Ashurst, George (Oral history)

British NCO served with 2nd Bn Lancashire Fusiliers on Western Front, 1914-1915; served with 1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at Gallipoli, Egypt and on Western Front, 1915-1916; served with 16th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers on Western Front, 1916-1918

REEL 1: Recollections of background in Tontine, Bryn and Wigan, 1895-1914: family circumstances; story of Tontine ghost; education; duties as office boy and clerk at Douglas Bank Colliery, 1908-1911; unemployment following closure of colliery. Background to enlistment underage in Special Reserve, Lancashire Fusiliers at Darlington Street Recruiting Office, Wigan. Recollections of period with H Coy, 3rd Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at Bury Barracks, 12/1912-7/1912: reception; passing 3rd Class Certificate of education; conditions of service; training; story of dispute between two soldiers. REEL 2 Continues: parents' reaction to recruitment; story of being caught playing cards, imprisonment and daily routine of fatigue duties; relationship with NCOs and officers; refusal to become regular. Work cleaning engines at Wigan Locomotive Depot, 1912-1914. Recollections of Special Reserve training camps at Brackenber Moor and Tenby, 1912-1914: qualification as marksman and previous civilian experience; tactical exercises; story of sentry killed by lightning; entry in shooting team for Kitchener's Cup, 7/1914; question of rapid fire and prevalence of jamming; visits to Pembroke Dock; ignorance of approach of war. Call up as Special Reservist, 8/8/1914: reporting to Bury Barracks; promise that job would be kept open; reactions; send off from Bury. REEL 3 Continues: send off from Bury; train journey to Hull. Recollections of period at Hull, 8/1914-11/1914: accommodation at Wellington Rooms; duties as sanitary corporal; guard duties at Paull Battery Fort; move to Sutton school; blood poisoning from barbed wire; volunteering for draft to Western Front despite discouragement from officer. Crossing with draft to Le Havre, France, 29/11/1914. Conditions of service during period at St Martins Camp, Le Havre, 11/1914-12/1914. Train journey to join A Coy, 2nd Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at billets at Le Bizet, 12/1914: reception; inadequate British artillery support; regular German shelling of Le Bizet. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle, daily routine and duties during periods in front line in Le Touquet, 12/1914-4/1915: problems with sheepskin coats issued; move up to front line; nature of trenches; story illustrating sniper problem; minimal barbed wire; dugouts. REEL 4 Continues: nature of trenches and dugouts; food rations and lighting small cooking fire; water, rum and cigarette rations; lice problem; question of rat problem; throwing empty cans into no mans land; absence of latrines; question of washing and shaving; stand to; supervising sentry duty; attempts to keep trench dry; conversations; question of boredom; listening and reconnaissance patrols. REEL 5 Continues: listening and reconnaissance patrols; quiet nature of sector with minimal shell fire and small arms fire; relationship with other ranks, NCOs and officers including officers rare visits in front line; and their superior conditions of service; relationship with regulars; question of Blighty wounds; discipline and question of deserters; opinion of staff, Royal Army Medical Corps and German troops; relief procedure. Recollections of periods at rest at Le Bizet, 12/1914: cleaning up; daily routine; relationship with French civilians. REEL 6 Continues: visiting estaminets and opinion of French beer; recreations; parcels and letter contact with GB. Account of Christmas truce, 11am to 1pm, 25/12/1914: German singing; capture of unblindfolded German soldier visiting front line to arrange armistice; agreement of armistice conditions; separate activities of British and German troops in No Mans Land; reactions; return to trenches; absence of officers; orders for artillery to open fire; opinion of generals and civilians reaction to armistice; question of originators of armistice; restarting of hostilities. REEL 7 Continues: situation following armistice; post armistice anti war attitude and attitude to conscientious objectors. Recollections of evacuation with severe trench feet to Canadian Hospital at Bouillon, 1/1915: cause and symptoms; hospital train; initial lack of feeling, hospital treatment and pain as feeling came back. Story of friendship with French women during period at convalescence camp at Boulogne. Journey to rejoin unit at Le Bizet, 1/1915. Period occupying cottages in No Mans Land in Le Touquet sector, 2/1915-4/1915: situation; night patrols in strength leading to daytime occupation of cottages. REEL 8 Continues: relative British and German positions in cottages; talking with German soldiers; story of Germans disrupting mealtime; view of German lines and sniping activities; story of soldier caught asleep twice whilst on sentry duty in cottage bedroom and subsequently executed; Royal Engineers and German mining activities underneath positions; case of rifle grenade casualty; question of hand grenades; withdrawing prior to explosion of