Mount, Cyril Thompson (Oral history)

British boy soldier served with Royal Artillery Depot in GB, 1936; gunner served with 99 Bty 20th Field Bde Royal Artillery in GB, 1937; gunner and NCO served with 84 Bty 11th Field Bde Royal Artillery in India, Middle East and North Africa, 1938-1943; NCO served with 11th Honourable Artillery Company in North Africa and Italy, 1943; officer cadet served with OCTU in Palestine, 1943; officer served in Middle East and GB, 1944; served with 34th Signal Training Regt Royal Artillery in GB, 1944-1945; served with 143 Field Regt Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 1945; officer served in Germany, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in West Kirby, GB, 1920-1936: family and memories of childhood; education including interest in art; reason for not taking up art scholarship; details of civilian work; decision to join armed services; attempt to join navy; process of joining army. Aspects of period as boy soldier with Royal Artillery Depot in GB, 1/1936-12/1936: posting to boy's depot at Woolwich; reception on arrival; physical training; haircut; uniform issued; cleaning of uniform; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; relationship with fellow boys; background of boy soldiers; bullying among boys; story of attempt to deal with bully and subsequent week in guardroom; reveille; physical training including treatment from instructors; details of breakfast; preparation of uniform; parade and opinion of drill; army education; learning about regiment; desire to join Royal Horse Artillery. REEL 2 Continues: details of lessons in riding school; grooming of horses; lunch; previous musical experience; learning to play trumpet and bugle including details of calls learned; army education relating to gunnery; rifle training; cross country runs; tea and supper; evening activities; cleaning of kit including method for polishing boots; visits into Woolwich including reasons for being kept in camp and details of pay; items bought with pay; illicit visits to pubs; VD lectures; contact with women; time allowed out on Saturday; church parades; other activities on Sundays including details of cleaning the barrack room. REEL 3 Continues: home leaves including relationship with family; passing out parade and assessments; details of unit posted to. Aspects of period as gunner with 99 Bty 20th Field Bde Royal Artillery in GB, 1/1937-12/1937: posting to Catterick; memories of Captain Wingate; work painting guns; details of involvement with manoeuvres; 18lb gun drill; story of horse dying while riding it and reaction of Captain Wingate; further memories of Captain Wingate; opinion of officers; further detail of painting guns; relationship among troops; opinion of posting; desire for posting in India; relationship with older soldiers and details of pay; visits to pubs in Richmond; volunteering for draft to and knowledge of India; posting to 11th Field Brigade; issue of tropical kit; embarkation leave; journey to Southampton. Aspects of journey from Southampton, GB, to Karachi, India, 1937: initial accommodation and sleeping arrangements; posting as ship's bugler and accommodation; duties; story of seasickness and attempt to cure it; treatment given after episode; impressions of sights on journey and drawings made; stops made on journey; voyage through Red Sea. Aspects of period as gunner and NCO with 84 Bty 11th Field Bde Royal Artillery in India, 1/1938-7/1941: arrival in Karachi; posting to Bareilly; train journeys in India; reception on arrival with unit; accommodation. REEL 4 Continues: further details of accommodation; reveille; parade and breakfast; 5-minute call; horse riding before breakfast; further details of parade and breakfast; morning activities; break period including storage of personal items; sports; involvement with boxing; duties caring for horses including related duty call; details of rations and meals; visits to canteen; freedom of movement; details of cantonment posted in; walk to Bareilly; out of bounds areas; duties aiding the civil power; visits to Bareilly; warnings against eating food in bazaar and washing of fruit bought; malaria precautions; symptoms of malaria. REEL 5 Continues: problems with heat; periods in hill stations including description of journeys on Indian buses and problems with bedbugs; signals training and proficiency; relationship with Anglo-Indian civilians; visits to Toc H; relationship with Indian civilians; details of older soldiers; promotion to bombardier; posting in charge of stable guard; story of one of his sentries being found asleep; details of subsequent period in detention barracks including description of cell; story of celebration on release; awareness