Description
Object description
British private served with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1942-1943; served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Italy, Middle East, Greece and Austria, 1943-1946; served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Greece, 1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Jarrow, GB, 1921-1941: family circumstances; education; work arranged by Labour Exchange in cotton mills at Bingley, 1936-1937; work as apprentice bricklayer in Jarrow, 1937-1939; awareness of approach of war; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; work as bricklayer building ordnance factory at Aycliffe, 1939-1941; work and pay as bricklayer building army camps at Barnard Castle, 1941-1942; attempt to volunteer for RAF; conscription, 2/1942. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at No 4 Infantry Training Centre, Brancepeth Castle, 2/1942: reception and kitting out; vaccinations; food rations; hut accommodation; examples of spit and polish; beds; assistance from NCO to secure hardship allowance for family due to loss of income; relationship with other ranks and NCOs; drill.
REEL 2 Continues: route marches and question of using light infantry pace; physical training; weapons training including rifle, Bren gun, hand grenade, bayonet and Boyes anti-tank rifle; map reading; tactical training including street fighting; kit inspections and case of stealing; inspections for stick man and guard duties; daily routine; recreations; relationship with civilians; question of adequacy of training. Recollections of period with B Coy, 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Folkestone, Paignton and Hornsea, GB, 7/1942-12/1943: field and invasion exercises; coastal defence trenches and patrols; German fighter air raids and failure of attempts to use Bren gun; opinion of officer; move to Paignton; hotel billets; cooks; embarkation leave and reporting back to Hornsea.
REEL 3 Voyage with draft aboard Duchess of York to Algiers, Algeria, 1/1943. Aspects of period with B Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 3/1943-8/1843: prior period in transit camp, 2/1943-3/1943; joining unit in Sedjenane sector, 16/3/1943; initial assignment to E Coy; opinion of Company Sergeant Major Arthur Pearson; casualty; opinion of officers; state of unit; attack on Djebel Sidi Belmarie and patrol led by Sergeant Earl Stoll to secure 'Ace' position evacuated by Germans, 4/1943; German booby traps; personal morale prior to attacks; value of experience in judging closeness of shell bursts;; story of breakdown in communications, consequent casualties from German infiltration patrol and success in beating off attack whilst on standing patrol in Salt Lake area, 5/1943; news of end of campaign whilst in 'Twin Tits' sector; composition rations; restricted food rations during period guarding empty German POW camp at Ghardimaou, 5/1943; relationship with Arab civilians; period at Hamman Lif, 5/1943-6/1943, fly problem; and story of refusal to cheer during inspection by Churchill and Eden; minimal recreations; training at Blida, Ferryville and Bizerta, 6/1943-9/1943; learning to drive Carden Lloyd; motorbike training and story of acting as despatch rider during long convoy journey; posting as despatch rider and 6 pdr anti-tank gunner to Anti Tank Platoon, Support Coy; gun team roles.
REEL 4 Recollections of duties as despatch rider in Salerno area, Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: voyage aboard Landing Ship Tank and landing at Salerno beach, 9/9/1943; diving off motorbike under German shellfire; priority messages; nature of roads and use of contraceptives to keep water off points; opinion of various motorcycles including Norton side valve motorcycle; motorcycle maintenance daily tasks; tyre puncture repairs; disbandment of Anti-tank Platoon. Recollections of period as despatch rider with Headquarters, B Coy during operations in Italy, 10/1943-2/1944: relationship with officers; duties including advanced reconnaissance with officers; crossing Volturno, 12/10/1943, including pontoon crossing, German mortar fire and digging slit trenches; crossing Teano, 28/10/1943; crossing of Garigliano and nature of fighting in Mount Camino area, 12/1943. Recollections of Salerno mutiny, Italy, 9/1943: background.
REEL 5 Continues: success of Colonel Johnny Preston's speech in persuading mutineers to join their units; case of former mutineer subsequently deciding to stay with unit and his subsequent death, 2/1944; attitude of mutineers. Recollections of period in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: opinion of Preston and Major Laurie Stringer; voyage aboard Sobieski; Preston's reaction to arrest of troops for being improperly dressed on leave in Cairo, Egypt; relationship with South African troops; move to Tel Aviv, Palestine; internal security patrols; question of unreliability of tank crews in action and training with tank at Er Rama; mountain training; equipment carried on motorcycle; opinion of Thompson gun; opinion of various officers including Colonel Dennis Worrall; story of Lieutenant Bradford losing nerve during patrol in Italy, 9/1944; opinion of various NCOs including Sergeant Geordie Gates. Aspects of period in Italy, 7/1944-12/1944: story of being arrested for riding without helmet during Grand Fete at Bastardo, 8/1944; concert party; nature of fighting against Gothic Line; situation and tactics employed at Gemmano, 9/1943; state of unit morale including story of soldier suddenly losing his nerve, case of self inflicted wound, deserters punishment on recapture and story of Major Casey striking soldier to make him go into action; personal morale.
REEL 6 Story of warning friends of imminent search for illicit weapons illustrating information acquired in role as despatch rider during period in Bruckle, Austria, 6/1945. Recollections of operations in Greece, 12/1944-4/1945: cancellation of rest period in Rome; flight to Athens; situation; nature of fighting and relationship with ELAS; story of trying to warn drunk Lieutenant Whitfield of imminent ELAS attack and subsequent capture of his platoon; opinion of ELAS and their tactics using women and children as cover; house clearance tactics; relationship with Greek civilians; move to Patras, 1/1945; drinking habits; story of Tim Kelly being arrested for being drunk whilst acting as regimental police; sniping problem whilst acting as despatch rider; return to Phaleron; Return to Italy. Celebrations on VE Day, 8/5/1945. Recollections of period in Austria, 5/1945-2/1946: driving lorry across Alps; story of ruse to disarm Yugoslavian partisans; view of return of Croatians to Yugoslavia at Bleiberg, 5/1945; imprisonment and guarding of Kononoff Cossack Bde in camp at Bruckle; reactions to view of Cossack attempts to escape on being escorted back to Russian zone.
REEL 7 Continues: use of captured horses; non-fraternisation policy and relationship with Austrians; move to take over from Russian troops in Stainz, 23/7/1945; opinion of 'Geordie' magazine; period of GB leave, 9/1944-10/1944; rejoining unit in Vienna, 10/1945; ceremonial guard duties; contact with Russian troops; black market; move to billets in castle at Leibnitz, 11/1945; story of accident with heating stove and repairing damage; despatch rider duties and effects of cold; disbandment of unit. Period with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry at Xanthi, Greece, 2/1946-7/1946: failed attempt to conceal status as despatch rider; duties and training new despatch riders; question of regular status of unit. Journey back to GB, 7/1946-9/1946: delay through hospitalisation with severe ulcerated conjunctivitis caused by riding motocycle; escorting German POWs to Austria. Demobilisation, 11/1946: prior leave; argument over selection of demob suit; return to work as bricklayer.