Description
Object description
British officer commanded 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in GB and Normandy, France, 5/1943-8/1944
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period commanding 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in GB, 5/1943-6/1944: background to formation of brigade, 11/1942; age of recruits to brigade; addition of 1st Canadian Parachute Bn to brigade; composition of brigade; preparations for D-Day; brigade's lack of battle experience; training ethos; nature of terrain in Normandy to operated in; brigade's D-Day tasks; character of his three battalions and their different tasks; reputation of Lieutenant-Colonel Alastair Pearson; reasons for siting his brigade headquarters in defensive role near front line; reasons for siting 224th (Parachute) Field Ambulance near front line; advantage of postponement of D-Day, 5/6/1944. Recollections of operations commanding 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: character of his parachute landing in flooded area; use of parachute Alsatian dogs; wounding by Royal Air Force bombing.
REEL 2 Continues: dealing with casualties from bombing; initial medical treatment from brigade medical officer; meeting with Major-General Richard 'Windy' Gale; hearing sound of German 21st Panzer Div attack whilst being operated on; pursuit of Germans by medical officer; opinion of coping with pain; arrival at brigade headquarters; fate of his Brigade Major Bill Collingwood, Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DAAQG) Major Alec Pope, Commando Liaison Officer, Lieutenant David Haig-Thomas, Roman Catholic Chaplain, Captain Reverend Joseph McVeigh, signals officer and naval forward observation officers; arranging for supporting fire from HMS Arethusa; importance of training personnel to handle multiple tasks; false story that divisional headquarters was overrun; strength of battalions; siting of 224th (Parachute) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps; sight of 6th Airlanding Bde arriving, evening 6/6/1944; story of fate of adjutant Captain Havelock Hudson of 9th Bn Parachute Bn.
REEL 3 Continues: repelling of German counter-attack by 13th Bn Parachute Regt; civilian casualty from Royal Air Force strafing attack; reception of protestant padre from French civilian; location of brigade headquarters. Recollections of operations as commanding officer of 3rd Bn Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944: opinion of Germans; terrain; morale in brigade; principles of leading brigade; character of 9th Bn Parachute Regt actions in Bréville-les-Monts area, 6/6/1944-7/6/1944; occupation of Bréville-les-Monts, 8/6/1944; documents found on dead Germans, 9/6/1944; breaking up of German counter-attacks, 9/6/1944; 9th Bn Parachute Regt receiving reinforcements, 10/6/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: failure of German attacks on Ranville, 10/6/1944; use of Projector Infantry Anti-tank (PIAT) as mortars by 9th Bn Parachute Regt, 10/6/1944; shelling of Germans by HMS Arethusa, 10/6/1944; morale after three days in trenches; character of attack by 5th Bn Black Watch (Royal Highland Regt), 153rd Infantry Bde, 51st (Highland) Infantry Div on Bréville-les-Monts, 11/6/1944; reaction to destruction of British Sherman Tanks; character of German attack on brigade area, 12/6/1944; problem with ammunition supplies; how Captain Reverend John Gwinnett, 9th Parachute Bn nailed battle flag to tree, 12/6/1944; obtaining reinforcements from Canadian battalion and acquiring who he describes as a 'Canadian Native American' [First Nations] bodyguard; conditions in wooded area; outcome of actions, 12/6/1944; casualties inflicted on German 346th Panzer Grenadier Regt; effects of Allied artillery falling short.
