Description
Object description
British civilian in London, GB, 1939-1942; NCO served with Royal Army Service Corps in North Africa, Italy and North West Europe, 1942-1945, including Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany, 4/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in East End of London, GB, 1914-1940: family; employment; attitude to British Union of Fascists and anti-Semitism; story of father burning black shirt in protest; memories of Jewish friends; German air raid on East End, 1940; organising evacuation of wife and baby from London, 1940; sight of wave of German Air Force bombers over London; reaction to locals giving cups of tea to air crew of crashed German bomber. Aspects of enlistment and training as driver with Royal Army Service Corps in GB, 1942: call-up for military service with Royal Army Service Corps, 1942; training; posting to Egypt, 1942.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of operations as NCO with Royal Army Service Corps in North Africa, Italy, GB, 10/1942-6/1944: description of role attached to Royal Artillery units during Battle of El Alamein, 23/10/1942-11/11/1942; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery; burying German and Italian dead and looting of bodies by comrade; description of attack on Mareth Line, Tunisia; movements on Sicily and Italy; return to GB, 1944; training with DUKWs prior to Normandy Landings, 6/1944. Aspects of operations as NCO with Royal Army Service Corps in North West Europe, 6/1944-4/1945: voyage across English Channle and landing at Arromanches-les-Bains, Normandy, France, 7/6/1944; movements and transport duties in France, Belgium and Netherlands, 1944-1945.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Army Service Corps at Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany, 4/1945: initial impressions of camp; description of conditions in camp and state of inmates; duties transporting goods and inmates; burial of dead; story of rescuing Agnes Sassoon; requisitioning food and supplies from local German population; story of transporting camp inmates through Soviet Zone of Occupation sector to Stettin; return to No 168 Coy Royal Army Service Corps on Lüneberg Heath, summer 1945; prior recollection of being photographed with brothers in Bayeux, Normandy, France, 1944.
REEL 4 Continues: Reflections on period in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany, 4/1945: reason for not speaking about experiences of camp until 1995; opinion of Imperial War Museum's commemoration of 50th Anniversary of liberation of camp.