Hutton, William Allan (Oral history)

British NCO served with 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1942; briefly POW and escaped, 1942; served as NCO with Field Security Section attached to General Headquarters, Eighth Army in North Africa, Malta, Sicily and Italy, 1942-1943.

REEL 1 Aspects of background in Nottingham, 1918-1939: education and Officers' Training Corps activities at Malvern School; work. Recollections of recruitment and training as gunner with B Troop, 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery at Derby Road Drill Hall, Nottingham, 4/1939-9/1939: reasons; question of commission and rejection at interview, ca 9/1939; voluntary daytime duties assisting with recruitment in battery office; gun drill; attending Redesdale Camp; opinion of work as despatch rider in Palestine, 1940; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Mobilisation and initial period at Nottingham, 9/1939: theft of small kit during medical; billets at Western Tennis Club; story illustrating social status of some recruits; question of air raid precautions and inexperience of officers and NCOs; food rations; opinion of officers; send off on leaving Victoria Station. Recollections of periods at Rillington and Wragby, 9/1939-1/1940: billets; latrine buckets; question of standard of gun drill. REEL 2 Continues: relationship with civilians; reaction to army lifestyle; relationship with militia and conscript drafts; relationship with officers and NCOs; embarkation leave; inoculations. Journey out to Palestine, 1/1940: train journey across France; seasickness aboard HMT Devonshire. Aspects of period in Palestine, 1/1940-6/1940: relationship with Arab civilians; role as motorcycle despatch rider attached to Major Peter Birkin at Headquarters, 425 Bty and problems getting lost in desert; opinion of Norton and BSA motorbikes; question of protective gear. REEL 3 Continues: question of protective headgear; ride to Asluj Firing Camp and problems of riding in desert. Recollections of period at Mersa Matruh, Egypt, ca 6/1940-8/1940: reason for selection of unit for posting; flea problem in dugouts and sleeping arrangements; reaction to Italian high level bombing; attack of pleurisy and period in convalescent camp; leg and foot wounds during air raid whilst riding motorbike. Evacuation to Suez Canal area, ca 8/1940: delayed medical treatment; reception on evacuation to Alexandria; special treatment due to family contacts with Birkin family; bed bug problem at Abbassia Barracks; return to unit. REEL 4 Continues: return to unit. Recollections of period at Mersa Matruh, ca 8/1940-12/1940: improvements to position; learning to drive Bren Carrier; sleeping arrangements; despatch rider duties; spreading rumours; benefits of friendships with cooks and quartermaster's staff; rugger activities; food rations; opinion of Italian POWs; opinion of Colonel John Campbell. Recollections of period in Suez Canal area, 1/1941-4/1941: role as despatch rider in linking various posts established along Suez Canal; role carrying radio for observation post based on Bren Carrier as part of training for invasion of Rhodes, Greece; departure of 'bad' characters in unit; issue of new Bren Carrier without essential repair tools. Journey to Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941: riding motorcycle along lorry convoy; retreating troops; loading petrol lorry at dump. REEL 5 Continues: arriving behind main unit column at Tobruk. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period at Tobruk, 4/1941-12/1941: situation; guard duty at regimental headquarters; acting as ammunition number during initial battle; Stuka dive bomb attacks and apparent ineffectiveness of anti-aircraft fire; stories illustrating duties driving Bren Carrier acting as mobile OP; radio precautions necessary to avoid Italians fixing OP positions; unit's role in breaking up German attack on sector containing front line OP; opinion of Captains Graham Slinn and Charles Bennett; story of mending telephone lines under shell fire to advanced OP. REEL 6 Continues: story of supporting failed Australian raid on German lines with Bren Carrier OP and getting lost in No Man's Land; problems with Bren Carrier starter motor; relationship with Battery Sergeant Major George Attewell; duty collecting ammunition from port area during periods at gun position; food rations; letter and parcel contact with GB; water ration; question of personal appearance and uniform; latrines; flea problem; desert sores at Mersa Matruh, 1940; question of scorpions, centipedes and snakes. REEL 7 Continues: recreations and concert parties; attack of jaundice and treatment at Tobruk Hospital, ca 9/1941; evacuation on destroyer to hospital in Alexandria; period