Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt in Gibraltar, GB and North West Europe, 1938-1940; POW in France, 1940; escaped and evading in France, 1940-1941 <see Farrow SR 11479/5> served as weapons training instructor at No 2 Infantry Training Centre, Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1942-1946. Present at Le Paradis, 27/5/1940
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Aylsham, & Roughton, (4 miles from Cromer) 1920-1938: family situation; education; interest in army; employment as servant; dispersal of family following death of mother; work in stone pit. Background to recruitment to Norfolk Regt at Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1/1938: story of failing medical due to poor physique and necessity of prior probationary period building up in cookhouse before acceptance; food rations; interview with adjutant and concealing marginally underage status. Recollections of conditions of service lifestyle and daily routine during basic training with 105 Squad, NR, Cameron Block, Britannia Barracks, 1/1938-7/1938: introductory lecture from Lance Corporal O'Shea; kitting out with uniform; preparing puttees, boots, buttons and cap badge for inspection; polishing barrack room floor; storing personal possessions; method of ensuring crease in trousers; cleaning stove; opinion of NCOs; early morning routine; breakfast; PT; story of Recruit Hagerty's inability to master drill.
REEL 2 Continues: story of ruse to enable Hagerty to master drill; question of purpose of drill; anti-aircraft alarms when marching; rifle training including range work, rapid fire and qualification as marksman; method of cleaning and oiling rifle after firing; initial Lewis gun training; training in stripping and firing Bren gun; introduction to 2"& 3" mortars; hand grenade training on Mousehold; gas training; educational classes; lunch. REEL 3 Continues: lunch and tea; competition between squads and story of ruse with Recruit Dick Fiddament to win squad cross country competition; inter-squad football match; enthusiasm for sportng activities; canteen facilities; recreations in Norwich and relationship with civilians; coal fatigue; guard duties and 'stick' system; preparing for kit inspections; purchase of blue serge uniform for walking out; kit inspections; reaction to 'bull'; relationship with and background of recruits; separation from Fiddament; relationship with NCOs and officers; reactions to army lifestyle; period at Barnham Camp including pitching tent, night route marches and tactical exercise. REEL 4 Continues: value of period at camp; issue of new uniform with no puttees; passing out parade; informal nature of competition between squads; leave and reactions of family; drafting system. Conditions during troopship voyage to Gibraltar, ca 8/1938. Recollections of period with 2nd Bn, NR at Buanavista Barracks, Gibraltar, 8/1938: initial posting to C Coy; passing trade test as carpenter despite lack of experience with help of NCO and posting to Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy; relationship with ORs; playing with battalion football team; training in use of explosives including methods of using gun cotton and ammotol, storage, special training area, use of Bangalore Torpedo to clear barbed wire and role in backing up work of Royal Engineers in action; gaining carpentry skills during work building and repairing huts; guard duty. REEL 5 Continues: guard duty; question of impact of Spanish Civil War; recreations and drinking habits. Return to GB, 1/1939: visit to Malta; nerves due to gypsy's prediction of troopship sinking. Periods at Guadaloupe Barracks, Bawdon and Oxney Camp, 1/1939-9/1939: rat problem; role as pioneers during exercises at Oxney Camp; latrines; story of long service soldier who's demobilisation was cancelled due to the outbreak of war; sending personnal possesions back home; reactions to outbreak of war. Journey to Cherbourg, 9/1939. Period at Ruebempre, 9/1939-19/1939: billets; minor repairs carried out by pioneers; training; visits to Amiens. Period at Rumigees, 10/1939: 12/1939: duties revetting trenches dug along Belgian frontier; VIP visits; use of decontamination bags to keep warm; farm billets; training and opinion of Thompson machine gun; football matches; early Christmas celebrations. REEL 6 Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in front line in Wallwestoft sector of Maginot Line, 12/1939-1/1940: prior train journey and march; nature of trenches in contact line; situation and dispositions; stand to; sentry duty, duties as pioneer; question of boredom; absence of German fire; fires; food rations; rum ration; night patrols; relationship with officers; wiring party; latrines; visit to Maginot line; return to Rumigees. Period at Orches, 1/1940-5/1940: