Description
Object description
British guardsman trained with Guards Depot, Caterham in GB, 1941-1942; NCO served with Demonstration Platoon, London District School of Tactics at Pirbright in GB, 1942-1943; served with 5th Bn Grenadier Guards, 24th Guards Bde in North Africa and Italy, 1943-1945; served with 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards in Germany, 1945-1946; served with 1st Bn East Surrey Regt in West Germany and Cyprus, 1956-1958
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB and India, 1924-1941: family; education. Aspects of training as guardsman at Guards Depot, Caterham, GB, 1941-1942: joining army, 12/1941; opinion of training; prior recollection of German bombing in Kingston upon Thames area; membership of 64th (Kingston) Bn Surrey Home Guard, 1940; continuation training at Windsor, 1942. Aspects of period as NCO with Demonstration Platoon, London District School of Tactics at Pirbright in GB, 1942-1943: work with demonstration platoon; attitude towards duties. Recollections of period as NCO with 5th Bn Grenadiers Guards, 24th Guards Bde in North Africa, 1943: on draft aboard troopship including small gun work; arrival in French Algeria; avoiding sunburn; joining battalion near Tunis, Tunisia; guarding German and Italian prisoners of war; incident of confiscating pears from German prisoners of war; relations with German and Italian prisoners of war.
REEL 2 Continues: delivering military prisoners to prison in Bône, French Algeria; contact with United States Army lumberjack unit; reasons for having his charge sheet torn up for incident during military prisoner escort. Recollections of period as NCO with 5th Bn Grenadier Guards, 24th Guards Bde in Italy, 1943-1945: move to Italy, 12/1943; arrival on River Sangro, 2/1944; first patrol on River Sangro; reasons for construction of football pitch in mountains; living conditions in sangars; joining 6th South African Armoured Div, 4/1944; drive through liberated Rome to positions north of city, 6/1944; in action at Bagnoregio; advance towards Siena.
REEL 3 Continues: wounding by ball bearings from mine during patrol, 6/1944; evacuation for hospitalisation, 6/1944; recuperation from wounds; attempts to rejoin unit; involvement in action with 3rd Bn Grenadier Guards near Arezzo; contrast between British Army and Untied States Army hospitality to odd arrivals; death of wounded comrade on stretcher; clash with German prisoner of war; reaction to billeting in houses at Siena; patrolling at Empoli on River Arno, 8/1944; relieving American troops in front line; clearing mines and American dead from positions; how he relifted German Shoe mines he had mistakenly laid; his discovery of German looted material.
REEL 4 Continues: advance to German Gothic Line, 10/1944; German resistance south of Bologna, 10/1944; relieving K Coy, 1st Bn Scots Guards at Castiglione di Povolo near Bologna, 10/1944; discovery of dead Italian villagers on Gothic Line, 10/1944; living conditions at Monte Sole on Gothic Line, 10/1944-2/1945; story of how his company commander took him for a 'walk' into German lines; story illustrating officer's behaviour on reconnaissance patrol; his narrow escape from German patrol in Monte Sole area.
REEL 5 Continues: move into reserve until end of war; participation in XIV Corps soccer team against Football Associaton touring team, Italy, 5/1945; reaction to end of Second World War, 8/5/1945; return to GB, 8/1945; problems administrating veterans returning from Italy at Caterham Barracks, 8/1945. Recollections of operations as NCO with 5th Grenadier Guards, 24th Guards Bde at Anzio, Italy, 1/1944-2/1944: amphibious landing on Green Beach, Anzio, 22/1/1944; character of advance inland towards Aprilia; failure of German machine gunners to open fire on advancing brigade; loss of senior officers; orders to collect 1st Bn Scots Guards wounded at Anzio Railway Station, 2/1944; casualties from mortar fire; incident of platoon member who had marital problems; death of bearing party member.
REEL 6 Continues: retaking ground lost by British forces, 2/1944; heavy brigade casualties during German attack, 2/1944; fatigue and cleaning equipment after action; his role firing Bren Gun during action, 7/2/1944; battalion's withdrawal from front line; narrow escape during German mortaring and attack by German Air Force fighter; story of winning Military Medal at Monte Sole, Italy, 2/12/1944. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards in Germany, 1945-1946: garrison duties in Lübeck area; relations with Soviet Army troops; degree to which non-fraternisation order observed; sale of cigarettes on black market; how he was caught with personal car by officer.
REEL 7 Continues: reasons for leaving 2nd Bn Grenadier Guards for 1st Bn East Surrey Regt, 4/1947. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn East Surrey Regt in Münster, West Germany, 1956-1957: relations with Germans; degree of contact with Germans. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Bn East Surrey Regt in Cyprus, 1958: rapid move to Cyprus; how Georgios Grivas evaded patrol; how National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) prisoners escaped from Nicosia hospital; witnessing post-mortem of National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) bomber; degree of threat in Cyprus; amusing accident with battalion latrines; contrast in attitude of Turkish and Greek Cypriots towards British presence; arrest of Greek Orthodox priest as suspected National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA) supporter.
