Middleton, Dennis (Oral history)

British signals NCO served with B Troop, 425 Bty, 107th Regt RA <South Notts Hussars> in GB, Palestine and North Africa, 1939-1941; served as officer with 237 Bty, 76th Anti-Tank Regt in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945; served with 81st Field Regt in Germany, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Nottingham, 1918-1939: education at Nottingham High School; socialist political views and consequent decision not to join OTC; work as bank clerk; question of awareness of approach of war. Recruitment and training as gunner with B Troop, 425 Bty, 107 Regt, <South Notts Hussars> Royal Artillery at Derby Road Drill Hall, Nottingham, 4/1939; reasons; nature of training and role as spare driver; attending Redesdale Camp, 6/1939 including food rations, relationship with 426 Bty, visit to Newcastle and unloading shells. Mobilisation and initial period at Hollins Lace Factory, Garden Street, Nottingham, 9/1939: reactions; difficulty in moving 18pdr by hand; acting as escort to prisoner; guard duties; story of sleep disturbed by drunks going to latrines. Aspects of period in Rillington and Wragby, 9/1939-1/1940: billets; reaction to lack of privacy in latrines; driving duties and difficulty starting lorries in cold weather. REEL 2 Continues: billets; 'walking out' dress; friendship with Gunner Phil Collihole; opinion of conscript and reservist drafts; parents reaction to overseas posting. Journey via France to Palestine, 1/1940: train journey from Boulogne to Marseilles; conditions aboard HMT Devonshire; playing 'Crown and Anchor'. Recollections of periods at Sarafand, Gedera and Hadera Camps, 1/1940-6/1940: infected mosquito bites; training as signaller; driving duties; swimming; question of relationship with Jewish and Arab civilians; recreations including smoking hookah; story of punishment for missing night exercise. REEL 3 Continues: attending Asluj Firing Camp including duties driving Captain William Pringle, opinion of officers, contact with Australian troops, camel races at Beersheba, death of Gunner Bob Paulson from appendicitis and duty on funeral firing party; reaction to news of situation in North West Europe, 6/1940; horse riding lessons as a signaller; train journey to Mersa Matruh, Egypt, 6/1940. Recollections of conditions of service and daily routine during period at Mersa Matruh, 6/1940-1/1941: duties in charge of canteen at wagon lines; digging out member of Jewish Pioneer Corps killed in air raid; sleeping on ground; digging gunpits and effects of sun; swimming and boating in lagoon; reactions to Italian high level bombing; signal training; opinion of Major Peter Birkin and question of his homosexuality. REEL 4 Continues: recreations including visit to brothel on leave in Cairo. Recollections of operations attached as a signaller with Dummy Troop, Combined Bt, 12/1940: approach to Fort Maktilla; laying line by hand to observation post; stories illustrating attitude of Coldstream Guards; illustration of ineffectiveness of Italian shell fire; guard duty on gun positions; Italian POWs; promotion to lance bombardier; Italian souvenirs. Period in Suez Canal area, 1/1941-4/1941: attending course at Artillery School, Royal Corps of Signals, , Maadi; difficulty in tuning radios; visits to Cairo; drinking habits; spotting for magnetic mines dropped in canal; re-equipment with 25pdrs; brief visit to Tobruk following signal course. Drive to Tobruk, 4/1941: prior visit to night club and story illustrating relaxed attitude of MPs. REEL 5 Continues: increasing urgency; breakdown in desert and being towed by Light Aid Detachment. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period in Tobruk, 4/1941-12/1941: story of Lieutenant John Newman's order to engage German tanks by hand, 4/1941; role as observation post specialist assistant with Lieutenant Geoffrey Timms during initial German tank attacks, 4/1941, including situation, method of bracketing target, German rifle fire, nature of targets and relationship with Timms; ineffectiveness of Italian shellfire on OP; opinion of Captain Charles Bennett; reaction to death of Collihole in Stuka dive bomb attack; promotion to Lance Sergeant and role in charge of Signals Section, 425 Bty including recharging radio batteries, establishment of telephone lines system, repair of lines and rota for telephone exchange at battery headquarters. REEL 6 Continues: role in charge of Signals Section, 425 Bty