Waterston, Francis Mossman (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, France and Belgium, 1938-1940; POW in Germany, 1940- 1945

REEL 1 Background in Houghton-le-Spring, GB, 1920-1938: area grew up in; family; family homes; reason for living with grandmother; effects of 1926 General Strike and memories of childhood; early education; attendance at church; story of car accident and convalescence; leisure activities including time in boy scouts and childhood friends; community grew up in; education; work in Houghton Colliery including details of pay and annual leave; story of accident. REEL 2 Continues: description of work undertaken in pit; leisure activities; reason for joining Territorial Army; process of joining and reaction of father. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 3/1938-1/1940: officers in battalion; oath and privates signed up with; description of drill hall; uniform issued; wearing of puttees; rifle and bayonet issued; storage of weapons; details of bounty; equipment issued; cleaning of equipment; advice from father; regularity of meetings; weekend camps; opinion of training; cleaning of rifle; inspections; punishments; barrack room damages. REEL 3 Continues: medical; fitness; drill night routine including promotion to lance corporal and contact with officers; manoeuvres; problems with blanks; memories of Sergeant Major Howe; opinions and memories of NCOs and officers; story of run-in with Lieutenant Scott; process of making complaints; memories of Teddy Ashman and Sergeant Coxon; journey to 1938 annual camp at Shilbottle; activities in camp; mounting of guard; preparations for guard; details of route marches; ceremonial parades; inter- battalion competitions and annual dance; bayonet training including role of bayonet training. REEL 4 Continues: grenade training; learning to use bren gun; opinion of bren gun; problems with magazine and barrel; use of bren gun in France; details of Boyes anti-tank gun; mortars in platoon; mortar ammunition shortage; anti-gas training; anti-tank ditches dug; mobilisation of troops and advance guard; reactions upon outbreak of war; story of reporting to drill hall following mobilisation; shortage of workers in mines and return of troops to pit; first pay parade; propaganda concerning German equipment; attitude to war; companies in drill hall; request for miners to return to pits and troops lost. REEL 5 Continues: opinion of reasons for troops deciding to leave for mines; reason for not being allowed to return to pit; friends returning to services; reinforcements; medical; equipment situation; routine; accommodation; mobile training; details of service as Territorial soldier; journey to Chipping Norton and code used in letters; accommodation in Chipping Norton; sleeping arrangements; problems with flu and washing facilities; winter conditions; heating; activities of company; description of camp; memories of company cooks and breakfast; morale of battalion; latrines; relationship with civilians; visit from Anthony Eden; relationship between troops and local women; sports; visits to Oxford. REEL 6 Continues: restrictions on training of company; pattern of training; details of Boyes anti-tank rifle in company; story of course fired at Castle Donington; regularity of orderly corporal duties; description of bayonet training including cadre attended; story of awkward private including arrival of 1st Militia; position in column during advance into Belgium and story about problems with anti-tank gun; duties of orderly corporal and memories of a driver; details of pay and promotion to lance corporal; opinion of role; treatment from Sergeant Craggs; competitions with B Company; chain of command; pay increase for lance corporals; standard of turnout; guard duties; duties with guards mounted at Bulmer; demands of post; anti-gas training; carrying of respirator; Christmas leave; sending of personal kit home; help received from wives in Oxfordshire. REEL 7 Continues: request from father following Christmas leave; story of return to battalion; reactions to posting abroad; preparations for embarkation; hospitalisation with ingrown toe nail; inoculations; story of soldier with poisonous arm; story of departure from Charlbury; role of rear party and work company had undertaken on camp; voyage from Southampton to Cherbourg; reactions to situation. