Description
Object description
British seaman served as machine gunner with Deal Bn, Royal Marine Light Infantry, Royal Naval Div in GB, Gallipoli and on Western Front, 1914-1919; private served with No. 2 General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and North-West Europe, 1939-1940
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Caterham, 1898-1914: family; education; work as shop delivery boy; failure of attempt to join Royal Navy on health grounds, 1913; work as gardener. Recruitment with Royal Marine Light Infantry at Crown Hill Recruiting office, Croydon, 18/8/1914: parents' reaction; underage status; reasons. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and training with 83rd Training Squad, Royal Marine Light Infantry at South Barracks, Deal, 8/1914-12/1914: bedding; room tidying rota; kit inspections; food rations; drill; rifle and bayonet training; swimming lessons; education.
REEL 2 Continues: formation of Deal Bn; recollections of attending Maxim machine gun course at Brandown Range including gun mechanics, role of team members, method of firing, stoppages, range firing practise and opinion of instructors; relationship with officers & NCOs; punishments for minor offences; relationship with other ranks; daily routine; canteens and recreations; relationship with local civilians. Recollections of march to Maidstone, 1/1915: billets; foot care. Period in Blandford Camp, 1/1915-2/1915: training; reaction to prospect of land service.
REEL 3 Recollections of voyage aboard Franconia to Port Said. Egypt, 2/1915: ignorance of destination; coaling ship at Malta. Period in camp at Port Said, 2/1915-3/1915: separate training exercises as machine gun section; swimming in Sweet Water Canal. Recollections of period training at Mudros, Lemnos, Greece, 3/1915. Recollections of diversionary operations off Bulair, Gallipoli, Turkey, 25/4/1915: disembarking into tows; making noise during approach; return to ship; lack of sign of Turkish troops. Recollections of period at Anzac, Gallipoli, 26/4/1915: situation on landing; move inland and positions in gully; account of using Maxim to help break up Turkish mass night attacks, 27/4/1915; personal morale; story of officer sniped whilst firing last few rounds prior to moving Maxim position.
REEL 4 Continues: view of Australian evacuating casualties on mule. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period at Helles, Gallipoli, 5/1915-1/1916: landing; visit to Sedd-el-Bahr fort; trenches and barbed wire; machine gun posts; rest camp dugouts; food and water rations; cigarettes and question of smoking; discarding pith helmet; uniform; story of embarrassment on first discovering lice and lice problem; question of washing; latrines; fly problem; corpses; dysentery; stand to; maintenance of Maxim; sniping problem; shell fire.
REEL 5 Continues: fixed line and long range machine gun fire; situation in front line at Munster Terrace; precautions whilst patrols were in no mans land and story of Gurkha raid; story of direct hit on machine gun post whilst away fetching water; relationship with other ranks, NCOs and officers; rest periods; puttees; parcel and letter contact with GB; question of role during infantry attacks; casualties suffered by Collingwood Bn, 4/6/1915; inneffectiveness of Asiatic Annie shell fire; effects of rain storms and unofficial truce, 11/1915; question of evacuation; weakly held line on taking over French sector, 1/1/1916; earlier unofficial truce in sector where both sides were vulnerable; ignorance of evacuation of Suvla. Recollections of evacuation, 8/1/1916-9/1/1916: preparation.
REEL 6 Continues: march down to beach; evacuation on HMS Prince George to Mudros, Lemnos; reactions. Recollections of period at Lemnos, 1/1916-3/1916: troops refusal to tie up tent flaps in bad weather; story of being made spare number in machine gun team, consequent unnecessary course and examination as No 1; story of submarine attack on Wahini during voyage for Malta leave; soldier's ruse to get extra pay; outpost duty at Stavros. Recollections of service on Western Front, 3/1916: reactions; train journey to Hersin Campigne; distance from German lines; story of getting lost during march, sheltering in barn hit by shell and breaking knee cap and wrist, 6/1916; comparison with Gallipoli. Evacuation via Etaples to GB, 6/1916: nurse's surprise at dirty condition; assignment as naval personnel to Haslar Hospital. Recollections of period at Haslar Hospital, Gosport, 6/1916-8/1916: treatment; state of injuries; visitors.
REEL 7 Period at Portland Barracks, Gosport, 8/1916-12/1916: assignment to light duties; emergence of speech impediment as shell shock symptom during interview concerning cause of injury prior to award of hurt certificate; stories illustrating shell shock symptoms. Recollections of duties on ammunition guard in Harwich area, 1917-1919: initial duties guarding ammunition lighters whilst based aboard HMS Dido at Parkstone Quay; fishing activities; supplying ammunition for Harwich Flotilla; move from lighters to ammunition huts in woods at Redness; loading railway trucks with ammunition; Armistice, 11/11/1918; arrival of war reparation German submarines, 1919; story of hiding rum ration due to threat of HM Customs search. Period at Portland Barracks, 1919: medical regrading as A1; cancellation of posting to HMS Renown due to lack of gunnery drill training; story of falling out of punishment drill due to porting arms incorrectly during guard inspection, subsequent medical inspection and discharge as disabled, 5/1920. Inter war career, 1920-1939: pension awarded prior to final gratuity and reason for not appealing; work as nurse at St Lawrence's Hospital, Caterham.
REEL 8 Continues: recruitment to Supplementary Reserve with Royal Army Medical Corps, 1937-1939. Call up to Brandown, 1/9/1939. Recollections of period as nurse with No 2 General Hospital at Offranville, Dieppe, France, 9/1939-5/1940: story of patrolling estaminets following attachment to Military Police; ward sisters from Queen Alexanda's Nursing Service; evacuation of patients to Dieppe; air attack during evacuation from La Boule to Falmouth, 5/1940. Aspects of war service, 1939-1945: reactions; fears for family during V1 raids and reaction to refusal of compassionate leave.