Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with 70th and 16th Bns Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in GB, 1941- 1943; NCO served with 148 Independent Training Bde in GB, 1943; served with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, Middle East, Greece and Austria, 1943-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Nottinghamshire, GB, 1923-1941: family; memories of childhood; education in Eastwood; reasons for wanting to join army; details of Life Boys; activities; organisation of group; drill; camping; length of service; education in Mansfield; work and training received in father's butchers shop; father's service in First World War; details of work with father; attempt to join army at fourteen; eyesight; knowledge of approaching war; outbreak of war; reactions to start of war; joining of Local Defence Volunteers; details of unit; guard duties; rifle and ammunition issued; organisation and activities of guard; attitude to duty; role of guard; investment of time; pattern of training; rifle drill; opinion of drill; rifle training; opinion of what makes a good shot; bayonet training; grenade practice; other weapons within Home Guard; background of troops; relationship with older troops; field craft training; joining of army; reasons for joining army; process of signing-up; result of medical. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 70th and 16th Bns Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in GB, 2/1941-1/1943: posting in Nottingham; story of going to wrong place.
REEL 2 Continues: reception on arrival; first meal in army; issue of meals; sleeping arrangements; visits to Nottingham; gas masks carried; drill; posting to Bulwell Hall; spread of battalion; relationship with and background of recruits; opinion of NCOs and officers; friends in unit; accommodation; comparison of training with that received in Home Guard; training with and opinion of Lewis Gun; training based on First World War experiences; opinion and firing of 2" mortar; aiming of mortar; range; details and opinion of Thompson Submachine Gun; piling arms; daily routine; opinion of routine; utensils used at mealtimes and problems with food poisoning; breakfast; opinion of rations; canteen; guard duties including story of requesting an end to guard; leisure activities; story of 16 mile road walk; cross country running; posting to Owsten Ferry; accommodation; stories of journey to Owsten Ferry; details of NCOs course taken at Haxey.
REEL 3 Continues: activities in Owsten Ferry; relationship with civilians; leave; pride in uniform; NCOs course taken at Stainborough Castle; promotion to lance corporal; duties and relationship with private soldiers; posting at RAF Waltham; defences built at airfield; night manoeuvres; length of posting; posting at Woodhall Spa; accommodation; transfer to carrier platoon; reason for volunteering for bren gun carriers; driving training; driving of bren gun carrier and roles of crew members; story of nearly tipping a carrier; opinion of bren gun; reason for decision to leave platoon; posting to Keelby Bridge; climate; accommodation; posting in Brig; training; joining of A Company; duties; relationship with RAF; accommodation; posting to Kessingland; role of advance party; accommodation; promotion to corporal; favourite weapon for teaching; opinion of Boyes anti-tank rifle; issue and opinion of Lee Enfield rifle; instruction duties; turnover of troops; attitude to posting overseas; posting in Caister; coastal defence duties and positions; relationship with section; accommodation; change of battalion title to 16th; Christmas 1942; accommodation of company; opinion of officers and senior NCOs.
REEL 4 Continues: break-up of battalion; reaction to disbandment; interview and posting to 148 Training Brigade in Wrotham; reaction to posting. Aspects of period as NCO with 148 Training Brigade in GB, 1/1943-8/1943: details and role of unit; opinion of officer cadets; application for commission; background of officer cadets; duties; opinion of phosphorous grenades; length and opinion of posting; earlier change in medical grading; posting to Lincoln Barracks; duties and offer of permanent post; return to Caister; embarkation leave; journey to Greenock. Aspects of journey from Greenock, GB, to Naples, Italy, aboard the SS Champollion, 8/1943-9/1943: details of ship; seasickness; sleeping arrangements; rations; conditions onboard; loss of convoy; voyage through Mediterranean; first impressions of North Africa; reunion with Stan Knight and Hyran Rice; size of draft; knowledge of destination; activities at Infantry Reinforcement Training Depot; climate; voyage to Naples. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 9/1943-2/1944: joining of battalion at Vandria; posting in A Company; officers and NCOs in company; briefing for attack on Calabritto; first position taken including German position; description of slit trenches dug; proximity to nearest slit trench; sighting of trenches; tools used for digging; opinion and description of entrenching tool; setting-up of positions; routine; cover taken; reactions to coming under fire; description of shellfire.
