Palmer, Edward Ronald Douglas (Oral history)

British officer served with 27th Army Field Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps in France and Belgium, 9/1939-6/1940; served as staff officer with Headquarters, I Corps in GB, 1940-1941; served with 52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regt, Royal Artillery 5th Army Group Royal Artillery in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Beaconsfield, GB, 1916-1937: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Artillery in GB, 1937-1939: background to enlistment in army; attending artillery course at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 1937-1938; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 9/1939. Aspects of period as officer with 27th Army Field Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps in France, 9/1939-5/1940: move to France, 9/1939; reaction to excavation of First World War trenches; digging in in Douai area, 1939-1940; degree of contact with French civilians; contrast between British and French officers; effect of ice on paved roads, winter 1939-1940; relations with French landlady. Recollections of operations as officer with 27th Army Field Regt, Royal Artillery, I Corps in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: move up to River Dyle, Belgium, 10/5/1940; reception from Belgian civilians; corps positions and German use of spotter balloon on River Dyle, Belgium; start of firing and order to withdraw; night withdrawals; refugees on Belgian roads; troops on perimeter of Dunkirk, France and opinion of 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt; destruction of equipment, 1/6/1940; evacuation from beaches, 6/1940; attempt to escape from mole and decision to wade out into sea, 2/6/1940. REEL 2 Continues: aiding his NCO to reach Thames barge 'The Lark of London' off beaches at Dunkirk, France, 2/6/1940; voyage across English Channel and rescue by Royal Navy ship; sight of hospital ship HMHS Paris being bombed by German Air Force, 2/6/1940; sight of Guards unit marching ashore at Dover, GB; issue of telegram forms. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, I Corps in GB, 1940-1941: appointment as intelligence officer; memories of General Harold Alexander; night spent in Kingston upon Hull during German Air Force attacks, 12/1940; arrangements for artillery defence of east coast. Aspects of operations as officer with 52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Army Group Royal Artillery in GB and Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: duties; hearing news of D-Day from postman in Andover, GB, 6/6/1944; beach landing in Normandy, 10/6/1944; plan for breakout at Villers-Bocage, Normandy, France. REEL 3 Continues: attachment to 4th (County of London) Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) at Villers-Bocage, 13/6/1944; in action at Villers-Bocage, 6/1944; sight of bombing of villages by Allied aircraft; opinion of German opposition in Normandy; question of hold up in breakout from Normandy and effect of terrain on campaign; firing on Germans in Falaise Gap, 8/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 52nd (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Heavy Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Army Group Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 9/1944-8/1945: amusing story of adopting 'Queen Mary' wave for crowds in Brussels, Belgium, 9/1944; reception from French and Belgium civilians, 9/1944; attending General Brian Horrocks' briefing for Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; question of failure of Operation Market Garden; orders to support 1st (Polish) Independent Parachute Bde at Driel, Netherlands, 9/1944; story of how three German Tiger tanks joined his column by mistake on route to Driel, Netherlands, 9/1944; supporting Polish airborne troops attempt to cross River Nederrijn, Netherlands, 22/9/1944. REEL 4 Continues: hold up of relief forces at Driel, Netherlands, 9/1944; providing sole radio link with 1st Airborne Div in Oosterbeek perimeter for three days, Netherlands, 9/1944; opinion of Royal Air Force aircrews dropping supplies during Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; rapid move to Dinant, Belgium at time of Ardennes offensive, 12/1944; use of air observation posts for targeting in Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944; atmosphere during Ardennes operations; encounter with War Correspondent Richard Dimbleby and his description of battle in Reichswald Forest, Germany, 2/1945; question of destruction of Cleve, Germany, 2/1945; counter-battery role during crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; death of his signaller two days prior to the end of the Second World War, 6/5/1945; reaction to sight of destruction of Hamburg, Germany, 5/1945; memories of VE Day, 8/5/1945; taking responsibility for small town south of Brunswick, Germany, 5/1945; story of dictating type of gin produced at Wolfenbüttel, Germany; providing protection for Roliflex Camera factory outside Brunswick, Germany. REEL 5 Continues: memories of return to GB on VJ Day, 15/8/1945; sight of Soviet Army's handling of Soviet civilians crossing River Elbe, Germany; effects of non-fraternisation order in Germany, 1945; attitude towards counselling for military service.