Description
Object description
British private served with 6th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in GB, 1935-1940; private served with 17th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940- 1942; private and NCO served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1942-1943; POW in Italy. 1943; private served with 13th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1944-1945; private served with South Wales Borderers in GB, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Holyhead, GB, 1921-1935: family and attempt to join Royal Navy; area grew up in; memories of childhood and work as paperboy; family home; food gained from farmers; story of fight with school bully; education; civilian work; joining of Territorial Army. Aspects of period as private with 6th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in GB, 1935-1940: outbreak of war and posting to Colwyn Bay; uniform issued; pattern of training; posting in D Company; details of pay; fear of men returning drunk; uncle's position in company; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; storage of kit; kit inspections; equipment issued; posting to school in Conwy after battalion went to Northern Ireland; story of fight with comrade and punishment from Sergeant Wheeler; reactions to war; settling into army life; story of ghost in hotel he worked in and nerves as child; opinion of rations; visits to NAAFI; opinion of cooks; learning of drill; older troops helping him when joined; length of time at Colwyn Bay; breaking up of boys; reactions of mother to his being in army; relationship with and discipline of father.
REEL 2 Continues: drill nights in Holyhead; wearing of puttees; weapons in battalion; gas precautions; coping with army discipline; posting in Conwy; guarding of railway tunnel; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; pattern of training; memories of Sergeant Wheeler; formation of and posting to 17th Battalion at Edinburgh. Aspects of period as private with 17th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940-1942: civilians arriving to join battalion and living conditions; duties as batman to officer with one eye; conscripts having problems settling in; reaction to change of regiment; memories of Waffles; backgrounds of troops; accommodation; supply of meals; opinion of rations; details of pay; fitness training; comradeship; length of time in Edinburgh; posting in Dunbar; guard duty on offshore island; communications; reveille; length of guard duties; air raids including unexploded bomb; activities and duties including story of receiving charge for late return; NCOs and officers; batman duties; relationship with civilians; pattern of training and exercises including weapons training; length of route marches; postings in Kent; posting in battle patrol; posted on Dover Hill; accommodation; defence built at Hythe; road block duties and story of sergeant shot.
REEL 3 Continues: description of barracks; daily routine; defences built; collection after sergeant's death; standard of turnout; invasion scares; battle patrol training including story of capturing brigadier; make-up of battle patrol; memories of Private Ramshaw and Billy Glaister; role and training of battle patrol including theft of PRI stock; memories of Company Sergeant Major Ledbetter; details of route marches; transport in battalion; shelling of Shorncliffe Barracks; cliff patrols; leave; opinion of chances against a German invasion; air activity; searchlights over channel; disappearance of a cliff patrol; memories of officers; friends in battalion; story of cycling to north east; arrest and return to camp under escort.
REEL 4 Continues: details of punishment; volunteered for draft; journey to Brancepeth; issue of khaki dress; knowledge of destination; sending off speech from Colonel Hasted. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Port Tewfiq, Egypt, 1942: details of SS Leticia; population of ship; conditions on ship; seasickness; activities onboard; duties; supply of meals; survival kit issued; boat drill; canteen; visits to Navy quarters; time in Freetown harbour; leisure activities; more on duties; punishment for opening survival kit and inspections; arrival of HMS Resolution with German ship; climate; activities on deck; guard on ATS quarters; arrival in Durban; reception on arrival; problems with ship's refrigeration and transfer to camp; fall of Singapore; funeral attended; length of time in Durban; Italian POW Camp; relationship with civilians; visit to out of bounds area and theft of rickshaw; evidence of separation; opinion of black South Africans; description of camp; problems with spiders; activities in camp; arrival of replacement ship; stop in Mombasa; voyage to India; accommodation in Bombay; news of dispatch to Middle East; state of ship; voyage to Port Tewfiq and journey to Geneifa; impressions of Bombay. Aspects of period as private with 1st Infantry Base Depot in Egypt, 1942: first impressions of Egypt; opinion of civilians in Egypt; description of Geneifa camp; staff; precautions against sunburn. Aspects if hospitalisation in Egypt, 1942: hospitalisation with diphtheria; story of slap from nurse; fate of friends joining battalion; staff in hospital including opinion of orderly; discipline.
REEL 5 Continues: rations; treatment received; length of hospitalisation; return to depot; description of hospital. Aspects of period as private with 1st Infantry Base Depot in Egypt, 1942: fitness training; theft of paybook; method of guarding paybook against theft; journey to 9th Battalion in Heliopolis. Aspects of operations as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 9/1942-3/1943: problems from sandstorms; arrival of reinforcements on Queen Elizabeth; memories of a new arrival and visit to Alexandria; background and settling in of reinforcements; story of Jock Column patrol with South Africans; news of being left out of battle; reactions to being in action; noises and smells of battlefield; movement after getting pinned down; reactions following action; details of Jock Column; casualties; weapon carried in column; state following action; time in Sidi Bish and description of Alexandria; troop at Sidi Bish; length of time at Sidi Bish; return to battalion; location of positions in Alamein Line; terrain; accommodation; opinion of Lieutenant Wilkes; story of reconnaissance patrol; following night's reconnaissance patrol; formation of movement on patrol; story of Ghurkha patrol; proximity to opposing lines and fires lit for aircraft recognition; air activity; description of Axis positions.
