Knowles, Frank Roland (Oral history)

British signaller served with 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1937-1942; POW in North Africa, Italy and Germany, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Nottingham area, 1920-1939: education; Boys' Brigade activities; work as clerk and as building trade apprentice. Recollections of recruitment and training initially as boy gunner with A Troop, 425 Bty, 107 Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery at Derby Road Drill Hall, 2/1937-9/1939: reasons; instructors; gun drill; Sunday exercises; duties as clerk in office of Commander Royal Artillery during Bridlington and Redesdale Camps; opinion of various NCOs and officers; reaction to influx of recruits from Nottingham High School; localised perspective within unit. Mobilisation and initial period on Lewis gun anti-aircraft drill hall defences, 9/1939; lack of large size uniforms. Aspects of period at Rillington and Wragby, 9/1939-1/.1940: billets. REEL 2 Continues: training; billets; North Midlands contingent amongst militia draft; boxing activities with Tommy Foley; relationship with civilian population. Journey to Palestine, 1/1940. Aspects of period in Palestine, 1/1940-6/1940: initial quarantine; tents; boxing tournament; potential NCOs' course and introduction into specialist gunner training; climate at Asluj Firing Camp; question of contact with Jewish and Arab civilians. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle during period at Mersa Matruh, Egypt, 6/1940-1/1941: gunpits and dugouts. REEL 3 Continues: flea problem; posting as telephonist signaller in Palestine; training as signaller and posting to Signals Section; radio and telephone equipment issued; organisation of Signals Section; duties as signaller and method of repairing telephone lines; observation post pillbox; food rations and cooking arrangements; water supply; cigarette ration; high level Italian air raids, slit trenches and effect on morale. Detachment as OP signaller with 8th Field Regt, 1/1941-3/1941: status as signaller. REEL 4 Continues: raid on Giarabub Fort, Libya, 2/1941, including crossing Quattara Depression, pick-up truck OP crew, oasis, evacuating Senussi troops expelled by Italians from fort, casualties refusal to be evacuated and hand grenades thrown from Italian aircraft; relationship with Anglo Indian gunners; efficiency of unit. Rejoining unit at Tahag Camp, ca 3/1941. Drive to Tobruk, 4/1941. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period at Tobruk, 4/1941-11/1941: role as gun position signaller in initial actions; Stuka dive bombing raids; question of counter-battery artillery fire; role as signaller at 70 foot scaffolding OP pole. REEL 5 Continues: role as signaller in maintaining telephone lines; question of role of radio sets at OP; cigarette ration; personal appearance and uniform; latrines; recreations; letter contact with GB; tank attack on OP R30, 4/1942; story of near accident climbing scaffolding OP pole; relationship with officers; story of being rescued from minefield and ricocheting German shells; question of morale and knowledge of progress of war; posting as radio operator to Major Peter Birkin at Headquarters, 425 Bty, ca 10/1941. REEL 6 Continues: relationship with Australian troops and exchanging tobacco for cigarettes; role as signaller with Major Peter Birkin's reserve PU truck during breakout operations, 11/1941; rum ration; movements following breakout. Period in Egypt, 12/1941-5/1942: opinion of Marmon-Herrington armoured cars and No 9 radio sets issued; boxing activities; move to Gazala area, 5/1942. Aspects of operations in Knightsbridge sector, 27/5/1942-6/6/1942: results of attack on B Troop, 520 Bty, 27/5/1942; leg wounds. REEL 7 Aspects of operations in Knightsbridge sector, 27/5/1942-6/6/1942: initial medical treatment during Knightsbridge action, 6/6/1942; attempt to escape and capture. Recollections of initial period as POW, 6/1942-8/1942: casualties from air raid by Hurricanes; evacuation of wounded from Derna to Naples, Italy; reaction of Italian civilians; period at Caserta Hospital and mis-registration of name, 6/1942-7/1942. Recollections conditions and lifestyle during period at PG 82 POW Camp, Laterina, Arezzo, ca 7/1942-9/1942: food; tent accommodation; latrines; relationship with South African POWs; camp organisation and layout. Period at PG 77 POW Camp, Capello de Cletuna, Perugia, ca 9/1942: interrogation by German officer concerning radar; German officer's knowledge of SNH. REEL 8 Continues: camp layout and origins of POWs; story of roll call incident. Recollections of period at PG73, POW Camp, Carpi , ca 9/1942-10/1943: Red Cross parcels; effects of cold; parcel and letter contact with GB; food; boxing activities; British POWs' role in administration of camp; recreations; question of escape. REEL 9 Continues: news of Italian capitulation and orders from British senior NCO to remain in camp and situation following take over by German troops; question of escape and story of securing access to Italian stores during work detail, 'accidental' escape and re-capture close to camp; relationship with German guards and story of drunken German officer shooting revolver into huts; relationship between POWs. Train journey via transit camp to Noundorf, Germany, ca 10/1943. Recollections of conditions, daily routine and work in copper mine during period at Noundorf Work Camp, 10/1943-5/1945: factory building accommodation; food; shift system; question of exemption on medical grounds; march to mine; working clothes. REEL 10 Continues: work assisting German civilian miner in moving wagons; conditions underground; bread ration; work rate required from German face work miners; absence of evidence of copper extraction and post-war suspicion it was uranium mine; surface work operating winch; work assisting German face work miner in blasting and loading wagons; work on underground winch operating rubble clearing machinery and story of fatal accident to British POW; surface work driving new shaft into mine. REEL 11 Continues: Red Cross parcels; recreations; German guards; question of escape; state of health; funeral of British POW; question of sabotage activities; inoculation; fumigation of billet; news of progress of war; work on concreting structure; escape during raid by Soviet aircraft and subsequent news of VE Day. Recollections of journey to Dresden, 5/1945: meeting American/German family; fighting between German and Soviet units; meeting party of Soviet ex-POWs; travelling by Soviet lorry and bicycle; interrogation by US troops prior to being allowed to cross River Elbe; prior temporary detention by Russian tank crew. Evacuation by air to GB, 13/5/1945. REEL 12 Movements prior to demobilisation ca 12/1945: question of mental and physical effects of war; securing work as surveying assistant; decision not to join re-formed SNH, ca 1948.