Lister, Thomas (Oral history)

British driver served with 8th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in GB; 1938-1939; served with 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in GB, North Africa, Italy, Greece and Austria,1941-1946

REEL 1 Background in Durham, GB, 1919-1939: family circumstances; prep school education; death of mother and father's unemployment; comparison of prep and elementary council education; interest in radio and early television; junior school education; interest in joining Royal Navy; work as errand boy for tailors, 1933-1935; work as travelling wholesale fish salesman, 1935-1939; activities with Boy Scouts and National Association of Boys Clubs; sporting activities. Recollections of recruitment and training with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Durham Drill Hall, GB, 4/1938-9/1939: reasons and question of approach of war; reception; uniform; drill night training. REEL 2 Continues: drill night training; concert party comedy act; rifle training and opinion of .301 Lee Enfield rifle; tactical exercises; prior ability to drive and role as driver; hand grenade and Bren gun training; relationship with other ranks, NCOs and officers; question of commission; summer camp. Mobilisation and initial period at Durham Drill Hall, GB, 9/1939-10/1939: question of family military service, 1914-1918; collection of new equipment in lorries; opinion of Guys 15 cwt lorries. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of Ford 15 cwt lorries. Period as driving instructor at Brancepeth Castle Depot, GB, 10/1939: background to selection as prospective NCO; detachment with Motor Transport section to Meadowfield; requisitioned vehicles; routine vehicle maintenance; method of teaching driving; story of near accident with learner driver; attending specialist Motor Transport course at Leeds, 5/1940, including nature of course and tests, effect of Dunkirk evacuation of relationship with Jewish community, story of armed escaped military prisoner at Leeds railway station and test results. REEL 4 Continues: drafts to new Durham Light Infantry battalion; driving mock up tank during tactical exercises; move into depot; opinion of Sergeant Major Tomasson; duties as acting unpaid lance corporal in Motor Transport office including problems with absentee officer and missing petrol. Recollections of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Yarmouth and Worsted Park, North Walsham, GB, 7/1941-11/1941: first impression and question of territorial status; composition of Motor Transport section; role maintaining motorcycles; opinion of Norton, Matchless and BSA motorcycles; story of motorcycle accident at pub; billets; supplementing food rations; recreations and drinking habits on visits to Norwich; German air raids on Yarmouth. REEL 5 Continues: role with B Echelon during battalion exercise; move to Worsted Park; relationship with NCOs and other ranks. Period at Shorncliffe, Folkestone and Rye, GB, 11/1941-11/1942: barrack accommodation at Shorncliffe; ruse to avoid duties; hotel accommodation at Folkestone; relationship with civilians; role maintaining diesel engine for coastal searchlight on jetty and story of coming under machine gun fire during German air raid; billets at Rye; guard duty; German air raids and story of close escape from bomb hitting cinema. REEL 6 Continues: German air raids including story of close escape from bomb hitting cinema and amusing story of bombing of vicarage; dance band; fitter's course; opinion of Colonels A P Murray and Richard Ware; preparations for overseas service. Voyage aboard Staffordshire to Algiers, Algeria, 12/1942-1/1943: conditions; mines; ignorance of destination. Recollections of initial period in Algeria, 1/1943-2/1943: first impressions; march to Eucalyptus camp; equipment with new motor transport vehicles and opinion of Chevrolet 15 cwt lorries, Bedfords 13 cwt lorries and jeeps. REEL 7 Continues: assignment as to battle reserve. Period at Fort Delous transit camp, 2/1943-3/1943: posting as infantryman to 1/6th Bn Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders; story of being claimed for transit camp staff by former NCO of 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry; duties enforcing curfew on brothel patrol; duties as officer's driver; background to reversion to private; move up to rejoin 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Tabarka Woods. Recollections of period in North Africa, 3/1943-9/1943: rejoining MT Section; story of reception and bivouacking with nervous NCO; state of morale; question of positioning of B Echelon; temporary attachment to E Coy; move to Djebel Aboid Mines; story of clash with German troops on 'Jock' column patrol including direct hit on scout car by German 88 mm shells, departure of officer, attempt by corporal to determine situation. REEL 8 Continues: story of clash with German troops on 'Jock' column patrol including attempt by corporal to determine situation, presence of Arabs, disappearance of corporal, return to Djebel Aboid Mines, initial lack of officers or NCOs, giving report to Brigadier and subsequent return of corporal and officers; movements; situation; opinion of German equipment; air situation; terrain; role as officers' opinion of Quartermaster Bert Newman and Colonel Johnny Preston; state of morale; period of re-organisation; water-proofing vehicles during period at Bizerta; story of failure of test of jeep fitted with pontoon floats; opinion of Motor Transport Officer Lieutenant Maurice Richardson; question of service in Italy. Voyage on Landing Ships Transport and landing at Salerno, Italy, 10/9/1943: US food rations; German 210 mm shell fire on approaching beaches. REEL 9 Continues: move into LST hold; reaction to noise of anchor chain; disembarkation via flat bottomed landing crafts on to beach; German shellfire on beach; removal of water-proofing. Recollections of operations in Italy, 