British mines, effects of mine and re-occupying position; story of not firing on German soldier rescuing wounded. Recollections of period in rest billets at Armentieres, 4/1915: question of spit and polish; story of padres reaction to discovering troops visiting estaminets and brothels; reports of brothel sex routine; drinking habits; visit to brewery baths. REEL 9 Continues: visit to brewery baths. Move into front line at St Julian, Ypres area, 4/1915: crossing canal bridges and communications trenches during approach to support line position; situation; scepticism on issue of flannelette to make crude gas masks. Account of gas attack, 2/5/1915: first signs; panic amongst front line troops; effects of gas and retreat without orders back through Ypres; story of civilian shot as spy in Ypres. Recollections of evacuation and treatment as gas casualty, 4/1915-5/1915: symptoms of being gassed and failure of initial salt water treatment; evacuation by ambulance via dressing station to No 12 General Hospital, Rouen hospital; fluctuating physical condition and starvation as treatment; voyage to GB, 5/1915. REEL 10 Continues: relapse during evacuation to GB, 5/1915. Period in Dudley Road Infirmary, Birmingham, 5/1915: reception; inadequate food; question of recovery. Period at Summerdown Convalescent Camp, Eastbourne, 6/1915-8/1915: daily routine and recreations; painting mural on hut; relationship with other ranks; free day out at Grand Hotel and relationship with local civilians; question of full recovery. Recollections of period of leave in Wigan, 8/1915: homesickness; question of further overseas service; reception. Posting as assistant to sergeant of Military Police in Hull on return to 3rd Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at Sutton, Hull, 8/1915-10/1915: escorting prisoners to Hessle Military Prison; prisoners brought in on Saturday night; arrest of soldiers; arrest and interrogation of deserters; reaction to passing medical inspection as A1. REEL 11 Continues: background to requesting draft to Gallipoli rather than Western Front; inoculations. Recollections of voyage on Northland to Mudros, Lemnos, 10/1915-11/1915: lifeboat drill; awareness of submarine danger; conditions; passing hospital ship; divers during stop at Valetta, Malta; increased submarine precautions in Aegean Sea; false submarine alarm; meeting and following British cruiser; procedure on entering Mudros harbour. Recollections of period at Mudros, 11/1915: ships in harbour; disembarkation; inland camp; opinion of Australians; training; story of gift of food from Australians; local Greek civilians; prevalence of Crown and Anchor gambling. REEL 12 Continues: question of fighting over gambling; beer canteen. Landing at Suvla, Gallipoli, Turkey, 12/1915. Recollections of period with A Coy, 1st Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at Suvla, 12/1915: move inland; dugout; iron rations; rumours of evacuation; comparison with conditions on Western Front; dysentery problem; evacuation in lighters, 12/1915. Period aboard grounded Southland at Mudros, 12/1915. Recollections of period at Helles, 12/1915: move inland along communication trenches to reserve trenches; absence of fighting; rumours of evacuation; evacuation and ruses to fool Turks, 8/1/1916; reactions to evacuation; veterans' claims to have passed Achi Baba earlier in campaign; rumours of destination. Period at Lemnos, 1/1916: arrival of post and parcels. REEL 13 Continues: importance of company loyalty. Voyage on Seeang Bay to Alexandria, Egypt, 2/1916: responsibility for party of Turkish POWs aboard; opinion of Turks; orders to batten Turks below if attacked; efforts to meet friend in Alexandria. Recollections of period at New Camp, Port Suez, 2/1916-3/1916: Egyptian tradesman; visits to Port Suez including relationship with Egyptian civilians, local brothels, drunkenness, story of fight started by Australian soldiers and story of visit to Egyptian quarter; story illustrating cold nights; desert route marches; comparison with conditions on Western Front; move into defensive positions in Sinai desert to counter possible Turkish attack, 3/1916. REEL 14 Continues: story of dispute with Arab driver and subsequent camel ride whilst escorting camels carrying company stores and equipment during return to Port Suez; Egyptian history lectures. Voyage aboard Militiades to Marseilles, France, 3/1916: ignorance of destination; passing through Suez Canal; visit ashore and Egyptians coaling ship at Port Said; story of going to lifeboat stations during failed U-Boat attack; reactions to Western Front posting. Conditions during train journey to Somme area, 3/1916. Recollections of period in front line at 'White City' in Beaumont Hamel sector, Somme area, 3/1916-6/1916: march to billets at Maillet Mallet; training; reactions to issue of steel helmets; reaction to speech concerning forthcoming Somme offensive by general. REEL 15 Continues: reaction to speech by general concerning forthcoming Somme offensive; approach to front line; sniping; story of reconnaissance patrol in No Man's Land; fusing Mills bombs; aspects of raids including use of Bangalore torpedos on German barbed wire; wiring parties and danger from traversing machine gun fire. Recollections