Pugh, Alec Graham (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 5th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in GB and France, 1938-1940; NCO served with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 144th Infantry Bde, 48th (South Midland) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 2/1940-5/1940; served with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 185th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945; served with 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950; served with Malayan Scouts in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951; served with Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 51st Infantry Bde on Cyprus, 1956-1958

REEL 1 Background in Aston, Birmingham, 1918-1937: family; education; reasons for enlistment in Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 1937. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 5th Infantry Bde, 2nd Infantry Div in GB and France, 1938-1940: reaction to Munich Crisis, 9/1938 and outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; preparations for move to France, 9/1939; journey to France, 9/1939; construction of Gort Line; effects of winter conditions, 1939-1940; relations with French civilians. Recollections of operations as NCO with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regt, 144th Infantry Bde, 48th (South Midland) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 2/1940-5/1940: opinion of French Army and Maginot Line; period in front line opposite Saarland, Germany, 3/1940; German Air Force activity, 5/1940; preparations for move into Belgium, 10/5/1940. REEL 2 Continues: crossing into Belgium; reception by Belgian civilians; disposition of battalion on Waterloo-Brussels road, Belgium; sight of dead British anti-aircraft crew; sight of advancing Germans and withdrawal; attachment to cavalry regiment acting as rearguard; nature of rearguard actions; rejoining unit at Hollain, Belgium; withdrawal into northern France under German Air Force attacks; rearguard action at Wormhoudt, France. REEL 3 Continues: withdrawal towards Dunkirk, France; rowing out to abandoned merchantman at Bray-Dunes, France; crossing English Channel on thames riverboat; reception at Ramsgate, GB; reaction to receiving news of Wormhoudt Massacre in 1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 185th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: pre-D-Day address by General Bernard Montgomery at Hayward's Heath, GB; D-Day plan; crossing English Channel; transfer of Universal Carriers from landing craft to amphibious Rhino Ferry, advance inland from Lion-sur-Mer. REEL 4 Continues: move up of 12th SS Panzer Div 'Hitlerjugend'; contact with French civilians; help given to German wounded. Recollections of operations as NCO with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 185th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: renewed battle for Caen, 9/7/1944; sight of Allied bombing of Caen, 7/7/1944, artillery barrage of Lebisey Wood, 9/7/1944; short period out of line; reaction to capture of Lebisey Wood, Normandy France; return to line at Troan, 7/1944; wounding by shrapnel. Recollections of operations as NCO with Carrier Platoon, 2nd Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 185th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: pursuit of Germans from Flers, France to Belgium and Netherlands, 8/1944-9/1944; German delaying action at Overloon, Netherlands, positions on River Maas, winter 1944-1945; capture of suspected German Army infiltrators. REEL 5 Continues: use of goat power; crossing into Germany, 2/1945; contact with German civilians; nature of German opposition; capture of Bremen, Germany, 4/1945; disorderly Soviet forced labourers in Bremen, Germany. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regt, 185th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Germany, 1945: occupation area on River Weser; relations with German civilians; social event with Soviet Army; behaviour of Soviet Displaced Persons; attitude of British troops towards behaviour of Soviet Displaced Persons; self inflicted casualties by Polish Displaced Persons at Petershagen. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 27th Infantry Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950: construction of defence line at Lo Wu in New Territories; flight of Chinese civilians from China. Aspects of period as NCO with Malayan Scouts in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1951: formation of unit, 1950. REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Royal Leicestershire Regt, 51st Infantry Bde in Cyprus, 1956-1958: patrol work; National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) threat to recruit agents; attitude to staging of Queen's Birthday Parade rehearsals; National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) actions against British Army troops and their families; attitude of Greek Cypriots towards British Army troops; Greek-Turkish Cypriot relations; attitude towards carrrying out rural patrols; capture of National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) suspects at Frenaros; opinion of National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA); role of Headquarters Coy.