Lovell, Kenneth Clifford (Oral history)

British NCO served with 70th Bn, Middlesex Regt in GB, 1941-1942; served with 70th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in GB,1943; served with 14th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1942-1943; served with 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Italy and Middle East, 1943-1944; POW in Italy and Germany, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of training with 6th Cadet Bn, Essex Regt at Stratford, London, 1937-1941: reasons for joining; instructors; origins of recruits; summer camp; question of value of training; volunteering and interview at Croydon Recruitment Office, 4/1941; training on 13 pdr and 18 pdr guns on conversion of unit to artillery; bayonet training; signs of approach of war, attitude of Germans civilians and signs of anti-Semitism during school exchange visit to Cologne, Germany, 1938; question of personal anti-Semitism; cancellation of ferry trip to France, 9/1939; impressions of France and French Army; preconceptions of mature war. REEL 2 Continues: preconceptions of nature of war. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle, daily routine and training with E Coy, 70th (Young Soldiers) Bn, Middlesex Regt at Hurst Park Racecourse and Hounslow Barracks, 4/1941-4/1942: reception from sentry; opinion of officers and NCOs; question of reasons for poor quality of food rations; cancellation of leave without reason; opinion of officers and training methods; punishment on being confined to barracks; reception; opinion of NCOs and medical officer; kitting out; hut accommodation; relationship with recruits; opinion of officers; origins of recruits; physical training; breakfast. REEL 3 Continues: company and kit inspection; reactions to Dunkirk evacuation; question of reasons for recruitment; arrival of new officers, 10/1941; state of unit morale; minimal contact with officers; tactical exercises and assault course; foot injury from accident during exercise with tank; lack of training in digging slit trenches; route marches; question of firing at aircraft; opinion of Bren gun; reports from Dunkirk veterans; recreations; detachment to guard perimeter at Northholt RAF Station including occupying pillboxes, opinion of Irish Guards and relationship with RAF. REEL 4 Continues: detachment to guard perimeter at Northholt Airfield including relationship with RAF, opinion of Irish Guards, story of patrol intervening to stop fight between Irish Guards and Polish aircrew, relationship with Polish aircrew, story of dispute between officer mistreating guard at Hounslow Barracks; opinion of colonel; moves; background and reactions to posting with draft to Durham Light Infantry. Recollections of period with 70th (Young Soldiers) Bn, Durham Light Infantry at School Aycliffe, and Barnard Castle, 4/1942-10/1942: opinion of Colonel Charlie Lackenby; reception of draft; opinion of Company Sergeant Major Ernie Eldrich; story of deserting and living in London after being unjustly charged for being late on parade; arrest and temporary escape from Military Police; court martial and sentence; circumstances of arrest by MPs; court martial. Period at Chorley Detention Barracks, prison NCOs; accommodation; food rations. REEL 5 Continues: duties and nature of prison regime; question of treatment of RAF prisoner who had lost nerve; question of effects of breaks in active service; parents' reactions. Reception at Durham Light Infantry Depot, Brancepeth Castle. Recollections of period with D Coy, 14th Bn, Durham Light Infantry at Hornsea, 10/1942-5/1943: selection for battle drill demonstration platoon; exercise with live artillery firing on Filey Firing Range; story illustrating nature of unit discipline; question of regular personnel; nature of parades, training and battle drill; role and weaponry of demonstration platoon; billets; relationship with civilians; platoon characters. REEL 6 Continues: platoon characters; reasons for volunteering for overseas service; preparations; embarkation leave and family reaction. Voyage with draft aboard Johan van Oldenbarneveldt to Algiers, Algeria, 5/1943: composition of draft; question of destination; conditions; falling out of convoy with engine trouble and period at Garloch; unrest over shortage of cigarettes; Welsh troops singing; watch duties on Oerliken; landing, march to transit camp and burning of pith helmets, lectures. Recollections of period with 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry at Blida and Bizerta, 5/1943-9/1943: situation; opinions of NCO and other ranks on initial posting to Intelligence Section, Headquarters Company; posting to 17 Platoon, D Company; opinion of officers and NCOs including Major Frank Duffy and Lieutenant Woodlands. REEL 7 Continues: orienteering competitions in Atlas Mountains; regular officers and NCOs; origins of reinforcement drafts; opinion of Colonel Johnny Preston; relationship with French Algerian civilians; terrain; story of visits to Algiers brothel; question of VD and precautions; relationship with Algerian civilians; question of relationship between Arab and French Algerian civilians; relationship with French Algerian civilians and review of their attitudes and opinions. REEL 8 Continues: relationship with French Algerian civilians; traffic accident; opinion of PIAT, opinion and comparison of various German, Italian and British weapons including mortars, sub