Description
Object description
British sapper served with 84th Chemical Warfare Coy, Royal Engineers in GB, 1/1941-9/1942; NCO served with 50th Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps in GB, 1943-1944; served with Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 4/1944-5/1945; served with 1023rd Field Security Reserve Detachment, Headquarters, 21st Army Group, Schloss Ostenwalde, Germany, 5/1945-2/1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Sudbury Hill, GB, 1913-1932: family; reaction to father's return on leave during First World War; psychological effect of his father's military service during First World War; obtaining scholarship to Wembley County School; family recreational activities; relationship with father; visits to relative in central London; invention of secret language with brother.
REEL 2 Continues: nature of education; aptitude for languages. Aspects of period as language student at King's College, London, GB, 1932-1936 including year in Paris, France; relations with French students and host family in Paris, France, 1934; decision to become teacher; character of teacher training at Reading University, 1937. Aspects of period as teacher at Dartford Grammar School, Dartford, GB, 1937-1940; pacifist and political views; memories of outbreak and declaration of Second World War in Alençon, France and Sudbury Hill, GB, 1/9/1939-3/9/1939; German Air Force attacks on Dartford, summer 1940; reaction to German Air Force attacks.
REEL 3 Continues: effect of war on school life, 1940; sight of air battles over Dartford, summer 1940; evacuation of school to Battle, 1939. Recollections of enlistment and basic training as sapper with Royal Engineers at Barton Stacey Camp, GB, 10/1940-12/1940: reaction to call-up for military service, 17/10/1940; reception at Barton Stacey Camp; character of fellow recruits; kitting out with uniform; sleeping arrangements; physical training; breakfast; attitude towards drill; lectures on arms drill; nature of recruit swearing; arms drill and firing rifle; training with bayonet.
REEL 4 Continues: question of adjusting to military life and attitude toward bayonet practise; dinner and improving fitness; afternoon lectures; handling pickaxes and shovels; route marches; character of army tea and canteen; memories of friend Sapper Bob Caldewell; nights out in Andover; receiving punishment from sergeant-major on his birthday, 3/12/1940; reaction to another incident when he received punishment from sergeant-major; opinion of Sergeant Earle; character of Forces' Canteens.
REEL 5 Continues: recreational activities in Andover; playing pianos in public houses; drinking; reaction to being assigned to Chemical Warfare Coy. Recollections of period as sapper with 84th Chemical Warfare Coy, Royal Engineers at Figsbury Ring Camp, GB, 1/1941-9/1942: road building duties at Codbury; chemical warfare training; use of rockets to disperse gas shells on Exmoor; experiencing effects of DM Gas and Mustard Gas at Chemical Defence Experimental Station, Porton Down, 1941; training with Sten Gun and Thompson Machine Gun; training with grenades; training with booby traps; description of McNaughton Tubes in Poole Harbour.
REEL 6 Continues: duties with McNaughton Tubes at Newport; playing in dance band at Lynmouth, summer 1941; guard duties at Lynmouth, spring 1941; story of punishment he received for not guarding stores; coastal defence duties; accounting duties at Bournemouth, 1941. Recollections of training as NCO with Intelligence Corps in GB, 1942: posting to King Alfred College Training Depot at Winchester, 9/1942; composition of Field Security Section; injury received during motorcycle training.
REEL 7 Continues: motorcycle training; use of Matchless Motorcycle; mine recognition training; importance of listening for security purposes; lecturing to army units on security; question of what security was; map reading; role of field security; house breaking skills obtained; importance of sound recognition training; sabotage training. Recollections of period as NCO with 50th Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps based at St Paul's School, Hammersmith, London, GB, 1943-1944: composition of unit; duties in London; security role at experimental D-Day site at Virginia Water.
REEL 8 Continues: mysterious duties in London; attitude towards having to listen for security leaks; formation of counter-sabotage unit; detachment to MI5; role with partner Corporal Freddie Hensby in counter-sabotage operations; execution of counter-sabotage operations including one operation against Battersea Power Station, London, 2/1943.
REEL 9 Continues: reaction to capture by Home Guard at Littlebrook Power Station, Dartford; move to Glasgow, 4/1943; contrast in security levels at power stations; capture by Home Guard during counter-sabotage operation against Dundee Power Station, Dundee, 19/4/1943; injuries Corporal Freddie Hensby received during operation; counter-sabotage operation against Portobello Power Station, Edinburgh, 15/4/1943; importance of human element in security; counter-sabotage operation against Clydesmill Power Station, Glasgow.
REEL 10 Continues: injury received in operation at Clydesmill Power Station, Glasgow; return to London; move to Cardiff; landing in river after pursuit by Home Guard during operation at Cardiff, 5/1943; guarding secret establishment at Virginia Water. Recollections of period as NCO with Field Security in charge of General Bernard Montgomery's personal security at Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group at Southwark Park, GB, 4/1944-6/1944: nature of interview for job.
REEL 11 Continues: reaction to learning that he would be in charge of General Bernard Montgomery's personal security; General Bernard Montgomery's use of caravans; tactical headquarters transport; introducing himself to members of tactical headquarters; importance of security at headquarters; impressions of General Bernard Montgomery; exercises in GB; report writing. Recollections of journey as NCO with Field Security, Intelligence Corps, Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group from Gosport, GB to Normandy, France, 4/6/1944-7/6/1944: waterproofing of vehicles; lack of security leaks; incident when tent was set on fire; issue of equipment for Normandy Landings; security role during embarkation on board landing ship at Gosport, GB, 4/6/1944.
