O'Brien, Thomas Joseph (Oral history)

British NCO served with 15th Field Park Coy, Royal Engineers, 3rd Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 1939-1940; officer served with 233rd Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Middle East and North Africa, 6/1941-6/1942; prisoners of war in Campo PG 21, Chieti, Campo PG 78, Sulmona and Dulag 226, Pissignano, Italy, 7/1942-1/1944; escaped and joined Italian Partisans in Umbria, Italy, 2/1944-6/1944

REEL 1 Background in Karachi, India and GB, 1915-1939: family; education; reasons for return to GB. Recollections of operations as NCO with 15th Field Park Coy, Royal Engineers, 3rd Infanty Div in France and Belgium, 1939-1940: role building Gort Line near Douai, France; move to Brussels, Belgium after 10/5/1940; arrival at Dunkirk, France, 29/5/1940; embarkation aboard paddle steamer and German artillery hit on it; physical condition during evacuation; firing at German reconnaissance aircraft in Belgium, 5/1940; sight of bombed British convoy at Dunkirk, France, 29/5/1940; group of qualified Royal Engineers evacuated at Dunkirk, France; return to GB. Recollections of period as officer with 233rd Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Middle East, 1941-1942: joining company after commissioning, 1941; composition of 69th Infantry Bde; voyage aboard HMT Duchess of Bedford from GB to Egypt via Cape Town, South Africa, 5/1941-6/1941. REEL 2 Continues: move from Egypt to Cyprus, 7/1941; construction of defences on Cyprus, 7/1941-11/1941; reaction to swapping vehicles with 5th Indian Infantry Div; reasons for move to Iraq, 11/1941; reaction to hearing of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, United States of America, 7/12/1941; brigade's relieving Australian troops in Baalbek, Lebanon, 12/1941. Recollections of operations as officer with 233rd Field Coy, Royal Engineers, 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Western Desert, 2/1942-6/1942: move to Gazala Line, 22/2/1942; relieving sappers from 4th Indian Infantry Div; fortify defensive 'boxes' in Gazala Line; effect of German Air Force raids; use of 'Jock Columns', spring 1942; capture of Italian prisoners of war during raid on St Patrick's Day, 17/3/1942; character of withdrawal from Gazala Line, 14/6/1942; reaction to surrender of Tobruk, Libya, 6/1942. REEL 3 Continues: later discussions with South African prisoners of war about fall of Tobruk, Libya, 6/1942; decision of which store to deny Germans at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, 26/6/1942; job destroying food stores at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, 27/6/1942; guiding 10th Indian Infantry Div through minefield gap east of Mersa Matruh, Egypt; wrecking of vehicle during retreat; capture by Germans, 30/6/1942; treatment of prisoners of war by Germans, 7/1942. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 21, Chieti, Italy, 7/1942-9/1943: flight to Italy from Benghazi, Libya. REEL 4 Continues: effect of music on prisoner of war morale; move into camp; outbreak of jaundice in camp, late 1942; diet; disappearance of guards on surrender of Italy, 8/9/1943; problems of prisoners of war making a decision about what to do next, 9/1943; Senior British Officer's (SBO) orders to remain at Chieti; readiness of escape tunnel; arrival of Germans, 21/9/1943. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 78, Sulmona, Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: removal of prisoners of war to camp, 24/9/1943; reason for discarding insignia; hiding in roof of hut in camp, 29/9/1943-6/10/1943; escape from camp, 6/10/1943; attempt to reach Allied lines; aid from Italian civilians. REEL 5 Continues: recapture by Germans near River Sangro, 22/11/1943. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Dulag 226, Pissignano, Italy, 11/1943-1/1944: escape from camp, 6/1/1944-7/1/1944. Recollections of period with Italian Partisans in Umbria, Italy, 2/1944-6/1944: joining partisan unit under Sergio Forte; partisan explosive store; advice he gave to partisans about using explosive; demolition of hydro-electric station at Preci, 1/5/1944; Yugoslav Partisan unit which operated in area; memories of Sergio Forte and his fate, 14/6/1944; effect of Yugoslav Partisans attacks on 1st Parachute Division Hermann Göring; air supply drops in Fiano area; role of Major Sam Derry in sending money to escaped prisoners of war; abortive supply drop, 4/1944.