Calvert, Horace (Oral history)

British private served with 1/6th and 2/6th Bns West Yorkshire Regt in GB, 1914-1915; served with 5th, 4th, and 2nd Bns Grenadier Guards in GB, on Western Front and in Germany, 1915-1919; present during disturbance at Harfleur Camp, Le Havre, 12/1918

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Bradford, 1899-1914: social and housing conditions; religion; education; half time work in textile mill, 1911-1913; recreations; work with engineering firm, 1913-1914. Reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914: question of prior anticipation; attitudes towards regular army; joining crowds outside Bellevue Barracks, Bradford. Background to recruitment underage with 2/6th Bn West Yorkshire Regt, 9/1914: reasons; parents' reactions; formation of units; procedure; reasons. REEL 2 Continues: Period training at Bellevue Barracks, 9/1914-10/1914: living at home; parents reactions; drill; uniform; initial rifle training with Lee Mitford; recruiting marches through Bradford; contrasting reactions to army and civilian work discipline; ; relationship with other ranks, NCO instructors and officers. Recollections of period with 1/6th Bn West Yorkshire Regt at York, 10/1914-2/1915: billets; precautions to avoid skin diseases; food rations; kit; route marches; tactical training; map reading; rifle range shooting. REEL 3 Continues: rifle range shooting; relationship with civilians; recreations; leave. Period at Gainsborough, 2/1915-4/1915: billets; interest in guards regiments and background to dissatisfaction with unit; question of adequacy of training. Story of desertion, avoidance of military police during return by rail to Bradford and enlistment into Grenadier Guards at Bridge Street Recruiting Office, 4/1915. Period with guards draft at White City Exhibition Centre, Shepherds Bush, London, 4/1915-5/1915: detection of previous military training; food rations; nature of guards drill; enlistment as regular; origins and quality of recruits; relationship with other ranks as 'young soldier'. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 14th Training Squad Grenadier Guards at Caterham Barracks, 5/1915-7/1915: questioning concerning possible under age status on arrival. REEL 4 Continues: hut accommodation; kitting out; breakfast; methods of preparing uniform and kit to required guards standard; drill; PT; lunch; .22 rifle training; bayonet training; recreations; relationship with other ranks, 'trained soldier' and NCO instructors; story of investigation into desertion from 1/6th West Yorkshire Regt and consequent sentence to 14 days confined to barracks. REEL 5 Continues: punishment routine during 14 days CB; cancellation of service prior to sentence; story of being late back into barracks and subsequent punishment; Saturday and church parades; pride in unit; passing out. Recollections of period with 3rd Coy 5th Bn Grenadier Guards at Chelsea Barracks, 7/1915-3/1916: conditions of service and morning routine; inspection and protocol on guard duties at Buckingham Palace; guard duties at Hyde Park magazine; barrack guard duties and guard room prisoners; presence of military prison; recruiting marches. REEL 6 Continues: recreations and sporting activities; relationship with other ranks, NCOs and officers; question of policy of retaining regular units in GB to combat possible civilian unrest, 1914; tactical training at Marlowe on Thames; night training at Croydon; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1915; question of volunteering for active service draft; difficulty in growing required moustache. Journey with draft to Le Havre, France, 3/1916: embarkation procedure; send off; profiteering of ship's canteen personnel during Channel crossing. Recollections of trench warfare training at Infantry Base Depot at Le Havre, 3/1916: hand grenade training; laying sandbags; gas mask training; digging; selection procedure for different Grenadier Guards battalions. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 2nd Coy 4th Bn Grenadier Guards in St Julian sector, Ypres area, 4/1916-7/1916: train journey; initial billet on joining unit at Poperinghe; advice on trench warfare. REEL 7 Continues: approach to front line in St Julian sector; sentry duty and first impressions; nature and layout of trenches; barbed wire; dugouts; food rations, water supply, rum and cigarette rations; trench stores; adequacy of uniform; latrines and casualties from German snipers; absence of washing; burial of rubbish; rat problem. REEL 8 Continues: rat problem; presence of corpses; lice and mice problems; wet conditions; stand to; assisting stretcher bearers evacuate casualties; day sentry duty; repairing trenches; importance of cleaning rifle; sleep; nature of conversations; food rations; night sentry duties; German trench raid on neighbouring company and officer casualty; night sentry duties. REEL 9 Continues: inspection of sentries; wiring, covering and ration parties; loss of friend in failed British trench raid; German shellfire and minenwerfers; German sniping and machine gun fire; personal morale; relationship with other ranks and NCOs; visits from padre. REEL 10 Continues: visits from padre and question of importance of religion; question of relative role of NCOs and officers; question of officers' superior conditions of service; attitude towards high command; working parties and German shellfire whilst in support lines; periods in reserve lines on Canal Bank, Ypres including rat problem, dugouts, cleaning kit and uniform for inspection, gas alarm duty, letter and parcel contact with GB and question of absence of German shellfire; tours of duty. Period of training during move to Somme area, 7/1916: enforced emptying of water bottles prior to march. REEL 11 Continues: enforced emptying of water bottles; tactical training in new methods of attack; fusing hand grenades; comparison of German and British hand grenades. Aspects of period in Somme area, 7/1916-9/1916: nature of battlefield; water supply in captured German trench; reaction to activities of British trench mortar teams; working party in Australian mine; heavy German shellfire in Trones Wood sector, 9/9/1916; fatal effects of explosive concussion; situation after attack at Guinchy; terrain at Somme and Ypres; training in relaxed shooting style as sniper, 8/1916; practice in badly designed sniper's post; lack of equipment or employment as sniper with unit. REEL 12 Continues: reaction to news of imminent attack; secrecy over arrival of tanks; role of cavalry; heavy German