at Royal Artillery Base Depot, Almaza; hospitalisation on relapse with sand fly fever; period as limber gunner at RABD; return by destroyer to rejoin unit, ca 10/1941; story of using Bren Carrier to take infantry patrol into No Man's Land to capture Italian working party and damage to Carrier. REEL 8 Continues: breakout operations, 11/1941. Aspects of period in Egypt, 12/1941-5/1942: impromptu party; transfer of B Troop to newly formed 520 Bty; question of commission; failing eyesight test and consequent ban on driving; duties as troop quartermaster collecting and distributing rations and NAAFI supplies; moving up to Gazala area, 5/1942. Recollections of German attack on 520 Bty in Knightsbridge sector, 27/5/1942: Colonel William Seely's orders not to dig in overnight, 26/5/1942; story illustrating unawareness of German approach; shell fire on wagon lines; isolation and personal morale in slit trench surrounded by German tanks; effectiveness of British 25pdr shell fire. REEL 9 Continues: personal morale; second-hand story of Sergeant Fred Taylor receiving DCM in tank action; surrender as position was overrun. Recollections of period as POW, ca 27/5/1942-1/6/1942: personal morale; uniform; march under Italian guard; water shortage and story of British officer to share Jerry can secured from Germans; opinion of Italian guards; food; question of escape; escape by Lieutenant C J Rickard; air raid by Hurricanes. Recollections of escape and journey back to British lines, ca 2/6/1942-4/6/1942: hiding under derelict vehicle until column had marched by; scavenging from derelict vehicles; recapture by German armoured car; personal morale; circumstances of release by Germans; meeting British armoured unit; return to unit and assignment to B Echelon for rest period. REEL 10 News of unit's destruction during Knightsbridge action, 6/6/1942. Period at RABD at Almaza, 6/1942: situation and reaction to possibility of becoming signalman; failed application to join Long Range Desert Patrol Group; successful application to join Field Security. Recollections of period as lance corporal with Field Security Section attached to General Headquarters, Eighth Army in North Africa, 10/1942-6/1943: section personnel; initial minimal role; bombardment prior to Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942; interrogating local Arab civilians; story of entry into Bardia and subsequent false claims of journalists; period in Rommel's former accommodation at Bida L'Atorria whilst investigating prominent Italian Bishop; locating wine for General Headquarters; intelligence gathering in Arab civilian areas. REEL 11 Continues: story of accidentally spreading rumour from Arab quarter of German landing at Appollonia and subsequent emergency; expedition into desert to interview pro-German Bedouin Arab civilian; mined road blockage on road to Tripoli; activities following early entrance into Tripoli, 23/1/1943, including minor injury trying to prevent Arab civilians looting wine distillery; opinion of South African doctor; reconnoitring route used by Churchill in Tripoli; intelligence activities and situation during period on Island of Gerba <Ile de Pouce>, 1943; reception from civilians on entry into Sfax, 4/1943. Period vetting visitors to General Headquarters at Valetta, Malta, ca 6/1943-7/1943. REEL 12 Recollections of period in Sicily, ca 7/1943: duties arresting Italian fascists still controlling local government in Notto sector; difficult relationship with Allied military governor; attempting to close brothel infected with VD used by British troops; attempt to form police force from released Senussi POWs. Recollections of period in Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: effects of armistice with Italians on powers as field security personnel, 9/1943; amusing story of motorcycle accident; story illustrating nature of intelligence work under orders of sergeant of Italian origins in Casenza area; work on bomb disposal despite minimal experience; story of riding motorcycle in mountains. REEL 13 Continues: nature of intelligence work under orders of sergeant of Italian origins in Casenza area; bribe to secure posting back to GB. Journey back to GB, ca 10/1943-12/1943: sea crossing in landing craft; crossing Atlas Mountains; period at Algiers; duties in charge of party of pioneers during voyage aboard Monarch of Bermuda; panic on being rammed by Duchess of Devonshire; repairs at Malta; use of Field Security status to get ashore early at Liverpool; leave. Period at Highgate, London, ca 1/1944-3/1944: medical inspection and notification of inadequate eyesight for military service; reaction to home service conditions; story of avoiding Military Police at St Pancras Station. Work as farmer, 1944-1945.