 1-5/1940: description of protective clothing; story of being attached to the Finnish Army; description of work with Finnish refugees; story of driving to Namsos, Norway following German invasion; opinion of Commanding Officer during evacuation; attitude to immobilising ambulances; description of watching sea battle during voyage back to Scapa Flow, Scotland. Aspects of period with Friends Ambulance Unit in GB, 5/1940-8/1941: morale of troops; story of Gen. Ironside receiving hostile reception from troops in Glasgow; further description of work with refugees in Finland; description of work as porter at hospital in Gloucester; relations with other porters; promoted to team leader; description of work as ward orderly; story of preaching first sermon in Gloucester; relations with hospital staff; story of joining the Hadfield Spears Unit, 8/1941. Aspects of period with the Hadfield Spears Ambulance Unit in the Middle East and North Africa, 8/1941-1943: description of work with French Army in Beirut; relations between Friends Ambulance Unit and Hadfield Spears Unit; story of commanding officer preaching sermon aimed at conscientious objectors during voyage aboard troopship; description of work with French troops in Tobruk, spring 1942; returned to Beirut and attached to a mobile Spears Unit in the Jezirah area to care for Assyrian refugees; story of setting up hospital at Tel Tamer; description of duties and problem of lack of training.
REEL 3 Continues: story of nearly killing patient with too much ether; description of living conditions in Jezirah region; type of patients treated; communications with Beirut; attitude of local community to Western medicine; reasons for deciding to renounce pacifist stance and join the army; story of leaving the Friends Ambulance Unit and journey to Cairo to enlist. Aspects of period in Egypt, 1943-1944: description of training as private with Royal Army Service Corps; attitude to army life and discipline including use of racist language; story of meeting chaplain; advantage of education in obtaining post as clerk; story of being seconded into the Political Warfare Executive; description of training including sabotage techniques; passed out first in final examination; description of officers' training course and opinion of instructors; passed out as top officer cadet; attitude to training methods for officers and men.
REEL 4 Continues: description of training with Force 133, 1944; nature of mission to Crete; comparison of British and German Intelligence methods; description of journey from Tobruk to Crete. Recollections of operations as officer with Force 133 in Crete, 1944-1946: description of landing; initial instructions and movements; role of Cretan guide Markos Drakakis and Jewish interpreter George Colin; story of entry into Khania under assumed identity of Stephanos Stephakis and first meeting with German soldiers; description of accommodation and host families; communications with Cairo; nature of duties creating disaffection among Germans, Austrians and Poles; story of Germans searching for group and closure of network; loyalty of majority of Cretans to GB; story of collaborators being beheaded after acquittal during post-war trial; opinion of Cretans; story of group being caught in trap and fleeing into the mountains.
REEL 5 Continues: story of writing letters to German Commander in Crete threatening German POWs in Egypt if group harmed; story of group being exchanged for German POWs in Cairo; story about rumours concerning British and German forces on Crete; returned to Cairo on leave; story of successful operation to remove and disarm Italian battalion from Kastelli Kissamou and guard arms cache from left-wing Greek forces; description of evacuation of 800 Italians from Palaiochora, 3/1945; opinion of success of operations on Crete; further comments on reasons for renouncing pacifist stance and attitude to use of violence; description of peace celebrations during Easter; amusing story of making public speech; story of fraternisation meeting between partisans and members of German Intelligence prior to surrender; story of grenade being placed under car after displaying photographs of German concentration camps; story of writing speech for German Commandant to read to Cretans; food situation on Crete during war; repatriation of Germans via Egypt; further comments on reaction of Germans to photographs of concentration camps; post-war situation on Crete; nature of anti-British propaganda.
REEL 6 Continues: description of communications including wavelengths, code and frequent movement of radios to avoid detection; story of discovering time of evacuation of Germans in Khania area and response from Cairo; reflections on converting from conscientious objector into army officer and use of force; importance of Christian beliefs; opinion of absolutist conscientious objectors; attitude to anger and violence.
REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of post-war life in GB: further reflections on the nature of war and concept of peace; effect of wartime experiences on decision to enter the Church; story of being refused by church in Cairo and subsequent acceptance in Greece, 1946; attitude to class differences; effect of war on perception of priesthood and the Bible; role in reconciliation during the Miners' Strike and within different branches of the Church; attitude to nuclear issues; story of mission of reconciliation with Germans following appointment to Coventry Cathedral; attitude to modern society and peace.
