Lamb, Joseph "Chelsea" (Oral history)

British private served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1934; private served with 2nd Bn Durham Light Infantry in India and Sudan, 1935-1937; private and NCO served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in China, North Africa and Syria, 1937-1943; private served with Infantry Base Depot in Egypt, 1943; served with 10th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1943; served with Oxford Infantry Depot in GB, 1943-1944

REEL 1 Background in Co Durham, GB, 1909-1934: family and area grew up in; education and move to Birtley; move to Gateshead and work on farms; work at Dunston and Watergate Collieries including pay and working week; brother's joining of army; loss of work in 1933 Strike; training as motor mechanic at Wallsend Training Centre; decision to join army; enlistment at Newcastle; reaction of family to his joining up. Aspects of period as recruit with Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1/1934: reception at Fenham Barracks; formation of squad; medical; make-up of squad; uniform issued; story behind nickname; issue of weapon; training; accommodation; marching pace; formation in fours. REEL 2 Continues: physical training; routine; taking to army life and comradeship; contact with officers and NCOs; memories of "Cushy" Ernie Allad; discipline; gambling; drill parades; bayonet training; cane issued when let out of barracks; story of first time out; leisure activities; places visited out of barracks; punishment if late back; reception on return home; passing out parade; inter-squad sports competition; leave; leaving speech from Sergeant. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1934: arrival at Catterick; company posted to; training; length of stay; time at Blackdown before drafted to 2nd Battalion. Aspects of journey from GB to India aboard the Nevassa, 1935: sleeping arrangements; seasickness and breakfast; learning to swim; lifeboat drill; leisure activities; khaki dress issued; inoculations; visits to Guildford; opinion of life in India. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Durham Light Infantry in India, 2/1935-2/1937: reception at Bombay; barracks; posted to A Company at Deolali; commanding NCO and officer. REEL 3 Continues: accommodation; civilian workers in camp; contact with civilians; Deolali Tap; training and manoeuvres; population of accommodation; platoon commanders; opinion of officers; posting in Bombay; accommodation; ceremonial parades and guard duties; ammunition carried on church parades; lectures given on VD; leisure activities; riot control duties; preparation for guard duties; selection of stick orderly; duties when stick orderly; officers bets on selection of stick orderly; reveille; breakfast; morning activities; special parades; lunch and tea; afternoon activities; punishments; routine if on jankers; example of troops punished and fatigues given; leaving camp. REEL 4 Continues: relationship with civilians; out of bounds areas; warnings against prostitutes and VD; civilian attitude towards troops; discipline; methods of theft from sleeping quarters in Deolali; haggling in the bazaars; company rivalry in sports; success of battalion football team; sports played; training in Deolali; saddlers course with Royal Artillery in Kirkee; officers entertainment and involvement in sport; train journey to and from Kirkee; treatment for rash; health problems in battalion; inoculations; length of time in Bombay and summary of battalion's tour; journey to Port Sudan aboard the Lancashire. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Durham Light Infantry in Sudan, 2/1937-10/1937: arrival in Khartoum; transfer to Signals Section; troops in section; climate in Khartoum; reveille and room orderlies. REEL 5 Continues: contact with Indian troops; tablets taken at breakfast; reason for early reveille; morning procedure; guard duties; troops posted to signals section; learning of alphabet; semaphore; training with heliograph and NCOs and officers in section; Morse code; life in signals section; accommodation; precautions against mosquitoes; sports; entertainments; football pitches; climate; contact with civilians; contact with officers and NCOs; story of charge for playing football; confinement to barracks; reasons for posting to 1st Battalion and joining of 1st Battalion at Port Said. Aspects of journey from Port Said, Egypt, to Shanghai, China aboard the Dilwara, 10/1937-11/1937: posting to A Company. REEL 6 Continues: description of ship; journey through China Sea; sleeping arrangements and accommodation; stop-off in Singapore. