Brewis, Henry Charles Francis "Frank (Oral history)

British cadet trained at 165 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1939-1940; officer served with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1940; served with 50th (Holding) Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940; served with 15th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940-1941; served with 155 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (15 DLI) in GB, 1941-1945; attached to Movement Control, Royal Engineers in GB, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Northumberland and Co Durham, GB, 1919- 1939: family and moves around Northumberland; military funerals seen as child; memories of childhood; holidays; respect for police in community; leisure activities; early education including visit of Prince of Wales; baths and houses in East Hartford; transport in village; village social scene; child gangs; school exams; secondary education and investments of father; financial rewards for good marks; school certificate results. REEL 2 Continues: sixth form education and higher certificate results; universities applied to; education at Bede College; joining of Officers Training Corps; facilities of OTC; members of staff training OTC; firing at Whitburn; links with Newcastle OTC; percentage of students in OTC; number of drills a week; drill hall; map reading exercise with Brigadier Churchill; training received at annual camp in Aldershot; officer training; canteen; visits to Aldershot; accommodation; latrines; weather; commanding officer; uniform worn; kit box; lectures; 3-inch mortar course at Blackdown; signs of approaching war including cancellation of 1939 camp; outbreak of Second World War; concerns about use of gas during war; enlistment and reactions of parents; point reached in university course; qualification from OTC; process of joining at Newcastle University and TEWT in Weardale with OTC. REEL 3 Continues: wait for call-up; deferral from June 1939 militia. Aspects of period as officer cadet at 165 Officer Corps Training Unit in GB, 12/1939- 4/1945: arrival in Dunbar; army number; accommodation; opinion of role of OCTU training; drill; digging of trenches; issue of uniform and period wearing own clothes; physical training; Christmas 1939; instructors; events on New Year's Day; battle dress worn; language of instructors; cleaning of equipment; cleaning of accommodation; weekend leave; details of pay; leisure activities and canteen; guard duties; flu epidemic; heating in accommodation and request for volunteers to help Finns fight Russians; making of bed; kit inspections; loss of kit; bicycle drill; learning to ride motorcycle; story of motorcycle test; training later received with Durham Light Infantry; supply of meals and rations; discipline; man management. REEL 4 Continues: lectures in escape if POW; opinion of role of training; stick drill; standard of turnout; coping with lack of privacy; problems with piper roommate; horseplay among recruits; contact with senior officers; visit to navy at Rosyth; drill; later problems with revolver; summary of period at Dunbar; leave; uniform allowance; uniform bought. Aspects of period as officer with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 4/1940-5/1940: reported to Brancepeth; posting in Willington; impression of Captain Rathbone; story of wearing forage cap wrong; reception from company commander and accommodation; learning of orderly officer duties; embarkation leave; plans for journey to Southampton; details of draft; cancellation of draft; return to Brancepeth Castle; posting in 50th Holding Battalion at West Hartlepool. Aspects of period as officer with 50th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 5/1940-10/1940: explanation of a holding battalion; make-up of battalion; posting in D Company; location of Headquarters; advice from Regiment Sergeant Major about appearance; story of guard mounting outside Grand Hotel; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; duties checking ammunition stocks; memories of Major Lowson and Tommy Forester; duties of batman Private Loughran; number of officers in company; background of troops; role of battalion. REEL 5 Continues: training given to recruits; arrival of Colonel Heslop and parade through West Hartlepool; role as training officer. Aspects of period as officer with 15th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 10/1940-11/1941: change of designation to 15th Battalion; coast defence duties allocated; relief of North Staffordshires; coast defences; coast covered by platoon and accommodation; details of pillboxes; naval guns in sector; length of time on beach defence; rota of duties; memories of Charles Bowdry; weapons available for defence including training with Vickers Gun; laying of minefields including description of mines; wiring of minefield; compass bearings taken; recording of minefields; distance between mines; 18lb and naval guns; civilian out of bounds area; dugout