Description
Object description
British private served with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt (the Duke of York's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Holmfirth, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; German Air Force bombing in Holmfirth area, 1940-1941. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1942-1943: how he got out of reserved occupation to join armed forces; training at Bury St Edmunds; joining East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own) at Gravesend, 1942. Recollections of period as private with 13 Platoon, C Coy, 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, 1/1943-6/1944: posting to 13 Platoon, C Coy at Folkestone, 1/1943; mutual artillery shelling between Folkestone area and Pas-de-Calais, France; life in Folkestone, 1943; training in Folkestone area; move to Scotland for Combined Operations training at Inverarary; opinion of training at Inverarary.
REEL 2 Continues: participation in soldiers' fight; realistic character of beach landing training at Inverarary; decision to send 1st Canadian Infantry Div instead of 3rd Infantry Div to Sicily, 7/1943; resumption of Combined Operations training in Scotland; problems with midges; formation of demonstration platoon; accidents during training; volunteering for defence platoon; role of defence platoon; further amphibious landing training; move of 3rd Infantry Div to Moray Firth for beach landing practice, winter 1943-1944.
REEL 3 Continues: resumption of training at Moray Firth after 1/1/1944; preparation of rations during exercises; his engagement during leave, 1944; medical injections; move from Scotland to Fareham, 4/1944; training in lifting different types of German mines; his move from defence platoon back into 13 Platoon, C Coy; move to camp at Cowplain; briefing on proposed company role on D-Day; inspection by King George VI; issue of water sterilisation tablets; orders regarding civilians and prisoners of war; uses condoms were put to; move into sealed camp at Fell Place, Lewes; postponement of D-Day, 5/6/1944; gambling losses.
REEL 4 Continues: embarkation on landing craft, 5/6/1944. Recollections of operations as private with 13 Platoon, C Coy, 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div on Sword Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: crossing English Channel; disembarkation from landing craft; sight of carnage on beach; crossing beach past Cod Strongpoint Cod to lateral road; move inland; sight of dead farm animals; casualties in front of Sole Strongpoint; sight of first French civilian at Colleville-sur-Mer.
REEL 5 Continues: decision to attack Daimler Strongpoint from rear; shooting of German prisoners of war by French commandos of No 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando; description of attack on Daimler Strongpoint; appearance of German Air Force reconnaissance aircraft; earlier sight of German aircraft shot down by Supermarine Spitfire near Hermanville-sur-Mer; handling of German prisoners of war captured at Daimler Strongpoint Daimler; how Daimler Strongpoint was used by homeless French post-1945; German anti-glider defences.
REEL 6 Continues: reaction to sight of airborne glider troops landing to take over Daimler Strongpoint at dusk; march to resting point through Hermanville-sur-Mer to La Délivrande. Recollections of operations as private with 13 Platoon, C Coy, 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944: preparing breakfast, 7/6/1944; sight of progress of invasion, 7/6/1944; narrow escape from artillery shell hit on trench, 8/6/1944; burial of comrades killed by shelling; his present of soap to French woman at position Cazelle; his reprimand for buying bread from civilians, 6/1944; arrival of ammunition supplies; attack on Château de le Londe; rigging up of field latrine.
REEL 7 Continues: use of self heating food; support fire from Royal Navy vessels, 6/1944; return to Cazelle for rest after attack on Château de le Londe; opinion of Projectile Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT); wounding of unit member looting Château de le Londe; German artillery shelling of Gazelle; narrow escape from shell fire; successful attack by 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt on Château le Londe and subsequent German armoured counter-attack; failure of 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt to advance beyond Château de le Londe against dug in German armour, 27/6/1944; attack by unit on dug in German positions; expectation that troops should shave in battle; comrade's self-inflicted wound; fate of Lieutenant Andrew Dickson wounded on D-Day; spotting three German tanks beyond Château le Londe; accidental burning from phosphorus grenade and evacuation to field hospital.
REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation and convalescence in GB, 6/1944-9/1944: flight in Douglas Dakota from Normandy to GB, 28/6/1944; reception from civilians in Swindon area, 28/6/1944; convalescence in GB, 6/1944-7/1944; work in holding unit in Nottingham; sight of German V1 Flying Bomb attacks on London, 8/1944-9/1944. Recollections of operations as private with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt (Duke of York's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 10/1944-11/1944: boat journey to Dieppe, France; disruption caused to French railway network by Royal Air Force; rejoining unit in Netherlands, 10/1944; problems supplying Nijmegen, Netherlands, 10/1944; opinion of German 88mm gun; 3rd Infantry Div's advance into Venlo Triangle, Netherlands, 10/1944; artillery support for advance; need to dig in to escape German mortar fire.
REEL 9 Continues: air support from Hawker Typhoons at Overloon, 10/1944; second hand account he received from German prisoner of war of Battle of Overloon; heavy losses amongst 1st Bn Royal Norfolk Regt near Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; advance on Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; German use of Schu-mine 42 (Shoe-mine); narrow escape from German 88mm shell at Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; nature of fighting at Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; story of how soldier from 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) disposed of loot at Venray, Netherlands; personal morale at Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944.
REEL 10 Continues: removal of German machine gunner at Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; relations with civilians at Venray, Netherlands; opinion of results of bombing raids on Venray area, Netherlands; German ambush of daylight patrol at Venray, Netherlands, 10/1944; comrade who wore crucifix he found; misidentification of dead body found in grave; evacuation of Venray, Netherlands; question of widespread looting in and state of Venray Triangle, Netherland; rapid move to block German offensive, autumn 1944; foraging for food; litter from K-rations left by United States Army; conditions in peat bogs; rest period at Gemert, Netherlands, 11/1944; Dutch civilian's demand for army equipment