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 1/1940-5/1940: reason for receiving reinforcements from King's Own Scottish Borderers including reaction of Captain Goodenough when troops opted to return to mines; first impressions of France; wait in Cherbourg; train journey to Saint Remy; accommodation and spread of battalion; conditions; story of an incident; story of shot heard during piquet duty and subsequent inquiry including troops not coping with situation; weather and living conditions; story of NCOs parade. REEL 8 Continues: memories of Regiment Sergeant Major Stray; sleeping arrangements; hot baths in Charlbury; washing facilities and cookhouse in France; supply of meals; story of meat puddings cooked in long johns; latrines; living conditions; relationship with civilians; leisure activities; VD cases seen in hospital; health of battalion; visits to Lille; transport in battalion; departure from St Remy; pattern of training; leisure activities including alcohol drunk in France and relationship with Middlesex Regiment; posting in Henin; digging of anti-tank trenches; story of a parachute scare; description of anti-tank trenches; relationship with civilians; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; reasons for not using paliasses; fitness of troops; story of German aircraft shot down and capture of crew; length of time in Henin; football matches played; Gracie Fields concert; preparedness for sudden move. REEL 9 Continues: Aspects of operations as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 5/1940: German invasion and reiteration of parachute scare; boxing match in Lille; story of meeting Lord Gort in wood; advance into Belgium including crash of aircraft; reactions of civilians on France and Belgium; positions taken in Grammont; passing through of civilians; story of 5th Columnist amongst refugees; story of withdrawal without his section and march to rejoin battalion; withdrawal to Vimy including rescue of cook's truck from ditch; refugees on road and air attacks; reaction to events; position taken on Vimy Ridge; air activity; state of troops; situation on arrival in Duisans; story of surrendering German troops; details of C Company's POWs; formation of battalion's advance to Warlus; warning given of German presence and diversion made; chasing of Germans and memories of Ian English at Warlus; bombing of 6th Battalion; position taken by section; advance of German tanks; Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attack; reactions to Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks including argument with Bren gunner; run into woods and use of Bren as anti-aircraft weapon; orders from Colonel Beart to withdraw. REEL 10 Continues: death of Private Noble; problems with Boys anti-tank rifle; effects from scenes of fighting in France; disappearance of Tony Bainbridge; and argument over Boys anti-tank rifle; argument with Major McClaren; withdrawal on army scout car and truck fired on; casualties; effect of friends' deaths; evacuation of wounded; actions of a French tank; advance of German tanks; orders to withdraw; events and scenes on journey to Headquarters; reunion with Major McClaren; opinion that scout car being drive by Germans; holy communion with Father Duggan; talk with and opinion of Ian English; discussion of events; later death of Lieutenant Dees; activities of C Company; capture of Captain Goodenough and wounding of Sergeant Harrison; withdrawal to Duisans and passing through of French Moroccans; arrival in Duisans; truck journey to Petit Vimy; change of clothes; events in Petit Vimy; aerial attack from French; wait for and return of brother; position taken in wood; contact with 11th Battalion. REEL 11 Continues: reaction following an action; story of air raids and actions in Carvin; activities of Father Duggan and French Moroccans; shelling from Germans; withdrawal of Ian English to find rest area in Armentieres; blocking off of Armentieres; arrival at farmhouses; defensive positions taken; activities of Germans; description of following action; withdrawal and splitting up of battalion; cover taken in hut; situation after sleep; decision to follow Germans; capture after being spotted by farmer's wife. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1940: opinion would be shot; movement to field and initial treatment; reactions to capture; evacuation on truck; interrogation from officers; request for food; journey to school; condition of POWs and reunion with childhood friends; rations; sweets gained from old friend. REEL 12 Continues: guards; march to La Bassee; treatment of French Moroccan troops; rations; morale and weather conditions; dealing with troops dropping out of march; fights over food given by civilians; remaining uniform; treatment from guards; scrounging for food; POWs known in childhood; formation of groups; role within group including fitness and route taken; sleeping arrangements; daily routine; problems with dysentery; cooking of meals; treatment from guards; conditions on train journey to Lamsdorf; senior NCOs liaising with guards; march to Stalag VIII B at Lamsdorf; contact with civilians during journey and in Germany; conditions of POWs on journey; attempts of POWs to keep spirits up; opinion of Germans. