Description
Object description
British private served with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1940; NCO served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940; served with Durham Light Infantry Depot, Brancepeth, 1940-1942; served with Intelligence Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Italy and Middle East, 1943-1944; served with Army Education Corps in Italy, 1944-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Batley, London and St Albans, GB, 1915-1940: family circumstances and father's career as teacher, writer and poet; education at St Albans School; sporting activities; nature of training with OTC including instructors, tactical training, drills, reasons for joining, origins of forename 'Charley', rifle training, exercises during summer camps, passing Certificate A and promotion to sergeant.
REEL 2 Continues: background to not attending university; work as clerk with Wheat Commission, printing firms and London Passenger Transport Board; attending Teachers Training College at Isleworth, 9/1937-7/1939; sporting activities; awareness of situation in Germany and approach of war, 1938-1939; decision not to join territorials. Period working as teacher at Bowlam Street Senior Elementary School, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, GB 1939: prior interview; interest in music; role teaching multiple subjects including music under supervision of deputy head; arrangements for evacuation of schools to Weardale, ca 8/1939.
REEL 3 Continues: arrangements for evacuation of schools to Weardale, 8/1939; nature of Byker area; send off from Newcastle Railway Station; distribution of children in Weardale villages. Recollection of period at Wearhead School, ca 8/1939-3/1940: number of women teachers; distribution of children and teachers amongst local village schools; accommodation of evacuees and return of some to families in Newcastle; billets and relationships with local population; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; interview concerning military service in Durham; recall as relief teacher to Newcastle, 3/1940. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during training with Durham Light Infantry at Spennymoor Drill Hall, GB, 4/1940-6/1940: question of taking commission; reception; relationship with instructors.
REEL 4 Continues: opinion of instructors; morning routine; food rations; drill using light infantry pace; route marches and reception from civilians; value of OTC experience; guard duties; attending training course for prospective NCOs at Durham Light Infantry Depot at Brancepeth Castle, GB, 6/1940; weapons training including bayonet, Bren gun and hand grenade; gas mask training; tactical training; question of commission and promotion to lance corporal; kit inspections; vaccinations. Recollections of period with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Maiden Newton, Morecambe Lake and Honiton, GB, 7/1940-12/1940: reversion to private on initial posting to B Company; relationship with other ranks; question of understanding his Durham accent.
REEL 5 Continues: posting as clerk to Headquarters Company; posting to Intelligence Section, Headquarters Company at Morecambe Lake; role of Intelligence Section including interrogation of POWs, dissemination of intelligence and manning observation posts; importance of map reading skills; composition of section; observation post duty looking for possible invasion and locating areas on map; view of Battle of Britain; treatment of requisitioned billets; situation; invasion alarm; move to Honiton, 10/1940; preparations for Middle East posting; playing rugby with battalion team; changing relationship with NCOs and officers on active service; hospitalisation and leaving unit after breaking leg playing rugby. Period with Durham Light Inafantry Depot at Brancepeth Castle, GB, 12/1940-3/1942: marriage, 8/1941; training with Intelligence Section; learning to ride motorcycle.
REEL 6 Continues: leave; application for Intelligence Corps; efforts to improve accuracy of written and verbal intelligence reports. Recollections of period with Intelligence Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Rye and Winchelsea, GB, 3/1943-12/1943: composition of section; training; use of bicycles; state of unit; German air raids and bombing of cinema; exercises with Canadian troops to prepare them for Dieppe raid; divisional exercises and question of transport; question of overseas destination; parting from wives. Recollections of voyage aboard Staffordshire to Algiers, Algeria, 12/1942-1/1943: conditions; U Boat warnings; recreations. First impressions during march to Maison Carre, 1/1943. Recollections of period in Green Hill sector, Algeria, 1/1943-3/1943: move into line and attitude of relieved troops.
REEL 7 Continues: location of battalion headquarters and company positions; duties in forward observation post; story of German offer to exchange POWs taken in No Mans Land; telephone communications to Forward Observation Officer; opinion of Intelligence Officer Lieutenant Linley; composition rations shared with signallers; preparing panoramas; role of Intelligence Officer; updating headquarters map; story of being offered rum on reporting to Colonel after day at Forward Observation Officer; latrines; washing; situation. Recollections of Battle of Sedjenane, 1/3/1943: rest period in Sedjenane; German dive bomb attack; personal morale.
