Hurry, Ernie (Oral history)

British gunner served with 426 and 520 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1942; served with 107 Bty, <SNH> 7th Medium Regt, RA in North Africa, Sicily and GB, 1942-1944; served with 425 Bty, 426 Bty and Headquarters, 107th Medium Regt, <SNH> RA in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Stapleford, Nottingham, 1918-1939: education; cycling; work at various factories, 1932-1939; question of approach of war; marriage and subsequent registration for conscription, 3/6/1939; medical; call up, 15/9/1939; reaction to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and training during period at Kinmel Park Training Camp, Royal Artillery, Rhyl, 9/1939-11/1939: journey; initial impressions; barrack accommodation; relationship with ORs and NCOs; kitting out; basic drill; route marches. REEL 2 Continues: route marches; church parade; question of classification as driver on posting; kit inspections; visits to Rhyl; homesickness; question of choice of posting. Recollections of period with 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> RA at Wragby, 11/1939-1/1940: reception at Panton Hall; members of draft from Kinmel Park; initial attachment to signals section at Holton cum Beckering; relationship with ORs; question of conscript status; relationship with various officers and NCOs; learning to drive in 30cwt Morris Commercial; identification codes of various vehicles; vehicles driven. REEL 3 Continues: billets on posting as driver to B Troop; reaction to 18pdr guns; guard duty; effects of vaccinations; reactions to overseas posting; parade in front of Colonel Lancelot Rolleston; relationship with local civilians; story of Sergeant Major Frederick Porter's reception for reservists. Recollections of journey to Palestine, 1/1940: personal morale; accidental visit to brothel in Cherbourg, France; train journey; voyage aboard HMT Devonshire including fear of submarines and problem with hammocks. Recollections of periods at Sarafand, Gedera, Hadera and Asluj Camps, 1/1940-6/1940: opinion of Arab and Jewish population; amusing story of tent lifestyle; erecting EP/IP tents at Gedera. REEL 4 Continues: issue of lorries; story of mock attack by cavalry through camp; swimming; bell tent accommodation at Hadera; death of Gunner Bob Paulson; duties as despatch rider motorbike rider; story of irreverent attitude of Australian troops on meeting Captain Frederick Porter; story of dispute with NCO and threat of court martial; question of vehicle maintenance; recreations including visits to beach cafe; reaction to news of progress of war, 6/1940; train journey to Mersa Matruh, Egypt. Recollections of period at Mersa Matruh, 6/1940-1/1941: high level Italian air raids on arrival; assignment to drive 15cwt pick-up truck; digging B Troop gun positions near airfield including vehicles, slit trenches and covered gun pit. REEL 5 Continues: conditions of service; tactical exercises; background to assignment as Porter's driver and opinion of Porter; recreations and story of getting drunk; canteen supplies; rest camp; leave in Cairo and story of horse ride; accompanying Porter on liaison trips to Cheshire Regt camps, 12/1940; story of puncture in desert. Period in Suez Canal area, 1/1941-4/1941: story of driving Colonel William Seely to Cairo; story of disagreement with officer over driving. REEL 6 Continues: story of disagreements with officer over driving; posting to Signal Section, B Troop, 425 Bty on posting of Porter to 426 Bty; training for invasion of Rhodes, Greece, including briefing, route marches and question of carrying equipment. Journey to Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941: completing equipment from 8th Field Regt; assignment to signals line laying 15cwt Fordson 'monkey truck'; convoy formation; question of German units crossing road. Recollections of conditions of service lifestyle and daily routine during period at Tobruk, 4/1941-12/1941: initial position at Eagle Crossroads; sandstorm; gun positions interspersed with 1st Regt, RHA in Palestrimo sector; method of laying telephone line to OP 57 prior to initial German tank attacks, 4/1941; establishing signals maintenance post and method of repairing broken telephone lines. REEL 7 Continues: method of repairing broken telephone lines; failure to learn Morse code; method of tuning in No11 radio set; food and water rations; uniform and question of wearing helmets; view of Stuka attack on B Troop, 25/4/1941; digging slit trenches; separation from 1st Regt, RHA in new gun positions; example set by 1st Regt, RHA; signals maintenance post shared with Australian medical unit; relationship with Australian troops; story of coming under machine gun fire whilst laying laddered telephone line forward to OP post in No Man's Land to cover attack on Medwa sector; personal morale. REEL 8 Continues: story nearly being shot as Germans by Australian troops whilst laying telephone line forward into No Man's Land; frequency of telephone line breaks; periods at OP 57 pole with Lieutenant A G Carr including use of binoculars, effect of mirages and cooking; RAF Hurricanes; crashed Italian aircraft; importance of camouflaging gun positions; Australian use of captured Italian artillery; accident at rest camp; story of unsympathetic treatment from Medical Officer J Finnegan when ill with dysentery in Palestine, 1940; church service; story of petrol accident in dugout; visit to Porter at 426 Bty positions; relationship with ORs; personal morale. REEL 9 Continues: bread ration; story of Lieutenant John Newman's order to engage German tanks by hand, 4/1941. Aspects of breakout operations, 10/1941-12/1941: prior role laying telephone lines at night between new gun positions and OPs; composition of Captain Graham Slinn's OP team; story illustrating role of officers in action; reports of initial fighting, 21/10/1941; story of escape from minefield; misfire on Sergeant William Barker's gun during period of rapid fire; British tanks' ruse to conceal numbers; reactions to end of siege; drinking party at Tmimi, 12/1941. Recollections