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in China, 11/1937-1/1940: arrival in Shanghai; situation in China; accommodation in school; role in Shanghai and other nations present; patrols; guard duty on concession border bridge; problems with Japanese; story of Major Hislop's argument with a Japanese soldier; daddies in battalion; commanding officers; opinion of officers; officers from 2nd Battalion; accommodation in barracks; story of promotion to Lance Corporal; news of attachment to Royal Military Police; reason for attachment; arrival in unit; patrols; charging of troops; length of period with Military Police; pairing with Scottish troops on patrols; story of warning given to Seaforth Highlanders and dismissal of Japanese General; problems with fights between troops of different nations; hostesses in cabarets; Regimental brothels and VD precautions; army attitude towards VD. REEL 7 Continues: rejoining of battalion and journey to Tientsin; accommodation; news of posting to garrison police in Tientsin; position of garrison police; provost marshal; memories of Provost Sergeant Benny "Snakey" Coleburn; briefing from Lancashire Fusiliers; other units and nationalities in Tientsin; company at Peking; stories of sailors arrested; talk of approaching war; guard of honour for French General; Armistice Day parade; posting to telephone exchange; duties; tricks played by friends and story of telling brigadier to bugger off; story of Japanese gunboat encountered on Yangtze; journey to Kowloon; living conditions; accommodations; length of stay; duties providing hot water; visits to Hong Kong; reasons for wait in Kowloon; journey to Egypt. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1/1940-7/1941: posted to Moascar; posting as storeman. REEL 8 Continues: arrival in Ismailia and split of battalion; posting as company storeman; need for acclimatisation; route march to Port Said; duties at El Kantara water works; escort of Italian ships through canal; escort of trainload of tanks; journey to Mersa Matruh; relief of Egyptian troops; digging of anti-tank ditches; description of arming mines; story of detonator explosion; air activity; RAF presence; dummy airfields built; washing in sea; troops killed in mosque by bomb blast; story of being bombed while bathing; reactions of troops to bombing; duties as Lance Corporal; running in desert; spread of battalion; keeping section in order; weapons in battalion; Italian advance and news of attack; capture of generals; units moved forward with; attack on Italians; Christmas 1940; push forward to Benghazi and escorting of prisoners; German counter- attack; units at Halfaya Pass; position taken on escarpment; sections to left and right; approach of Italians; firing of gun onto escarpment; taking cover from boulder shrapnel. REEL 9 Continues: wounding of Corporal Hanratty; swing of gun to his section and advance of Italians; Italian use of tracer; concentration of fire on Italian gun and leadership of section; retreat after sunset; movement through Scots Guards; journey away in 3 ton truck; transfer to carrier; talk with platoon officer before action; scattering of sections; message for withdrawal; return to Mersa Matruh; news of posting to Fort Capuzzo; church service before move to Fort Capuzzo; charge on aerodrome; German fire; terrain; ordered troops to keep away from carriers; weapons fired on section; proximity to wire; destruction of British tanks; approach of German tanks; decision to retreat; hand to hand fighting; automatic nature of fighting; withdrawal; reaction after withdrawal; casualties; opinions of action; memories of Benny Lang; opinion that lacked equipment; reinforcements. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Syria, 1941: posting in Syria; memories of Captain Johnson; story of a patrol with Captain "Crackers" May; accommodation in Mons and Aleppo; promotion to Corporal. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1941-1943: journey to Tobruk; arrival in Tobruk; night in caves; posted to Brigade Headquarters and machine gun training. REEL 10 Continues: defensive duties at Brigade Headquarters; digging of own position; sleeping arrangements; firing at aircraft with Bren gun; accommodation; supply of rations; beards; rations; latrines; symptoms of appendicitis; reasons for charge against him; reported sick and heard no more of court martial; rejoined battalion after breakout. Aspects of period as private in Egypt, 1943: journey to Alexandria; continuation of illness; stay in field hospital; demotion to ranks having been tried in absence; reaction to punishment; convalescence; reported to Infantry Base Depot in Geneifa; leave in Alexandria; admitted to hospital; reported as absentee; time in rear echelon camp; duties as quarter master; story of tents being stolen; news of posting back to GB; offer to stay in Egypt and decision to return; Aspects of journey from Egypt to GB, 1943: flight to Khartoum in captured Junkers; wait for new plane in Khartoum; flight in Lockheed Hudson to Stanleyville; activities in Stanleyville; flight to Lagos; news would return to GB by ship from Freetown; description of Highland Monarch; arrival on ship and posting as captain's orderly; briefing from captain; arrival in Liverpool; bananas taken on voyage. Aspects of period as private in GB, 1943: journey to Newcastle; decision to return home before reporting to Brancepeth Castle. REEL 11 Continues: return home; orders from Brancepeth Castle; reactions to orders; leave; journey to Scotland; reception from local population and family. Aspects of period as private with 10th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1943: arrival with battalion at Rothesay; accommodation; canteen; welcome from Colonel Blackett; refusal of promotion; landing craft training; description of and stories of training with Bangalore Torpedoes; knowledge of D Day; trouble with varicose veins and leave; journey to Southwold; reported sick; treatment in Reading hospital; story of medical grade review; convalescence at Westcliffe. Aspects of period as private at Oxford Base Depot, GB, 1943-1944: posted to Oxford Infantry Base Depot; work as storeman.