Mather, William Loris (Oral history)

British officer served with Cheshire Yeomanry in GB and Palestine, 1939-1941; student attended Staff College at Haifa, Palestine. 1941; served as staff officer in Middle East, North Africa and Italy, 1941-1943; served as instructor at Camberley Staff College in GB, 1944; served with 1st Royal Tank Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Joining Cheshire Yeomanry, 1935. Belief on visit to Germany that war was inevitable, 1934. Reaction to declaration of Second World War in India, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period with Cheshire Yeomanry in GB and Palestine, 1939-1941: re- joining unit, 1939; degree of knowledge about German forces, 1939; transfer to Palestine via France; arrival in Haifa, early 1940; policing duties in Arab villages; illegal Jewish immigration; role as divisional intelligence officer; situation of Palestinian Arabs; dealing with Jewish strikes in Haifa and Tel Aviv; reasons for inspection of wells; relations with French on demarcation line between Palestine and Lebanon and Syria; establishing official brothel in Haifa. Period as cadet at staff college in Haifa, 1941: posting to college, 4/1941; visit to Baghdad, Iraq during Rashid Ali coup, spring 1941. REEL 2 Continues: escape to Baghdad via Rutbah Wells; opinions of commandant. Recollections of operations as staff officer in Middle East and North Africa, 1941- 1943: hiring flat in Cairo; attachment as liaison officer to 14th/20th Hussars at Kormanshah; attempts of Germans to bring Persia into war on German side; role as liaison officer with join 2nd Armoured Bde clate 1941; visit from King of Greece; question of superiority of German armour; his first battle at Gazala c6/1942; visit by Gott to Gazala c6/1942; invitation for him to become staff officer with 'Toddcol'; problems of lack of sleep; wounding at Gazala; treatment for wounds; story of reporting to Montgomery; role as staff officer with 10th Armoured Corps at Bourg el Arab c10/1942; Montgomery's method of restoring morale; use of Westland Lysander for reconnaissance. REEL 3 Continues: story of crash landing in Westland Lysander with Herbert Lumsden; description of clash between Montgomery and Lumsden c11/1942; appointment as brigade major to 9th Armoured Bde; character of victory parade in Cairo; move of brigade to Aleppo, Syria winter 1942-1943; story of crashing into house in Euphrates Valley; reasons for preparations for invasion of Kos and Leros. Recollections of operations as staff officer with 8th Army Headquarters in Italy, 1943-1944: background to posting; character of his headquarters; role and duties at headquarters; clarity of Montgomery's instructions; Montgomery's routine; visits by VIPs; Montgomery's problems with Mark Clark; contrast between US and 8th Army Headquarters; arrival of Oliver Leese to take-over from Montgomery; Oliver Leese's demand for proper Tac Headquarters; story of gambling on who would go on Montgomery's plane. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as second-in-command with 1st Royal Tank Regt, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: background to posting after period at Camberley Staff College, 1944; occasion when he became acting commanding officer of unit at Sittard, Netherlands; responsibilities for spearheading attacks and his use of Dingo; incident when he was hit in head by shrapnel from bazooka; use of POWs to clear mines; reception by German civilians; entering Hamburg; capture of bank and supplies on docks; VE Day east of Hamburg. Aspects of Occupation of Germany, 1945: role looking after POW camps; capture of General Blomberg's horse; story of surrender of Hamburg; escape of Russian POWs about to be returned to Russia; opinion of Russian Army; attitude of German civilians towards Russians; role as GSO1 (Economics) in Hamburg, summer 1945; visits by British trade union leaders. REEL 5 Continues: political attitudes in British Army during 1945 Election. Story of manning one of cleared mine pathways during El-Alamein, 1942. Montgomery's accurate prediction of course of Battle of El-Alamein. Memories of meeting with US General George Patton in France, 1944.