built for troops; supply of rations; morale of civilians; weather conditions; issue of revolver and story of lost ammunition; relief from Royal Ulster Rifles; posting as Intelligence Officer; training with motorcycles; duties as Intelligence Officer; briefing of Lieutenant General Sir Ronald Adam. REEL 6 Continues: air activity; story of a search for parachutists; timeline of events during search including buses attached to battalion; conclusion of what had probably been seen; concern about parachutist landings and anti-glider precautions; smoke used to camouflage ICI; officers of 15th Battalion; officers who had served in First World War; memories of Major Lowson and Captain Burke-Kennedy; green officers; spread of battalion in reserve role; start of training; posting as demonstration battalion for Northern Command; route march into Cleveland Hills; issue of bakelite grenades; opinion of Thompson Sub- Machine Gun; field firing exercise at Ingleby Greenhow; testing and rejection of experimental steel helmets; descriptions of different exercises involved with. REEL 7 Continues: morale through changes in role of battalion; anti-gas training; issue and opinion of Ross Rifles; reasons for having little contact with civilians; movement of battalion; exercise in Hull; details of 217 Infantry Brigade; inspection from Major General Shears at Sedgefield; Motor Contact Officers Course attended and carrying messages on exercises; accommodation at Sedgefield; rations; fitness training; company exercise organised and promotion; camouflage course attended; details of a hygiene course including types of latrine and method of hardening feet for route marches; battle training course at Leyburn including description of laying on barbed wire to allow it to be crossed; need to complete courses for promotion; story of being returned to unit for a faux pas in mess; location of officers messes in West Hartlepool. REEL 8 Continues: location and organisation of D Company mess in West Hartlepool; traditions of mess; differences in brigade mess; work of mess sergeant and the President of the Mess Committee; memories of the padre in the officers mess bar; gambling; dress worn at dinner; modifications made to uniform during war; rations and supplements bought; furniture bought for mess; sleeping arrangements for troops; organisation of menus and more on rations; complaints received while orderly officer; details of pay; mess bills; reason for not making loyal toast in company messes; times of meals; work of batmen in mess; leaves received including weekend passes; ration cards issued and restrictions on railway warrants; troops going AWOL; story of experiment to stop a Private Wright misbehaving; story of Joe Davis' interview with Charlie Barris; discipline; story of court martial attended at Northallerton. REEL 9 Continues: life in a military prison; procedure and organisation of a court martial; opinion of fairness of court martials; reactions to being allotted court martial duties; conversion of battalion to tank role including letters between Colonel Heslop and Lieutenant General Sir Rodden Adam; sorting of troops to reduce numbers; speech from Colonel at Stockton-on-Tees including intelligence tests taken; officers who left battalion; discussions about regimental title. Recollections of period as officer with 155th Regt Royal Armoured Corps (15 DLI), 11/1941-11/1945: posting at Haydon Bridge; details of intelligence tests; make-up and spread of regiment; accommodation; duties with draft for 151 Brigade in Ashford including story of journey to Ashford. REEL 10 Continues: duties; accommodation of D Company and of Company Commander Rupert Blackett; spread of regiment; officer's mess and accommodation; sleeping arrangements of troops; winter clothing issued; supplements made to rations and accommodation of wives; relationship with civilians; leisure activities; liaison with Carlisle Antiquarian Society and posting in 55 Independent Tank Brigade; officers from Royal Tank Regiment; arrival of first Churchill tank and its getting stuck in peat; official conversion of unit; later transfer of officers to Royal Armoured Corps; opinion of reason for delay; make-up of regiment and squadrons; Light Aid Detachment attached; arrival of newly passed out privates; posting in D Company and later change to Headquarters Company; period of re-training; conversion course at RMC Sandhurst; tanks driven including description of driving a Valentine and track broken on one; training with 38 wireless sets; limits of tank training; communications; opinions of gunnery; description of a Rolling Pitching Yawing Apparatus. REEL 11 Continues: method of training with a RYPA; period deskbound and training scout car drivers; dismantling and assembling of engines; learning of tank tactics; specifications of a Churchill tank; pros and cons of a Churchill; role of Churchill in infantry support; communication between tank crew and infantry; posting at Langley Castle with Scout Car