Ledger, George William (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, France, Belgium and Cyprus, 1938-1941; officer cadet served in Egypt, 1941-1942; officer served with Senussi troops in Egypt, 1942; served with 3/4th Bombay Grenadiers in North Africa, 1942; officer served with 4/4th Bombay Grenadiers in India, 1942; served with General Headquarters in India, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Birtley, GB, 1920-1938: area grew up in; family home and family; community; memories and work of father; family connections with 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry and reason for not wanting to join; memories of mother; clothing; leisure activities; education; memories of teachers; attendance at church; importance of religion in life; membership of scouts; later work for scouts and church as joiner; learning to play piano and cornet including father's involvement with music; involvement with colliery band; discipline. REEL 2 Continues: first civilian jobs; work as apprentice joiner and cabinetmaker including details of pay and working week; coping with bullies; involvement with Birtley Amateur Operatic Society and church choir; leisure activities; air raid shelters built at colliery. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry <DLI> in GB, 1938-1940: mobilisation; reason for joining Territorial Army; process of joining; signing on as member of A Company; medical; issue of uniform; wearing of puttees; hat issued; badges worn; details of rifle; learning discipline; contact with senior NCOs; NCOs in company; relationship with NCOs; army language; frequency of drill nights. REEL 3 Continues: location and description of Birtley Drill Hall; pattern of training; pace of drill; weekend at Lord Lambton's estate including description of a bivouac; accommodation after start of war; training in digging trenches; foundation of training in First World War; formation of Local Defence Volunteer group; gas precaution training; make-up of A Company including visits from padre; training with Bren gun including firing of course at Whitburn; opinion of Bren gun; other weapons in company including opinion of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle; promotions in army; opinion of .303 rifle and bayonet; 2" mortars in company and opinion of them; use of 2" mortar; mortar bombs; location of field training; movement in extended order; fire and movement; details of route marches; story of dropping out of a route march. REEL 4 Continues: foot inspections and activities of officers; memories of Captain Dixon; background and opinion of officers; discussion of reactions to coming duty and its opposition to his Christian beliefs; ignoring propaganda; opinion of training; reactions to parents to call-up; arrival at drill hall after mobilisation; sleeping arrangements; morale; learning of regimental history; promotion to lance corporal and outbreak of war; advice from brothers in company; duties; rapid promotions; atmosphere in unit; attitude of civilians toward Territorials before and during war; details of pay; accommodation; suitability of accommodation for company; sleeping arrangements; supply of meals; cooks; rations. REEL 5 Continues: supplements to rations; eagerness of troops; loss of troops to mines and reinforcements; journey to Enstone; accommodation; location of company headquarters and duties there; promotion to corporal; increase in pay; responsibilities; brothers in platoon and reactions of themselves and parents to situation; officers in company; memories of Lieutenant Colonel Beart and Major McLaren; memories of NCOs; supply of meals; locations of training; boar hunting with officers; baths at Ditchley Manor; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; latrines; washing facilities; reveille; physical training; pattern of training; transport in company; contact with senior officers and memories of Regimental Sergeant Major Jennings; opinion of General Martel; standard of turnout; methods of maintaining high turnout; medical inspections; water supplies; kit inspections. REEL 6 Continues: relationship with civilians including involvement with church in Enstone; entertainments including bar set up; commandeering of houses; sports; memories of battalion padre; church parades; details of mail; gambling; relationships with local girls; rivalry with Middlesex Regiment; conditions in winter; inspection by King George VI in Chipping Norton; inspections by generals; story of ice thrown through window in France; preparations for voyage and reactions to posting abroad; journey to France. