Description
Object description
British civilian conscientious objector served with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, Palestine, North Africa and the Dodecanese, 1940-1943; POW in Stalag XV11-A, Kaisersteinbruch, Austria and Stalag IV-D, Torgau, Saxony, Germany, 1943-1945; post-war career as filmmaker and oral historian.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1920-1940: family background; story of father's experiences as conscientious objector during First World War; effect of Quaker upbringing on beliefs; story about brother John joining the Guards and service during Spanish Civil War; attitude to peace movement during 1930s; description of work with Marion Grierson's documentary film unit; initial contacts with Jewish refugees; story of being called up for military service while working with Friends' Ambulance Unit, 2/1940; opinion of Tribunal process; basis of pacifist beliefs.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in GB, 1940-1942: description of training; question of class and Quaker influence in Friends' Ambulance Unit; attitude to working with troops and Royal Army Medical Corps; opinion of training; description of work in East End hospitals and shelters during Blitz; story of evacuating hospital patients on ambulance train from Chelmsford to Bradford; amusing story about air raid on Newmarket racecourse; attitude to wealthy inhabitants of Chelmsford; further comments on evacuation of patients on ambulance train; story of writing to the Times suggesting use of ambulance trains as mobile rest centres; description of build-up of Friends' Ambulance Unit in London; story of making film about Friends' Ambulance Unit.
REEL 3 Continues: further comments on film about Friends' Ambulance Unit; description of shelter work in East End during air raid, 5/1941; morale of Londoners during Blitz; story of hearing conversation against bombing Berlin; description of Friends' Ambulance Unit evacuation centre in High Barnet, 1941; story of volunteering for overseas service in Middle East; attitude to role of women in Friends' Ambulance Unit; description of preparations for service in Middle East; opinion of uniform; description of voyage aboard troopship in convoy to Durban, South Africa, 1942. Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in South Africa, Palestine and Egypt, 1942-1943: opinion of Quaker hospitality in Durban; description of work in Native and Asian Hospital, Durban; story of journey to Port Said, and first impressions of Egypt; importance of receiving mail; story of contracting sandfly fever and hospitalisation in Haifa, Palestine until end of 1942.
REEL 4 Continues: story of meeting brother John serving with Palestine Police; description of work with No. 1 Mobile Military Hospital between Cairo and Tunis, 1943-1943; story of having to beat off Arabs scavenging in infected rubbish dump; description of driving badly wounded soldiers over bumpy terrain; attitude to equal treatment of all nationalities; description of working conditions in desert; reads excerpt from letter written in 1943; story about burials; description of driving to Cairo in vehicle with no brakes; relations between Friends' Ambulance Unit and Army.
REEL 5 Continues: attitude to North African campaign and opinion of Montgomery and Rommel; reason for considering joining military film unit. Aspects of period with Friends' Ambulance Unit in Dodecanese, 1943: story of journey with advance party of No. 12 Surgical Unit from Haifa to Kos, Greece, 9/1943; description of setting up hospital, 10/1943; story of making red cross out of corn husks for hospital roof; description of German invasion of Kos, 10/1943; treatment of casualties and co-operation between British and German medical services; story of rescuing British soldier after being shot; description of medical work; reaction to story about Italian officers being shot; story of Allied medical staff continuing to work in hospital as POWs; opinion of Maj. Till; story about South African pilot's failed escape attempt and reaction of Germans; description of treating wounded from Battle of Leros.
REEL 6 Continues: description of treating gangrene and serious head injury; further comments on Maj. Till; story of role in failed escape plan; story of being flown to POW camp in Athens, Greece; description of 11 day journey to Austria; food situation; story of eating contents of first Red Cross parcel. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag XV11-A, Kaisersteinbruch, Austria, 1943-4/1944: description of camp and living conditions; question of Red Cross status; repatriation of Friends' Ambulance Unit personnel before end of war; reaction to being taken prisoner.
REEL 7 Continues: condition of Russian POWs; story of recent visit to site of camp; description of journey to Germany, 4/1944. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag IV-D, Torgau, Saxony, Germany, 4/1944-6/1945:function of camp housing POWs prior to repatriation; description of work with sick and mentally ill patients; escape attempts; reactional activities; story of friendship with Dr. Wolfgang Uhlig; attitude to being POW and conscientious objector; reaction to bombing of Dresden, 2/1945; story about phased repatriation of medical staff; relations between military and Friends' Ambulance Unit personnel in camp; opinion of mail service.
REEL 8 Continues: communication with home; attitude to surviving war; story about POWs arriving in camp after long march; comparison of morale between British and American POWs; reaction of POWs to arrival of Russian troops in camp; opinion of organisation of camp; story of putting out forest fire; story about rescuing elderly people from house; description of treating former inmates of concentration camp; opinion of Russians; story of repatriation to GB, 6/1945.
REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of period in GB, 1945-1990: description of journey to Friends' Ambulance Unit HQ in London; story of taking six week holiday and problem of appendicitis; reflections on Friends' Ambulance Unit POWs; problem of adjusting to civilian life; employment; effect of war on life; comparison of experiences with father's; story of return visit to Stalag IV-D; description of work as oral historian, filmmaker and lecturer; attitude to importance of oral history.
REEL 10 Continues: further description of work as filmmaker; attitude to war and crisis in Gulf, 1990.