Milburn, Jackie (Oral history)

British driver served with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1942-1943; served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, Middle East and Austria, 1943-1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Stanley, Durham, GB, 1914-1940: effects of death of mother; education and sporting activities; work; father's re-marriage; move south to work as pantry boy and footman, 1930-1935; return to work as bus conductor, 1935-1940; Boy Scout activities; question of approach of war; effects of outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; questions of volunteering; call up, 20/6/1940. Aspects of period with No 4 Infantry Training Centre at Willington and Meadowfield, GB, 6/1940-12/1940: reception at Durham Light Infantry Depot, Brancepeth Castle including division of recruits into different squads and kitting out; billets; food rations and story of complaining about quality; reactions to army lifestyle; relationship with recruits; drill; physical training; route marches; issue of Ross rifles; guarding Molotov cocktails store; contact with Dunkirk veterans; relationship with NCOs; lack of contact with officers. REEL 2 Continues: weapons training and story of problem cleaning rifle; learning to drive trucks at Meadowfield; German air raid; billets; fatigues. Recollections of period as driver with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 12/1940-8/1943: hotel billets near Edinburgh; role as driver; move to Aldington; duties as company commander's driver of C Coy; weapons training including opinion of Boyes anti-tank rifle and wooden drill weapons; move to Sir John Moore Barracks, Shorncliffe; nature of barrack discipline and story of officer abusing saluting drill; kit inspections and value of prior experience as servant; question of stealing of kit or personal possession; recreations; German air raid. REEL 3 Continues: relationship with civilians; hospitalisation with scabies; hospitalisation and quarantine with scarlet fever; move to Paignton; story of getting lost during exercise on Dartmoor; practice in embarkation and river crossing on rafts; question of active service; football activities; commanding officer's parade; opinion of various officers; move to Hornsea; duties as officers' servant; recreations and relationship with local civilians; move to Durham; lack of activity; marriage and story of losing honeymoon money gambling; training in preparation for draft and introduction to PIAT. REEL 4 Journey out with draft via North Africa to join 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: story of getting drunk on embarkation leave; seasickness; movements in North Africa; concert party; landing at Salerno and question of Salerno mutiny. Recollections of operations in Italy, 10/1943-2/1944: posting as jeep driver with Headquarters, C Coy; opinion of jeep; reception from Italian civilians on entering Naples; crossing of Volturno, 12/10/1943-13/10/1943, including role carrying 3-inch mortar in jeep, digging in near bank and reaction to German mortar fire, pulling back; night crossing river under fire on raft, 13/10/1943; personal morale and arrival of British tanks, composition rations, duties including carrying artillery observation officers' wireless and assisting in evacuation of wounded. REEL 5 Continues: crossing of Volturno, 12/10/1943-13/10/1943, including carrying transport officer; rest period and concert party; relationship with Italian civilians; crossing Teano, 28/10/1943; varied duties driving jeep during period in Garigliano area; German patrols success in taking prisoners; petrol and water supply; operations at Mount Camino, 12/1943; casualties; rescue of oxen from well; forward role of jeep; winter conditions and story of digging in former German latrine; situation; awareness of conditions faced by front-line infantry; opinion of Colonel Johnny Preston and Captain Tom Reynolds; ban on decorated jeeps and unit markings; effects of winter weather; story of removal as driver from planned patrol. REEL 6 Recollections of period in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: voyage aboard Sobieski; leave in Cairo, Egypt, including relationship with Egyptian civilians, fights in bars, and problems with Military Police; move to Palestine; internal security patrols and Jewish/Arab situation in Tel Aviv; move to Nathaniyah; recreations; period in Syria; opinion of Colonel Denis Worrall; reactions to return to Italy. Recollections of operations against Gothic Line in Italy, 7/1944-12/1944: sports day at Bastardo; hospitalisation with sore throat; story of evacuating casualties during attack from church at Mondaino, 31/8/1944; story of taking up supplies to Captain Arthur Pearson's section in Saludeccio sector, 9/1944. REEL 7 Continues: operations at Gemmano, 9/1943, including situation, driving intelligence section up to battalion headquarters, direct hit on jeep, walking back to bring up Major Ronnie Sherlaw and C Coy; situation at San Marino, 9/1943; evacuation of wounded at Sarravelli; operations in Camerano sector, 9/1943, including role taking up supplies and evacuating wounded; situation and story of driving Worrall forward on reconnaissance armed only with empty Thompson gun; question of RAF bombs dropping near unit positions; story of drinking with Italian civilian and his pragmatic attitude to British and German soldiers in front line sector; capture of German soldiers returning from leave; rest period. Recollections of period in Greece, 12/1944-4/1945: voyage out to Athens; situation and attitude to ELAS; capture of runners by ELAS; nature of fighting during street clearing between Phaleron and Athens; move to Patras, 1/1945; story of falling in slit trench whilst drunk. REEL 8 Continues: story of bridge collapsing into river under jeep whilst taking rations to detached company; driving Worrall to ELAS headquarters and subsequent truce; return to Athens; visits by Eden and Churchill; hospitalisation with fever and sore throat; story of dispute with officers in bar. Period in Italy, 4/1945-5/1945: question of approach of end of war; preparations for return to line; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945, including giving comic monologues at officers' mess party and officers' jeep accident; being left behind to repair jeep. Aspects of period in Austria, 4/1945-2/1946: horses; question of repatriation of Croatians and Cossacks back to Soviet control; relationship with Yugoslavian partisans; political situation in Vienna; searches and arrest of Nazi suspects; writing for 'Geordie'; Christmas celebrations at Wildon, 25/12/1945; story of drunken officers driving jeep; relationship with Major Ronnie Sherlaw; recreations in Vienna; skiing party. Demobilisation, 2/1946. Post-war career: return to work as conductor and change to colliery work; question of effects of war service.