Harvey, Ernest (Oral history)

British private served with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1942; served with 70th Physical Development Centre in GB, 1942; served with 70th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1942-1943; served with 45th (Wessex) Infantry Division in GB, 1943-1944; served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1944; served with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB and North West Europe, 1944; NCO served in GB, 1945-1946; private served with POW Camp PG 370 in Italy, 1946-1947

REEL 1 Background in Hetton-le-Hole, GB, 1923-1942: family and reason for leaving school early; family home; discipline; community spirit; education; leisure activities; work gained at Co-op store; period with rheumatic fever; work as with Co-op including working week and details of pay; leisure activities; evening classes attended; attendance at chapel and importance of religion; outbreak of war 9/1939; reactions of parents to war; attempt to join Naval Supplies; fates of locals who had joined up; joining of Home Guard; drill; officers and NCOs; training with grenades; process of joining Home Guard; uniform issued; frequency of attendance at meetings and details of fire watching duty at work; air raids; shelters used; gas mask carried; fire buckets; background of Home Guard members; uniforms and rifles issued including rifle drill; scheme at Cocken Hall; firing on range at Hetton Colliery; storage of rifles; cap badges; opinion of training and readiness for war; discipline; realisation of and reactions to coming service; talks with Dunkirk veterans. REEL 2 Continues: call-up and medical; duration of service; application to join navy; service of brothers. Aspects of period as private with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 6/1942: arrival at Brancepeth Camp; issue of uniform and alterations made by tailors; equipment and uniform issued; reception received; sleeping arrangements; description of barrack room; storage of kit; kit inspections; replacement of lost items; story of stolen trousers; cleaning of barrack room; cleaning of kit; polishing of boots; latrines; reasons for not gambling; details of pay; memories of Sergeant Moralee; details of squad; discipline; settling in to army life; breakfast; washing of utensils; opportunity for complaints; morning procedures; drill; marching at Light Infantry pace; physical training; weapons training; details of route marches; preparations for route marches learned from old soldiers; rations on route marches; equipment and ammunition carried; singing during marches; problems with items carried; picking up of troops dropping out; differences between Light Infantry to other regiments; foot inspections and treatment of blister; fitness of recruits; lunch and opinion of rations. REEL 3 Continues: rifle training; rate of fire; gas precaution training; bayonet training and bayonets issued; tea; evening duties; guard duties including cleaning of rifle; leisure activities and relationship with civilians; cleaning of equipment; lights out; contact with Duke of Wellington's; training with Bren gun; firing of mortars; transport of Bren and mortars; length of time at Brancepeth; posting in Skegness. Aspects of period as private with 70th Physical Development Centre in GB, 8/1942-10/1942: reason for posting; summary of training and uniform worn; instructors; background of troops; opinion of rations; medicals; length of time in Skegness; pass out route march; posting in Barnard Castle. Aspects of period as private with 70th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 10/1942- 9/1943: age of troops; posting in signals section; NCOs in signals section; summary of training; location of camp; accommodation; description of pack drill; piquet duties; schemes; role of signals during schemes and casualties; description and use of 18 sets; problems with 18 set; repairing of telephone lines; semaphore training; make-up and organisation of signals section. REEL 4 Continues: memories of Colonel Fillingham including story of attack on sergeant doing a hardship test; opinion of pack drill and reason behind harsh discipline; memories of NCOs; memories of Bill Mather; nickname and reputation of battalion; opinion of training; duties as demonstration battalion; operation of 18 set; audience of demonstrations; accidents during demonstrations; description of demonstrations; work of signals section during demonstrations; laying of cables; important visitors at demonstrations; training with sticky bombs; work with other units; opinion of training; morale; standard of turnout expected when leaving camp; leaving camp avoiding guardroom; discipline; presence of Regimental Police; memories of Regimental Sergeant Major Rafferty; leave and reactions of mother to his army life; evening activities; other units in area; sports; posting in Tow Law; accommodation; issue of khaki drill; name and description of camp; weather; methods of keeping warm at night; washing facilities; conditions in camp; opinion of rations; latrines; role and length of time at Tow Law; discovery of hernia during a medical. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation in GB, 9/1943-11/1943: treatment received at Bishop Auckland hospital; Italian POWs; type of hospital and need for father to give permission; discipline; more on contact with Italian POW; time in convalescence home in Halifax; posting with 45th Division; uniform worn in hospital; Christmas 1943; medical grading following illness. Aspects of period as private with 45th (Wessex) Division in GB, 11/1943-1/1944: accommodation; memories of Charles Eagles; summary of training; firing and opinion of PIAT; description of street fighting including use of phosphorous bombs; problems with Sten gun and ammunition; other weapons used; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; standard of turnout; length of time in unit. Aspect of period as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1/1944-6/1944: posting to Saffron Walden and S Platoon; officers and NCOs; use and firing of plastic explosives; work of Sergeant Blenkinsopp; destruction of pillboxes; lifting of mines and booby traps; description of and dealing with S Mines; learning about German mines and booby traps; German weapons learned about; transport of guns across rivers; talks with veterans and transfer to 6th Battalion at Nightingale Wood. Aspects