REEL 12 Continues: sight of Allied invasion armada, 6/6/1944; landing on beaches, 7/6/1944 including loss of lorry from Rhino Ferry; wounding of soldier in face by sniper in orchard; contact with civilians during reconnaissance of village. Recollections of period as NCO with Field Security, Intelligence Corps, Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group at Creullet, Normandy, France, 8/6/1944-22/6/1944: move to chateau at Creullet; issue of passes to French couple living in chateau; question of trustworthiness of French civilians; method of protecting perimeter of headquarters; arrival of General Bernard Montgomery; differences in messes at headquarters; positioning of General Bernard Montgomery's caravan; protection of General Bernard Montgomery's caravan; camouflage and blackout of headquarters; personal accommodation.
REEL 13 Continues: account of raid on collaborator's house with French Resistance member in Creuilly area; report writing to headquarters and his field security unit in GB; meeting with French Resistance leader at Bayeux; quality of troops guarding General Bernard Montgomery; story of General Charles De Gaulle's visit to headquarters; capture of German soldier found in perimeter, 11/6/1944.
REEL 14 Continues: treatment of German prisoner of war; denunciations by French civilians by other civilians; investigation of suspected French spy. Recollections of period as NCO with Field Security, Intelligence Corps, Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group at Blay in Normandy, France, 23/6/1944-3/8/1944: advance reconnaissance of site; initial contact with respectable French civilians in village; degree of French villagers' knowledge of the importance of site. Recollections of period as NCO with Field Security, Intelligence Corps, Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: advance reconnaissance of sites; reaction to passing through Falaise Gap, Normandy, France; loss of his hearing from shell fire.
REEL 15 Continues: sights seen during breakdown of motorbike in Falaise Gap, Normandy, France; reaction to sights of death and destruction in Falaise Gap, Normandy, France; reaction of civilians to liberation in northern France, Belgium and Netherlands; meeting with injured member of French Resistance; liberation of Brussels, Belgium; arrival in Netherlands; visit to Dutch Resistance leader in Budel, Netherlands; contact with Dutch family in Eindhoven area, Netherlands; obtaining foot stool and cushion for visit by King George VI.
REEL 16 Continues: move to Geldrop, Netherlands; story of death of girlfriend he met in Geldrop, Netherlands; return to Zonhoven, Belgium during Ardennes Offensive, 12/11/1944; death of soldier from alcohol poisoning; conditions in billets in Zonhoven, Belgium, 12/1944; increase in headquarter's staff for advance into Germany; story of discovering Belgian Resistance hiding place in house; field security duties; Christmas celebrations in Zonhoven, Belgium, 25/12/1944; carol concert recorded by BBC and presentation of certificate from Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; opinion of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; memories of leave in GB, 1/1945; return to headquarters at Zonhoven, Belgium; reaction to increase in size of field security at headquarters; initial impressions of Germany.
REEL 17 Continues: amusing story of nearly setting fire to headquarters; use of German informers; German civilian's fear of Soviets; memories of Scloss Ostenwalde; interviewing owners and staff at Schloss Ostenwalde; raid on armed Soviet Displaced Persons; party with Soviet Displaced Persons; contact with German troops; arrival at Soltau, Germany, 21/4/1945; character of field security accommodation at Soltau, Germany, 21/4/1945; reaction to hearing of German tanks approaching headquarters.
REEL 18 Continues: sight of German armoured car and evacuation towards main headquarters area; Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's reaction to death of aide, Major John Poston. Recollections of German surrender at Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group, Lüneburg Heath, Germany, 5/1945: impressions of Lüneburg Heath; Field Marshal Montgomery's reaction to arrival of party of German officers; role on guard duties in front of marquee during German surrender on Lüneburg Heath; question of who was interpreting proceeding; reaction to participation at the German surrender of forces in northern Germany; reaction to initial flight in aircraft, 6/5/1945; role during mission to present formal terms of surrender to senior German officers and Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel in Flensburg, 6/5/1945.
REEL 19 Continues: reaction to involvement in mission; meal taken in German officer's mess at Flensburg; description of interview with Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel; reaction to completion of mission; eve of VE Day celebrations, 7/5/1945; arrival of German senior commanders at headquarters, VE Day, 8/5/1945; Field Marshal Montgomery's address to headquarter's staff on VE Day, 8/5/1945; security sections' living in German billets; role escorting German officers to headquarters in northern Netherlands; continuing clashes between Germans and Dutch Resistance in northern Netherlands after VE Day; fraternisation with German officer during escort duties.
REEL 20 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 1023rd Field Security Reserve Detachment, Headquarters, 21st Army Group at Schloss Ostenwalde, Germany, 5/1945-2/1946: return to schloss, late 5/1945; reasons for staying with Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's staff; role in charge of security and interpreters; attempt by Nazis sympathisers to set fire to schloss; relations with German civilians; black market; liaison work between Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and his German tailor; character of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's correspondence; role in employing schloss staff; story of his jeep accident, 21/11/1945; death of friend Sergeant Ted Allen, 21/11/1945; nature of injuries he received in accident.
REEL 21 Continues: period of hospitalisation, 11/1945-12/1945; descripton of Schloss Ostenwalde; recuperation in Baronesses' bedroom; presents received from German civilians, Christmas, 25/12/1945; relations with German civilians; reaction to impending demobilisation, early 1946; amusing story of leaving headquarters on demobilisation, 2/1946; journey from Germany to GB for demobilisation, 2/1946; reaction to demobilisation; issue of civilian clothing and food on demobilisation, 26/2/1945; resumption of teaching career, 1945; question of effects of military service.