REEL 8 Continues: retirement of unit to defensive positions at Sedjenane; failed attack, ca 2/3/1943, including laying start line tape, its subsequent disappearance, retreat of Free French troops and role reporting on progress of attack; accompanying failed attack, 4/3/1943; German attack; opinion of Major Dennis Worrall; evacuation of headquarters by truck under fire; situation and move back into line at Temara; German shell and mortar fire; evacuation of headquarters by truck under fire; story of coming under German shellfire whilst on ammunition carrying party at Temara, reactions to casualty and his subsequent burial, ca 10/3/1943; opinion of Colonel Johnny Preston.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of operations in North Africa, 3/1943-8/1943: reserve role of E Company; move to Ne'fsa sector, 20/3/1943; view of attack by Goum troops and view surrender of Italian troops to fighting patrol; move to Djebel Aboid Mines sector; teeth extraction and German shelling of ambulance; movements; various movement covering relief of front line units; attack on Sidi Barka, 22/4/1943, including role of intelligence section, hold up due to false crest, situation, treatment of shell shock case, assisting stretcher bearers and German mortar fire on rear areas; news of birth of daughter, 5/1943; toothache; Victory Parade in Tunis, 20/5/1943; guarding German POW camp at Ghardimaou, 5/1943; move to Hamman Lif, 5/1943; move to Blida, 6/1943; recreations; mountain training exercises; move to Bizerta, 8/1943; move to Sicily, 9/1943. Recollections of landing at Salerno and initial operations on Hospital Hill, 9/9/1943-15/9/1943: situation; landing on beach under German shellfire; digging in; move into Salerno; situation.
REEL 10 Continues: situation as German counter-attacked landing area and digging slit trenches; explosion of ammunition truck; question of German occupation of hospital; taking up observation post in former garden; withdrawal to join flank defensive positions; story illustrating danger of inexperienced reinforcements; failure of German attack in face of British counter-attack, 15/9/1943; evacuation of case of shell shock; promotion to lance corporal; composition of section and inexperience of new intelligence sergeant; situation including inability to deploy tanks and poor supply. Recollections of operations in Italy, 9/1943-2/1944: head injury in truck from telephone wire across road; clearance of Vietri sector to allow tanks through, 23/9/1943-25/9/1943; rest period; role of intelligence sector; reports of crossing of Volturno, 12/10/1943; story of manning observation post in front of Sidi Barka, 4/1943; disposition of companies in line; assisting Major Johnson in writing of reports of major actions subsequently used in preparation of battalion history; absence of German aircraft; story of success in establishing contact with forward company during crossing Teano, 28/10/1943.
REEL 11 Continues: story of success in establishing contact with forward company during crossing Teano, 28/10/1943; question of wireless communications; assistance from Italian student and role of advance party on moving into billets; operations in Monte Camino area, 11/1943-12/1943, including situation, story of rare sighting of German officer across valley from observation post in Calabritto sector, importance of listening for and locating Tiger tanks, skill of German tactics, opinion of Major Ballance and success of flanking attack with support from Guards units; move towards Monte Cassino, 12/1943; situation and view of American bombing raid on Monte Cassino; writing up reports of crossing Volturno and Teano; reads published poem, 'The Aftermath' written after Salerno operations.
REEL 12 Continues: role guiding company patrols to start lines in No Mans Land whilst based at Campo; crossing Garigliano, 1/1944; problem with capturing false crest; opinion of Major General Richard McCreery; clearing German corpses; personal morale; winter weather conditions; composition of Headquarters Coy; opinion of officers; presenting briefing lectures to troops. Aspects of period in Middle East, 2/1944-7/1944: move to El Qassassin Camp, Egypt; leave in Cairo; Egyptian beggars; visit to Pyramids; move to Palestine; question of awareness of situation and internal security role; period at Er Rama camp; scorpions; move to Beirut, Syria.
REEL 13 Preparing news bulletins for broadcast to troops during voyage back to Italy, 7/1944. Recollections of return to Italy, 7/1944-8/1944: sporting activities and recreations in Bastardo sector, 7/1944-8/1944; broken foot after jeep was blown up on mine in Petriano sector, 28/8/1944; story of prior close escape from German shell fire; evacuation via clearing station to hospital in Naples area; volunteering to give lectures to troops on current affairs; promotion to local paid sergeant and role giving current affairs and music lectures in transit camps in Naples area; arranging political debates in preparation for General Election; VE Day, 8/5/1945; leave in Rome; early demobilisation as teacher; question of reasons for Labour victory in General Election, 5/1945; reaction to Churchill wartime speeches; attending opera; move to Educational Department Army Headquarters, Caserta, 10/1945; flight back to GB and demobilisation, 11/1945. Post-war career: salary paid by Newcastle Education Department during war service and return to work as teacher; question of remaining in Army Education Corps; question of effect of war service.