Jones, Walter (Oral history)

British gunner served with 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery, 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB, 9/1939-5/1942; NCO served with 95th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North Africa, 1942-1943; served with Raiding Support Regt in Yugoslavia, Albania and Italy, 2/1944-4/1945

REEL 1 Background in Liverpool, GB, 1920-1939: family; education. Recollections of period as gunner with 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB, 1939-1942: reasons for joining Territorial Army, 1939; level of training, 1939; opinion of Ordnance QF 2 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun; public reaction to declaration of Second World War in Swansea, 3/9/1939; issue of service dress uniforms; gun drills on imaginary guns at Crosby, late 1939; period guarding internees at Huyton Internment Camp, 6/1940-7/1940; attitude of guards towards internees; conditions for internees; amusing incident involving guard and Italian internee; coastal defence duties in Heveningham Hall area, 7/1940-8/1940; German Air Force attack on RAF Martlesham Heath, 8/1940; his conviction that Germans would invade; reaction to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's speeches; opinion of coastal defences; coastal defence work at Pevensey Bay, 2/1941-7/1941; German Air Force attack on Eastbourne. REEL 2 Continues: attempt to shoot down German aircraft at Eastbourne; evacuation of civilian population from beach properties; impressions of Aldershot; exercises in Hampshire, 7/1941-8/1941; coastal defence duties at Herstmonceux; 8/1941-10/1941; agricultural duties at Moreton-in-Marsh, 10/1941-11/1941; volunteering for Royal Air Force; relations with civilians in Kingston upon Hull; 11/1941-5/1942; sight of devastation in Kingston upon Hull and public morale; on draft to 95th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery at Newcastle upon Tyne, 5/1942. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Awatea and HMT Kościuszko from GB to Egypt, 6/1942-9/1942: collision of SS Awatea with other ship; promotion to lance bombardier; continuing voyage on board HMT Kościuszko; relations with civilians in Durban, South Africa. Aspects of period as NCO with 95th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery, Eighth Army in North Africa, 1942-1943: arrival at Port Tewfik. REEL 3 Continues: listening to veterans who had served in Western Desert; morale of veterans; arrival of Ordnance QF 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun; independence of unit; memories of the opening of Battle of El Alamein at Mena Camp, Egypt, 23/10/1942; pursuit of Germans, late 1942; orders to attend physical fitness course in Canal Zone, Egypt 12/1942; period in transit camps including Moascar Camp, Egypt; question of failure to relieve troops who did fighting in North Africa. Aspects of period as NCO with 95th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in Middle East, 1943: move to Lebanon, 1/1943; in tented camp at Latakia, Syria. Aspects of period as NCO with Raiding Support Regt in Middle East, 1943-1944: posting to unit; parachute training at Ramat David, Palestine, 12/1943; composition of unit; character of unit's anti-aircraft defences; role of unit. Recollections of operations as NCO with Raiding Support Regt in Yugoslavia, 2/1944-9/1944: arrival on Vis Island, 21/2/1944; impression of Yugoslavian Partisans. REEL 4 Continues: terrain on Vis Island; German Air Force attacks on Vis town and Komitsa, Vis Island; local character 'Five Columns Sir John'; dependence of Yugoslav Partisans on Allied supplies from Italy; organisation of raids on other islands; participatin in his first raid on Brac Island, 2/6/1944; reasons for high partisan losses during raid on Brac Island; partisan claim that Soviets saved Josip Tito; impressions of Josip Tito on Vis Island; story of Josip Tito's and Fitzroy Maclean's visit to grotto on Ravnik Island; anti-aircraft role during raid on Brac Island, 6/1944; change in nature of relations with partisans after Josip Tito's arrival on Vis Island; naval support during raid on Korcula Island, 2/8/1944. REEL 5 Continues: fate of German prisoners of war in partisan hands; question of Germans fighting to death rather than surrender to partisans. Recollections of operations as NCO with Raiding Support Regt in Albania, 9/1944-10/1944: seasickness amongst commandos; operational problems occurring in Sarande area; execution of raid on Sarande, 9/10/1944-12/10/1944; surrender of German Sarande and Corfu garrisons; contracting malaria. Recollections of operations as wireless operator with E Bty, Raiding Support Regt in Italy, 3/1945-4/1945: joining Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun equipped battery; role as wireless operator; bogging down of Buffalo Amphibious Vehicles at Lake Comacchio, 1/4/1945-2/4/1945; objectives of Operation Roast at Lake Comacchio, 1/4/1945-2/4/1945; actions he was involved in at Lake Comacchio, 1/4/1945-2/4/1945; reaction to casualties in last week of war in Argenta Gap, 4/1945. REEL 6 Continues: discovery of German rocket site, 4/1945; reception received from Italian civilians, 4/1945; reaction of former Soviet troops fighting for German armed forces to surrender in Italy, 29/4/1945; Italian Partisan treatment of collaborators; memories of General Election in GB, 7/1945; story of encounter with Harry Seacombe, 3/1945.