Troop; corrections to account of method of training with a RYPA; establishment of Brigade driving and maintenance school; location of Brigade HQ; links with and role of 151 and 152 Royal Armoured Corps; visit of Brigadier HT Deb Lipscombe to his drivers and maintenance course; gunnery training; night driving; discussion of training received by officers and troops; visits to factories in Luton and Coventry; differences between Daimler and Humber scout cars; description of a Humber scout car; vehicles in a section; syllabus of course at Brigade Driving School. REEL 12 Continues: opinion of training courses including hygiene and intelligence courses; organisation of training within unit; problems training in Haydon Bridge area; areas able to train in and story of damage caused training in Newcastle; training received at Brigade Driving School including driving a truck without using clutch; Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers staff and workshops; changes made in drill and uniforms from infantry to tanks; reactions of troops during training; memories of Regiment Sergeant Major O'Brian; move to tented camp at Gunnerton; summary of events before move; make-up of regiment; unit commanders; tanks in headquarters company; role in field; communications; roles of NCOs in regiment. REEL 13 Continues: gunnery classification courses; sighting of guns; description of Churchill tank interior; driving of a Churchill; most vulnerable place for a tank to be hit and effects of being hit; armour on tanks and effects of track or bogies being hit; shells carried by Churchill and Sherman tanks; need for reliable supply of ammunition; discovery of Churchill faults; problems with fixing Churchills; problems with Grants and Lees; maintenance of Grants and Lees; improvements made to Churchills; area moved to at Gunnerton; reasons for posting; accommodation; NAAFI and visits to Hexham; sports day. REEL 14 Continues: posting at Lowther Park near Penrith; conditions; news of change in role to use secret equipment; censorship of mail; presence of military police; Brigade moles in area; device to be tested; attendance at Canal Defence Light School; hiding of Matilda tank turrets while on public roads; posting of unit under 35th Independent Tank Brigade; command of Brigadier Lipscombe; arrival of Churchill tanks including hard standings erected for them; role in regiment; training received at Lowther Castle including background to CDL; description and use of CDL turrets; changing of light screens and practice in moving arcs of light; book covering CDL and problems with over-secrecy. REEL 15 Continues: power for arclight in Matilda and Grant tanks; training to use CDL tank and role in battalion; problems with secrecy in training area; air raid warnings; problems experienced during training; night vision eye tests; troops transferred for failing; classification given for night vision; night driving; reason for being unable to use gunnery in training; vehicles placed in triangle of darkness; wireless training and road marches; opinion of CDL tanks; types of beams and coloured filters; testing of filters by artillery unit; work on terrain tactics; good and bad terrain for use of CDL; role of CDL tanks; exiting tank through the driver's visor; changeover from Matilda to Grants, Lees and Shermans. REEL 16 Continues: organisation of 35th Independent Tank Brigade; dislike of troops for censorship; night work and conditions in camp; sport in battalion including football match against RAF team including Stanley Matthews and Jack Dodds; morale; memories of batman Private Ward; rations; routine of cooks; Christmas leave 1942; security surrounding operation; leaves and weekend passes; duties; unit discipline and letter read out by Colonel Heslop at first reunion in 1985; anecdote about attempt to straighten out Charles Bowdry; story of attempt to harm provost sergeant; officers got rid of at time of changeover; casualties during training; leisure activities in Penrith; mail; posting in division and army group and visit of Major General Hobart; VIPs who visited unit and arrival of 49th Royal Tank Regiment in Brigade. REEL 17 Continues: Churchill's visit as a spectator; reinforcements; joining of 79th Armoured Division; experimental sapper's equipment and later learning of waterproofing tanks; opinion of reasons for CDL not being used; CDL presence in North West Europe and draft sent to train troops in CDL use; use of CDL on Rhine; continued independence and of brigade; medical training; first firing of a real shell; duties and landing of 1st Army in North Africa; American convoys see on road; daily report sheets made on progress in North Africa; teaching of German Army recognition; Polish officers attached to Brigade; geographical split from 79th Armoured Division; exchange of Matilda for Grant tanks; Grant tank set on fire; pros and cons of Grant tanks; conversion of Grants for CDL; description of Sherman gun tanks; firing on range at Linney Head; reliability