Ashcroft, Frederic Parker (Oral history)

British NCO served with 1st Bn London Irish Rifles, 1st London Bde, 1st London Div and 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942; officer served with 9th Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 207th Independent Infantry Bde (Home) in GB, 1942-1943; served with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB and Normandy, France, 1943-1944

REEL 1 Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939 in view of his pre-war visits to Germany. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Bn London Irish Rifles, 1st London Bde, 1st London Div and 169th (London) Infantry Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1942: enlistment; social origins of recruits; coastal defence duties in Sussex; his interrogation of German Air Force fighter pilot in Faversham area, summer 1940; question of loyalty of men in unit. Aspects of training as officer cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 1942: selection procedure at War Office Selection Board (WASB); attitude to attending college; quality of officer training; posting to 9th Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 207th Independent Infantry Bde (Home) on the Orkney Islands, 1942-1943. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in GB, 1943-1944: joining battalion at Folkestone, 1943; German shelling of Folkestone; preparations for D-Day landings in Scotland. REEL 2 Continues: attending signals course at Catterick Camp; move to Waterlooville, 1944; sealing of camp and D-Day briefing, 26/5/1944; embarkation aboard HMS Empire Battleaxe at Portsmouth, 3/6/1944. Recollections of operations as signal officer with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div on Sword Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: atmosphere aboard landing ship; breakfast; equipment carried; climbing down ropes into Landing Craft Assault (LCA) craft; disposal of vomit bags; state of mind prior to landing; first sight of Normandy shore; news of forward companies landings; unit objectives; sight of beach obstacles; noise on beach; his wounding in right arm by 88mm artillery fire; shooting of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Burbury next to him. REEL 3 Continues: period in field dressing station; sheltering at Ouistreham from German Air Force attack; processing of wounded at Ouistreham; removal to Landing Ship Tank (LST) converted to hospital ship by DUKW amphibious vehicle; evacuation to Tilbury, GB; medical treatment for wounds; reaction to evacuation from beaches to GB; later reaction to end of Second World War, 1945; wireless equipment taken by unit on D-Day, 6/6/1944.