Bredin, Humphrey Edgar Nicholson (Oral history)

British officer served with 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 9th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, France and Belgium, 1939-1942; served as staff officer with 2nd Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in GB, North Africa and Italy, 4/1943-10/1943; served with 1st Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers in Italy, 10/1943-2/1944; commanded 6th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 38th (Irish) Infantry Bde, 78th Infantry Div in Italy, 2/1944-5/1944; commanded 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles, 38th (Irish) Infantry Bde, 78th Infantry Div in Italy 7/1944-5/1945; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 78th Infantry Div in Austria, 1945-1946; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1946-1947; commanded 2nd Bn Parachute Regt, 16th Independent Parachute Bde in Cyprus and during landings at Suez, Egypt, 1956-1958

REEL 1 Aspects of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 9th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940: origin of his nickname 'Bala'; posting to and activities in Lezennes, France prior to German advance, 5/1940; advance to Louvain, Belgium including Junkers Ju-87 Stuka attacks; arrival and positions taken in Louvain, Belgium; supply of ammunition; plan for destruction of bridge; evacuation of refugees; story of accident with mine; activities prior to arrival of German forces; in action against German troops; destruction of bridge; opinion of German training; details of area held and German activity in it; use of Bren Gun against attacking Germans; casualties and description of weapons used by Germans; problems from German snipers; evacuation of forward position; death of NCO; rest period; use of artillery support; accuracy and noise of artillery barrage; German activity; details of artillery codenames; orders to withdraw and knowledge of wider situation; details of withdrawal from Louvain, Belgium. REEL 2 Continues: state of troops; details of defensive positions taken during withdrawal; posting as company commander; opinion of battalion's activities; daylight withdrawal in Ypres area, Belgium; opinion of carrier platoon support; story of dispatch rider; details of unusual manoeuvre undertaken; opinion and work of Corps of Military Police; effects of tiredness; orders to withdraw to coast; story of wounded soldier at La Panne, Belgium; evacuation system from beach at La Panne, Belgium; wait for evacuation; orders for march to Dunkirk and to take firearms onto boat; scenes during march; boarding of Isle of Man steamer; story of ordering beer from steward on board. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles, 9th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942: arrival in Dover; reception from civilians in Headcorn; waking up at Tweseldown Racecourse; visit to brother at Camberley. REEL 3 Continues: posting to Brighton; atmosphere in Britain during summer 1940 including plans made for coastal defence; opinion of chances in event of a German invasion including equipment situation and destruction of Brighton Pier; air activity; opinion of RAF during Dunkirk Evacuation; memories and opinions of General Bernard Montgomery; military background of family and reasons for joining Royal Ulster Rifles, 1936; background of troops in Royal Ulster Rifles when he enlisted in 1936 and 1991; issue of religion in regiment. REEL 4 Continues: period at Staff College, Camberley and posting as Brigade Major to 2nd Parachute Bde, 1942-1943. Aspects of period as staff officer with 2nd Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in GB and North Africa, 4/1943-9/1943: formation of brigade; arrival in North Africa and posting at Sousse, Tunisia; reasons for not participation in airborne landings in Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; attitude of troops toward General Bernard Montgomery and methods employed by him to win troops over. Aspects of operations as staff officer with 2nd Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: reconnaissance visit to Sicily; voyage to Taranto; advance inland including telephone calls made to civilians further north. Aspects of operations as officer with 1st Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers, 38th (Irish) Infantry Bde, 78th Infantry Div in Italy, 10/1943-2/1944: reason for posting to battalion at Termoli; situation upon arrival in Termoli; attack on Germans; story of POW taken during drive to front; Canadian tank support; terrain in Italy; description River Sangro; reasons for wait before advance; supply of rations; activities as second in command; mistake made due to poor conditions; attack on Gustav Line and advance, 11/1943-12/1943; posting to area of Monte Cassino; training near Capua; positions taken at Monte Castelone; posting to Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Recollections of operations commanding 6th Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 38th (Irish) Infantry Bde, 78th Infantry Div in Italy, 2/1944-6/1944: previous action of battalion; relief of Free French troops; patrols sent out; description of position occupied and removal of dead; sangars built. REEL 5 Continues: actions at Monte Cassino; further details of patrolling; role in selection of officers for patrols; sending battle weary officers away; shelling and Mad Mile approach to Monte Cassino; destruction of sangar while in Naples; relief by troops of the Polish II Corps; destruction in Monte Cassino area and reaction on arrival in Capua; comradeship in division; St Patrick's Day, 17/3/1944; training with 16th/5th Lancers; description of new position taken; story of events shortly before battle; advance to River Rapido; crossing of river; plan for attack; knowledge of situation; orders received and given to troops; details of attack across River Rapido; state of German troops following battle; overshooting and destruction of tanks; consolidation of position including story of O Group meeting. REEL 6 Continues: plan for attack; journey to and attendance at 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles O Group; talk with Brigadier Pat Scott; arrival of brigadier; return to battalion; formation on start line; description of wounding by mortar; evacuation; hospitalisation in Caserta; convalescence in Sorrento; events while away from battalion; return to battalion and activities in Rome; story of priest who travelled with battalion; reactions to seeing wounded soldiers; talk given to troops prior to battle; discussion on gaining respect of troops and man management. Recollections of operations commanding 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles, 38th (Irish) Infantry Bde, 78th Infantry Div in Italy, 7/1944-5/1945: events during summer of 1944; details of activities at Monte Grande; events on New Year's Eve, 31/12/1944. REEL 7 Continues: action and conditions at Monte Spaduro; reconnaissance undertaken at San Marino; positions and situation on River Semio; advance via Argento to River Po; training with 9th Lancers and description of Armoured Personnel Carriers; details of advance with 9th Lancers, 4/1945; action in Argenta Gap, 4/1945; advance through Argenta Gap including German resistance met; story of argument made against a command issued; end of Second World War in Europe, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 78th Infantry Div in Austria, 1945-1946: posting to divisional headquarters; situation in Austria including with XVth Cossack Cavalry Corps; orders to hand Cossacks to Soviet Union; character of Cossacks; reaction to handover of Cossacks. REEL 8 Continues: Cossacks released into countryside; troops' opinion of Cossacks; women and children involved; description of Cossack troops; contact with German Cossack officer; later involvement with Nikolai Tolstoy; divisional parade in Spital am Pyhrn. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1946-1947: posting and journey to Palestine; situation in Palestine; return visit to Ein Harod; opinion and discussion of events; question of degree of threat felt in Palestine; ambush of guard in Tel Aviv; attitude of troops towards Jewish civilians; 50th Anniversary Reunion of Special Night Squads; further discussion of events in Palestine, 1946-1948. Aspects of operations commanding 2nd Bn Parachute Regt, 16th Independent Parachute Bde in Cyprus and during landings at Suez, Egypt, 1956-1958: arrival in and reason for posting to Cyprus; posting in Nicosia; climate; patrols; 3rd Bn Parachute Regt casualties from forest fire during Operation Lucky Alphonse, 6/1956; sources of intelligence. REEL 9 Continues: use of Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA defectors as bogus gang; events leading to capture of Polycarpos Geogkadjis and other Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) insurgents; preparations for Operation Musketeer at Suez; voyage to Suez and journey to southern sector, 11/1956; news of ceasefire; reason given for ceasefire and reaction to it.