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 1/1940-5/1940: first impressions of France and language difficulties; relationship with French troops and civilians; accommodation in Gondecourt; amazement at French culture. REEL 7 Continues: activities in Gondecourt; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; relationship with civilians; visits to cafés and officer too friendly with troops; conditions for officers; problems with alcohol; relationships with local girls; VD centres; VD among troops; description of anti-tank ditches dug including rivalry between units and camouflaging of trenches; learning about German Armed Forces; activity during phoney war; mobile training; promotion to sergeant; changes from being a corporal; training to be able to take over from officer; discussion on high casualties among officers; use of land during movement; turnover of officers; use of a sergeant's experience; background of officers; relationship between sergeant and officer. REEL 8 Continues: Vera Lynn concert in Lille; importance of mail; troops suffering due to absence from home and lack of mail. Aspects of operations as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: German invasion and posting in Brussels; accommodation; reconnoitring of positions; evacuation and reaction to facing fire; loss of kit and possessions; marking of positions and briefing beforehand; contact with civilians; morale; refugees on road; reactions to scenes; air activity; story of baby carried for five miles; wounded civilians by road; orders not to fire on aircraft; reaction towards attacks on refugees; attitude of and towards refugees; nightly stops; problems with feet; weather; supply of rations; march discipline; looting and army attitude toward looting. REEL 9 Continues: scenes at Petit Vimy; sleeping arrangements; state of troops; assembly and rum ration; conditions; role in action; advance toward Warlus; air activity; terrain; formations of advance; arrival in village and lack of maps; length of march; morale of troops; opposition faced in village; reconnaissance of isolated tank; advance into village and nuns seen; loss of Bren gunner; fire faced from hedgerow and cover taken; Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attack; reaction to Junkers Ju 87 Stukas; situation and order to retreat to Vimy Ridge; wait with Lance Corporal Wilson and attempt to follow section; retreat to farm; time with refugees on farm; capture; reaction to capture; barn taken to and request to help wounded soldier; volunteers to find doctor and escape; night in farmhouse attic; return to battalion at Vimy Ridge; reaction to seeing dead and wounded; willingness of section to go forward; awareness of realities of fighting and noise of battle. REEL 10 Continues: more on night in farmhouse attic and reactions following action; importance of discipline; lack of tank support; impressions of German troops; return to unit following night in farmhouse; reaction from unit on return; state of troops and section; memories of Herbie Cassidy; religion; time on Vimy Ridge; casualties; retreat to Dunkirk; refugees on road; supply of rations; opinion of reasons for not seeing looting; occupation of positions during retreat; sleeping arrangements; weather; arrival on outskirts of Dunkirk; helping to destroy vehicles; reactions to situation; knowledge of evacuation; state of troops; march onto pier. REEL 11 Continues: arrival on outskirts of Dunkirk; scenes on march through Dunkirk; arrival at pier; wait for boat; disappearance of unit after getting a drink; scenes during walk along beach; help given to troops with collapsible boats; boarding of transport ship; voyage across channel; scenes on beaches at Dunkirk. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 6/1940-4/1941: reception on arrival in Southampton; morale; journey to and treatment received in Dorchester; reformation of battalion at Rugeley; description of camp; state of uniform; leave; opinion of reason for cutting leave short; reception on return home; report to Birtley Drill Hall and posting in Yeovil; training of Home Guard; accommodation in Bridport; details of unit; beach defences set up; equipment situation; German troops captured near Lyme Regis; air activity; relationship with civilians. REEL 12 Continues: search for parachutists in area; transport in battalion; morale; reinforcements; posting in Honiton; details of manoeuvres including death of carrier crew; journey to Gourock. Aspects of journey from Gourock, GB, to Egypt, aboard the Duchess of Bedford, 4/1941-6/1941: conditions onboard; activities and duties during voyage; rations; methods of relieving boredom; conditions for sergeants; deck inspections; contact with naval officers; entertainments and lectures; bingo; army attitude toward gambling; boxing; canteen; duties of sergeants on ship; officer commanding troops; boredom of journey; scenes on sea; crash of plane into sea; stop in Freetown harbour including visits from bumboats. REEL 13 Continues: reception on arrival in Durban; relationship with civilians including fights in bars; conditions during voyage up Red Sea; precautions taken against sun burn; stop at Aden. Aspects of period in transit through Egypt, 6/1941-7/1941: arrival in Ismailia; acclimatisation; description of camp; health of battalion; need for cleanliness; journey to Ismailia; first impressions of Egypt; organisation in transit camp; problems with flies; journey to Cyprus. