Description
Object description
British private trained with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt at Heaton Park Camp, GB, 2/1915-4/1915; served with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div in GB and Western Front, 4/1915-7/1916; detachment to work with National Gas & Oil Engine Company Ltd at Ashton-under-Lyne, GB, 1917-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Ashton-under-Lyne, GB, 1897-1908: family; education including period as boarder at Elmfield College, York, 1908-1912; prevalence of bullying; recreational activities; Boys Scouts activities; employment in garage. Aspects of period as engineering apprentice with National Gas & Oil Engine Company Ltd, 1912-1915: duties in paintshop; duties in assembly shop; reaction to outbreak of First World War, 4/8/1914; question of enlistment; question of effects of war on employment.
REEL 2 Continues: question of introduction of women workers; role of trade union; Shrove Tuesday initiation ceremonies for apprentices. Aspects of enlistment as private in 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt at Heaton Park Camp, near Manchester, GB, 2/1915: reason for enlistment; medical; parents' reaction to enlistment. Aspects of period as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt at Heaton Park Camp in GB, 2/1915-4/1915: reserve company status of E Coy; reception and delay in kitting out; hutted accommodation; relations with other ranks including varying origins and absence of bullying; correct method of wearing uniform; haircut; physical training; drill; route marches with band; rifle training and cleaning; use of dummy drill rifles.
REEL 3 Continues: daily routine and meals; recreational activities; opinion of NCOs and officers. Aspects of period as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div at Belton Park and Larkhill Camps in GB, 4/1915-11/1915 joining B Coy at Belton Park Camp near Grantham and prior refusal of opportunity to remain as instructor at Heaton Park Camp, 4/1915; move to Larkhill Camp, 9/1915; rifle range training; question of adequacy of trench digging and tactical exercises; relations with civilians; guard duties and role of 'stick man'; embarkation leave. Aspects of period as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div in France, 11/1915: crossing English Channel; in tented accommodation at St Martin's Camp, Boulogne; journey in railway cattle truck.
REEL 4 Continues: role as French speaker in finding company billets; ruse to recover stolen apples and rifle from neighbouring unit; billets; story of being confined to barracks and ruse to avoid carrying full pack; reaction to case of No 1 Field Punishment; acclimation to trench warfare attached to 1/6th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt at Fonquevillers/Hébuterne sector, 1/1915 including approach through village; wet conditions and flooded trenches. Recollections of operations as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div at Maricourt, France, 12/1915-7/1916: narrow escape from German artillery fire during showers on rest period at Suzanne; nature of trenches, No Mans Land and dugouts; rations.
REEL 5 Continues: tea and water supply; rum ration; effects of cold and wet conditions; latrines; lice and rat problems; corpses; notice displayed in German lines welcoming 30th Div on move into line; stand to; breakfast; sentry duty and question of use of periscope; routine duties; song illustrating attitude towards Royal Navy; conversations; question of role of NCOs and officers; German artillery fire and differing types of shells used; nets to keep out hand grenades in listening posts; German snipers; state of morale; working parties digging trenches during rest periods; covering parties.
REEL 6 Continues: use of discarded tin cans in No Mans Land as warning of German activity; reconnaissance patrols and reaction to star shells; method of using wet sandbag to disguise firing position of Lewis Gun; training on transfer to Lewis Gun section in B Coy; role of Lewis Gun team members in firing and dropping into action; machine gun officers; nature of Lewis Gun posts and use of wet sandbag to disguise firing position; question of targets; use of Lewis Gun teams on covering parties; rest period at Suzanne including duties, visits to estaminets, question of gambling, relations with other ranks and death of friend in accidental shooting whilst cleaning rifle, letter and parcel contact with GB; question of support lines; temporary detachment of half company to support French Army; difficulties in communication whilst liasing with French Army troops taking over exposed position in Somme marshes and difficult journey on return to unit.
REEL 7 Continues: story of difficulties in communication whilst liasing with French Army troops taking over exposed position in Somme marshes and difficult journey on return to unit; German bombardment on French Army lines on Kaiser Wilhem's birthday, 28/1/1916; ability to speak French language; question of adequacy of training and briefing prior to Somme offensive; story of refusing bath in dirty water. Account of operations as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div during attack on Montauban-de-Picardie, France, 1/7/1916: preliminary artillery bombardment; moving into line, 30/6/1916; personal morale prior to attack; case of self-inflicted wound; misfire explosion of mortar; attack of first wave and capture of German front line; equipment carried and effect on mobility; attack in block formation with second wave across No Mans Land; absence of problems with German barbed wire; personal morale; crossing German front line; capture of Montauban. Recollections of operations as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div at Montauban-de-Picardie, France, 1/7/1916-3/7/1916: establishment of Lewis Gun post in orchard facing Bernafay Wood; effects of physical fatigue hampering digging defensive positions; German counter-attack on C Coy; question of casualties; minimal improvements made to defensive positions.
REEL 8 Continues: misplaced expectation of Imperial German Army counter-attack from Bernafay Wood; German counter-attack on C Coy; effects of fatigue hampering digging defensive positions; increasing German artillery fire; water shortage; corpses; lack of visible Imperial German Army troops in Bernafay Wood; story of Lewis gun team being left behind on relief of unit; rejoining unit in Happy Valley, 3/7/1916-8/7/1916. Recollections of operations as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div during attack on Trones Wood, France, 9/7/1916: situation on taking over from South African troops; reduction in equipment carried and attack in open formation; prior briefing for attack; attack under ineffective Imperial German Army machine gun fire; problems in keeping in touch on entry into Trones Wood; taking up positions in 'T' communication trench in middle of wood; question of absence of German resistance and situation.
REEL 9 Continues: capture of officer in confused situation; story of being wounded in foot by German artillery shell; making way back to dressing station; reporting situation to officer; state of wounds; narrow escape from German sniper and death of friend. Aspects of medical evacuation from France to GB, 7/1916: question of initial lack of medical treatment; crossing English Channel with German prisoners of war; story of train journey to Manchester. Aspects of period of hospitalisation and convalescence in Manchester and at Ripon Camp, GB, 7/1916-1/1917: problems with septic foot wound through lack of proper medical treatment; state of foot and absence of duties at Ripon Camp; Zeppelin raid; question of return to active service. Aspects of period on detached to work with National Gas & Oil Engine Company Ltd in Ashton-under-Lyne, GB, 1917-1918: continued status as soldier; assembly and testing of tractor engines being manufactured on order for Russia; question of role of women workers; shortage of engineers; question of engines produced; civilian workers attitude towards enlistment.
REEL 10 Continues: work on elevating gear used on artillery howitzers; state of foot; question of civilian awareness of condition on Western Front; attack of influenza, 11/1918; demobilisation, 1918. Aspects of operations as private with operations as private with 17th (Service) Bn (2nd City) Manchester Regt, 90th Bde, 30th Div at Maricourt, France, 11/1915-7/1916: initial use of passwords; story of being buried after German artillery hit dugout, 2/1916; failed German gas attack and gas masks worn.