Travett, Norman Arthur (Oral history)

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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
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Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
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Description

Object description

British private served with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt 1st (Malta) Infantry Bde on Malta, 1940-1943; served with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde in Egypt and Sicily, Italy, 1943; served with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Italy, GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944; served with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 131st Lorried Infantry Bde, 7th Armoured Div in Germany, 1945

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training with Devonshire Regt in GB, 1940: call-up for military training, 2/1940; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; attitude to training. Recollections of period as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt 1st (Malta) Infantry Bde on Malta, 1940-1943: voyage from GB to Malta via South Africa, Italian Air Force attack on troop transport in eastern Mediterranean; duties on arrival; storage of supplies in caves; rations supply problems; state of health of troops; keeping chickens; life in pillboxes; punishment received for negligence during guard duty; character of beach defences; construction of aircraft pens. REEL 2 Continues: contrast between Italian and German Air Force air attacks; efforts of convoys to get through to Malta; items in short supply during siege; relations with Maltese civilians and visit to Malta, 1975; Maltese attitude to Italian regime; send off for battalion on leaving Malta, 1943. Aspects of operations as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: training in Egypt for landings; landings on Sicily, 10/7/1943; first encounter with German troops on Regalbuto Ridge. REEL 3 Continues: degree of Axis resistance; behaviour of German prisoners of war; Italian civilian attitude towards British Army troops; quality of German and Italian equipment; relations with Sicilians; contact with Allied troops; comparison of American and British rations. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Italy, 1943: landing at Porto Santa Venere, 9/1943; withdrawal of unit to GB. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 1943-1944: return to GB; preparations for Normandy landings; embarkation and postponement of landings. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: items carried in pack and equipment; approach to Gold Beach; wading ashore; sight of dead Germans in pill box; further details of landing; sheltering behind sea wall; move off beach; in action at La Belle Épine crossroads; non-Germans amongst prisoners of war; importance of air cover; progress of unit through France, Belgium and Netherlands; reception from civilians. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as as private with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt on Gold Beach, 131st Lorried Infantry Bde, 7th Armoured Div in Germany, 1945: attitude of Germans to occupying British troops; attitude of troops towards Germans; state of Berlin, summer 1945; ignoring non-fraternisation order; Berlin Victory Parade, 7/9/1945; desperation of civilians for food in Berlin summer 1945; return to Berlin, 1984; relations with German family; behaviour of troops in Berlin; his visit to Reichs Chancellery and souvenirs taken; attitude to having served with 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt in Second World War.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Travett, Norman Arthur (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1988-10
Dimensions: whole: Duration 150, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 10462

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Travett, Norman Arthur (Oral history)

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