shellfire in Trones Wood sector, 9/9/1916; German air attacks on Happy Valley sector; view of Field Punishment No 1; view of failed tank attack on Flers, 15/9/1916 and problems caused by breakdown in communications. Recollections of attack on Lesboeufs, 25/9/1916: preparations; going over top; crossing No Man's Land and approaching German front line; casualties; hand grenade shoulder wound; evacuation to GB; opinion of Royal Army Medical Corps. Period in hospital in Liverpool, 10/1916-11/1916: Period at Seaford Guards Convalescent Camp, 11/1916-12/1916: duties; personal reactions to convalescent soldiers' attacks on non-combatant conscientious objectors. REEL 13 Continues: story of corporal's involvement in attacks on non-combatant conscientious objectors. Leave in Bradford, 12/1916: effects of war on civilian life; father's war service; effects of Somme offensive casualties. Recollections of period with No 3 Coy 5th Reserve Bn Grenadier Guards at Chelsea Barracks, 12/1916-3/1918: acting as drill squad used to train NCOs from other units; studying for 2nd Class Certificate of Education; reaction to being ruled ineligible for active service after father revealed age to regimental headquarters; question of quality of conscript recruits; question of adequate convalescence for wounded; German daylight bombing raid on London, 7/1917; recreations; guard duties including officers' mess guard; bugle calls; question of training; developments in patrolling and listening posts. REEL 14 Continues: temporary detachment to Kensington Barracks due to over-crowding; ruse to pass kit inspection; accommodation in pipe clay room on return to Chelsea Barracks; developing attitudes of 'old soldier'; news of German offensive, 3/1918; journey with draft to France. Recollections of period with 2 Coy 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards in St Pol sector, 3/1918-7/1918: reception from regimental sergeant major designed to assert his authority; Lewis gun anti-aircraft post; prior Lewis gun training in GB, 1917; situation; attack of dysentery and punishment for leaving line during stand to; break up of German attack by artillery; situation; opinion of US troops attached for trench training; organisation and tactics of patrols. REEL 15 Continues: situation; comparison of system of defensive posts introduced in place of continuous line; roles of Lewis gun team. Periods training at Saulty and Ransart, 7/1918-8/1918: developments in attack tactics; tactics against German machine guns; patrol tactics; use of dark glasses for night training. Periods at Hendecourt, Boiry St Martin and Hamelincourt, 7/1918-8/1918: situation on taking over defensive posts at Hendecourt; change in attitude of German troops; patrols; gas masks. Recollections of period at St Leger, 8/1918-9/1918: signs of recent severe fighting on taking over front line; capture by Germans of reconnaissance patrol; story of acting as officer's runner; story of meeting friend and his story of being taken POW during patrol during subsequent call up for reserve, 1921; continuos nature of attacks. REEL 16 Continues: account of attack and capture of German POWs; state of morale; story of being relieved by drunken officer of Gordon Highlanders. Recollections of attack as second wave on Hindenburg Line in Cambrai area, 9/1918: reasons for refusal of promotion to corporal; relationship with older but less experienced soldiers and nature of advice on survival; simultaneous barrage; crossing Canal du Nord; success in reaching German front line; German howitzer emplacement; nature of Hindenburg Line defences; question of morale of German troops; move into open country facing Bourlon Wood; German retreat. Recollections of advance, 9/1918-10/1918: reactions to beginning of open warfare conditions; overnight billet; advance under German machine gun fire and reports of actions of Private Edgar Holmes as stretcher bearer for which he was awarded Victoria Cross at Cattinieres; opinion of Holmes. REEL 17 Continues: situation; casualties form German snipers and story of night patrol to discover their position; casualties from German shells; laying white marker tapes prior to attack on Solesmes; receiving slight head wound whilst consolidating positions after attack in Solesmes sector, 20/10/1918. Evacuation to Le Treport hospital, 10/1918: post-war effects; news of Armistice, 11/11/1918; desire to return to unit. Recollections of disturbance at Harfleur Camp, Le Havre, 9/12/1918-10/12/1918: troops demands to staff officers; decision not to participate; clearing of camp. Recollections of period with 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards at Cologne, 12/1918-4/1919: posting as officer's servant; view of anti-cavalry spikes in fields during prior train journey; duties; billets and lice problem; relationship with German civilians and soldiers and contrasting attitude of French troops. REEL 18 Continues: willingness of German women to exchange sex for food due to shortages; question of staying in army; Christmas celebrations with German civilians, 25/12/1918; temporary reformation of 4th Bn Grenadier Guards for presentation of colours and enforcement of respect for colours amongst German civilians; GB leave. Return to 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards to Chelsea Barracks, 4/1919: question of guards role suppressing possible civilian unrest; conditions of service and decision to leave army; demobilisation at Ripon Camp, 4/1919. Post-war career: working abroad; career in police force and consequences on promotion prospects of refusal to accept promotion in army. Call up as reservist during period of industrial strike action and periods with 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards at Pirbright Camp, 1921: meeting friend taken POW during patrol; reactions to call up; situation; story of outsize reservist without uniform. Aspects of First World War service: mental and physical effects; post-war treatment of ex-servicemen. Account of disturbance at Harfleur Camp at Le Havre, 9/12/1918-10/12/1918: troops demands to staff officers. REEL 19 Continues: troops demands over demobilisation and personal reactions; composition and mood of crowd; ringleaders; canteen raided by troops; question of absence of military police; return to guards camp; question of sympathy for protesters amongst platoon; subsequent disturbances in neighbouring camps; shots fired into guards camp; question of canteen meetings and soldiers breaking out of camp; clearing of camp and drafts to units; size of camp.