Laverick, William (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with 5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 1939-1940; served with 5th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940-1943; served with 443 Battery, 130 (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of period as civilian in GB, 1910-1933: effect of family involvement in trade union movement; story of how his father took him down Erdington Colliery to see conditions; black listing of father for trade union activities; poor living conditions for family; sight of airship during First World War; character of education; childhood activities; degree of involvement in stealing; childhood gangs; caddying for golfers. REEL 2 Continues: origins of political views from 1921; miners recreational activities; miners’ strike and treatment of strike breakers, 1921; miners’ military service in First World War; employment; memories of 1926 General Strike. REEL 3 Continues: miners lock out after 1926 General Strike; friction between Labour Party and Communist Party; organisation of street collections during 1926 General Strike, night school history lessons; outcome of miners strike; treatment of ‘scabs’ after miners strike, 1926; leaving employment; reading political leaflets; move to London. REEL 4 Continues: initial employment in London, 1928; move to Watford to work in quarry; boxing activities; disillusionment with Labour Party from 1931; personal definition of the ‘establishment’; reasons for joining Communist Party, 1930; painting illegal slogans on walls and treatment by police; contact with George Bernard Shaw and Beatrice Webb. REEL 5 Continues: clash with police during Communist demonstration in London; organisation of Watford Communist Party; awareness of threat of fascists; question of political leanings of St Albans; nature of clashes with fascists; reasons for individuals to be attracted to fascism; his attraction to Soviet Union. REEL 6 Continues: organisation of Friends of the Soviet Union; lack of disillusion of Soviet Union prior to Second World War; opinion of Wal Hannington of National Unemployed Workers Movement; return to Newcastle area; boxing activities and changing name to box; opinion of member of parliament for Gosforth; reasons for leaving Communist Party; skills learnt from membership of Communist Party; joining Labour Party in Gosforth; opposing British Union of Fascist march in Newcastle; Anti-Fascist League in Newcastle. REEL 7 Continues: reasons for moving from Communist to Socialist ideals; Labour Party training camps. Recollections of period as private and NCO with 5th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 1933-1940: reasons for joining Territorial Army; character of unit; drill nights; duties as Lewis gun instructor; pattern of training; attitude towards discipline; opinion of officers; night manoeuvres; unit NCOs; political discussions; change of unit to searchlight unit, 1938. REEL 8 Continues: arrival of searchlights and formation of 409 Searchlight Battery; problems with initial plans for trenches; duties as instructor; change in civilian employment; reaction of former Communist Party friends to outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; question of political sentiment in GB prior to outbreak of Second World War; mobilisation, 1/9/1939; issue of uniform; move to Seaham harbour expectation of joining British Expeditionary Force; problems of supply during initial deployment at Seaham harbour, 2/9/1939; move to established searchlight site at Durham; setting up of site. REEL 9 Continues: organisation of section; description of sound locator; use of aircraft to practice drill; holding aircraft in beams; move to Sedburgh; attending aircraft identification course; attachment to headquarters at Walworth Castle; physical education course and duties on sites; drafting to Hardwick Camp as physical training instructor, 1940. REEL 10 Continues: dealing with awkward recruit; training Home Guard; return to headquarters at Walworth Castle; move to site at St Cuthbert’s Cave; nature of camp and how he dealt with defaulters; organisation of regimental boxing; re-organisation of unit and removal of searchlights. Recollections of period as NCO with 5th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Group, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940-1943: attending course on GL beams in Scotland; return to Durham and arrival of first GL equipment. REEL 11 Continues: story of leave in London at time of first German Air Force raids, 9/1940; helping out at anti-aircraft gun site during leave in London; reception on return to headquarters; posting to mobile artillery unit at Felixstowe; conditions at unit; degree of political activity in army; story of clash with officer; disapproval of drinking. REEL 12 Continues: hospitalisation in Peace Memorial Hospital in Darlington; leave prior to move to Oswestry. Recollections of period as NCO with 443 Battery, 130 (Mixed) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1943-1945; drilling female personnel; duties in command post; operation of command post; move to Dunbarton; drill practice; story of live round being fired during drill practice; opinion of female personnel; allowing female personnel to handle live ammunition and man guns; segregation of male/female accommodation on gun sites; move to London area, early 1944; hospitalisation in Orpington Emergency Hospital. REEL 13 Continues: medical treatment received and recuperation period; return to unit at Beckenham; training duties; use of running track at Woolwich and sporting activities; brief move to Harton; return to Hyde area at start of V1 campaign; firing on V1 rockets; move to Hayes Common; characters in the battery. REEL 14 Continues: religious services; helping out at V2 bomb site; organisation of gun sites on grid system to deal with V2s; question of German technological advance with V2; memories of Sir Richard Acland and his politics; attending Army Bureau of Current Affairs course at Morley College in London; opinion of pamphlets issued by Army Bureau of Current Affairs. REEL 15 Continues: reaction of unit members towards Army Bureau of Current Affairs pamphlets; interest in sport rather than politics; lack of political discussion in army prior to General Election, 1945; attitude towards not obtaining overseas posting; memories of VE Day celebrations in London, 5/1945; discovery of cost of Lease Lend; attitude towards Americans; white washing of coal; inspections after VE Day, 1945; demobilisation. Aspects of civilian life in GB from 1945: income after demobilisation; obtaining employment on farm in Scotland; involvement in elections; question of re-joining Territorial Army. REEL 16 Continues: obtaining accommodation in Gosforth; formation of Labour Party in Gosforth; electioneering in 1951 election. Aspects of anti-war activities in GB, 1951-1991: formation of anti-Korean War group; reaction to Suez landings, 11/1956; clash with staff at private school he worked at over Suez landings, 11/1956; organising opposition to Suez landings, 11/1956; call up on Z Reserve, 1955; attitude towards being called up on Z Reserve; attitude towards atomic weapons. REEL 17 Continues: degree of campaigning participated in against nuclear weapons; membership of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, 1960s; attitude towards British Empire; opposition to Vietnam War; memories of Aldermaston March; reasons for leaving Labour Party; opposition towards Falklands War, 1982; lack of political opposition to Gulf War, 1991; question of opposition to war.