and light machine guns, hand grenades, mines and rifles; tactical exercises in Atlas Mountains; landing exercise; conditions including food during voyage on Banfora to Bizerta, 8/1943; loss of kitbag on disembarkation; preparations for Italy campaign and question of awareness of Italian Tunisian civilians; German air raids; preparations for Italy campaign; story of falling in latrine. Recollections of voyage aboard Landing Craft Infantry to Salerno, 91/1943: question of briefing; embarkation. REEL 9 Continues: rough weather and seasickness; view of invasion fleet; inspection of weapons; briefing; reaction to news of Italian surrender, 8/9/1943; state of morale; personal morale in action; limited perspective as infantryman; question of reality of training; story of unpopular NCO's failure of nerve in action; question of reactions of different personalities and physical types in action. REEL 10 Continues: prayers; landing on Salerno beach. Recollections of operations in Hospital Hill sector, 11/9/1943-20/9/1943: initial rest period on move inland; reaction to sight of German corpses; assignment to 2" mortars; taking over positions from 6th Bn, York and Lancaster Regiment on left of hospital walls; story of meeting Germans whilst fetching water from hospital; reports of B Company operations; view on landing on Salerno beach, 11/9/1943; formation adopted on move to hospital, 11/9/1943; terrain; lack of briefing; question of layout of slit trenches; presence of civilians and wounded in hospital basement; opinion of German soldiers and treatment of POWs by front line troops. REEL 11 Continues: close escapes from mortar shell during withdrawal from hospital grounds; defensive positions in vineyards; assignment to Bren gun; successful counter-attack on Germans who had over-run forward D Company positions, 15/9/1943, including reaction to killing German soldier, question of Lieutenant Woodlands leading counter-attack, subsequent award of Military Cross to Captain Frank Duffy, subsequent passage through lines of party of Italian children with nuns and German retreat; story of meeting school friend amongst German POWs. Period in rest camp, 19/9/1943-23/9/1943: prevalence of VD in Fifth Army and warnings issued; reading US newspaper report of Salerno landings; opinion of US troops; story of false alarms on sentry duty on Hospital Hill. REEL 12 Continues: story of false alarm on sentry duty on Hospital Hill illustrating lack of discipline of American troops; effects of promotion to lance corporal and advice from experienced soldier; preferred defensive arrangement of section slit trenches; relationship with Lieutenant Woodlands and Sergeant Ray Sykes. Recollections of operations on La Crocella Spur, Corpa di Carva, 23/9/1943-26/9/1943: situation; dispute with inexperienced officer over orders to attack German tanks and support from Captain Frank Duffy; effect of British shells falling short aimed at tanks; terraced positions; looting villa; situation; hail storm; march into position. REEL 13 Continues: Recollections of operations in River Volturno area, 10/1943: move to Villa Literno; reinforcement drafts; promotion to corporal; relationship with Italian civilians; system of assigning experienced soldiers to individual reinforcements and relationship with former regimental policeman; identifying German troops presence during reconnaissance patrol in Castel Volturno sector and Lieutenant Whitehead's disbelief in report; account of crossing canal at Castel Volturno in assault boats beside bridge being constructed by Royal Engineers and subsequent effectiveness of ambush by German troops, 9/10/1943. Account of crossing of Volturno, 12/10/1943-21/10/1943: using rope in crossing by assault boat; visibility; situation; using hand grenades to destroy German machine gun post; capture of German communication centre. REEL 14 Continues: capture of German communication centre; digging in along dyke, isolated situation, German sniper activity; shooting at German machine gun team; story of throwing hand grenades at enfilading German machine gun team, death of Lance Corporal Bill Crummock sniped whilst checking forward post, discovery of abandoned German positions during patrol along Volturno river bank, leading company attack against re-occupied German positions on river bank, discovery they were held by 2/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regt and nature of tactics employed; question of German sniping activity and use of rifles, German mortars and nebelwerfers; question of German air activity; accidental strafing by US aircraft; wireless communications. REEL 15 Continues: relief and withdrawal across Volturno; burial of dead. Recollection of rest period, 10/1943: effects of compulsory attendance at photographic exhibition on effects of venereal disease (VD); drinking habits; question of eating Italian food; relationship with Italian civilians; question of standards of behaviour; reaction to superior pay of US troops and effect on prices; billets; troops knowledge of Italian; Italian currency; Italian interpreter. Story of being wounded in leg by strafing from German aircraft during observation post duty in Roccamonfina sector, 11/1943. Recollections of period at 96 General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps in Naples, 11/1943-12/1943: prior medical treatment at regimental aid post and casualty clearing station; story of writing letter to family of British woman married to Italian opera singer; daily routine in hospital. REEL 16 Continues: Period at and No 7 Convalescent Camp at Sorrento. 