including minimal role of radio, Stuka dive bomb attacks; story of close escape from air raid; story of intention to seek revenge on crashed German pilot following shooting down of Flying Officer Lamb; story of mending OP telephone line at night under fire in No Man's Land; method of navigating in desert; erecting gravestone for Collihole; sleeping arrangements; water ration and effects of thirst; food and cigarette rations; canteen supplies; story of getting drunk on rum ration; ascorbic acid tablets; attack of jaundice; desert sores; diahorrea problem; recreations. REEL 7 Continues: letter contact with GB; concert parties; desert faunae; rest camps; rifle shooting at German aircraft; throwing Italian hand grenades; use of explosives to make dugout; story of Major A G Carr being caught at latrine during shelling; Gunner Siddall's belief world was flat; breakout operations, 11/1941-12/1941, including adaptations to Gunner Stan Keaton's telephone line truck moving into No Man's Land, role at battery headquarters, Signaller Albert Parker's difficulty in tuning radio accurately and question of theft of camera by relieving troops. Period at Tmimi, 12/1941: securing extra meat; case of drunkenness; leaving equipment behind on move to Egypt. Attending Middle East Officers' Cadet Training Unit at Kasir el Nir Barracks and Royal Artillery Base Depot at Almaza, 1/1942-6/1942: prior interview; question of cadets returned to unit; relationship with cadets; tactical exercises. REEL 8 Continues: story illustrating methods of instructors; minimal recreational time; question of importance of social background; learning gunnery at Almaza; mobilisation during crisis over King Farouk in Cairo; lecture on question of killing POWs during rapid advance; relationship with Egyptian civilians; visits to dances and cinemas; kitting out; news of destruction of unit, 6/1942; question of being posted to unit. Posting to command C Troop, 237 Bty, 76th Anti-Tank Regt in El Alamein area, ca 8/1942- : road accidents and loss of revolver during journey; equipment with 6pdr anti-tank guns; reception. Recollections of Battle of Adem Halfa, 1/9/1942-2/9/1942: prior briefing and occupying night gun positions as precaution against German attack in Point 106 sector; 8/1942; view of approach of German tanks; subsequent tank battle; German 88mm shellfire. REEL 9 Continues: view of battle and accuracy of prior briefing; deteriorating health indicated by various skin problems and consequent hospitalisation, ca 9/1942-11/1942. Period at Tmimi, ca 11/1942-3/1943: rejoining unit and posting to A Troop; success in competition to decide which troops would get new 17pdr anti- tank guns; successful demonstration of 17pdr to Duncan Sandys; story of accidentally running into minefield during exercise; officers' mess and recreations; Welsh character of unit. Aspects of advance through Libya and Tunisia, 4/1943-6/1943: mass briefing of officers by Montgomery at Tripoli Cinema; opinion of Montgomery; role during outflanking manoeuvre round Matmata Mountains, Tunisia, 3/1943, including dropping into action ready to face German tanks and wounded German run over by driver; visit to hot baths at El Hamma; chickens kept by gun team; vehicle cooking system. REEL 10 Continues: composition rations; method of brewing tea; story of getting lost in desert; gun positions on forward slope in attempt to counter Tiger tank; story of being surprised and captured by German patrol whilst acting as anti-tank screen, 1/5/1943. Recollections of period as POW in various transit camps in Tunis area, 5/1943: march to German lines; bet with German NCO over eventual winner of war, SS nature of unit; interrogation by German officer, reading French books; buying cigarettes from Italian guards; evacuation of area by German troops and story of one opening fire on Italian guards; reaction to liberation by British troops, 7/5/1943; desire to return to unit; story of stopping Arab civilian from looting; period in charge of German Field Hospital; journey in German vehicle to rejoin unit. REEL 11 Continues: custom of sharing clothes of casualties amongst unit. Review of service, 1943-1946: periods in Algeria and Italy; personal morale and background to decision to accept PYTHON leave; train journey across Italy; meeting brother; return to GB; posting to 81st Field Regt in Germany, 1945-1946; demobilisation, 4/1946. Post-war career: initial reluctance to return to work in bank; effects of war.