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Cyprus, 7/1941-11/1941: arrival in Famagusta and journey to Nicosia; role on Cyprus; accommodation; description of trenches dug around Nicosia airport; Stand To; physical training; air activity; rumours about invasion of Greece; pattern of training; supply of meals; afternoon activities including military training manuals read; talk with Major McClaren; interview with Colonel Beart about taking a commission; interview with Brigade commander. REEL 14 Continues: visits to Nicosia; relationship with civilians; relationship between Greek and Turkish Cypriots; prostitution and VD among troops; attitude toward and treatment of VD; more on relationship with civilians; supplements to rations; sports including bicycle hockey; contact with other units on Cyprus; details of mail; leave; duties of battalion; standard of turnout; parades; memories of Regiment Sergeant Major Spike Jennings; opinion of officers; climate; relationship with troops as sergeant; punishment of troops; news of posting in Iraq. Aspects of period in transit from Cyprus to Egypt, 11/1941: journey to Haifa; period in camp. REEL 15 Continues: boarding of lorries; arrival of motorcyclist with orders to leave for officer cadet course; departure of battalion; wait in camp on own; journey to and location of Kasr-el-Nil Barracks in Cairo. Aspects of period as officer cadet in Egypt, 11/1941-3/1942: background of cadets; rank insignia; length of training; visits from high-ranking officers; training for patrols including taking command of fellow cadets; learning to drive and maintain vehicles; sand table work and lectures; NCO instructors; inspections and punishment parades including their role; tactical training; communications training on pyramids; desert warfare training; story complaint about not receiving commission with 8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry; choices of unit given. Aspects of period as officer with Senussi troops in Egypt, 3/1942: posting with Senussi Arab unit; problems and training with unit; date of commission; joining of unit; return to college and request to join Indian Army; posting with 3/4th Bombay Grenadiers; exams during officers course. REEL 16 Continues: Aspects of period as officer cadet in Egypt, 11/1941-3/1942: breakdown of political situation in Egypt; kidnap of British Ambassador Sir Miles Lampson; student riots; arrival of New Zealand troops; selection of cadets to raid palace and rescue ambassador; opinion of reason for this selection; assembly for raid; plan of attack; journey through Cairo to palace; troops surrounding palace; cutting off of machine gun posts and opening of palace gates; disarming of guards; 2" mortar set up at foot of staircase; cutting off of sentries' accommodation; meeting of Colonel and Aide-de-Camp with Egyptian officials; return with Miles Lampson; withdrawal of force from palace; return to barracks; situation and debriefing the following day; relationship with Egyptian troops; situation for British troops in Egypt during Second World War; decision to join Indian Army. Aspects of operations as officer with 3/4th Bn Bombay Grenadiers in North Africa, c4/1942-c5/1942: joining of unit at Indian Reinforcement Camp; patrols to front line; earmarking for draft to India; learning of Urdu; make-up of draft; rank and date of commission; leave; organisation of Bombay Grenadiers. REEL 17 Continues: story of first punishment given out; discipline; reliance on NCOs; rations; details of pay and money granted for uniform and equipment; cultural differences and religion among troops; opinion of Indian troops. Aspects of operations as officer with 4/4th Bn Bombay Grenadiers in India, c4/1942-c5/1942: posting on North West Frontier; role of unit; story of truck accident and hospitalisation; convalescence. Aspects of period as officer with General Headquarters in India, 1942-1945: posting in Delhi and rank; duties as Intelligence Officer and accommodation; marriage; story of second vehicular accident; wounds received; hospitalisation and return to GB; release from army; involvement with Fellowship Services.