Description
Object description
British private served with 10th Divisional Cyclist Coy, Army Cyclist Corps in Gallipoli, Turkey, 1915 and Salonika, Greece, 1915-1919
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Hurstbourne Tarrant, Hampshire, GB. 1897-1914: family home; rent, father's employment as farm labourer; education; story of being beaten for stealing; childhood games including scouting; religious beliefs and activities; memories of village life and inhabitants; employment on farms, making and selling hurdles, digging wells and as delivery boy; wages; employment in quarries and colliery; enlisted with Somerset Light Infantry in Bristol, 9/1914. Aspects of training with Somerset Light Infantry in GB, 9/1914-1915: posted to Taunton; problem of overcrowding in barracks; opinion of food; dixies of tea; training in civilian clothes; drilling with sticks instead of rifles; sleeping arrangements.
REEL 2 Continues: story of Welsh recruits; relations with local civilians; description of voyage from Fishguard to Rosslare; problem of seasickness for men and horses. Aspects of training in Ireland, 1915: description of basic training at Royal Irish Regt depot in Fermoy; problem of conflict between Irish regiments; posted to depot of Leinster Regt; opinion of accommodation; story of being selected for training as cyclist; posted to The Curragh camp; number of recruits; formation of Army Cycling Corps; description of BSA and Royal Enfield bicycles; weight and colour; back pedalling brakes; assembling bicycles; memories of first ride; divided into platoons of thirty men; problem of cold weather; method of attaching rifle to bicycle; basic riding training; night riding exercises in Phoenix Park; memories of Soldiers and Sailors Home; transferred to King George V barracks; inoculations; relations with Irish civilians; maintenance and spares; carriers at front and back of bicycles. Aspects of training with 10th Divisional Cycling Coy in GB, 1915: posted to 10th Div camp, Basingstoke; battle and rifle training; story of visiting home during map reading exercise; confined to camp; story of three soldiers receiving 28 days Field Punishment for leaving camp; cycled to Southampton. Aspects of voyage to Greece, 1915: problem of not being on ration list; weather conditions; distribution of rations; opinion of sleeping in hammock; landed on Lemnos, Greece, 7/1915. Aspects of operations with 10th Divisional Cycling Coy in Gallipoli, Turkey, 7/1915-10/1915: terrain; weather; slept in open; landed at Suvla Bay, 14/Aug/1915; role in second and third lines of defence at Chocolate Hill; description of defences; use of aircraft to direct artillery fire; effect of shrapnel shells; duties taking boxes of .303 ammunition and water to front line troops.
REEL 3 Continues: water rations; description of injuries caused by shrapnel shells; casualties; sailed aboard HMS Albion to Salonika, Greece. Recollections of operations with 10th Divisional Cycling Coy in Salonika, Greece, 10/1915-1/1919: memory of White Tower; first impressions of Salonika; marched to Lembet Road camp; issued with summer kit; story of Christmas dinner, 1915; attitude to brothels and prostitutes; opinion of Greeks; cycled to border of northern Greece and Bulgaria, 11/1915; took up positions in valley; problem of snow storm and lack of winter clothing, 12/1915; description of making bivouac; took over trenches from French Zouaves; frostbite cases; duties on patrol in area between 10th Div and French Army; opinion of rations; story of being invalided out of line with frostbite; description of medical treatment for frostbite at base hospital and at hospitals in Egypt; memories of visit to Karnak; returned to base camp in Salonika, 3/1916; story of not saluting officer when on sentry duty; memories of Zeppelin being shot down.
REEL 4 Continues: description of cycling along Seres road; construction of dugouts in rocks for General HQ: moved into positions in Struma valley; terrain; patrol duties defending villages against Bulgarians; duties as pigeon carrier; method of sending messages by pigeon; carried bicycles over head when crossing streams; role with Lewis gun team carrying ammunition; amusing story of medal awards; duties filling sand bags; story of getting drunk on rum; description of night attack; story of bullet wound in leg and medical treatment; home leave, 9/1918; returned to base camp, 10/1918; reaction to end of war in Salonika; duties guarding supplies in camp; story of escorting supply train to Sofia, Bulgaria; memories of three day leave in Sofia.
REEL 5 Continues: story of visit to prostitute; description of rail and road journey across Greece, 12/1918; demobilisation process; attitude to further service in Russia; preference given to miners for demobilisation; description of journey back to GB, 1/1919. Aspects of period in GB, 1919: posted to Army Cycling Depot, Chiselhurst, Kent; issued with discharge papers and civilian clothes; allowed to keep army greatcoat; returned to Andover, 2/1919; back pay. Post-war life in GB: story of finding accommodation; employment as miner and well digger.
