Description
Object description
British NCO artificer served with Army Ordinance Corps in GB, Gallipoli, Egypt and Salonika, Greece, 1914-1919; munitions worker and trades union activist 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Nottingham, 1892-1914: education; various jobs, 1904-1905; work at millwrights, 1906-1908; training and work as fitter at Birkins lace manufacturers, 1908-1914; attending engineering classes at Nottingham University College; activities with No 6, St Ann's Coy, Nottingham Bn, Boys Brigade, 1904-1914, including drill training with wooden rifles, recreational club room, question of religious and military element in activities, summer camp, uniform, role on promotion to NCO and then lieutenant; activities with Boy Scouts, 1907-1914. Recollections of training with D Coy, 7th Bn, Nottinghamshire and Derbs Regt at Derby Road Drill Hall, 3/1910-3/1914: reasons for enlistment and reactions; uniform; weekly drill night training; annual summer camps and tactical exercises; Saturday rifle training at Trent range; relationship with ORs, NCOs and officers; decision not to re-engage due to continued interest in Boys Brigade, 3/1914. Recollections of outbreak of war, 4/8/1914: question of prior anticipation; view of mobilisation whilst holidaying at Scarborough. Responding to advertisement for time served fitters for special enlistment into Army Ordinance Corps, 11/1914: reasons and question of reserved occupation status preventing re-enlistment with 7th Bn, N & D; trade test at Woolwich and subsequent attestment as staff sergeant, ca 1/1915. Period at Woolwich, 2/1915-3/1915: course in optical sights and hydraulics.
REEL 3 Continues: course in optical sights and hydraulics; absence of military training and non combatant attitude of AOC. Posting to Priory Ordinance Depot, Dover, ca 3/1915-4/1915: zeppelin bombing raid; minimal duties; formation and composition of 114 Ordinance Coy, AOC, 9/1915; marriage, 27/9/1915. Voyage aboard HMS Terrible to Mudros, Lemnos, 10/1915: conditions; ignorance of destination. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle, daily routine and duties as artificer at AOC advanced depot, A Beach West, Suvla, Gallipoli, Turkey, 10/1915-12/1915: landing from lighters; reception; filing 18 pdr shells to size; absence of duties following evacuation of Inspector of Ordinance officer and refusal of armourer section, AOC to allow Orton to assist in reconditioning rifles, 10/1915; role and location of various constituent parts of depot; tent accommodation.
REEL 4 Continues: food rations; situation on arrival of replacement officer, ca 11/1915; necessity of replacing recooperator springs on 60 pdr gun; overcoming problem with choked 18 pdr barrels; problem with 18pdr trails; relationship with battery fitters; tool to check gun barrel rifling; tools; lack of work for advanced depot; battery visits; lice and fly problems; latrines; water ration; climate and effects of blizzard, 11/1915; reactions to lack of positive role in comparison to infantry; relationship with officer; question of permanent workshop; view of Kitchener's visit and realisation of possibility of evacuation, 11/1915. Continues: view of Kitchener's visit and realisation of possibility of evacuation; opinion of situation; question of destruction of stores and preparations for evacuation; evacuation with last 60 pdr gun, 12/1915. Period at Imbros and Lemnos, ca 12/1915-2/1916. Recollections of conditions of service and duties at AOC mobile workshop at Port Tewfik, Egypt, ca 2/1916--4/1916: servicing 18 pdrs and minor repairs; artillery spares held; question of repair of seriously damaged guns; concert parties; sergeants' mess; visits to Port Suez; letter and parcel contact with GB. Recollections of period with Argyll Bty, 4th Highland Mountain Bde, Royal Garrison Artillery at Ismailia, ca 4/1916-8/1916: initial posting to replace artificer; composition of Bty and Bde; role of limber gunners in basic gun maintenance.
REEL 6 Continues: stripping down and analysis of mechanism of newly issued 12.5 pdrs; colonel's misplaced fears over elevating screw; later discovery of dangerous gap in gun shield; background to transfer to Bde headquarters; new dial sights; period in desert. Voyage to Salonika, Greece, 8/1916. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and duties at Bashanti, Stuma Valley area, ca 10/1916-12/1917: move up to front and initial impressions; billet accommodation; concert party theatre adapted from church; food rations; daily battery routine; minimal nature of duties; relationship with officers and NCOs including initial difficulties with Scottish accent.
REEL 7 Continues: recreations including football activities; opinion of Salonika strategy and espousal of socialist views in conversations with padre; occasional Bulgarian shell fire; story of accident due to gap in gun shield; story of buying mislabelled mess supplies; ringworm caught from cats; malaria precautions. Recollections of duties during period at RAOC Dudalar Workshop Salonika, ca 12/1917-7/1918: personnel and equipment; fitting 13 pdr guns as anti aircraft guns onto Thorneycroft lorries including making leather washers for hydraulic buffers, strengthening lorry chassis and new sights required; checking guns; canteens and messes; visits to Salonika including effects of earlier fire, relationship with Greek civilians; fish and chip shop; drinking habits; concert party at local hospital.
REEL 8 Continues: news of Western Front and approach of armistice, 1918; question of service on Western Front; reaction to news of Armistice during journey back for leave in GB, 11/1918-12/1918; question of return to Salonika, 1/1919; duties preparing guns for service in Novorissisk, Soviet Union; attitude to Communist regime; demobilisation, 7/1919. Review of post war career, 1919-1945: domestic situation; return to work at Birkins and effects of changes in lace trade, 1919-1924; work as motor mechanic at hospital, 1924-1933; work as ambulance driver, 1933-1940; call up under essential work order to work at Royal Ordinance Factory, Castle Meadow Road, Nottingham, 1940; work as full time secretary of Nottingham District, Amalgamated Engineering Union, ca 1941-1945; background to leaving Boys Brigade, 1919. Recollections of duties as secretary of Nottingham District, AEU, ca 1941-1945: difficulties in motivating work force; reactions to higher income tax rates; question of quality of work; introduction of PAYE; prevention of essential workers being conscripted; effects of end of war on munitions industry; role as intermediary between workers and management; disputes over wages; insistence on safeguards for men on introduction of women fitters; role of sub contracting engineering firms. Role as active member of Labour Party and Nottingham Trades Council, 1939-1945: continued anti Conservative Party; committed attitude to prosecution of war and anti war minority within party; attitude to Communist Party and Liberal Party; war savings appeals; attendance at Production Advisory Committee.
REEL 9 Continues: post war involvement in committees involved in training; election as councillor in local elections, 5/1945; political situation in Nottingham parliamentary seats; question of reasons for general election victory, 1945.
