Description
Object description
British civilian student in Cornwall and Devon 1939-1942; officer served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Italy, Greece and Austria, 1943-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Truro and Bodmin, GB, 1923-1940: family circumstances; education including attending Bodmin County Grammar School, 1933-1940; lack of military connections; interest in music; reactions to outbreak of war whilst on holiday near Falmouth, 3/9/1939; school air raid precautions; local anti-aircraft guns; effect of war on school life; appendicitis. Recollections of period as student at Exeter University, 1940-1942: problems with exam qualifications; social development; training with Officers' Training Corps including drill and question of ability to issue commands.
REEL 2 Continues: training with Officers' Training Corps including weapons training, fieldcraft, use of mnemonic on fire positions and NCO instructor; duties and equipment issued as fire watcher on roofs of women's' halls of residence; assisting fire brigade in putting out fires started in Sidwell Street by German air raids; working to repair damaged roofs; question of air raid shelters; failure to qualify as scientist for work with Ministry of Supply; call up 20/8/1942. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with No 11 County Primary Training Centre at Bodmin Barracks, GB, 8/1942-10/1942: barrack layout; reception and formation of training company; barrack room accommodation; morning routine including breakfast and room inspection; training.
REEL 3 Activities with Regnal League, 1939-1940: nature of organisation; essays. Period at Bodmin County Grammar School, GB, 1933-1940. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with No 11 County Primary Training Centre at Bodmin Barracks, GB, 8/1942-10/1942: drill; physical training and cross country running; use of mnemonic on fire positions; rifle classification as marksman; Bren gun, hand grenade and bayonet training; opinion of PIAT; night exercises; lunch; preparing uniform and kit for inspection; question of promotion or commission. Assessment course for suitability as officer at Wrotham, 10/1942.
REEL 4 Continues: physical nature of course; latrines; assault course; passing as driver without course. Recollections of course with 166 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Douglas, Isle of Man, 11/1942-2/1943: sea crossings; hotel billets; origins of cadets; classroom work including lectures and tactical appreciation exercises; cleaning kit to supplement pay as young recruit; tactical exercises and question of realism; commission and background to selection of Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; regimental tailors. Period with 43rd Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Woodhall Spa, 2/1943-6/1943: pay as officer; reception and officers' mess; role of unit as Holding Bn; training. Courses at Divisional Battle School and School of Infantry Battle School at Barnard Castle, 3/1943-5/1943: realistic tactical exercises; nature of battle drill.
REEL 5 Problem with kit prior to voyage with draft aboard Britannic to Algiers, Algeria, 6/1943. Initial period in Algeria, 6/1943: period in depot; anti-personnel mine course; reaction to posting to Durham Light Infantry at Blida. Recollections of period with Carrier Platoon, Support Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 6/1943-8/1943: reception; responsibility for Vickers machine gun section including hill exercise and learning fire control; question of lack of active service with Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; move to Bizerta, Tunisia, 8/1943; German air raids; loading and waterproofing vehicles; story of missing mepacrine tablets, consequent malaria attack and missing landings. Account of leading fighting patrol in Hospital Hill sector, Salerno, 9/1943: posting on arrival to 9 Platoon, A Coy; situation; briefing and lack of confidence; leading patrol left of Hospital; confused situation on coming under fire; consequent change of direction back towards Hospital; coming under heavy British fire and bayonet attack; casualties; success in stopping attack.
REEL 6 Continues: confused nature of situation; reactions under mortar fire; reporting to Colonel Johnny Preston; evacuation with minor hand wound. Period in US hospital at Bizerta prior to discharging self and unofficial journey back to rejoin unit, 9/1943-10/1943. Recollection of reconnaissance patrols based on Villa Litterno, Volturno area, 10/1943: reception from Preston; reports on German shellfire; studying aerial photographs; comparison of reconnaissance and fighting patrols; patrolling route to river crossing; German ambush of Captain Ray Mitchell's patrol illustrating importance of returning by different route. Account of crossing of Volturno, Italy, 12/10/1943-21/10/1943: plan; wading across river; German machine gun fire whilst approaching dyke.
REEL 7 Continues: capture of dyke positions; establishment of battalion headquarters in farm buildings; orders to locate German machine gun post; plan of approach covered by mortar fire; successful attack along ditch and capture of German headquarters dugout; nickname 'Winkler'; recommendation for award of Military Cross; reads and comments on subsequent report in army newspaper; further advance to canal positions; situation; wet conditions; occupying defensive positions in farm buildings; story illustrating fatigue; relief, 21/10/1943. Advance to Winter Line, Italy, 10/1943-11/1943: crossing of Teano, 28/10/1943; patrolling activity; leave in Naples; re-enactment of Teano crossing. Recollections of operations and conditions of service in Monte Camino and Garigliano areas, 12/1943-2/1944: move up; story of close escape from trip wire hand grenade booby trap on returning to British lines after patrol.
REEL 8 Continues: situation; effect of death of Major George Ballance; plan for night march approach; difficult nature of night march; attack across open hill side towards Point 430; reactions to casualties leading successful attack on German positions in farm buildings; opinion of Thompson machine gun; crucial role of junior officer in action; overall success of attack; looting from German POWs; provision of food rations; method of establishing defensive position; setting and checking sentries; assistance from question of role and suitability for promotion of officer's servant; number of sentries per section; importance of shaving; question of lice; weapons inspection; communications.