of preparations for Somme offensive in Beaumont Hamel sector, 6/1916: A Coy's role holding battalion front during preliminary bombardment; view at night of bombardment; question of effectiveness of bombardment; question of German knowledge of date and time of attack; morale; story of picture taken in trench by official photographer, 29/6/1916; crowded nature of trenches prior to attack. Account of attack from White City towards Beaumont Hamel, 1/7/1916: reaction to early casualty; crossing No Man's Land under fire; question of main cause of casualties; personal morale; sheltering in sunken road; renewing attack, feeling of isolation and taking shelter in shell hole close to German line; view of No Man's Land; fear of German counter attack and retreat back to sunken road. REEL 16 Continues: digging in; sight of German soldiers; German bombardment; retreat to British front line, 2/7/1916; effects of Hawthorn Redoubt mine; personal morale and question of Blighty wound; state of unit on relief, 3/7/1916; return to front line and avoiding order to collect identity disks in No Man's Land at night, 7/1916. Question of quality of reinforcements received during rest period, 7/1916-8/1916. Story of being wounded in leg during fight with lance corporal whilst on working party in reserve line sector in Ypres area, 1916. Evacuation to GB, 8/1916: reactions to Blighty wound; rough ride in ambulance. Period in temporary hospital, Manchester, 1916. Reaction to being classed A1 and period with Lancashire Fusiliers training camp at Withernsea, 1916-1917. Recollections of period at Etaples Base Depot, France, 11/1916: question of motivation of NCOs and officers; opinion of military police. REEL 17 Continues: story of Australian soldier bayoneting instructor, subsequent confinement to tents and breaking out of camp to Etaples village. Posting to A Coy, 16th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers at rest camp behind Ypres area, 11/1916: opinion of quality of service battalion troops; initial problems in relationship with other ranks; method of erecting Nissan huts and story of dispute with Colonel Abercrombie. Aspects of service on Western Front, 1916-1917: quiet fronts; movements; story of volunteer's single handed patrol to capture German POW for intelligence purposes and medal awarded. REEL 18 Continues: promotion to sergeant and NCO training course; increased German bombardment on taking over section of front line from French; deep dugouts. Recollections of advance in pursuit of German withdrawal, 3/1917: cancellation of planned raid; eliminating German snipers; obstructions on roads; precautions against booby traps; scorched earth tactics employed; reactions of liberated French civilians; reactions to open warfare conditions; taking up billets at village chateau; outbreak of looting amongst troops; story of looting chateau burial vault with party of NCOs and subsequent arrival of civilian owners to collect hidden valuables. REEL 19 Continues: hiding looted valuables in kit; advance to new German lines in St Quentin sector; story of burying German casualties following British raid; reactions under heavy bombardment; reactions to avoiding imminent attack; question of disposal of loot and justified presentiment of death of leading looter. Duties during period as guard at Divisional Headquarters, 4/1917. Recollections of period on rejoining unit in Nieuport and Ypres areas, 6/1917-3/1918: question of disposal of loot; role training new recruits during rest period; bombing training accident; question of quality of new recruits; relationship with officers and other ranks including question of NCOs covering for inadequate officers, limits of military discipline and officers' superior conditions of service. REEL 20 Continues: move into Ypres area; story of being buried by shell, rescue and evacuation with back injury to hospital; story of trouble in Chinese Labour Camp and opinion of Chinese labourers; ground conditions whilst on working parties carrying up supplies in Passchendale sector and story of dispute with officer over being asked to make second trip in one night; story of getting drunk at estaminet on last night of rest period at Paris Plage; move into quiet front line sector in Nieuport area; story of bombardment on Nieuport billets and order to return to front line. REEL 21 Continues: return to front line under heavy fire and effects of German bombardment; period in rest camp near railway gun; confrontation with officer over Ashurst's conduct of men during bombardment at Nieuport and his subsequent removal from unit; move south to assist French. Background to being selected to train for commission, 8/1918: reactions; interview with general; journey back to GB. Recollections of period at Officers Training Camp, Ripon, 8/1918-11/1918: nature of cadets; fear of being returned to unit; training; privileges as cadet; value of experience as long term NCO; reactions to armistice celebrations, 11/11/1918. Background to decision secure extra seven years expired grant by remaining at Ripon, 11/1918-1/1919. REEL 22 Continues: Demobilisation, 1/1919. Return to work at Wigan Locomotive Depot, 2/1919. Question of effects of war service. Question of moral justification of First World War.