Bonnello, Herbert William (Oral history)

British NCO served with C Troop, 426 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1941; served as officer with B Troop, 520 Bty, 107th Regt, <SNH> RA in North Africa, 1942; POW in North Africa, Italy and Germany, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Sutton in Ashfield and Nottingham area, 1918-1939: education at Nottingham High School; nature of training with Officers' Training Corps including field exercises at Ramsdale Park, joining band, annual summer camps, role as corporal and passing Certificate A; necessity of wearing glasses; work as articled clerk studying accountancy, 1936-1939. Recruitment and training as gunner with C Troop, 426 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery at Derby Road Drill Hall, Nottingham, 3/1939-9/1939: prior failed application for commission; reasons for choosing artillery; abandonment of original intention of joining 150 Regt, <SNH> RA; gun drill training on 18pdr and role of gun team members illustrated by references to song lyrics; role as gun layer. REEL 2 Continues: inadequate transport on weekend training exercises; attending Redesdale Camp, 6/1939, including winning best tent prize, nature of competition and relationship between 425 and 426 Btys, value of competition within unit, first experience of firing gun and qualification as gun layer; relationship with ORs; duties on assignment as pay clerk with 426 Bty Headquarters on early mobilisation with key party, 8/1939. Mobilisation and initial period at Hollins Lace Factory, Garden Street, Nottingham, 9/1939. Aspects of period at Rillington and Wragby, 9/1939-1/1940: billets; departure of miners and younger gunners; food rations. REEL 3 Continues: fixed charge and shell of 18pdrs; billets at Panton Hall; conscripts' pay; interest in becoming specialist gunner; recreations and drinking habits; relationship with ORs. Aspects of journey to Palestine, 1/1940: rumours of destination; train journey across France; helping in galley aboard HMT Devonshire. Recollections of period in Palestine, 1/1940-6/1940: first impressions; relationship with Arab/Jewish civilian populations; attachment on peacetime accounting pay course with Black Watch at Jerusalem, subsequent use of civilian contractors and question of their bribery to keep contracts; training as specialist gun position assistant including use of meteorological telegrams and mnemonic phrase used to convey essence of trigonometry; role of specialist observation post assistant; relative roles of gun position officer and his assistant; continued pay office role; period at Asluj Firing Camp; meteorological telegram work at battery headquarters. REEL 4 Continues: aspects of Asluj Firing Camp including appendicitis casualty, story of getting lost in desert, relationship with Australian troops and dust storms; recreations; move to Egypt and story of delayed payment to contractor. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at Mersa Matruh, 6/1940-1/1941: introduction of wartime accounting; nature of gun positions; high level Italian air raids; slit trenches; attachment as gun position specialist to C Troop; opinion of Captain Frederick Porter; desert training in dropping into action; duties and training as observation post assistant including use of panoramas; use of battery fund to stock battery canteen; interview to assess suitability for future commission, question of importance of social class, commission of senior NCOs and desire to remain with unit; question of length of war; dugout accommodation. REEL 5 Continues: food rations; water supply and washing; state of health; uniform; climate; latrines; daily routine; recreations; leave in Cairo; letter contact with GB; question of camouflage; news of operations of Dummy Troop, 12/1940; preparations for anti-tank role with 18pdrs and anti-tank defences during Italian offensive, ca 9/1940; Italian POWs. REEL 6 Continues: work with salvage party in former Italian camp, ca 12/1940-1/1941. Recollections of period mine spotting in Suez Canal area, 1/1941: situation; German air raid, search for mine dropped and damage to patrol boat; visit to Port Tewfik; stories of Gunners Albert Ellis and George Smith; swearing; opinion of Battery Sergeant Major Charles Beardall. Period at Tahag Camp, ca 2/1941-4/1941: training for invasion of Rhodes, Greece; re-equipment with 25pdrs. Drive to Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941. Recollections of period in Tobruk, 4/1941-10/1941: initial gun positions and first contact with Australians; minimal role at battery command post during initial German attacks; defensive tactics employed during German attack, Easter Monday. REEL 7 Continues: effects of unit's fire; battery command post concrete dugout; casualties; periods acting as observation officer at Bulwell and Hucknall OPs including close escape from shell, restrictions on firing caused by shortage of ammunition and question of air raids on OP; story of losing of spectacles whilst firing gun; use of captured Italian artillery and anti-aircraft weapons; Stuka dive bombing raid and story of Padre H Parry; temporary move to counter possible German breakthrough; rest camp; situation; amusing story of exposing pay records to air raids; question of recreations; food rations; jaundice attack. REEL 8 Continues: conditions of service; opinion of various officers; reactions to leaving unit for officer training; embarkation and voyage aboard destroyer. Recollections of attending course at Middle East Officers' Cadet Training Unit at Kasir el Nir Barracks, Cairo, 10/10/1941-28/2/1942: origins of cadets; syllabus; static nature of prior experience; question of 'bull'; instructors; question of training in liaison with other units; syllabus; opinion of rejection of Battery Sergeant Major Claude Earnshaw as officer; grading on passing out; recreations. Period at Royal Artillery Base Depot, Almaza, 3/1942. Posting as command post officer with B Troop of newly formed 520 Bty, 107th Regt, <SNH> RA at Beni Yusef, ca 3/1943: prior interview with Colonel William Seely; story of inadequately trained driver posted out from GB. REEL 9 Continues: composition of 520 Bty; reception as ex-ranker. Training during move into Gazala area, 