Description
Object description
British private trained with Highland Light Infantry at No 46 Infantry Training Centre, Gordon Barracks, Bridge of Don, GB, 1942; private and NCO served with 5th Bn Highland Light Infantry, 157th Infantry Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB, 1942-1943; officer cadet trained with Armoured Officer Cadet Training Unit at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, GB, 1943-1944; officer served with 3rd Royal Tank Regt, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB and North West Europe, 6/1944-9/1944; served as staff officer with General Headquarters, Middle East Command in Egypt, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of enlistment and training as private with Highland Light Infantry at No 46 Infantry Training Centre, Gordon Barracks, Bridge of Don, GB, 1942: enlistment, 2/1942; reception on arrival; accommodation; training syllabus including weapons training; section drills; physical training; attitude towards inspections; platoon spirit; origins of other recruits; rations; character of Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel in canteen; adjustment to military life; uniform and boots; shooting; previous experience in Home Guard; learning to use ground; route marches; hand injury; instructors; range work. Recollections of period as private and NCO with 5th Bn Highland Light Infantry, 157th Infantry Bde, 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div in GB, 1942-1943: joining battalion; atmosphere in battalion; character of troops and comradeship; relations with NCOs; opinion of battle drills.
REEL 2 Continues: absorption of battle drills; scale of tactical training; joining 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Div; issue of special winter clothing and kit; sleeping bags and snow tents; night exercise without bedding on mountain peak; nature of training; Norwegian instructors; rations and use of 'Tommy Cooker'; importance of brewing up; attachment of Mule Coys of Force K6, Royal Indian Army Service Corps; use of mules and horses in mountains; duties as mounted orderly; communications; speed of march in mountains; incident of basic command problem; promotion; discipline; watering arrangements; visit to Royal Navy at Rosyth; attending War Office Selection Board (WASB) in Edinburgh; preference for armoured vehicle service.
REEL 3 Continues: exercises for potential landings in Norway. Aspects of period as NCO at Pre-OCTU at Blackdown in GB, 1943: syllabus; cross-country driving; instructor; strict emphasis on personal turnout. Aspects of period as officer cadet with Armoured Officer Cadet Training Unit at Royal Military College, Sandhurst in GB, 1943-1944: pattern of training; exercise in Wales; comparison between Cromwell Tank and M4 Sherman Tank; gun drills; gunnery range work; wireless and map reading training; night operations; wireless sets used; tactical exercises and emphasis on offensive operations; value of course; organised into troops.
REEL 4 Continues: reasons for one cadet being Returned To Unit (RTU); discipline and punishments; NCO instructors. Recollections of period as officer with 3rd Royal Tank Regt, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB, 1944: selection process for unit; joining unit at Bridlington; joining B Sqdn; advice from Sergeant Shepherd including manoeuvring and battle survival skills; presence of desert veterans in regiment; regimental wireless net; organisation and strength of regiment; use of box formation; Reconnaissance Troop; details of regimental command structure; infantry support exercises.
REEL 5 Continues: lack of contact with other units in brigade; fire support for infantry; impression of 11th Armoured Div being a well trained division; subalterns in B Sqdn; later incident of 'O' Group hit by artillery in Normandy, France; lack of co-operation with other arms; move to Aldershot; lectures on current affairs; lack of knowledge of or where invasion would take place; sight of mass of aircraft overhead, 6/6/1944; briefing to divisional officers given by General Bernard Montgomery and role of VIII Corps; dusty drive to Gosport; embarkation aboard Landing Ship Tank (LST) at Gosport. Recollections of operations as officer with 3rd Royal Tank Regt, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: shackling tanks in Landing Ship Tank (LST) during storm; disembarkation at Courseulles-sur-Mer; move inland using beach marshals; assembling of regiment at Cully; nature of ten day wait at Cully; forming up north of Cheux for Operation Epsom; digging in under tank.
REEL 6 Continues: sight of airman descending by parachute; artillery deployment; morale prior to first action; writing 'last' letters home; attitude towards married men; character of soldiers' letters; attitudes towards authority; cynical nature of 'old hands'; how fear of responsibility outweighed that of personal harm; discipline; briefings; degree of awareness of plan for Operation Epsom; rumours; briefing his troop; objectives for Operation Epsom; role of unit during Operation Epsom; weather on morning of operation; infantry moving forward; reaction to sight of first dead.
REEL 7 Continues: busy nature of troop commander role; reasons for discarding gun shields; reasons why tank commander had head out of turret during action; use of box formation; reasons for position of Sherman Firefly in troop; character and use of regimental radio net; squadron formation used during Operation Epsom; troop remaining as squadron reserve; intervals between tanks; difficulty of spotting source of incoming fire; terrain; formation of the infantry during advance; demeanour of troops; night prior to operation; rations; effects of short nights; effects of fatigue and use of Benzedrine; knocking out of German Panzer Mk IV Tank; amount of movement during Day 1 of Operation Epsom; role leading tank on Day 2 and role of troop commander.