of Shermans; work of Peter Dodkins and Al Busby; told would be used as part of D Day forces. REEL 18 Continues: departure of Colonel Heslop and arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Robertson; posting as adjutant; memories of Lieutenant Colonel Robertson; journey to Linney Head; firing of live ammunition; security and air raid warnings; story of report stating that the CDL could kill rabbits and possible source of claim; tactical training; driving and wireless practice; work with gun tanks; duties as adjutant; beam of light shed by CDL equipment; confidence among troops in using CDL; morale; exercises involved with; Cambrai Day; tanks and personnel in regiment; departure of Lieutenant Colonel Robertson; Robertson's ending of Light Infantry pace in regiment and protest made. REEL 19 Continues: previous adjutant experience; orderly room staff including memories of Quarter Master Sergeant Sam Stone and Regiment Sergeant Major Timmy O'Brian; restrictions of duties as adjutant; explanation of Part Two Orders; story of a soldier changing his religion; explanation of Part One Orders; orders from Brigade Headquarters; Regular Command Orders; work with regimental roll; circulation of orders; commanding officer's orders; story of being found asleep while working at night; involvement in exercises including name of his tank; common misdemeanours; organisation of court martials; anticipation of use in D-Day including visit of Chief Medical Officer; improving state of camp; cancellation of leave in April 1944; posting to Hoddam Castle near Ecclesfiechan and disbandment of brigade. REEL 20 Continues: handover of CDL tanks; command of regiment; arrival of Colonel Bill Chestermaster; morale of unit; attempts of Chestermaster to raise morale of officers; talk from brigadier; return of 152nd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps to Brigade; removal of 400 men from regiment; reactions of remaining troops; arrival of Churchill Mark V tanks; start of new round of training including at Kirkcudbright firing range; training with RAF officers; leisure activities; gambling on position of second front and story of Times Crossword with codenames of landing beaches; opening of Top Secret envelope on D Day; talk from Brigadier and news of move to south; make-up of advance party to Newmarket; journey to Newmarket via Newcastle; description of camp; making up to strength of Brigade with 43rd Regiment; periods of training at Thetford; opinion that thought of as a reinforcement source; preparation for promised new drafts; posting as training and reinforcement unit; further loss of men to draft; memories of remaining Durham Light Infantry officers. REEL 21 Continues: earlier visit of King George VI; number of infantry battalions converted to armour; make-up of a CDL tank squadron; vehicles in regiment; start of release leave; departure of Colonel Chestermaster; arrival and memories of Lieutenant Colonel Goode including postings as payment officer and with B Squadron; activities of B Squadron at Brancaster; story of the removal of a jammed shell from a tank barrel; earlier offer of Brigadier Lipscombe to find him a posting; influx of troops from Colonel Goode's old unit; training at Thetford. Aspects of period as officer attached to Movement Control, Royal Engineers, in GB, 11/1945-5/1946: posting to Royal Engineers movement control course taken at Weaversdown Camp in Liss; journey from London to Liss; description of and arrival at Weaversdown Camp; interview with adjutant including attachment to Movement Control and demobilisation group; details of course; reported at Tilbury; posting at Dover Port; interview with Colonel Turner; work on Admiralty Pier as Embarkation Staff Officer; story of ship containing 300 pregnant Italian wives of British servicemen; posting and duties as Administration Officer; accommodation of wife in Dover. REEL 22 Continues: story of arrival in Dover; visit of a French General; Dutch Cheese in lost property; stories from duties in customs; accommodation in Dover; story of a fire in port; returning POWs; memories of Andrew English; activities of customs; conditions of billets for other ranks; description of Archcliffe Barracks; Christmas 1945; story of party aboard Belgian boat on Boxing Day; story of Isle of Man Steam Packet; story of Lady of Man docking during a storm; mines in channel; civilian attitude towards forces following war and state of Dover; leave; contact with civilians; anticipation of demobilisation and plans for future; activities in Dover; process of demobilisation at York. REEL 23 Continues: demobilisation suit; gratuity. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1946: reactions to leaving army; later discussion of joining Army Education Corps; completion of education; search for work; treatment in hospital for polio; work at Cramlington Secondary School; settling back into civilian life; annual reunions; elements enjoyed about and gained from army life; regrets about service.