of period in Egypt and move to Gazala area, Libya, 1/1942-5/1942: leave in Cairo. REEL 10 Continues: issue of Bedford 'monkey' truck; working as fitter at service depot; hospitalisation with pneumonia; training exercises; arrival of new drafts and question of posting with B Troop to newly formed 520 Bty at Beni Yusef camp; order of column in desert; training exercises. Recollections of operations in Knightsbridge sector, 27/5/1942: handing out NAAFI supplies; surprise appearance of German tanks; vehicles obstructing guns' field of fire; moving behind gun position; emergency evacuation of position ordered by Captain Charles Bennett; warning Coldstream Guards of German approach; joining A Troop, 425 Bty. Aspects of operations, 28/5/1942-6/6/1942: German Bismarck tank; driving various officers. REEL 11 Continues: driving various officers; German POW; return to wagon lines, ca 5/6/1942; reaction to news of destruction of unit; morale and question of posting to other units. Period in Egypt, 6/1942-7/1942: re-equipment with Matador gun tower and 5.5in guns; driving in sand; reason for removal of Matador tops. Re-organisation as A Troop, 107 Bty, <SNH> 7th Medium Regt, RA and period in coastal positions near El Alamein, 7/1942-11/1942: role driving Sergeant Fred Taylor's gun team; opinion of various NCOs and officers; counter-battery firing from forward gun positions; story of ruining towing cable whilst winching out bogged down Matador and consequent reprimand from Major A Lewis-Jones; story of accident whilst assisting gun team in firing. Recollections of El Alamein offensive, 10/1942-11/1942: burying ammunition in forward positions and cancellation of leave; preliminary bombardment, 23/10/1942. REEL 12 Continues: story of failing to load cartridge whilst assisting gun team, 23/10/1943; fatigue; initial moves forward, 5/11/1943. Recollections of advance through Libya and Tunisia, 11/1942/4/1943: sleeping against vehicle wheels; Stuka dive bombing raids; efforts to repair abandoned Matador; story of Stuka raid on concentrated unit at Beni Ulid, 17/1/1943; repairs to damaged vehicles; preparations for Churchill's inspection at Tripoli; opinion of Lieutenants Ian Sinclair and Charles Westlake; story of diagnosis and repair of broken down Matadors; method of dropping guns into position; aspects of operations, 4/1943; Matador desert driving and maintenance programme. REEL 13 Continues: Matador maintenance programme and use of urine in batteries; attempt to repair abandoned Matador; problem in trying to repair puncture. Periods at Cheriba and Sousse, Tunisia, 4/1943-6/1943: Roman coliseum in Sfax area; selling used tea leaves to Arab civilians; question of Arabs stealing; recreations including dance; waterproofing vehicles. Period at Malta, 6/1943-7/1943: arrival of draft from military detention centre whilst at El Alamein, 8/1943, including reason for Gunner MacLean's conviction and question of their stealing from vehicle emergency rations; amusing story of contact with nurses; view of invasion fleet for Sicily; story of persuading friend not to marry Maltese civilian. Various aspects of operations in Sicily, 7/1943-10/1943: landing; gun positions in vineyard; story of premonition. REEL 14 Continues: role driving officers in 15cwt truck; scenic terrain; story of driving ammunition truck; coastal gun positions; Montgomery parade at Messina, 10/1943; learning Italian; recreations; opinion of Bombardier Ken Giles; minor accident during vehicle repair work. Journey via Algeria to Liverpool, GB, 11/1943-12/1943: mess deck duties on voyage; visit to out of bounds area in Algiers; impromptu band; drunken behaviour by some gunners during march to board Franconia; fear of submarines. Period at Felixstowe, 12/1943-3/1944: hotel billets; question of stealing. REEL 15 Continues: home leave; Period at Brighton, Guisley, Dudsbury Camp and Tilbury Docks, London, 3/1944: posting as driver/fitter to C Troop, 426 Bty on reformation of 107th Medium Regt, <SNH>, RA, 3/1944; opinion of various officers and NCOs; opinion of US gun towers; story of dancing shoes; wife's local lodgings; emergency move from Guisley to Dudsbury Camp; view of air activity, ca 6/6/1944; story of ruse to extend leave home, train delays due to bombing and consequent punishment for being AWOL; visit by 'Jane' from 'Daily Mirror'; beach landing driving course at Great Yarmouth; desertion during drive to London, 9/7/1944. REEL 16 Continues: story of breaking out of Tilbury docks to visit relatives; V1 bombing. Various aspects of operations in North West Europe, 7/1944-5/1945: personal morale; landing and move inland; close escape from shell fire whilst at OP; passing through Caen; nature of fighting; story of getting drunk during visit to Paris; duties driving 3ton Chevrolet cookhouse truck; close escape from coastal gun shell fire in Pas de Calais area, 9/1944; cooking equipment; relationship with Belgian civilians; story of attempt by drivers to refuse to clean vehicles in muddy conditions; duties driving officers. REEL 17 Continues: duties with Austin recovery vehicle; passing verbal test as motor mechanic; story of fitting new engine to truck; story of repairing Matador accelerator; story of NCO's mental breakdown; localised rain; stories of accidentally firing Sten gun; view of Rhine crossing; opinion of Bombardier Ken Giles; move into Arnhem. REEL 18 Continues: GB leave. Various aspects of period in Ramsdorf and Buldern in Munster area, Germany, 5/1945-1/1946: moves; question of non-fraternisation with German civilians and gunner's relationship with German woman; duties driving Fordson truck; displaced persons' camps and Russian raids on German civilians; ruse to avoid swimming contest; local leave; question of Far East service; importance of being medically classified as A1 on demobilisation; nervous disposition as result of war service; compassionate leave to GB due to mother's illness. Period at Base Depot, RA, Woolwich, 1/1946: dispute with officer over colour of equipment; demobilisation, 2/1946. Post-war career: work as mechanic; effects of nervous condition.