9/1943-3/1944: B Echelon positions in Salerno area; role carrying up supplies in jeeps up to companies in Hospital Hill sector, 9/1943; composition rations; German mortar and shellfire; situation in Hospital Hill sector; story driving Royal Navy forward observation officers and success in locating and blocking railway tunnel in which German 210 mm gun was concealed, 9/1943; role carrying up food and ammunition up to companies in jeeps; evacuation of wounded in jeep. REEL 10 Continues: evacuation of wounded Major Ronnie Sherlaw in jeep on Casa Ricci Ridge, 9/1944; increasing distance from advancing front companies; situation and view of crossing of Garigliano River, ENSA concert parties during rest periods; story of driving Preston to speak to mutinous reinforcements from 50th Div and question of sympathy for mutineers; story of reception given officer joining unit expecting immediate access to officer's servant; role of officers and NCOs; situation in Vietro valley, 9/1943; relationship with Italian civilians; crossing of Volturno, 12/10/1943, including soldier's loss of nerve, crossing in jeep and failed attempt to find headquarters; crossing of Teano, 28/10/1943, including loss of truck. REEL 11 Continues: crossing of Teano, 28/10/1943, including loss of truck and close escape from capture during German attack whilst supplying farmhouse position; German shell, nebelwerfers and mortar fire; period in Mount Camino area, 11/1943-2/1944; rest periods; letter and parcel contacts with GB; cigarette smoking; rum ration; drinking habits. Recollections of period in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: German ships captain during prior voyage out aboard Sobieski; relationship with Egyptian civilians; detachment on internal security duties in school billet in Tel Aviv, Palestine, including patrols, danger of capture by Jewish insurgents, opinion of Jewish/Arab situation and relationship with Palestine Police. REEL 12 Continues: detachment on internal security duties in Tel Aviv including story illustrating Jewish reaction to arrival of European Jewish refugees, training period at El Rama; question of rifle training as driver; story illustrating use of rifle whilst joining platoon attack on farmhouse following crossing Teano, 10/1943; visit to wedding celebration at Arab café; visit to Jewish café; duties guarding coast from arrival of Jewish refugees and question of willingness to fire if ordered; opinion of Colonel Dennis Worrall; reactions to return to Italy. Aspects of operations against Gothic Line in Italy, 7/1944-12/1944: mixed reception from Italian civilians in Naples; recreations and sport at Grand Fete, 8/1944; nature of fighting; close escape from bombing by Canadian aircraft. REEL 13 Continues: operations at Gemano, 9/1944, including situation, story of taking cover from German mortar fire whilst driving Colonel Worrall's jeep up to Gemano village, question of American use of searchlights to light battlefield and reports of Private F Jerowski's success in clearing German machine gun pillbox; rescue of bogged down vehicles and driving skills required in rough terrain; state of unit morale. Recollections of period in Greece, 12/1944-4/1945: close escape from German mines during voyage to Piraeus; initial confused situation; relationship with Greek civilians; move to Phaleron; MT billets; question of black market activities with Greek civilians profiting from control of Red Cross parcels; ELAS attack on headquarters, 13/12/1944; ELAS sniping. REEL 14 Continues: situation and attitude to ELAS; distribution of food supplies amongst Greek civilians; recreations; VIP visits; anti-mine precautions on vehicles; move by sea to Patras, 1/1945; story of attempt to light boilers in flour mill billets illustrating danger from booby traps; duties; story of rescuing Greek children during fire in billets; problem with eyes whilst riding motorcycle without goggles and story of being temporarily detained by ELAS insurgents possible including General Grivas during return by road to Phaleron, 2/1945; cross country run; story of drinking retzina at Greek fishing hut. REEL 15 Continues: story of drinking retzina at Greek fishing hut; drinking habits and visits to Greek bars; relationship with Greek civilians; story of arrest by Military Police for breaking curfew, subsequent rugby match for unit , punishment and consequent rejection of application to remain with Greek Military Mission; question of relationship with Greek women. Return to Italy and VE Day celebration, 8/5/1945. Recollection of period in Austria, 5/1945-2/1946: problem with failing brakes whilst driving adapted Bedford 3 ton winch truck across Alps; damage caused by evacuating Russian troops; attitude of German POWs; question of souvenirs from abandoned German equipment. REEL 16 Continues: use of horses; move to Bruckle, 5/1945; rounding up of Cossack Kononoff Bde and taking parties in trucks to be handed over to Russian sector; trips with POW assistants to collect horses from Italy for officers' horse races; move to Wildon, 7/1945; brewery billets; story of repairing still and producing schnapps; setting up 'Drop Inn'; relationship with Austrian civilians; story of mines and hand grenades being dumped in pool where British soldiers swam; move to Vienna, 10/1945; hospital billets and discovery of mass grave in grounds; guard duties; relationship with Russian troops and story of Russian officer shooting soldier suspected of attempted rape; visits to opera; motorcycle races. REEL 17 Continues: question of black market activities; return to Wildon, 11/1945; breaking arm in accident during ski training; hospitalisation; dispute with Sergeant Thornton over loss of rifle. Return to GB and demobilisation, 1946. Post-war career: difficulties in securing work as salesman in wholesale fish trade because of bar on competition; work driving butcher's van; securing work as salesman; question of effects of war service.