Description
Object description
British NCO quartermaster served with 425 Bty, 107th Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1942; served at Amariya Transit Camp, Egypt, 1942; served with 101 Artillery Beach Landing Group in Middle East, Sicily and Italy, 1942-1944; served with training unit in GB, 1945-1946; worked as civilian auditor with Ministry of Defence in GB and German Federal Republic, 1946-1976
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Nottingham, 1916-1939: education; work as rent collector; sporting activities. Recruitment and training as technical storeman with Headquarters, 425 Bty, 107th Regt <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery based at Derby Road Drill Hall, 1/1939-9/1939: reasons; procedure; uniform; 18 pdr gun drill; role issuing technical equipment to gun teams and signallers; relationships with ORs; role at Redesdale Camp; story of avoiding key party duty due to holiday, 8/1939-9/1939; reporting on mobilisation, 3/9/1939.
REEL 2 Initial period in Nottingham, 9/1939: reaction to outbreak of war; question of differing social classes in 425 Bty and relationship with 426 Bty; billets at Hollins Lace Factory, Garden Street; question of levels of physical fitness; evading drills as storeman. Recollections of period in Rillington and Wragby, 9/1939-1/1940: storehouse; story of dispute with Battery Quartermaster Sergeant Parnham; detachment as acting lance bombardier on quartermaster's staff at regimental headquarters; role ordering and collecting rations from central stores at Cardington; story of ruse to visit Nottingham on trip; ration scales per man; relationship with cookhouse staff including Gunner Ted Hayward; question of quality of food.
REEL 3 Continues: story of drunken trumpeter blowing 'lights out'; return to position as technical storeman, 1/1940. Recollections of journey to Sarafand Camp, Palestine, 1/1940: cattle trucks; story of getting drunk in Cherbourg, France; story of evading close quarantine due to meningitis case aboard HMT Devonshire. Recollections of period at Sarafand, Gedera and Hadera Camps in Palestine, 1/1940-6/1940: quarantine period; state of morale; relationship with Palestine Police; equipment to War Office standards including arrival of horses, guns and transport; story of Sergeant George Attewell teaching specialist gunnery; question of officers learning to ride; recreations; relationship with Jewish and Arab civilians; onset of attack of sand fly fever whilst on guard at Asluj Firing Camp; circumstance of accelerated promotion to Battery Quartermaster Sergeant; role as BQMS; packing up for move to Egypt; opinions of various officers and NCOs.
REEL 4 Continues: opinions of various officers and NCOs; question of swearing; opinions of various officers and NCOs. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Mersa Matruh, Egypt, 6/1940-1/1941: digging in of vehicles at wagon lines near Shafto's Cinema; dugout; sergeants' mess; story of close escape during Italian high level air raid; personal morale; slit trenches; role as BQMS; story of replacing worn out vehicles and securing early khaki drill issue during visit to Cairo; story illustrating inaccuracy of anti-aircraft fire; food rations; beer and cigarettes supply.
REEL 5 Continues: recreations; leave in Cairo; state of health. Recollections of period based in Suez Canal area, 1/1941-4/1941: keeping technical gun spares on handing in old guns and equipment; opinion of Quad gun towers and 25pdrs issued; role spotting mines in Suez Canal; story of emergency preparations for move to Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941. Journey to Tobruk, 4/1941. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at Tobruk, 4/1941-12/1941: initial positions, situation and example set by Colonel William Seely, 10/4/1941; role establishing wagon lines and collecting ammunition from dump during initial German tank attacks, ca 11/4/1941-14/4/1941; Australian tactics to isolate German tanks.
REEL 6 Continues: casualties; situation; collecting stores from dump; food and cigarette rations; use of caves; stores held; crossing minefield; question of concealing positions; cricket matches with Australian troops; opinion of Australian troops; question of firing discipline in comparison with 1st Regt, RHA; use of captured Italian artillery for night firing; story of premature misfire on 25pdr; unreliable Italian ammunition; water ration; washing clothes in petrol; recreations including rules of 'Shoot' card gambling game and concert parties; pay system; latrines.
REEL 7 Continues: desert faunae including flies; Stuka raids on harbour; rest camp; opinion of various ORs, NCOs and officers. Aspects of breakout operations, 10/1941-12/1941: building up ammunition supplies; use of captured Italian artillery success; reaction to arrival of New Zealand troops; reaction to continued active role in offensive, 12/1941. Period at Tmimi, 12/1941: story of forgetting birthday, 19/12/1941; party with abandoned Italian wine and cigars; acquiring Italian and British vehicles and story of dispute with Major Peter Birkin over subsequent loss of vehicle from wagon lines. Period at Tahag Camp, 1/1942: story of going out with South African nurses on leave in Cairo; reaction to being posted away from unit. Recollections of period as quartermaster sergeant at Amariya Transit Camp, ca 1/1942-11/1942: visit to Alexandria.
REEL 8 Continues: size of camp; meeting remnants of SNH following Knightsbridge action and failure of attempt to rejoin, ca 7/1942; story of evening drinking with SNH during their overnight stop and their subsequent theft of tents, ca 3/1942; problems faced in rationing up to 10,000 men during build up to El Alamein offensive; flexibility in arrangements with supply dumps; story of bribing troops with cigarettes to dig in tent; story of manufacturing petrol, oil and lubricant accounts to cover inherited inadequate auditing; question of personal honesty; story of driver stealing cigarettes in Tobruk, 4/1941; question of staff stealing rations or stores; question of halal meat for Indian troops; question of issuing rifles; camp establishment; recreations; background to requesting posting. Period with 101 Artillery Beach Landing Group, ca 1942-1943: joining unit at Hadera Camp; role securing invasion beaches; training and fitness test; role as quartermaster sergeant; move to Suez Canal area; effects of 'off' stew.
REEL 9 Continues: securing Red Beach near Augusta, Sicily, Italy, 7/7/1943, including lack of opposition, effects of sand bank off beach, view of gliders crashing into sea, and role unloading stores assisted by Italian POWs; composition rations; role securing beach on landing at Reggio, 3/9/1943; story of meeting Sergeant William Hutton; role as guard unit to Headquarters, Eighth Army in Italy, 1943-1944; story illustrating lack of co-operation with First Army; story of trip to purchase drink for Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; story of dispute over officer's attempt to make Brookes do guard duty. Period with School of Artillery, Eighth Army at San Nickandro and Colle Ferro, ca 1944-1945: role as quartermaster sergeant; problem with mules; horses; story of driving in bad weather.
REEL 10 Continues: story of driving in bad weather; question of blackmarket; circumstances of return to GB, 1/1945. Period at Base Depot, RA, Woolwich, 1945: changes in lifestyle noticed on leave; avoiding duty taking Church Parade due to lack of experience; duty checking draft's kit and medicals. Posting to artillery training unit at Colwyn Bay, ca 1945-1946: role as battery quartermaster sergeant; question of wartime decorations; demobilisation. Post-war career as auditor with various departments of Ministry of Defence in GB and German Democratic Republic, 1946-1976. Question of contacts with SNH Regimental Association.