Description
Object description
British officer served with Cheshire Yeomanry, 6th Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in GB and Palestine, 1939-1941; student with Middle East Staff College at Haifa, Palestine, 1941; served as staff officer with Eighth Army in Middle East, North Africa and Italy, 1941-1943; served as instructor at Staff College, Camberley in GB, 1944; served with 1st Royal Tank Regt, 22nd Armoured Bde, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as officer with Cheshire Yeomanry in GB, 1935-1939: background to joining yeomanry, 1935; belief on visit to Germany that war was inevitable, 1934; reaction to declaration of Second World War whilst in India, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as officer with Cheshire Yeomanry, 6th Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in GB and Palestine, 9/1939-4/1941: rejoining unit, 1939; degree of knowledge about German forces, 1939; transfer from GB to Palestine via France, 12/1939-1/1940; arrival in Haifa, 9/1/1940; 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. Aspects of period as student with Middle East Staff College in Haifa, Palestine, 1941: posting to college, 4/1941; visit to Baghdad, Iraq during Iraqi Coup, 4/1941.
REEL 2 Continues: escape to Baghdad via Rutbah Wells, 4/1941; opinions of commandant. Recollections of period as staff officer with Eighth Army in Middle East and North Africa, 1941-1943: hiring flat in Cairo, Egypt; attachment as liaison officer to 14th/20th King's Hussars at Kermanshah, Iraq; attempts of Germans to bring Iraq into war on German side; role as liaison officer with 2nd Armoured Bde, 1941; visit from King George II of Greece; question of superiority of German armour; first experience of action during Battle at Gazala, Libya, 5/1942-6/1942; visit by Lieutenant-General William Gott during Battle of Gazala, Libya, 5/1942- 6/1942; invitation for him to become staff officer with 'Toddcol'; problems of lack of sleep; wounding during Battle of Gazala, Libya, 6/1942; treatment for wounds; story of reporting to General Bernard Montgomery; role as staff officer with 10th Armoured Div at Burg el Arab, Egypt, 10/1942; General Bernard Montgomery's method of restoring morale; use of Westland Lysander aircraft for reconnaissance.
REEL 3 Continues: story of crash landing in Westland Lysander with Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden; description of clash between General Bernard Montgomery and Lieutenant General Herbert Lumsden, 11/1942; appointment as brigade major to 9th Armoured Bde; nature of victory parade in Cairo, Egypt; move of 9th Armoured Bde to Aleppo, Syria, winter 1942-1943; story of crashing into house in Euphrates Valley, Syria; reasons for preparations for invasion of Kos and Leros, Dodecanese Islands, 1943. Recollections of operations as staff officer with Headquarters, Eighth Arm in Italy, 1943-1944: background to posting; character of his headquarters; role and duties at headquarters; clarity of General Bernard Montgomery's instructions; General Bernard Montgomery's routine; visits by Very Important Persons (VIPs); General Bernard Montgomery's problems with General Mark Clark; contrast between US Fifth Army and British Eighth Army Headquarters; arrival of Lieutenant-General Oliver Leese to take over from General Bernard Montgomery; Lieutenant General Oliver Leese's demand for proper tactical headquarters; story of gambling on who would leave on General Bernard Montgomery's aircraft.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Royal Tank Regt, 22nd Armoured Bde, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: background to posting after period at Staff College, Camberley, 1944; occasion when he became acting commanding officer of unit at Sittard, Netherlands; responsibilities for spearheading attacks and his use of Daimler Dingo Scout Car; incident when he was hit in head by shrapnel from Panzerschreck; use of German prisoners of war to clear mines; reception by German civilians; entering Hamburg, Germany, 5/1945; capture of bank and supplies on docks in Hamburg, Germany, 5/1945; VE Day east of Hamburg, Germany, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Royal Tank Regt and staff officer with British Military Government in Germany, 1945: role looking after prisoner of war camps; capture of General Werner von Blomberg's horse; story of surrender of Hamburg; escape of Soviet former prisoners of war about to be returned to Soviet Union; opinion of Soviet Army; attitude of German civilians towards Soviets; role as GSO1 (Economics) with British Military Government in Hamburg, summer 1945; visits by British trade union leaders.
REEL 5 Continues: political attitudes in British Army during General Election, 7/1945. Reflections on military service in Second World War: story of manning one of cleared mine pathways during Batle of El Alamein, 10/1942-11/1942; General Bernard Montgomery's accurate prediction of course of Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942-11/1942; memories of meeting with American General George S Patton in France, 1944.