billets; reception during leave in GB; training exercises and manoeuvres. REEL 7 Continues: ignorance of state of war. Journey by lorry to Tombique, Belgium; 10/4/1940: news of German offensive through Belgium; Stuka dive bomb raids and impact of siren. Recollections of operations at Tombique, 10/5/1940-14/5/1940: German artillery aircraft; digging slit trenches; rumour of 'cardboard' German tanks; duties as pioneers in demolition of bridge including prior transport of explosives in lorry, attachment of primed gun cotton to bridge joints, absence of German fire during operation, covering fire from artillery and successful detonation of charges; Stuka attacks; shooting at German infantry across river. Aspects of retreat, 14/5/1940-: roads full of Belgian refugees; Stuka dive bomb raids on refugees to try and delay retreat; C Coy success in shooting down aircraft with concentrated rifle fire; situation; sniper problem; question of bridge demolition; food rations; fatigue; situation and question of casualties. Recollections of defensive action on La Bassee Canal in Le Paradis section, 5/1940: situation; use of Pioneer section to fill gap between A and C Coys in defences and ruse to conceal weakness, ca 25/5/1940; reactions to heavy shellfire during German attempts to cross canal; role as pioneers. REEL 8 Continues: failed attempt to replenish explosive stocks from divisional stores; digging foxholes; casualties; ammunition shortage and consequent use of rifle rather than Bren; difficulty locating headquarters; situation at headquarters located in Druries Farm, Le Paradis; account of attempt under Lance Corporal Mason to blow up Pont d'Avelette Bridge over canal, 27/5/1940, including drive their in colonel's car, discovery that Germans had already crossed canal, sheltering in canal, casualties, severe arm injuries and capture. Initial treatment as POW in Le Paradis sector, 27/5/1940: dressing of wounds; collapse unconscious during van journey; march to join main group of British POWs. Question of accuracy of account the book, 'The man who Missed the Massacre' by Cyril Jolly. <The period from Farrow's capture to escape to Gibraltar is covered in his interview, SR 11479/5> REEL 9 Recollections of period in Bunavista Barracks, Gibraltar, ca 6/1941-8/1941: medical examination and poor state of health; question of flying to GB; civilian friends; tea with Governor Lord Gort; debriefing concerning experiences in France and subsequent secrecy; troopship voyage. Initial period in Norwich, ca 9/1941-5/1942: initial problems due to absence of kit and papers on disembarking and reporting to Britannia and Nelson Barracks; leave and reception due to uncorrected official status as missing presumed dead; .prolonged hospitalisation with gingivitis, chest problems and arm injuries; reasons for refusal of possibility of discharge unfit. Recollections of period with Regimental Police, No 2 Infantry Training Centre, Britannia Barracks, ca 5/1942-8/1942: duties; opinion and illustrative story of Sergeant Hoyley; relationship with ORs; guard duty; common offences. REEL 10 Continues: relationship with Northamptonshire Regt. Recollections of period as explosives and weapons training instructor, No 2 ITC, ca 8/1942-7/1946: method of rifle training; story of near accident during grenade training; nature of various live firing exercises including use of use of explosive charges to simulate battle conditions at Mousehold, Winterton, Stanton and Holton explosives training for selected recruits; promotion to corporal and relationship with recruits; regular range firing efficiency test for regulars; training exercises with local Home Guard on Ringland Hills and opinion of their military efficiency; revolver courses for barrage balloon personnel; duty inspecting anti-aircraft Bren gun posts. REEL 11 Continues: story of repairing Bren gun damaged by accident during air raid; stories of discovering and neutralising unexploded incendiary bomb in neighbour's loft after air raid and illustrations of bomb damage, ca 1943; barracks air raid shelters; story of clearing butterfly bombs with rifle fire dropped in local wood; barrack air raid shelters; inspection of Home Guard defences and weapons; relationship with Dorsetshire Regt; opinion of Sten gun and PIAT with illustrations of accidents during training; reaction to lecture on atomic bomb; question of further active service; signs of approach of D Day, 1944; question of subsequent contact with recruits; nickname of 'Strips'; question of celebrations at end of war, 1945; continuation of training programme, 1945-1946; refusal of permission to remain as regular, award of disability pension and demobilisation, 1946; subsequent period as civilian instructor, 1946-1947. Securing employment with railway and value of army experience.