of events in Europe and outbreak of war 9/1939; change in training and posting in Mirat; opinion of training; role during and further details of exercises; comparison of life at Mirat and Bareilly; details of second malaria attack; contraction of and treatment for typhoid; period waiting for posting; loss of horses. REEL 6 Continues: attitude of troops to mechanisation; details and own use of armoured cars; communications; lorries in unit; rotation of signals duties; details of observation duties; wireless maintenance; learning to drive; preparations for move including items sent to GB; night before embarkation; journey to Iraq. Aspects of period as NCO with 84 Bty 11th Field Bde Royal Artillery in Middle East, 7/1941-6/1942: arrival and camp in Basra; description of Basra; situation in Iraq; treatment of septic toe; invasion of Persia; knowledge of situation; impressions of civilians; story of surrendering children; use of guns during invasion; story of Gurkhas in river; story of patrol; German agents; rations; cigarettes; details of civilian bearer; posting to Kirkuk; description of area; posting to Mosul; drawings made; work drawing panorama of area ahead; role in northern Iraq; morale and living conditions; rations; method of showing discontent; visits to Mosul; details of 19 sets received. REEL 7 Continues: details of area trained in; hospitalisation with bronchitis; journey to desert including re-equipment en route; knowledge of war in desert. Aspects of operations as NCO with 84 Bty 11th Field Bde Royal Artillery in North Africa, 6/1942-11/1942: loss of B Echelon at Mersa Matruh; posting with B Troop; details of troop activities and location; formation of column; opposition previously faced; description of Junkers Ju 87 Stuka and Messerschmitt attacks; further details of Rod Column formed at Ruweisat Ridge; action faced on 2 and 3/7/1942; loss and reformation of E Troop; opposition fire faced; positions dug; details of painting made of action; reflections on work of John Keane; details of other works made. REEL 8 Continues: casualties and reinforcements; story of receiving 88 artillery fire during pay parade, 20/7/1942; details of positions taken in Alamein Line; description of gun positions and wagon lines including terrain; accommodation at Battery Headquarters; loss of drawings in fire; duties at Battery Headquarters including details of communications; repairing of lines; further details of duties at Battery Headquarters; leisure activities; supply, opinion and description of rations; water rations; standard of turnout; opposition fire faced; details of periods at observation post including ovens built and food made in them. REEL 9 Continues: details of periods at observation post including details of Gurkhas on right; alcohol rations; visits from NAAFI; cigarette rations; parcels received; health problems; description and treatment of desert sores; precautions taken against flies; health problems; length of time in line; arrival of Montgomery and leaflets distributed; news of battle; description of barrage; scenes on following morning including drawing made; knowledge of battle; shelling received and story of wounding in shoulder; treatment received at First Aid Post; reaction to being wounded. Aspects of hospitalisation in Middle East, 11/1942-12/1942: journey to and description of field hospital; malaria relapse and transfer to Nazareth; period in Nazareth Hospital; convalescence including story of visit to Mount Carmel; period in transit camp on Nile; reaction on posting to unit. Aspects of operations as NCO with 84 Bty 11th Field Bde Royal Artillery in North Africa, 12/1942-6/1943: activities of 4th Indian Division during absence; return to unit at Benghazi; Christmas 1942; scenes in Sirte; signals tests. REEL 10 Continues: status of 4th Indian Division including ammunition fatigue; air activity; positions dug at Mareth; change in atmosphere and morale; issue of Thompson sub- machine guns; story of civilian removed from A Troop gun position; initial firing and opposition at Mareth; withdrawal from front; plan of action in Matmata Hills with New Zealand troops; journey through hills; opinion and memories of officers; story of 75mm shell landing in truck; period in wadi including drawing made; activities of a reconnaissance party to site near Wadi Akarit; arrival of guns; details of drawings made including portraits and visit to brothel in Cairo; panoramas drawn; story of survey made of a gun position; story of journey back to position with Battery; arrival in and details of position; activities of Gurkha patrol; description of German bombardment and return fire; own reactions and activities during bombardment. REEL 11 Continues: