Smith, Francis Craig (Oral history)

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Description

Object description

British civilian messenger and junior fireman with Auxiliary Fire Service and National Fire Service in Sunderland, GB, 1940-1943; engineering apprentice in Sunderland, GB, 1943-1945; officer served with Nos 7, 20, 1 and 16 Bomb Disposal Coys, Royal Engineers in GB, 1947-1951; served with 28th Field Engineer Regt, Royal Engineers, 1st Commonwealth Div in Korea, 1952-1953

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Sunderland, GB, 1924-1940: family; education; evacuation of school to Askrigg, 1939-1940. Recollections of period as member of Auxiliary Fire Service and National Fire Service in Sunderland, GB, 1940-1943: duties as messenger and junior fireman; reaction to service during German Air Force raids; attending bomb incidents in Sunderland including fire at Binns Department Store; oil fire at Jarrow; fire in paper mill at Hendon Dock, Sunderland; German Air Force targets; public morale; degree of fear; dealing with fire at Manors Goods Station in Newcastle upon Tyne. REEL 2 Continues: efficiency of Sunderland Fire Brigade; attitude towards German Air Force. Aspects of period as engineering apprentice in Sunderland, GB, 1943-1945: sandwich course arrangements; apprentice marine engineering work at John Dickinson & Sons Ltd; apprentices strike, 1943; minor industrial disputes; Officer Training Corps training at Sunderland Technical College, 1943-1944. Recollections of period as officer with Nos 7, 20, 1 and 16 Bomb Disposal Coys, Royal Engineers in GB, 1947-1951: background to enlistment and commissioning in Royal Engineers, 1946-1947; posting to No 7 Bomb Disposal Coy in Bristol area, 1947; watching unexploded bomb being dealt with at Avonmouth, 4/7/1947; use of German prisoners of war for bomb disposal work. REEL 3 Continues: dealing with bomb in sand at Washingpool Lane, Avonmouth; amusing alcoholic encounter with farmer; question of how people could be fooled into thinking a bomb had exploded when it had not; dealing with unexploded bomb in Prince Street Labour Exchange in Bristol. Recollections of period as officer with Nos 20, 1 and 16 Bomb Disposal Coys, Royal Engineers in GB, 1948-1951: transfer to No 20 Bomb Disposal Coy at East Bolden; looking for bomb in River Tyne; German use of clockwork and anti-disturbance fuses; merging of No 20 Bomb Disposal Coy with No 1 Bomb Disposal Coy, then No 16 Bomb Disposal Coy and his added responsibilities; problems of using heavy equipment at Hutton Cranswick; work at Sunderland Farm, Roos, 1949. REEL 4 Continues: dealing with Type C Parachute Mine in dredger in Victoria Dock, Kingston upon Hull, 1949; story of NCO who may have committed suicide using bomb at Elwick; dealing with unexploded bomb at Billingham; evacuation of Haverigg with discovery of German 1000kg bomb; dealing with unexploded bomb with jammed fuse at Little Bytham near Grantham; mine clearance duties on beaches. REEL 5 Continues: problems with dealing with corroded anti-tank mines; dealing with live minefield at Mundesley near Cromer. Recollections of period as officer with 28th Field Engineer Regt, Royal Engineers, 1st Commowealth Div in South Korea, 1952-1953: background to posting to South Korea, 12/1952; voyage from GB to South Korea and reaction to arrival at Pusan; attachment to American combat engineer unit in Seoul; character of Soviet and Communist Chinese fuses; wounding during handling of Soviet made detonator; hospitalisation for wounds in Kure, Japan; damage he did to his skin grafts during yachting mishap; role as liaison officer with 28th Commonwealth Infantry Bde; attachment to Armistice Commission demarcating line separating Communist and United Nations forces, 1953.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), Second World War (association), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Smith, Francis Craig (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1994-10-17
Dimensions: whole: Duration 150, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 14620

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Smith, Francis Craig (Oral history)

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