Description
Object description
British gunner served with B Battery, 245 Bde, Royal Field Artillery in GB and Western Front, 1914-1917. Leg amputation, 1917. Prominent member of British Limbless Ex Servicemen's Association in Leeds, 1927-1980
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Leeds, Yorks, 1896-1914: family; education; football activities; work as apprentice model maker for ornamental terracotta, 1909-1914; reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914. Background to enlistment underage into Royal Artillery at Fenton Barracks, Leeds, 11/1914: reasons; minimal medical; family reaction. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and training as gunner with B Bty, 245 Bde, Royal Field Artillery at York, 11/1914-12/1914: billets; delayed issue of uniforms; food rations; stories illustrating status as 'outsider' within territorial unit formerly based at Bramley, Leeds; reactions to army lifestyle; description of method of loading, laying and firing 15pdr gun; drill; voluntary runs.
REEL 2 Continues: learning to ride and groom horses; attraction of horse odour to dogs. Recollections of period at Drypool Docks, Hull, 12/1915-3/1915: billets; private practice of laying and gun drill; success in competition as layer and disappointment at remaining ammunition number; story of accident whilst galloping with guns; ineffectiveness as coastal defence force; relationship with local civilians and NCOs; officers; question of adequacy of training illustrated by visibility of gun positions from air. Journey out to Fleurbaix, France, 31/3/1915-1/4/1915: prior practice moves; loading trains; prior innoculations; seasickness; dress regulations whilst grooming; absence of firing practise; return of regular sergeant major to GB; train journey; absence of contact with French civilians. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle during period at Fleurbaix, 4/1915-6/1915: ploughing to disguise gun positions.
REEL 3 Continues: arrest and temporary posting to waggon lines for having unofficially occupied observation post with view into German lines; gunpits and dugouts; food rations; issue of laxatives and latrines; water supply; shaving; lice, crabs and rat problems; pet dog; buying treat for horse; rum ration and story of getting drunk; cigarette rations; inappropriate harnesses issued to carry shells; description of command sequence and gun drill on 15 pdr in action.
REEL 4 Continues: description of command sequence and gun drill on 15 pdr in action; problem with noise of guns firing; precaution to avoid aerial observation; role of forward observation officer; period assisting with hoses on attachment to driver in waggon lines. Period at Brielen, Ypres area, 7/1915-1/1916: story of getting cobblestones from Ypres to use in horse lines; different types of shells and simplified gun drill on re-equipment with 18 pdrs; German shellfire; background to issue of steel helmets, 1916; competition between gun sections; composition of unit; relationship with officers, NCOs and ORs; bias against non-Bramley personnel; story of driving GS waggon up to gun positions with rations and close escape from German shellfire driving back with empty shell cases; parcel and letter contact with GB.
REEL 5 Continues: letter contact with GB. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine mainly attached to waggon lines during periods in Somme and Ypres areas, 1916-1917: role on waggon lines; effects of preliminary bombardment, 6/1916; lack of briefing; bias against non-Bramley personnel; quality of horses; story of difficulties with previously wounded horses during trip to collect remounts, 1917; breaking in new horses; horse lines; collecting horse fodder and unit rations from railhead in GS waggon; theft of boots; canteen extras; Crown and Anchor; football activities; visits to estaminet; bathing horses in sea; story of visit to seaside estaminet; question of drinking habits and VD.
REEL 6 Continues: reactions to horse casualties; individual riding and grooming charactersitics of horses; eating horse meat; sleeping arrangements; cleaning stables; feeding horses; breakfast; cleaning limbers and harness; grooming and watering horses; bath; dinner; breaking in horses; view of air combat over Poperinghe, 1915; attending to horses; tea; canteen facilities; method of driving GS waggon up to gun positions with rations and shells; sleeping arrangements and possible night calls.
REEL 7 Continues: daily routine on gun positions including tidying gun pits, cleaning guns, localised view of war, songs sung and story of firing gun during night guard duty; procedure on moving battery out of linepolicy of gunners marching during moves; story illustrating horses' awareness of different locations; GB leave including delousing, question of telling family of conditions on Western Front, absence of friends, overstaying leave and seasickness; personal morale and health; effects of weather and ground conditions; story of moving into gun positions on Kemmel Hill; story of meeting friend; night picket duty. Story of being wounded by German shell whilst leading horses carrying ammunition in packs up to gun positions in Ypres area, 1/10/1917: initial difficulty in getting past German shellfire, attempt to gallop through and severe knee wound from shell; intitial treatment from Royal Army Medical Corps stretcher bearers.
REEL 8 Continues: journey by stretcher to underground hospital; anasthetic arrangements. Hospital train journey to Etaples, 10/1917. Recollections of amputation of leg and medical treatment at Canadian Hospital Etaples, 10/1917: initial absence of treatment; drunken doctor; amputation of leg without consent or notification during minor draining operation on knee fluid; reactions; unnecessary pain caused by nurse in removal of gauze dressing; voyage back to GB; question of 'Blighty Wound' and reactions to amputation. Recollections of medical treatment at Workhouse Hospital at Stockport, 10/1917-1/1918: severe condition of stump indicating prior inadequate treatment; peroxide treatment; visit from family and girlfriend; personal morale; successful reamputation by specialist to tidy up stump; strict matron. Recollections of convalescence home in Knutsford, ca 1/1918-5/1918: first use of crutches; question of phantom pains; conditions; story of croquet game illustrating improving mobility; improving personal morale; VAD nurses.
REEL 9 Continues: stories illustrating relationship with owner's daughter; visit home; reactions of girlfriends to amputation; request for outdoor accommodation; minor leg problems; absence of contact with unit; return home. Recollections of fitting of artificial leg, 1918: measuring process; food; punishment for going AWOL and reactions; photographs; issue of artificial leg without instructions or assistance. Recollections of acclimatisation to artificial leg; work career and membership of British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association in Leeds, 1918-1989: reactions to Towers as amputee; success in improving fitting of leg and learning to walk; obsolescence of ornamental terracotta trade and arrangements by army board to attend tailoring course in Leeds, 1918; reactions to seeing unit return to Leeds; opinion of justification of war; food rations issued as soldier living at home.
REEL 10 Continues: qualification as tailor and difficulty finding work; background to securing work making mould castings at manufacturing firm, initial problems with work force and review of subsequent career; dislillusionment at election of artificial leg manufacturer as chair during inaugeral meeting of Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association at Leeds Town Hall, 1927; problems with ill-fitting artificial replacement leg, consequent stump abcesses, hospitalisation to remove them and successful protest to secure improved artificial legs in hospital, 1936; problems with new design of artificial legs, ca 1989; visiting hospitals as BLESMA member to council newly limbless and crippled, ca 1939-1955; resolution of dispute with assistance from BLESMA over amount of disability penison; BLESMA residential homes ; story of arranging dance to publicise BLESMA at Leeds Town Hall, 1930.
REEL 11 Continues: story of arranging dance to publicise BLESMA at Leeds Town Hall, 1930; background to being awarded place and subsequent lifestyle in BLESMA residential home, Blackpool, 1989; question of overall post-war treatment.
