Roadnight, William Kennett (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British NCO served with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in Hong Kong, China and India, 1927-1940; served with 1/6th Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 131st Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942; served with 2/5th Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, Iraq and Tunisia, 7/1942-5/1943; served with 2/6th Bn Queen's Royal Regt West Surrey), 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in Italy and Yugoslavia, 9/1943-3/1946

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Putney and Wandsworth, London, GB, 1905-1923: family; education; memories of First World War; standard of diet; celebrations in Wandsworth, Armistice Day, 11/11/1918. Aspects of enlistment and training with Queen's Royal Regt in GB, 1923-1924: enlistment, 1923; basic training at Stoughton Barracks, Guildford. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in Hong Kong and China, 1927-1934: voyage aboard HMT Nevasa from GB to Hong Kong; social life in Hong Kong; regimental badges carved on hillside in New Territories, Hong Kong; on standby at Tientsin, China, 1930-1934; relations with Italian troops in Tientsin, China. REEL 2 Continues: six month leave in GB, 1934. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey) in India, 1935-1940: regulation of contact with wife on board troopship; train journey from Karachi to Quetta, 1935; acclimatising to high altitude at Quetta; memories of Quetta earthquake, 5/1935; evacuation of army families to GB as result of earthquake; voyage from India to GB, 4/1940. Aspects of period as NCO with 1/6th Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 131st Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942: posting to unit at Boston for coastal defence duties, 10/1940. REEL 3 Continues: move to Broadstairs; visit to unit by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and King Peter II of Yugoslavia; promotion to regimental sergeant-major. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/5th Bn Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, Iraq and Tunisia, 8/1942-5/1943: orders to prepare for overseas service, 7/1942; period in Iraq; move to Tunisia; role as regimental sergeant major ensuring ammunition at Enfidaville, Tunisia; problems with enteritis; training at Benghazi, Libya, 1943. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt (West Surrey), 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in Italy and Yugoslavia, 9/1943-3/1946: marking mine free area during landings at Salerno, 9/1943. REEL 4 Continues: 'bomb happy' NCO who was later killed; duties as regimental sergeant-major at Salerno, 9/1943; clearing of Monte Stella near Salerno; billeting of troops at Petrula; capture of Caserta; orders to return to Naples after his landing craft picked up shipwrecked sailors during landings at Anzio, 1/1944; reasons why Anzio was worse than Salerno; opinion of Territorial Army personnel; opinion of American troops; attachment to United States Army at Monte Stella; role of unit with Force 266 on Vis Island, Yugoslavia, 1944. REEL 5 Continues: return to Italy from North Africa, autumn 1944; duties in Trieste area, Italy, 1945; rank during service; leaving Trieste, Italy, 3/1946.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Interwar (association), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Roadnight, William Kennett (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1992-02-03
Dimensions: whole: Duration 135, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 12418

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Roadnight, William Kennett (Oral history)

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