REEL 9 Continues: calling up artillery support and role of their forward observation officers; story of ranging guns on to German machine gun post; relationship with 449 Bty, 70th Field Regt, Royal Artillery; divisional artillery concentrations; absence of German shell and mortar fire; question of precautions against German air attack; rest period and relationship with Italian civilians; question of promotion; attitude to non-front line troops; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; reactions to award of Military Cross; story of reporting capture of German POWs to Major Alan Hay; account of fighting patrol towards Hill 400, 29/1/1944, including infiltration behind German lines into gully, opinion of Private Mawson, question of soldier's character, advance along gully, German machine gun fire and fatal wound to Mawson; parcels from GB; story of repelling German patrol, 7/2/1944; German Spandau machine gun fire.
REEL 10 Continues: German Spandau machine gun fire; wet conditions; unit morale; move out of line. Voyage aboard Sobieski to Port Said, Egypt, 2/1944. Recollections of period in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: arrival of reinforcements at El Qassasin Camp; lorry drive into Palestine; visits to Tel Aviv Clubs; attending brigade platoon commanders course; patrols enforcing curfew in Tel Aviv; move to Ar Rama camp; feeling of vulnerability in presence of tanks; difficulty in communicating with tank crews during exercises; period in Syria; reactions to replacement of Colonel Johnny Preston with Colonel Dennis Worrall;. Period of hospitalisation and question of possible psychosomatic causes on return to Italy, 7/1944-9/1944.
REEL 11 Account of attack attached to B Coy on 'Johnson' farms on Casa Ricci Ridge, 26/9/1944: taking over command from wounded Major Ronnie Sherlaw; tanks role firing smoke canisters; securing right hand farm building; story of shooting German officer interrogating Italian women during German counter-attack; clearing left hand farm building with assistance of tanks; view of German 88 mm shell hitting tank; insecure nature of defensive positions; role of Lieutenant David Purnell in organising defensive artillery fire to break up German counter-attack; code message indicating imminent relief by 46th Reconnaissance Regt; gradual withdraw on relief; fatigue; news of loss of Johnson positions; unit and personal morale. Recollections of patrol towards La Crocetta, 9/10/1944: patrol formations; Major Ray Mitchell's wound from anti-personnel mine.
REEL 12 Continues: heavy German shellfire and subsequent problems with morale. Account of attack on Balignano Spur, 10/10/1944: abortive protest at platoon's attachment to B Coy for attack; protest from section commander Corporal Vick; opinion of plan; leading subsidiary right flanking attack; death of Corporal Vick whilst entering church; withdrawal of B Coy after failure of frontal attack; withdrawal to start line. Posting to command Carrier Platoon, Support Coy and operations in Cosina Canal sector, 10/1944: close escape from German machine gun fire whilst occupying farmhouse near canal; move to occupy river bed; casualty whilst throwing grenades at German machine gun post; shooting German soldiers possibly attempting to surrender; question of personal morale and successful attack led by Sergeant Chilvers on German post in farm buildings; near escape from being shot by nervous sentry whilst checking defensive positions. Stories illustrating nature of fighting during operations with A Coy in Italy, 1943-1944: attack on German ridge positions, 1944, including situation, firing machine gun and subsequent direct hit by German shell on position, disappearance of A Coy commander, taking over command, capture of objective, exploiting beyond objective to secure position from German counter-attacks and question of subsequent removal of company commander.
REEL 13 Continues: story illustrating nervous strain on reconnaissance patrol; story of Major Alan Hay being wounded after taking over farm buildings to act as company rather than Collins' platoon headquarters; story of fighting patrol to locate German positions, 1944, including crossing river, awareness of other patrols in area, calm reaction of Sergeant Price on being wounded by nervous member of patrol, withdrawal and success in using machine gun to silence German machine gun. Recollections of period in Greece, 12/1944-4/1945: looted wine; flight to Athens; initial situation; show of strength to get through Greek civilians after shooting incident; refusing retzina offered by Greek civilians; move to Phaleron; difficulty in dealing with ELAS insurgent, nature of incidents and ineffectual support of Greek militia; death of Lieutenant Frank Johnson; relationship with Greek civilians; question of searching for ELAS; recreations; voyage to Patros and successful ruse by Brigadier Block to persuade ELAS into evacuating town, 10/1/1945; patrolling, establishing and visiting out posts; return to Athens; question of return to active service in Italy or North West Europe. Recollections of period in Italy, 4/1945-5/1945: collecting new Bren carriers for 139 Bde from base depot; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945.
REEL 14 Recollections of period in Austria, 5/1945-2/1946: movements; reception from Austrian civilians; collecting German POWs; role preventing Croatian refugees from entering Austria in Bleiburg sector; horse riding activities; return of Cossack troops to Soviet control in Bruckl sector; billets; convalescence after dislocating finger; move to Wildon; promotion to temporary captain and appointment to adjutant; sports activities; billets; period on ceremonial guard duties in Vienna; cutting timber; leave and demobilisation systems; relationship with Worrall; mess parties; GB leave, 12/1945; disbandment of unit, 2/1946. Period as adjutant with 2nd Bn, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Greece, 1946-1947. Successful application for regular commission and question of lack of relevant experience for peacetime career in army.