of period as private with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 6/1944: posting in C Company; morale in battalion; Americans working in camp; briefings for invasion; attitude of troops; opinion of and activities in camp; memories of officers and NCOs. REEL 6 Continues: posting with Lance Corporal Passfield as PIAT gunner with Bill Beech; weapons and ammunition carried; number of PIATs in platoon; objective on arrival in France; uniforms and money issued; advice from old soldiers; final manoeuvre; journey to docks and giving away of English money; scenes at docks. Aspects of journey from Southampton, GB, to Gold Beach, France, 6/1944: conditions on boat; self-heating cocoa; gambling; seasickness; rations; size of ship; thoughts during voyage; more on seasickness. Aspects of operations as private with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 6/1944-10/1944: disembarkation and scenes on beach; work of beachmaster; movement up beach; opposition faced; POWs taken; wounded and dead on beach; taking of objective and first night; movement to orchard and positions dug; importance of entrenching tool; officer killed by sniper; opinion of snipers; attack across cornfield and Spandau fire faced; cover taken and reactions to situation; arrival of tanks; damage to corn from Spandau fire; taking and description of German position; reactions to attack; collection of ammunition from dead and wounded; story of contact with padre; movement of advance across cornfield; description of minenwerfer fire; description of battle; reactions following battle and fate of deserters; effects on nerves; cover taken from air bursts; collection of supplies and wounding of Bill Beech in absence; troops shooting themselves to return home; reinforcements; reason for not desiring promotion; terrain; early warning system built and results; processing of German POWs; opinion of artillery support. REEL 7 Continues: summary first action; casualties and reinforcements during battle; taking and description of German position; state of padre; morale following action; nerves before actions; fate of deserters; troops losing nerves; help from prayers during action; troops shooting themselves to return home and opinion of troops doing so; discussion on weapon situation; roots of motivation including rum ration; fear among troops; rest period in Bayeux; rations; loss of appetite while under fire; weapons faced; description of and cover taken from air bursts; work of stretcher bearers; air activity and at Tilly-sur-Seulles; shelling of Military Policemen at crossroads; activities at Tilly-sur-Seulles; opinion of tank support; start of heavy rain; position taken at farmhouse and cider found; method of keeping dry; issue of hot meals; rations; hardening towards sights and smells; contact with civilians; story of passing through German lines when acting as scout; camouflage and smell of Germans; opinion of German troops and reasons for defeating them; opinion of French resistance. REEL 8 Continues: story of a patrol; results of patrol; fates of fellow patrol members; role of patrol; story of night fighting patrol; preparations for night patrols including weapons carried; role of fighting patrols; standing patrol duties; memories and opinions of officers and NCOs; cake received from home; importance of mail; action at Mont Pincon; booby traps and mines; attitude towards looting of bodies; details of snipers; use of snipers; use and opinion of artillery support; reasons for not looting buildings; scenes in Falaise Gap; German troops faced; opinion of French resistance; arrival in Amiens and wounding of Sergeant Smith; reception from civilians in France and Belgium; processing of German POWs during advance; American unit fought alongside; receptions on arrival in Eindhoven and Brussels; friends made in Belgium; reasons for not getting involved with women. REEL 9 Continues: crossing of Albert Canal; position occupied; mortaring during night including reactions; involvement in advance on Gheel; help received from British civilian girl; position taken in Gheel; German attacks and use of bren gun; noise of fighting and communication; casualties; relief and withdrawal; remains of company; effects of heavy shellfire; Major Atkinson's advance into Gheel; effects of war experiences; reinforcements; visit from General Montgomery; passing over and dropping of paratroopers; advance to and arrival in Nijmegen; rest with Dutch family; crossing of bridge and positions taken; pears eaten; activities; reoccurrence of hernia and departure for hospital; conditions at Nijmegen; methods of keeping warm; German activity; background of reinforcements; evacuation to Brussels and arrival at hospital; examination and night in hospital; flight to Farnborough. Aspects of hospitalisation in GB, 10/1944: medical examination; journey to Bensham Hospital; telegram sent home; treatment; relationship from civilians; news of 50th Division's break-up; story of disappearance during doctor's rounds; convalescences at Scarborough; posting at Hartlepool; near posting to Far East. REEL 10 Continues: time in Hartlepool Town Hall. Aspects of period as private and NCO in GB, 3/1945-5/1946: posting in Otley; post corporal course attended at Leeds College; promotion to lance corporal; posting at and role of 111 Reception Camp; processing of POWs; postal duties; posting in Sobraon Barracks in Colchester; old friends at Colchester; memories of Private Gallagher; role of unit; reason for making a posting application; posted to Italy; meeting with Major Williams in Austria and job recommended. Aspects of period as private at POW Camp PG 370 in Italy, 6/1946-1/1947: work and assistants in storeroom; location of stores; relationship with civilians; accommodation; latrines; spread of lice and delousing; Durham Light Infantry troops in camp; length of time in camp; background of POWs; collection and delivery of wood for fires; trouble with POWs going to Russian Zone of Germany; conditions in winter; leisure activities; Italian shooting of birds; visits to theatre; sparrow soup; cooks in camp; Christmas 1946; problems with VD; army attitude to VD and precautions issued; punishment for catching VD; issue of luxury rations; troops going to hospital with VD; morale in unit; journey to GB via Austrian transit camp; process of demobilisation at Aldershot; return to civilian work; outstanding memories of army life.