REEL 5 Continues: supply and contents of compo rations; opinion of rations; non- food and luxury items of compo rations; theft of cigarettes from rations; smoking in frontline; cigarette ration; cooking of meals; latrines; Stand To; organisation and duties of sentries; method of raising alert; inspection of sentry; challenge of patrols and passwords; visits of senior NCOs and officers; sentry duty shifts; ease of keeping clean; discipline; duties; cleaning and inspection of weapons; mail; importance of mail; talk amongst troops; details of patrols; length of posting; Americans in area; withdrawal of Germans; advance through Calabritto; details of work on road including destruction of first jeeps to use road; story of Guardsman evacuated from Monastery Hill; scenes during advance along railway to Rocca d'Evandro; positions taken up; problems digging in; area covered by section; knowledge of wider situation in battalion; minenwerfer fire and cover taken; casualties; attitude toward situation; supply of rations; knowledge of German positions; opinion of reason for receiving so much fire; story of dud shell.
REEL 6 Continues: rest period at Montemaggiore; experience of older soldiers; example of a case of battle weariness; opinion and memories of Lieutenant Verity; positions taken on Garigliano at Rocca d'Evandro; location of platoon headquarters; terrain; arrival of reinforcements and subsequent shelling; air activity; fear of mines; description of S Mine; booby traps; policy of not using vacated positions; organisation of a reconnaissance patrol; kit and weapons taken on patrol; preparations for patrol; time and length of patrol; formation of patrol; details and role of a reconnaissance patrol; role and story of a contact patrol; details of standing patrols; support given to machine gunners above Ambrogia; procedure for opening fire; standing patrols and terrain at Suja; relationship with civilians; commandeering of buildings; description of sangars built; activities in Suja; plan for advance; positions taken in mountains; opinion of reason for septic hand; evacuation to advanced hospital; treatment; 21st Birthday; return to unit; reactions to posting in Middle East; role on journey to Taranto; description of passage through a tunnel.
REEL 7 Continues: problems with tunnel; time in Taranto; voyage to Port Said. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: impressions of Egypt; posting at Mount Carmel outside Haifa; guards against rifle theft; description of camps accommodated in; training and visits to Haifa; rest on Sea of Galilee; visits to Tiberius; situation in Palestine; posting in at Mount Hermon; visits to Damascus and Beirut; battle drill; train journey to Qassassin; description of camp; leave in Cairo; reactions to return to Italy. Aspects of operations as NCO with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 7/1944-9/1944: arrival and accommodation in Bevagna; relationship with civilians; journey to Gothic Line; activity in line; opposition faced; advance to River Foglia; crossing of river and area beyond; positions taken; memories of events; fixing of bayonets; objective; call from sniper; proximity to German troops; plan of attack; run across minefield; opposition faced; reactions to situation; capture of farmhouse and German POWs; story of German corporal; halt of advance; story of German accidentally shot; success of flanking platoons; opinion of bayonet; digging of slit trenches; briefings before an attack; advance up hill to Montevecchio; wounding and treatment of Lance Corporal Frank Chell.
REEL 8 Continues: German casualties; story of night in a bed; opinion of Lieutenant Stanley; air activity in Belvedere; story of wounding; details of wounds; evacuation; initial treatment; knowledge of wound; time waiting in ditch; details of evacuation to hospital in Barletta. Aspects of hospitalisation in Italy, 1944-1945: opinion of conscientious objector ambulance drivers; story of ambulance journey; description of skin graft received; reactions to being wounded; leisure activities; voyage to Greece. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Greece, 1945: return to unit at Vouliagmeni; situation in Greece; involvement in regimental sports day; opinion of concert parties; return to Italy. Aspects of period as NCO in Italy, 1945: leave in Taranto; story of motorcycle crash; initial examination in hospital; passing of blood; hospitalisation with bruised company; duties in Brindisi; VE Day. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Austria, 1945-1946: return to unit at Herrenhaus; activities of battalion; delay of leave in GB; snipers course in Bisley; mood of battalion; story of fight in Greece; story of shot taken at Ron Williamson; accommodation; post on frontier; demobilisation group number; compassionate posting in Edwinstowe with Pioneer Corps; duties; demobilisation; civilian work.