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1940-1945: initial accommodation; first morning and reunion with brother; delousing and POW number; issue of blankets; reunion with and memories of Sergeant Major Jonty Curry; accommodation; issue of rations; formation of working parties. REEL 13 Continues: meals; morning procedures; state of POWs; collection of rations; first meal including division of bread; bartering and stealing among POWs; need to stay alert; punishment of thieves; backgrounds of POWs; comradeship within groups; lectures; prayer meetings; heating in huts; washing facilities; description of roll calls; discussion on escape attempts including help given to escapees; details of working party in cement works including women worked alongside; time working in mine; illness following work digging out a swamp; accommodation; issue of rations; heating and coal brought by miners; black market and methods of smuggling items. REEL 14 Continues: journeys to working parties; supply of meals including arrival of first Red Cross parcels; rations; conversations about food; lectures and memories of fellow POWs; materials sent by Red Cross and Salvation Army; work widening a road at Kalków; deaths and funerals of two POWs; group sent to Kalków; daily routine; escape of two POWs and punishment given to whole group including accommodation at time and pay; treatment from guards; punishment given for POW who hit a guard; tricks played during roll calls; relationship with guards; first three working camps including clothing worn at Kalków; heating of accommodation in Kalków; medical facilities; work with Ukrainians; coping with boredom; mail including allowance; parcels received; items allowed to buy; story of first parcels issued; division and contents of Red Cross parcels; visits from Red Cross; conditions during winter 1941-1942. REEL 15 Continues: arguments among POWs; reason for being locked up during winter; maintenance of boots; working day; cut in rations; later meeting with POWs from Kalków camp; issue of French clothing; posting in mine working party; accommodation; issue of kit; refusal of POWs to work in mine; KOYLI POW beaten to encourage rest; opinion of Germans; issue of meal and kit; details of work including bath following work and reaction of a stockbroker to the work; accommodation including different nationalities at camp; sleeping arrangements; latrines and washing facilities; supply of meals; regularity of Red Cross parcels; description of camp built for POW miners; black market; camp number; end of period of parcel regularity; entertainments; alcohol brewed; story of shoddy building of perimeter fence; punishment for escape; systems to beat the system. REEL 16 Continues: stealing among POWs and punishment; work of escape committee and reasons for POWs trying to escape; bartering with guards; camp discipline; sergeant and corporals in camp; story of lance corporal making himself up to corporal; medical facilities; health including diphtheria scare; accidents in pit. REEL 17 Continues: camp opened at Genshagen; attempts to persuade Irishmen to fight against Russia; bombing of camp; British spy running camp; role of Genshagen camp and length of stay; state of Berlin; entertainments; recording of POWs; visits into Berlin; air raids; story of return to working party and confusion over paperwork; details of following working parties as interpreter; story of Staff Sergeant Brown using his details for espionage and knowledge of concentration camps; story of Sergeant Major Coward; German spies among POWs; working day; problems with ulcers; reunion with brother; friends within camps; dancing classes. REEL 18 Continues: swapping of British POWs for Russians in pits; treatment of Russian POWs; acts of sabotage and punishment; relationship with one guard; language; concerts; changes in morale; air raids; news gained from wireless and visit from Gestapo; theft of explosives and subsequent search by Gestapo; Welsh Guardsman hit by a Gestapo officer; later trail of officer at Nuremburg; reports made about incidents; story of attack made on guard; worst aspect of POW life; order to return to Stalags; weather conditions; sledges made for supplies. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1945: speed of Russian advance; sleeping arrangements; foraging for food; troops dropping out of march; route taken; rest in Austria; arrival of US Army; rounding up of guards; American unit and state of clothing; reactions to release; time in Regensburg; journey into France. REEL 19 Continues: reception on arrival in Amersham; treatment received; hospitalisation in Le Havre. Aspects of period as NCO in GB: time in Chesham; journey home; story of first evening at home; story of grandmother's death; problems settling into life in GB; leave given; back pay received; activities on leave; health problems and pension received; family; posting in Barnstaple; story of being excused parades; duties; posting in Felton; attitude of troops to parades; leading route marches to pub; opinion and memories of staff lance corporal; story of having weekend pass cancelled; duties; reiteration of run-in with Lieutenant Scott story; postings after Felton; story of guard duty on final night in army. REEL 20 Continues: process of demobilisation; process of demobilisation in York; civilian life and work; membership of old comrades associations.