Ince, James Edward (Oral history)

British nursing orderly and NCO served with 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, 1st Armoured Division in GB, France, North Africa and Italy, 1940-1945

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1917-1939: family; education; membership of St John’s Ambulance Brigade in Hampstead; attitude towards declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of training with Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 1939-1940: chaos at Fleet with influx of new recruits, 9/1939; pattern of training in GB, 1939-1940; importance of his experience with St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Recollections of operations as nursing orderly with 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps with 1st Armoured Division in France, 1940: arrival in Cherbourg, 4/1940; German Air Force attacks on roads, 5/1940; reaction to lack of RAF presence, 5/1940; first experienced of amputation near Arras, 5/1940; narrow escape from Germans near Arras, 5/1940; handling causalities; sight of French colonial troops swimming River Somme with their horses; retreat to St Nazaire and Brest, 6/1940. REEL 2 Continues: escape from Brest, 6/1940; reception in Plymouth, 6/1940. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps with 1st Armoured Division in GB, 1940-1941: in camp on Salisbury Plain, summer 1940; collection of German pilot from crashed bomber in Warminster area, summer 1940; organisation of medical facilities in action; transfer to 11th Armoured Division in Scarborough. Aspects of voyage from GB to Middle East aboard SS Clan Lamont, 1941: embarkation, 9/1941; voyage from GB to Middle East via Freetown; ship’s separation from convoy. REEL 3 Continues: story of tooth extraction aboard ship; reception ashore in Cape Town, South Africa; manual unloading of armour from convoy at Alexandria, Egypt, 11/1941. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in North Africa, 1941-1943: reaction to re-joining unit in Egypt, 11/1941; Italian use of ‘Red Devil’ grenades at booby traps; dealing with immobilised vehicles in desert sand; effects of shock on badly wounded casualty; advance to Tripolitania, winter 1941-1942; start of retreat from Germans, 1942. REEL 4 Continues: sight of Brigadier Briggs drawing fire towards him during action, 1942; retreat towards Benghazi, 1942; sight of German Air Force attack on light anti-aircraft unit retreating along wadi, 1942; use of leaguering in desert during retreat towards Gazala Line; formation of Gazala Line, spring 1942; medical duties at El Adem; handling of case with severe abdominal wounds from 4th Indian Division; visit by Duke of Gloucester at El Adem, 5/1942; how sandstorm sparked of fear of gas attack; start of German attack on Gazala Line, 6/1942; treatment of patient with leg blown off. REEL 5 Continues: relative strengths of Axis and Allied armour; handling of casualties from Knightsbridge battle, 6/1942; use of different splints on leg wounds; prior recollection of presentation of Parker Pen for winning Thomas splint competition on Salisbury Plain, 1940; attending dying soldier in ambulance to Tobruk, 6/1942; helping out in hospital in Tobruk, 6/1942; attempt to get newly arrived 6 Pounder guns into action at Tobruk, 6/1942; retreat into Egypt, 6/1942. REEL 6 Continues: work with 15th Scottish Division casualties in hospital in Cairo; handling of Mauritian with severe dysentery; relations between Arab cleaner and two Jewish Territorial Service personnel in Cairo; handling of typhoid case in Cairo hospital, summer 1942; dressing Major General Harold Briggs’ leg wound, summer 1942; re-equipment of 8th Army, summer 1942; a dummy leaguer used for El Alamein deception, 10/1942; handling casualties from German Air Force attack, 23/10/1942; the barrage at El Alamein, 23/10/1942; receiving first casualties, 23/10/1942; opinion of German Afrika Korps; inspirational character of Montgomery. REEL 7 Continues: break-through at El Alamein; sight of Axis POWs, 11/1942; handicap of sudden downpour, 5/11/1942; rescue of section of unit from Germans by 9th Lancers; hepatitis outbreak at Tmimi, autumn 1942; promotion to corporal; treatment of scabies outbreak at 2nd Armoured Brigade headquarters; low incidence of venereal disease; treatment of burns cases; outflanking of Mareth Line, 1943. REEL 8 Continues: sight of mass of locusts during outflanking of Mareth Line, 1943; narrow escape from exploding S mine at El Hama, 1943; handling New Zealand casualties at El Hama; work handling civilian casualties at El Hama, 1943 and nature of injuries. REEL 9 Continues: advance northwards to Medjis el Bab in Tunisia, spring 1943; sight of undamaged crucifix on ruined church; his giving blood to casualty from 5th Bn Hampshire Regiment, 1943; his shielding German POW appendicitis case under shell-fire in Tunisia, 1943; final advance into Tunisia, 1943; German unit would only surrender to 8th Army and not 1st Army, 5/1943; friendly gesture to his unit from surrendering Germans; mutual respect between Afrika Korps and 8th Army; victory parade in Tunis, 1943. REEL 10 Continues: inspection by King George VI in Tripoli; joining HMHS Dorsetshire for invasion of Sicily, 7/1943; damage to HMHS Dorsetshire by German bombing off Syracuse, Sicily, 11/7/1943; return to Tripoli, Libya; move to Tunisia; suicide case in Tunisia, c 9/1943; incident of theft at brigade headquarters at Thiba; burial of dead French civilian in Tunisia; relations with French civilians in Beja, Tunisia. REEL 11 Continues: treatment of Arab civilian in Tunisia, late 1943. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Light Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in Italy, 1944-1945: treatment of brawl case on ship during voyage from Algiers to Naples, early 1944; handling South African casualty; conditions in village of Altimura; dealing with Italian civilian stab victim; move into front-line; nature of Italian campaign; dealing with foot wound; narrow escape from shell burst; crossing River Po on pontoon, 1945; question of possible competition with Russians to get to Vienna, spring 1945; return to GB, 6/1945; classification of shell shock as anxiety neurosis; case of Gordon Highlander who lost his brother in action. REEL 12 Continues: attitude of troops towards anxiety neurosis; lack of malingering in 8th Army; incidence and case of venereal disease in army.