Description
Object description
British officer served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 1943-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Cheadle and Leyland, GB, 1921-1938: family circumstances; education. Period as office assistant and then student at School of Architecture; Liverpool University, Abercrombie Square, Liverpool, 1938-1942; question of approach of war; reaction to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; air raid precautions; nature of training with Officers Training Corps; activities with Leyland Home Guard; minimal German bombing on Leyland; effects of German bombing of Liverpool including helping in search for corpses, effects on transport services, state of civilian morale; background to volunteering for infantry, posting to Royal Fusiliers and remaining at university to complete second year examinations, 6/1942; question of joining Royal Engineers. Recollections of period at Officers' Cadet Training unit at Barmouth, GB, 6/1942-12/1942: prior mistaken posting; reception; hard physical nature of training; night exercises; drill; tactical exercises without troops; hotel billets; relationship with cadets.
REEL 2 Continues: relationship with civilians; regimental sergeant major; question of standards of behaviour as officer; driving and motor-bike training; weapons training; question of being returned to unit; kitting out as officer; pay; commission into Durham Light Infantry. Recollections of 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Paignton and Hornsea, GB, 1/1943-2/1943: officers' mess and lack of formality between officers; cadre status of unit; absence of experience commanding platoon; minimal coastal defences. Reaction to posting to join 1/6th Bn, East Surrey Regt at Glasgow, GB, 2/1943. Conditions during voyage aboard Orion to Algiers, Algeria, 2/1943. Recollections of period in transit camps in Algeria, 2/1943-3/1943: march; staying behind as reserve officer; successful application to join Durham Light Infantry. Recollections of period with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 3/1943-7/1943: situation; state of unit; opinion of Colonel Johnny Preston; attending mine warfare course, 4/1943, including S mines.
REEL 3 Continues: attending mine warfare course, 4/1943, including difficulty in locating S mines, German rifle grenades, anti-tank mines, method of setting booby traps, question of British use of mines and story illustrating soldiers' willingness to discard them; Italian non-metal mines and training in methods of using of gun cotton, ammonal and different types of fuse; army training methods; rejoining unit at Blida; temporary attachment as reserve officer with 1st Bn King's Shropshire Light Infantry in Tunisia including journey, informal officers' mess, German air raids, remaining behind on move to Pantelleria and lorry journey back to rejoin unit at Blida; food rations and desert cooking method; posting to command 13 Platoon, C Coy; company officers; relationship with Other Ranks; story of NCO trying to take POWs rather than killing Germans; relationship with platoon sergeant.
REEL 4 Continues: importance of making and drinking tea during exercises in Atlas Mountains; capture of escaped German POW; story illustrating thirst; relationship with Algerian civilians; personal morale and question of imminent Italian campaign; move to Bizerta, 8/1943; disembarkation practice from Landing Ship Infantry; party and drinking game; noise of crickets. Voyage on LSI via Sicily to Salerno, Italy, 9/1943: uniform, equipment and weapons; anti-mosquito precautions; conditions; news of surrender of Italians, 8/9/1943; landing on beech; situation and air supremacy; period in olive grove. Recollections of operations on Hospital Hill, Salerno area, Italy, 9/1943: neutral position of Catholic seminary; situation; German shell and mortar fire; question of casualties.
REEL 5 Continues: water supply; situation; distribution of sections on forward and reverse slopes; slit trenches; crawling between platoon positions; German shellfire and developing ability to judge landing point; compo food rations and problems in distribution amongst men; question of shaving; latrines; effects of fatigue; checking platoon positions; question of casualties; question of radio communications; reporting to company commander; role of NCOs; leadership role of officers and personal morale; question of 'Blighty' wounds and self-inflicted wounds.
REEL 6 Continues: situation; advance to take over positions on top of hill including co-operation with naval forward observation officer, slight shoulder wound from German mortar fire and treating severely wounded NCO. Recollections of German counter-attack at Salerno, Italy, 15/9/1943-16/9/1943: attending 'O' group at Headquarters, C Coy; surprise nature of German attack infiltrating through to headquarters; counter-attack by officers and NCOs; story of Lieutenant Ronnie Sherlaw mistaking German for British troops on reaching 'Pimple' sector; discovering Vickers machine gun team; fatigue; use of Thompson machine gun; jaw wound from German grenade; escorting back German POWs and attitude to German troops. Medical treatment at regimental aid post and evacuation by hospital ship to North Africa, 9/1943: reactions; fatigue and hunger.
REEL 7 Period in hospital, convalescent camp and transit camp in North Africa, 9/1943-1/1943: lack of equipment and uniform; reception; hunger, difficulty eating and ruse to avoid light diet; reactions to prospect of return to active service and desire to return to unit; meeting Lieutenant Giff Footer and ruse to secure early return together to unit; movements of kit; rejoining unit. Recollections of operations in Garigliano area, 12/1943-1/1944: state of unit; relationship with other ranks; location of company headquarters; relationship with Italian civilians during rest period in La Vaglie; effects of German shellfire in position formed from stone sangars; advance into valley following German withdrawal; story of advance of C and D company patrol across river to farm buildings in Cedra sector; question of booby traps and mines.
REEL 8 Continues: attacking group of German soldiers and intervention of sergeant to try and ensure Germans were taken prisoner rather than killed; story of being wounded in neck and shoulder by German machine gun; initial reaction; rescue by runner and NCO; initial medical treatment from stretcher bearers and evacuation to Regimental Aid Post. Recollections of medical treatment in Italy, 1/1944-6/1944: operation at Canadian field hospital; journey on US hospital train; hospitalisation in Naples; Vesuvius eruption; minimal assistance during period in convalescent camp at Sorrento; electrical treatment; period in transit camp at Naples. Voyage back to GB, 6/1944. Hospitalisation and convalescence in GB, 6/1944-12/1944. Period inspecting prospective troop billets at West Hartlepool, 12/1944. Period with 9th Bn, Green Howards at Pickering, 12/1944-12/1945: training role of unit; use of explosive charges to simulate battlefield conditions during exercises; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945.
REEL 9 Continues: VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; disputes on return of original territorial officers who had been POWs; marriage. Period at Cyprus, 12/1945-3/1946: reactions to posting overseas; relationship with Cypriots civilians; camps intended for Jewish refugees; state of health; disbandment of unit. Period on staff of leave camp, Nathaniyah, Palestine, 6/1946-12/1946: opinion of prior company commanders' course; recreations for troops on leave; camp staff; question of Jewish insurgents; return to GB. Demobilisation and question of remaining in army, 12/1946. Post-war career: return to School of Architecture and difficulties in qualifying due to initial inability to draw; changed attitude to examinations after active service; question of effects of war service.
