Description
Object description
British guardsman served with Headquarters Coy, 2nd Bn Irish Guards during expedition to rescue Dutch Royal Family from Hook of Holland, Netherlands and at Boulogne, France, 13/5/1940-22/5/1940; private served with No 2 Commando, 11th Special Air Service in GB, 1940-1941; NCO served with 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in GB, North Africa, Sicily and Italy, 11/1941-10/1943; served on mission for Special Operations Executive to France, 1/1944; NCO served with R Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; prisoner of war in Stalag XI-B, Fallingbostel, Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Lazarett IX-B, Bad Soden, Germany, 10/1944-4/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Wolverhampton, GB, 1911-1939: family; education; employment; reasons for enlistment in British Army, 1930. Recollections of operations as guardsman with Headquarters Coy, 2nd Bn Irish Guards during expedition to rescue Dutch Royal Family from Hook of Holland, Netherlands, 13/5/1940 and at Boulogne, France, 21/5/1940-22/5/1940: expedition to rescue Dutch Royal Family; evacuation aboard HMS Wild Swan, 13/5/1940; move to Boulogne, France; character of street fighting; German shell hit on ship during evacuation by HMS Wild Swan, 22/5/1940; role of unit in Boulogne, France; behaviour of French drinkers during fighting; reaction on return to GB. Aspects of period as private with No 2 Commando, 11th Special Air Service and 1st Bn Parachute Regt in GB, 1940-1942: background to transfer to No 2 Commando, 1940; training at Hardwick Hall; parachute training at No 1 Parachute Training School, RAF at RAF Ringway; attitude towards discipline; air landing role of units; background to how No 2 Commando became 11th Special Air Service, 21/11/1940 and then 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 15/9/1941; attitude to parachuting from Armstrong Whitworth Whitley aircraft; attitude towards balloon jumping.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with R Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in North Africa, 11/1942-7/1943: voyage to Algiers, French Algeria during Operation Torch, 11/1942; parachute drop at Souk-el-Arba, Tunisia, 13/11/1942; reception by French colonial troops and civilians; strafing by German Air Force; German christening of paratroopers as 'Red Devils'; problems with water supply and contracting dysentery; contact with American troops; preparations for Operation Ladbroke airborne landings on Sicily, Italy in Algeria. Recollections of operations as NCO with Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Airborne Bde, 1st Airborne Div in Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: shooting down of his aircraft into sea by Allied ships; landing in sea; heading inland towards Primosole Bridge; amusing story of contact with German paratroopers; character of action at Primosole Bridge. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div in Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: landing by ship at Taranto; attitude of Italian civilians towards Allies.
REEL 3 Continues: his parachute drop at Pescara to rescue British prisoners of war on run, 10/1943. Recollections of mission with Special Operations Executive to France, 1/1944: background to recruitment to mission; parachuting into Rouen area; meeting with reception committee; need to identify agent who turned out to be his fiancée; story of meeting his fiancée Eva Wantling; returning with fiancée in Westland Lysander; condition his fiancée was in on their meeting. Recollections of operations as NCO with R Coy, 1st Bn Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Bde, 1st Airborne Div during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944: reaction to standing down of operations; landing in Oosterbeek-Wolfheze area; equipment carried; sight of inmates of asylum; company casualties; wounding during attempt to cross River Nederrijn.
REEL 4 Continues: three day period at Hartenstein Hotel; contact with Dutch civilians; prior recollections of Colonel Joe Vandeleur pre-1939. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Stalag XI-B, Fallingbostel, Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Lazarett IX-B, Bad Soden, Germany, 10/1944-4/1945: short period in Stalag XI-B, Fallingbostel; escape attempt during train journey to Stalag Luft III, Sagan; recapture and punishment; arrival at Stalag Luft III, Sagan; lack of Red Cross parcels; prisoner of war treatment of those caught stealing; attempt to recruit him to British Free Corps. Aspect of march between Stalag Luft III, Sagan and Lazarett IX-B, Bad Soden, Germany, 1/1945-3/1945: conditions on march; shooting of prisoners of war who failed to rejoin march quickly enough; physical condition on completion of march.
REEL 5 Continues: treatment of prisoners of war by civilians in bombed town; escape attempt; arrival at Lazarett IX-B, Bad Soden. Aspects of liberation and return to GB, 1945: disappearance of guards and arrival of American troops; processing of former prisoners of war and return to GB; reception at Little Missenden; reflections of General Election, 7/1945. Memories of period with 2nd Irish Guards, 1930s.
