Walker, John Ralph (Oral history)

British NCO served with 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1942; POW in Italy and Austria, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Nottingham area, 1917-1939: activities with Officers' Training Corps at Nottingham High School including training, annual camps, guard mounting competition, bugle playing in band, instructors and officers; sporting activities; studying for chartered accountancy exams, 1934-1939; reaction to approach of war. Recruitment as gunner with 425 Battery, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery at Derby Road Drill Hall, Nottingham, 3/1939: reasons; reputation of SNH; question of commission; parents' reaction. REEL 2 Recollections of training at Redesdale Camp and Derby Road Drill Hall, 3/1939-9/1939: selections as gunner; basic drill; 18pdr gun drill and role of gun team members; instructors; relationship with ORs and question influence of social background; relationship with instructors, NCOs and officers; initial reaction to prevalence of swearing; practice in getting guns into action; role of artificers; value of competition in increasing efficiency; role of specialist gunners; reactions to conditions of service on camp. REEL 3 Continues: story illustrating social background of some ORs; recreations at Redesdale Camp, 6/1939; background to accompanying 150 Regt to Bridlington Camp, 8/1939; duties as assistant battery quartermaster with particular reference to petrol issue. Mobilisation and initial period at Hollins Lace Factory, Garden Street, Nottingham, 8/1939-9/1939: reaction to call up; review of organisation of regiment; air raid precautions; role in quartermaster's stores and promotion to lance bombardier. Aspects of periods at Rillington and Wragby 9/1939-1/1940: food rations; billet at Scampston; role of battery office. REEL 4 Continues: billet at Holton cum Beckering; relationship with civilians; learning to drive; attitude to role in stores; marriage; story of illustrating effect of inoculations; reactions to news of overseas posting. Recollections of journey to Palestine, 1/1940: send off; weeding out process prior to embarkation; relationship with new drafts of reservists and conscripts; train across France; voyage aboard HMT Devonshire; recreations including gambling. Recollections of periods at Sarafand, Gedera and Hadera camps, Palestine, 1/1940-6/1940: cinemas. REEL 5 Continues: inspection by Brigadier Keith Dunn; question of relationship with Jewish and Arab civilians; attack of appendicitis and convalescence; question of adequacy of unit's training; attitude to role in stores. Rail journey to Mersa Matruh, Egypt, 6/1940. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at Mersa Matruh, 6/1940-1/1941: ineffectual nature of high level Italian air raids; gun pits and wagon line positions; close escape from bomb in slit trench; digging in vehicles and camouflage netting; cooking, distribution and nature of food rations; adaptations to uniform in desert; hair cuts; hats and question of sunstroke; sandstorms; latrines. REEL 6 Continues: latrines; waste disposal and reclamation of cans; question of visibility of positions from air; fly problem; desert sores; state of health; teaching people to sail in lagoon; daily routine duties; recreations and concert party; training; question of boredom; reactions to high level Italian bombing and initial casualties; commencing course as specialist gunner and role of specialist; attack of jaundice, hospitalisation, convalescence and success in securing return to unit. Period spotting for magnetic mines dropped in Suez Canal, 1/1941-2/1941. Period at Tahag Camp, 2/1941-4/1941: completion of specialist course, promotion to lance sergeant and posting as specialist with Headquarters, 425 Bty. REEL 7 Move to Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941: situation; re-equipment with 25pdrs and issue of pick-up truck as observation officer's assistant; journey in convoy along coast road. Recollections of conditions of service, duties and operations at Tobruk, 4/1941-12/1941: method of surveying in gun positions as specialist and use of captured Italian maps; situation; duties as specialist OP assistant including use of Italian built OP poles, reaction to shell fire, firing orders and registering targets; duties as specialist gun position assistant including use of meteorological information and preparing gun programmes for barrages; arithmetical role at gun positions calculating ranges and angles during initial tank attacks, 4/1941. REEL 8 Continues: question of officers' checking of calculations; role during initial tank attacks; situation; use of captured Italian artillery under ad hoc forward mobile troop under Sergeant Ian Sinclair; failing interview for officers' training because of lack of gun experience; transfer to gain experience on Sergeant Staniforth's gun, A Troop, 425 Bty; role of gun crew No1; competition with 1st Regt RHA; danger of misfires; minimal RAF cover; effect of Stuka dive bomber attacks. REEL 9 Continues: nature of targets; German shell fire; water and food rations; parcels from GB; case of stealing; loss of personal kit stored in Cairo; letter contact with GB; concert parties in caves at regimental headquarters; visits to beach rest camp; impetigo attack; recreations including bridge playing, boxing activities with Tommy Foley and reading; rum and cigarette ration; conversational topics; relationship with ORs. REEL 10 Continues: visits to Australian front line positions including liaison role during raid, Australian troops' opinion of rations; question of boredom; occasional OP duties and circumstances of Sergeant Ken