REEL 6 Continues: description of battalion positions; movement during day; details of minefield; supply of rations; rations; water ration; adaptation made to water bottle; latrines; dummy vehicles; accommodation; shelling from Axis troops; air activity; physical training; news of involvement in battle; plan of action; confusion following order for advance but not signal; journey to start line; formation on start line; shells falling short; capture of German gun emplacement; scenes of tank battle; help given to Field Ambulance; memories of American medical officer Lieutenant Stone; fear in action; withdrawal to Alexandria with Private Barnes; return to battalion and charge; description of punishment camp; activities in camp and movement of camp behind battalion; treatment from camp NCO; escapes from camp for cigarettes; fort imprisoned in; reason for confinement with another prisoner; end of sentence and return to battalion; morning procedures in camp; rations; opinion of NCO; details of fellow prisoners; opinion of treatment received; promotion to corporal on return to battalion; further memories of punishment camp experience; joining of D Company; issue of rum.
REEL 7 Continues: arrival on assembly point; plan for assault; start of German shelling; advance behind flail tanks into shelling; wounding and evacuation of Private Johnson; arrival at escarpment and further shelling; reactions to shelling; destruction of bren carriers; advance and cover taken from fire; attack on pillbox; cover taken in slit trench; evacuation of soldier to Regimental Aid Post; use of ladders; advance through minefield following day; story of hsell dropped into vehicle trench; talk with dead man in a slit trench; treatment given to wounded; scenes in deep trench; arrival of officer and orders given; shots fired on Germans and disappearance of officer; memories of wounded NCO; story of capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 3/1943: journey back along lines; shelling from British artillery and wounding; story of spitting at a guard; scenes on march to house and hope for arrival of New Zealanders; story of interrogation; boarding of trucks and attempts of civilians to attack them; arrival and night in Gabès; food issued; train journey to Tunis; accommodation in rubber factory and medical treatment received; sorting of POWs; treatment from guards; voyage to Leghorn; train journey via Naples to Capua; march to PG 66; processing including confiscation of property; defences around camp; escapes from camp; delousing; hospitalisation with jaundice; rations; accommodation; problems with fleas; roll calls; story of navy POW; POWs in hut and sleeping arrangements; heating; lectures.
REEL 8 Continues: story of hospitalised German from French Foreign Legion; opinion of treatment in hospital; loss of weight; recovery with help from red Cross parcels; camp concerts; problems with lice; washing facilities; latrines; memories of Regiment Sergeant Major Burgess and other POWs; length of time in PG 66; rations; method of selling items from Red Cross parcels; contents of Red Cross parcels; Italian air base nearby; escapes from camp and camp song; African POWs; sports; relationship with guards; arrival of POWs from Sicily; roll calls; story of navy POW; fights between POWs; homosexual POWs; concerts; memories of fellow Welshman in camp; mother's knowledge of his capture; personal items taken on arrival; move to PG 53 in Macerata; opinion of camp; accommodation; reaction to shooting of POW; money issued; weather; patches added to uniforms; clock built by one POW; sleeping arrangements; rations; details of Red Cross parcels; bartering with guards; news from camp commandant; capitulation of Italy and speech from commandant; refusal to join a working party; change in attitude of guards; more on fights between POWs.
REEL 9 Continues: capitulation of Italy and order not to escape; decision to leave and departure. Aspects of period in transit through Italy, 1943-1944: shelter taken for night; indications of German arrival at camp; journey south to farm; details of family on farm; departure of part of group; work on farm; news of possibility of Royal Navy rescue; suspicions about news; vision of mother and decision not to go; later discovery it was a trap; reason for being sent way; stories and capture of Geraldo; discovery of whether farms were friendly; story of an unfriendly farm; meeting with partisans and details of leader Sergeant Bassett; health; story of stay with fascist farmer; winter conditions and experience of earthquake; clothes given by civilians; movement of advance; news of British breakthrough; story of being stopped by Germans; contact with British troops; story of sisters killed by landmines and collection of remains for family; Polish POWs picked up; length of time on run; story of ambush on German column; pass back through line and debriefing; uniforms issued in Salerno; proximity to Salerno landings; visit to Naples; return of photos to a POW.
REEL 10 Continues: voyage to Liverpool including routine on ship. Aspects of period as private with 13th Holding Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1943-1944: posted to 13th Holding Battalion in Hartlepool; application for return to Royal Welch Fusiliers; back pay; reunion with old comrade and his story. Aspects of period as private with South Wales Borderers in GB, 1945-1946: posting in Newtown; issue of medal ribbon; friction with younger troops; posting in Ashford; accommodation; visit to Maidstone; attempt to get into NAAFI on return and damage to door; search for culprit and reason for owning up; punishment; standard of recruits; accident with teller mine; VJ Day celebrations and story of falling into air raid shelter; battalion's departure for Japan and offer to sign on; demobilisation. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1946: stomach problems; attempt to gain pension; best and worst parts of army service; regret at not staying in army; membership of comrades associations.