advance through Tunisia; scenes on arrival at Enfidaville; action with New Zealand troops; weather; German fire faced; opinion of German 88 guns; withdrawal; description of German position drawn and plan for attack at Takrouna; location of observation post; chickens caught for dinner and subsequent German attack on farmstead; problems with lice caught in civilian homes; Maori attack at Takrouna; contact with US/First Army including re-painting of vehicles at Mareth; reception on arrival in Tunis; journey into and through Tunis; laager set up; mopping up in area; leisure activities and relationship with First Army troops including appearance of Eighth Army; rest period and visit of King George VI; posting to Honourable Artillery Company and reactions. Aspects of period as NCO with 11th Honourable Artillery Company in North Africa and Italy, 6/1943-7/1943: story of reception upon arrival with unit including description of 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 "Priest" self-propelled guns; details of unit; reaction to posting for Sicily; invasion training at Sfax including role in unit; voyage to Sicily; landing at Pancina; journey along coast; relationship with officer in Priest; malaria relapse. REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation in North Africa, 7/1943-9/1943: evacuation to North Africa; diagnosis in Sfax; period in Tripoli transit camp; relationship Major Carter and mural drawn in officers mess; activities and interviews with War Office Selection Board; journey to Palestine. Aspects of period as officer cadet with OCTU in Palestine, 9/1943-3/1944: description of camp at Acca; problems with bugs and treatment from NCOs; training received including taking to leadership; assessment and end of course; visit to cinema; details of gunnery course undertaken at Almaza; passing out parade. Aspects of period as officer in Middle East and GB, 3/1944-6/1944: leave in Cairo; promotion to Lieutenant; accommodation; leisure activities; relationship with women; story of help given during Greek Mutiny in Alexandria including own reactions to situation; first English girlfriend; details of political views; activities during period in Cairo; voyage to GB aboard SS Otranto including air attack; reception on meeting with family; processing at Woolwich; leave including story of night out with father. Aspects of period as officer with 34th Signal Training Regt Royal Artillery in GB, 6/1944-1/1945: posting to Depot at Woolwich; involvement with exercises; visits to officers' mess. REEL 13 Continues: story of V1 raid and date made with ATS member; posting to Bamber Bridge; description of officers' mess; details of unit including own role; details of involvement with training and groups formed among officers; details of officers mess; story of John Penright being posted away from unit; drinking among friends; reaction to being posted away; joining of draft in Thetford; journey to France; reunion with Peter Royle in Belgium. Aspects of operations as officer with 143 Field Regt Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 1/1945-5/1945: joining of unit in Nijmegen; impression on arrival; opinion of unit; relationship with officers; discontent in unit; role in Battery; living conditions; story of concert party; leave; posting to and state of Dortmund; relationship with civilians; searching houses; opposition faced; opinion of reason for unhappiness; situation in Germany; work supervising Russians searching houses including rations; relationship with Russian troops; details of officers' mess in Dortmund; VE Day celebrations. REEL 14 Continues: plans following army service. Aspects of period as officer in Germany, 5/1945-4/1946: posting to and duties with Military Government; desire to rejoin an artillery unit; posting to unit at Bilburg; details of ski lodge in Winterberg; interview with commanding officer; details of officers' mess; preparations for horse patrols in mountains including stables taken over; teaching troops and officers to ride; Christmas 1945; story of US and other deserters in area; memories of horse ridden; relationship with civilians; contact with civilians in local refugee camp; opinion of black market; heaters taken from local factory; attitude toward demobilisation; posting as army education officer; search for civilians to lecture; memories of artist employed to teach; send- offs for troops being demobilised; organisation in and relationship with unit; process of demobilisation in Manchester. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1950: interview at Ex-Officers Appointment Bureau and civilian work gained; application for Liverpool Art School; leave; civilian work; reflections on army service.