12/1943: prior promotion to temporary platoon sergeant; recreations and close escape during sea trip; relationship with camp permanent staff; attitude to homosexuals within camp permanent staff and unit; attitude to returning to active service conditions. Recollections of period in Garigliano area, 1/1944-2/1944: story of troops visiting booby trapped orange grove; nature of German booby traps; move into mountain positions; return to rank of corporal; story of platoon strength reconnaissance patrol with Sergeant Henderson and Lieutenant Tomlinson. REEL 17 Continues: posting to 18 Platoon; story of platoon strength reconnaissance patrol with Sergeant Henderson and Lieutenant Tomlinson, disagreement concerning location of Germans on hill, consequent ambush, loss of rest of platoon and rescue of Lieutenant Tomlinson; story of being wounded by German artillery shell whilst guiding Battle Platoon into successful attack on German positions, 1/1944. Recollections of periods in hospitals, convalescent and transit camps during period in Italy, Sicily and Egypt, 1/1944-6/1944: deafness, state of wounds and overall condition after lengthy period lying in freezing conditions on battlefield; meeting nurse friend ; problems with physical co-ordination; headquarters guard duties and military police arrest of women cleaners suspected of infecting troops with VD; prior promotion to acting sergeant; restrictions for soldiers leaving camp; return to Italy; voyage with Yugoslavian refugees to Egypt, 6/1944; recurrence of co-ordination problems; relationship with convalescent camp permanent staff; story of meeting brother during visit to Cairo. REEL 18 Continues: story of meeting brother during visit to Cairo; question of joining Palestine Police to avoid further active service and warnings from Jewish NCOs of Palestine Regt as to their future role in post-war conflict to achieve formation of Jewish state in Palestine; rejoining unit at Nathaniyah, Palestine. Journey back to Italy, 7/1944. Period in San Secondino and Bastardo, 7/1944-8/1944: training; return of Corporal Eddie Trailor after period of AWOL; removal of unit insignia. Aspects of initial operations against the Gothic Line, Italy, 9/1944: move up towards Petriano; German corpse; preliminary bombardment; successful attack. Account of operations in Gemmano area, 10/9/1944-12/9/1944: situation; initial advance under fire; prior move as corporal to B Company on return to unit; state of company; digging slit trenches, inadequate depth of some trenches and consequent casualties during German shell fire; dead oxen; close escape during renewed German shellfire; casualties amongst men collecting water from spring pin pointed by German artillery; locating company commander behind front line; situation facing Point 449. REEL 19 Continues: casualties and state of unit including reactions of draft of formerly wounded soldiers from 2/5th Batttalion, Sherwood Foresters. Recollections of operations in Italy, 10/1944-11/1944: reaction to temporary blindness caused by eye injury from mortar shell during advance on Cesena, 19/10/1944; marking position of Italian mines; close escape in small arms exchange with German NCO; declining performance of German units after Gothic Line; reports from Italian partisans of delayed action explosives in castle on entry into Cesena, 20/10/1943; story of capture of German deserters in barbers shop in Cesena. Recollections of leave in Rome, 10/1944-11/1944: meeting Pope in recognition of prior efforts to assist orphanage in Sorrento; question of special friends; visiting historical sites. Recollections of operations in Italy, ca 10/1944-11/1944: story of successfully ambushing German gun crew. REEL 20 Continues: situation and move forward 9/10/1944; account of attack on Balignano Spur, 10/10/1944, including lack of briefing, capture of German machine gun post in sunken road, retreat and attempt to evacuate fatally wounded Private Roger Appleby, rescue of wounded Lieutenant Dick Hewlett, leading reconnaissance patrol toward hill left of village, close escape from being attacked by Leicestershire Regt and withdrawal of German troops from Balignano, 11/10/1944; recollections of operations supported by tanks in Cosina Canal sector, 17/11/1944, including rejection by Major Lawrence Stringer of Lovell's tactical suggestion for employment of tanks, briefing, retreat of tanks and other sections of platoon under fire, taking cover behind river bank and retreat down ditch back to start line; opinion of Major Stringer; state of unit morale and story of overcoming near mutiny in face of orders for renewed attack; story of foiling soldier's attempted attack on Major Stringer. REEL 21 Continues: cancellation of attack; story of leading reconnaissance patrol including capture of party of German troops and falling in cess pit; digging in; relationship with Italian farmers including food and their harvest festival; capture of German POWs and machine gun at Balignano, 10/10/1944; movements. Recollections of capture as POW during crossing of River Cosina, 22/11/1944-23/11/1944: plan; wading across river and capture of farmhouse; return to company headquarters with German POWs situation at headquarters; return to farmhouses; circumstances of capture; German