Tew being wounded at OP; preparations for breakout bombardment, 10/1941-11/1941, including cleaning guns, question of calibration, stacking ammunition at gun positions and minimal briefing for NCOs and ORs; firing gun programme during breakout operations, 11/1941; advance to Gazala area; loss of gun from gun tower during return to Tobruk, 12/1941; state of unit and personal health; social visit to nearby anti-aircraft bty. Period at Tahag Camp, 1/1942-2/1942: leave in Cairo; duties as regimental orderly sergeant; question of attending Officers' Cadet Training Unit. REEL 11 Period at Sidi Bishr Camp, 2/1942-3/1942. Period at Beni Yusef Camp, 3/1942-4/1942: formation of 520 Bty; promotion to gun sergeant in E Troop, 425 Bty; training for mobile role; issue of new 25pdrs; question of mobile role of 25pdrs and 'box system'; recreations. Move up to Gazala area, 4/1942: isolated case of indiscipline in gun team; temporary halts; localised perspective of events; arrival in Knightsbridge sector; story of meeting nurse whilst naked in desert. Recollections Knightsbridge action, 27/5/1942-6/6/1942: first signs of attack on 520 Bty, 27/5/1942; approach of German armoured forces through heat haze; delay in opening fire and success achieved; use of 'cap on' high explosive shells; effect of German machine gun fire; example provided by Troop Sergeant Major George Attewell and personal morale; direct fire; retreat of German armour; personal morale. REEL 12 Continues: situation; advance into Cauldron sector through minefield, ca 5/6/1942; defensive inadequacies of gun positions taken up; preparing gun positions; overnight situation, 5/6/1942-6/6/1942; account of Knightsbridge action, 6/6/1942 including confused nature of fighting; casualties, efforts under Major Robert Daniell's orders to 'form square', question of shortages of ammunition, fate of various officers, question of armoured support, effort to escape when gun positions were overrun and surrender to German scout car. REEL 13 Recollections of initial period as POW, 6/1942: courteous treatment by German scout car crew; joining main column of POWs; failure of effort to escape; hand over to Italian guards and convoy of lorries; missed opportunity to escape; shortage of water; overnight stop at Derna POW Camp including absence of latrines, interview techniques used by German intelligence officer, food and uniform and kit carried; route along coast; counting of POWs; POW companions. Period at Tarhuna POW Camp, ca 6/1942-10/1942: barrack accommodation and insanitary latrines; lice problem; water; food and superior rations secured by British POWs acting as cooks; recreations including debates over Communism with Bert Ramelson and general lectures. REEL 14 Continues: camp organisation; role as senior NCOs; relationship with Italian guards; state of health. Move to Naples, Italy, ca 10/1942: conditions during voyage; dysentery and state of health; delousing centre. Recollections of period at Vertrella POW Camp, ca 11/1942-1/1943: reaction of Italian civilians; convalescent nature of camp; conditions; Red Cross parcels and different types issued; drinks available; parcels from GB; move to Udine, ca 1/1943. Recollections of conditions, lifestyle and daily routine at PG 57 POW Camp, Udine, ca 1/1943-9/1943: composition of camp and initial isolation due to lice; special friend; state of health; success in delousing; hut accommodation; role as hut commander including distribution of food. REEL 15 Continues: role as hut commander and ordered structure established by original Australian and New Zealand POWs; recreations including sporting activities, accountancy classes, bridge, reading and debates; involvement in internal economy of camp based on bread, cigarettes, Red Cross parcels, Italian camp money and wine issue; separation from special friend; story of drunken Australian shot by Italian guards; relationship with Italian guards; preparations for mass escape on Italian surrender thwarted by arrival of German troops, ca 9/1943; escape attempt during train journey to Spittal-on-the-Drau, Austria, ca 9/1943. Recollections of period at Spittal-on-the-Drau POW Camp, 9/1943-2/1943: burning fixtures for heating in barrack accommodation. REEL 16 Continues: relationship with German guards; circumstances of being sent out to work as sergeant. Recollections of period working on farm at Rabnitz, ca 2/1944-6/1944: journey to farm; reception and relationship with farmer's family; official objections to working as sergeant; nature of work and question of disruption; learning German. Recollections of period working at bakery/farm at Kumberg, ca 6/1944-3/1945: relationship with baker's family; tax system; abandoning objections to working as sergeant; nature of work; freedom of movement despite refusal to sign parole; question of escape; Red Cross parcels; accommodation in farmhouse compound, ca 1945; news of progress of war; Austrian civilians' attitude to war. REEL 17 Continues: news of progress of war, reactions to approach of Soviet Army and question of escape. Recollections of journey to Salzburg, ca 4/1945-5/1945: kit carried; initial accompaniment by Austrian guards; route; absence of active opposition from German forces in area; food supplies and role in command of party; meeting US troops at Markt Pongau; evacuation by air to GB, 5/1945. Aspects of postings in GB, 5/1945-11/1945: leave; deliberate failing of aptitude tests at rehabilitation centre to avoid further artillery posting; posting as librarian at War Office, London; dispute over wearing of SNH cap badge; father's intervention to secure early release; question of effect of war experiences; reasons for not rejoining SNH.