REEL 8 Continues: technique for crossing hedgerows; need for immediate action under-fire; opinion of M4 Sherman Tank's 75 mm gun against German anti-tank guns; use of machine guns for suppressive fire; effective ranges; use of High Explosive (HE) fire to support infantry; laagering and resupply at night; informality amongst crew; activities first day of Operation Epsom, 26/6/1944; advance across River Odon during Operation Epsom, 27/6/1944; cross-country speed of movement; state of column at River Odon crossing; on slope beyond River Odon; panic firing at dusk; hearing German activity at night; advance up Hill 112; crossing road under fire; reconnaissance of foot under German multi-barrelled mortar fire; taking up position in wood on Hill 112.
REEL 9 Continues: under German multi-barrelled mortar fire in wood; conditions in wood; visit from commanding officer at dusk; orders to withdraw; withdrawal from wood with one tank going astray; physical condition and state of mind; no sighting of Germans on Hill 112; reasons for not firing on German tank crew; recovery from Operation Epsom; fatigue; reasons for withdrawal from Hill 112; move over River Orne via Benouville Bridge; shelling of 'O' Group; smell of dead cattle; briefing for Operation Goodwood and plan to cross minefield; orders to advance on bearing; how start line was obscured.
REEL 10 Continues: accidental shelling by Allied artillery and closing down hatches; advance forward and effect of artillery barrage; effects on morale of artillery and air support; advance in formation; under fire from direction of Cagny; use of Hawker Typhoons to suppress German fire; crossing Caen-Vimont Railway Line; engaging German Panther Tanks; sight of 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry tanks on fire; move to towards embankment; late arrival of Guards Armoured Div; preparations to escape from tank if hit; hit on tank, wounding and baling out; discovery of wounded corporal and aiding him to medical officer's M3 White Half-Track; reporting to squadron leader; sound of shell strike on tank; medical treatment and evacuation to base hospital at Arromanches-les-Bains; embarkation on board hospital ship at Mulberry Harbour.
REEL 11 Continues: treatment on board hospital ship; hospitalisation in GB; in holding unit at Cowley, GB; return to regiment in Normandy; reception on arrival at squadron; changes in squadron; allocation to wireless truck for next action and reaction to action; being sent forward to take over No 2 Troop; memories of Sergeant Stan Cooper; state of predecessor's kit; joining No 2 Troop in defile near Flers; night in house; character of wireless truck; radio traffic on regimental net; unit activity after Operation Goodwood; terrain for advance; morale in No 2 Troop; comparison of squadron leaders; troop NCOs; establishment of rapport with tank crew.
REEL 12 Continues: reception on entry into Flers; advance towards Falaise; firing on German soft skinned vehicles; reconnaissance on foot and sight of German column trying to escape Falaise Pocket; sight of carnage in Falaise Pocket; Forward Observation Officers (FOBs) use of tanks; reaction to German retreat; pulling off road to allow American column to advance; impressions of American armoured troops; incident of being fired on by American tanks; attitude of Polish roops of 1st Armoured Div (Poland) towards Germans; impressions of French Maquis; incident of accidental firing on British artillery.
REEL 13 Continues: signature sound of shells; reaction to kit inspection during halt at L'Aigle; advance to River Seine. Recollections of operations as with 3rd Royal Tank Regt, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 9/1944: crossing River Seine by pontoon bridge; sight of dead German crewman of knocked out Panzer Mk IV Tank; orders for his troop to take lead in advance to Amiens, France; pursuit of German column; engaging German Panther Tanks; rate of advance and terrain; race with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry; opening fire on German motorcycle and sidecar; German stragglers in deserted village; degree of threat from United States Army Air Force North American Mustangs flying overhead; advance along narrow road during flanking manoeuvre after ambush on forward troop; orders to speed up; tank hit from fire from German Panther Tank; bailing out of tank; nature of wound in leg; arrival of Sergeant Stan Cooper; position of German Panther Tanks.
REEL 14 Continues: hits on his tank and effects of armour piercing shot; nature of wounds; receiving first aid from Sergeant Stan Cooper; evacuated by Universal Carrier; apology from squadron leader. Aspects of hospitalisation in Normandy, France and GB, 1944-1945: evacuation to dressing station; ambulance journey to River Seine; air evacuation to Bayeux, Normandy; in tented hospital at Bayeux, Normandy; extent of wounds; medical treatment for wounds; return to GB aboard hospital ship; hospitalisation in GB; problems with leg wound; rehabilitation and grading; attitude to rejoining regiment; in holding unit at Newmarket, GB; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with 3rd Royal Tank Regt in Germany, 1945: rejoining unit in Schleswig-Holstein; searching for Nazis.
REEL 15 Continues: attack on occupants of staff car; armoured car patrols; rumours of insurgent activity; changes to squadron; posting to Düsseldorf; reaction to disbandment of division; question of posting to Far East; leave in GB. Aspects of period as staff officer with General Headquarters, Middle East Command in Cairo, Egypt, 1945-1946: posting to Egypt; initial impressions of Egypt; living conditions and working routine; prisoners of war and civilian workers; personnel; handover; question of becoming regular; return to GB for demobilisation; reaction to demobilisation; lessons learnt from military service.