4/1942-5/1942: mobile role as part of armoured box; question of inadequate training in fast withdrawal from gun position; minimal role of CPO in mobile warfare; duty collecting rations and rendezvousing with battery; discussions relating to exercises; role plotting battery's position on map; sun compass; desert driving conditions and question of breakdowns; question of digging in overnight; failure of night exercise; digging in in Knightsbridge sector, 26/5/1942; command post pick-up trucks and role of assistant CPO. REEL 10 Recollections of operations, 26/5/1942-27/5/1942: situation overnight; return from surveying on view of battery moving; confused orders on German tank attack and question of fighting or withdrawal; question of lack of warning from other units; lack of role as CPO; view of Sergeant Fred Taylor's tank action; successful withdrawal of D Troop; vulnerability in slit trench to being crushed by tanks; ineffectiveness of 2pdr anti-tank guns; capture by German tank crew; surprise nature of German attack. Initial movements as POW, ca 5/1942-6/1942: interrogation; emergency evacuation by truck following British shell fire; conditions during period cut off with Germans behind British lines; conditions during move westwards with Italian guards to Benghazi. REEL 11 Continues: conditions during move westwards with Italian guards to Benghazi. Voyage to Taranto, Italy, ca 6/1942: Italian guards' fear of being sunk; presence of Italian Fleet; enforced delousing and haircut. Period at POW Camp in Bari area, ca 6/1942: flea problem; reaction to news of North African campaign; question of escape; train journey to Alisandro. Recollections of period in PG 5 POW Camp at Alisandro, ca 6/1942-8/1942: interrogation; conditions; recreations; question of escape; role of senior British officer; Italian reaction to Bonnello's name; train journey to Chieti. Recollections of condition and lifestyle at PG 21 POW Camp at Chieti, ca 8/1942-9/1943: presence of US POWs; cricket and baseball activities with Bill Bowes; latrines; food. REEL 12 Continues: Red Cross parcels and Italian measures to prevent storing for escape; parcel and letter contact with GB; notification of parents of POW status; use of camp money; accountancy lectures; walks outside the camp after having given temporary parole; question of escape and role of escape committee; tunnelling activities including disposal of soil on garden area, lookout duty and successful Italian searches; changing attitude of Italian guards, 1943; orders forbidding escape attempts after invasion of Italy, 9/1943; story of attempt to escape impersonating Italian interpreter; US POW; question of friction between POWs; reaction to news of progress of war; camp radio; departure of Italian guards, question of escape and take over by German guards, 9/1943; state of morale. Story of meeting Albert Ellis after move to Silmona POW Camp, ca 9/1943. Escape during journey by train to Austria, 9/1943: warning of shoot to kill policy for attempted escapees. REEL 13 Continues: story of escape from cattle truck through hole cut in back wall, 30/9/1943. Recollections of period as escaped POW, 30/9/1943-31/1/1944: initial move south; difficult terrain; meeting Italian civilians; meeting other escaped POWs; cave accommodation; assistance from Italian civilians; deteriorating weather and move into cellar of house in Colidi Montebeauvais <near Abizano>; decision to walk towards British front line area; civilian clothes worn over uniform; large concentration of escaped POWs at Ville Ballelungar; failure of attempt to cross Abrezzi Mountains; return to Ville Ballelungar which had been raided by German troops; passing through village occupied by German troops; interrogation by Italian civilians prior to being given accommodation in village; accommodation on return to Colidi Montebeauvais; decision to move towards Anzio; conditions during walk to Anzio area, 1/1944; recapture by German troops, 31/1/1944; interrogation; truck journey to POW camp; further interrogation. REEL 14 Period in POW camps, ca 2/1944: US officer; interrogation by German propaganda officers; arrival of large numbers of US POWs from Anzio area; move to open compound; testing efficiency of German searchlights at night; strip search prior to rail journey. Recollections of period at Moosburg POW Camp, ca 3/1944-6/1944: entrance gate inscription; relationship with Russian, French and Yugoslavian POWs; England v Scotland football match; food. Recollections of period at IX AZ POW Camp at Rottenberg, ca 6/1944-4/1945: presence of regulars captured in 1940; role in group allotted to raiding armoury in emergency situation; disseminating news from camp radio; warnings from sympathetic German guards before searches; role in successful escape plan and subsequent confusion caused at roll call; lookout duties; camp characters; passing accountancy exams. REEL 15 Continues: passing accountancy exams; question of escape; stories illustrating differing approach of German camp guards and SS personnel including story of clash over uniform worn on parade; planning for armoury raid; physical training; necessity of obeying orders of senior British officer; story of doctor's plan to get Bonnello repatriated with feigned illness; building of chalet for Red Cross representative; awareness of officers' privileged status in not having to work. Recollections of march eastwards, ca 4/1945: exchanging and stealing food from local population; efforts to ensure slow progress; story of German trying to surrender to POWs; precautions against Allied air attack on column; relationship with German civilians; continuing journey by truck to Elbe area; refusal of column to proceed further and departure of German guards; situation on liberation by US troops. Recollections of journey back to Nottingham, ca 20/4/1945. Various postings to Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Nottingham area, 5/1945-3/1946: prior interview; minimal role as ex-POW; prior VE Day celebrations; dispute over lack of kit; question of remaining in army. REEL 16 Continues: question of further overseas posting; lifestyle; demobilisation, 3/1946. Post-war career: return to work as articled clerk; passing finals as accountant; effects of POW experience.