forces in sector. Recollections of initial period as POW, 11/1944-12/1944: story of taking cover in cess pit during British shellfire; imprisonment in German headquarters in farmhouse; question of treatment by German troops. REEL 22 Continues: interrogation in German; question of treatment by German troops; journey by motorcycle to POW collecting centre at Cremona; interrogation in English by SS officer; move to POW transit camp at Padua; confiscation and partial return of personal photographs; search; food; conditions during cattle truck train journey to Moosburg, 12/1944-2/1945; question of escape. Recollections of period at Stalag VII A, Moosburg, 1944-1945: delousing procedure on arrival; accommodation; food; issue of Red Cross parcels; use of tin cans; recreations; question of escape. REEL 23 Continues: story of attempt to escape and recapture whilst on working party in Munich railway yards; pay; mental instability of long term POWs. Period at Stalag 383 at Hawenfeldt, ca 2/1945-: assistance from Escape Committee despite policy of discouraging of escape efforts; escape from working party; recapture after train journey; success in claiming to be French POW. Period on various working parties sent out from Arbeits Kommando 1050 at Salzberg Regensberg, ca 2/1945: friendship with French POW; relative freedom working on farm; ox cart accident; relationship with German guards on quarry working party; work on farm; views of Messerschmitt Me 262 on nearby airfield; relationship with German woman; success in setting fire to Messerschmitt 262. Story of escape and hiding in compound with French and Belgian POWs at Willsec, 4/1945: signs of decline in German Army; attitude of German civilians in country areas; arming POWs from bombed train; securing surrender of Willsac from burgomaster; story of negotiating surrender of local SS unit and Hungarian Panzer Grenadiers; arrival of US troops. REEL 24 Continues: liaison with US troops; situation at local concentration camp. Journey back to GB, 5/1945: reactions to food rations; debriefing by US officer; flight to Paris, France; medical; kitting out in US uniform; stay at Ambassador Hotel; meeting family of French POW; question of mail whilst POW; theft of German money by MPs during flight back to GB. Period at Rehabilitation and Training Camp at Cheshunt Boynes, 5/1945: kitting out; re-grading as medical grade C3 as consequence of beatings received from German guards; resolving dispute over pay during leave; relationship with NCOs. Period working in clerical capacity at War Office, 1945. Period with No 4 Holding Bn, Durham Light Infantry at Easington; securing medical re-grading to B1; cancellation of posting to France due to status as ex-POW; reversion to corporal. Period as with 30th Bn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in Malta, 1946: promotion in stages to acting regimental sergeant major due to demobilisation; disbandment of unit; attending languages course at Army Formation Course, Perugia; mother's illness and return to GB. Posting prior to demobilisation, 1946: question of status of enlistment; question of becoming regular and influence of possible of reduction in rank. Post-war career: qualification as teacher; 1950; establishing business; return to teaching; contacts with Durham Light Infantry Regimental Associations. REEL 25 Continues: Opinions of aspects of military service mainly with 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 1943-1945: initial attitude to army discipline and story illustrating improved discipline and morale with 14th Bn, Durham Light Infantry, 1943; opinion of officers; stories illustrating abuse of disciplinary powers by NCOs with 70th Bn, Middlesex Regt, 1941; question of qualities of NCOs; effects of rapid promotion of NCOs on expansion of army; story of dispute with provost sergeant and subsequent dismissal of charge with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry; question of platoon commanders intervening with bullying NCOs; question of NCOs' man-management skills; question of qualities and role of officers; cases of officers and NCOs losing nerve in action. REEL 26 Continues: cases of officers, NCOs and other ranks losing nerve in action; personal morale; attitude to men who lost their nerve; effect of promotion and responsibility on personal morale; question of personal morale in defensive and attacking situations; patrolling activity including personal morale, reconnaissance patrol behind German lines and question of selection of men; question of troops' morale; opinion of Major Lawrence Stringer; question of homosexuality in army. REEL 27 Continues: attitudes to homosexuality in army; opinion of platoon commanders including importance of platoon sergeants and opinion of Lieutenant Dick Hewlett; question of adequacy of training and importance of live firing exercises; purge of inefficient officers, 1941; inadequacy of officers' tactical planning at 'O' groups; question of officers lack of attention to men after being in action; role of platoon sergeant; question of map reading skills of officers; question of officers lack of attention to men after being in action; reaction to officers' servants; question of adequacy of training of NCOs and officers; impossibility of removing incompetent officer. REEL 28 Continues: impossibility of removing incompetent officer; question of criteria for award of medals; effects of war service.