Brooker, John Leonard (Oral history)

British fusilier served with Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1940; fusilier and NCO served with 11th Bn Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1940-1942 including involvement in Bruneval Raid, 2/1942; officer cadet served at 161 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1942-1943; officer served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, GB, North West Europe and Germany, 1943-1946

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1919-1940: family; area grew up in; family home; memories of childhood; discipline; father's service in army; family holidays; attendance at Sunday School; membership of Life Boys and Boys Brigade; education; civilian work including details of pay; leisure activities; outbreak of war; reactions of parents to war; arrival of call-up papers; attempts to join RAF and Territorial Army. Aspects of period as fusilier with Royal Fusiliers, 1940: reactions to joining army; accommodation; medical; posting in infantry; journey to Totteridge; sorting into squads; details of training; treatment from NCOs; uniform and equipment issued; learning to drill; field training; kit inspections; sleeping arrangements; cleaning rotas; rations; daily programme; gas training; opinion of weapons used; details of route marches. REEL 2 Continues: foot inspections; bayonet training; teaching of regimental history; background of NCOs; evening activities; details of pay; settling into army life; physical training; pace of drill; fatigues; memories of commanding officer "Tiger" Hodgson; discipline; leave and marriage; punishments; posting with 11th Battalion at Harpenden. Aspects of period as fusilier and NCO with 11th Bn Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1940-1942: accommodation; manoeuvres; arrival of Montgomery as Corps Commander and battle drill introduced; details of forced marches; scheme on Salisbury Plain; differences between recruit and battalion training; posting as Company Quarter Master Sergeant's clerk; working day; duties; equipment situation; make-up of battalion; more on duties and working hours including involvement in schemes; firing range; return to rifle company in Tenby; entrance into signals platoon. REEL 3 Continues: pattern of signals training; description of 18 set; wireless procedure; speed of work; semaphore and heliograph; length of signals training; posting in Headquarters Company; duties; applications for transfers and officer training; activities with War Office Selection Board at Winchester; details of pre-OCTU at Wrotham including vehicles course. Aspects of period as officer cadet with 161 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1942-1943: instructors; lectures; length of course; manoeuvres in Snowdonia; organisation in squads; passing out parade; weapon training; physical training in Aldershot; man management; learning from war experiences; problem solving; regiments applied for; period with 4th Battalion East Surreys and East Kent Regiment; reason for posting abroad; duties on journey to Liverpool. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Algiers, Algeria, aboard the Britannica, 1943: conditions on ship. Aspects of period as NCO with 11th Bn Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1942 including involvement in Bruneval Raid, 2/1942: seasickness on return from Bruneval Raid; role of raid; journey from Gourock to Inverary; accommodation aboard Royal Albert; training and role in raid including make-up of boat crew; voyage to France; disembarkation and opposition faced; details of return voyage. REEL 4 Continues: description of boats; scenes on French coast; medical staff on raid; disembarkation from coast; knowledge of raid; reception on return to Portsmouth; leave. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Algiers, Algeria, aboard the Britannica, 1943: duties; leisure activities; climate. Aspects of period as officer in transit through North Africa and Sicily, 1943: arrival and march to Philipeville; journey to Tunis and boarding of boat; first impressions of Africa; voyage to Sicily; arrival in Syracuse; air activity; time in transit camp; Essex Regiment draft taken to 9th Battalion and knowledge of destination. Aspects of operations as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 7/1943-8/1943: state of battalion and welcome from Captain Billy Lowe; posting in A Company; signs troops had had a rough time; reception from platoon troops; background of troops; memories of NCOs; make-up of platoon; rest period; command of burial parties; smell of dead; reaction to seeing dead for first time; process of burying bodies; fear at being in war zone and need to hide it; positions taken on Catania Plain; spread of platoon; Stand To at dawn; breakfast and details of Compo Rations; supply of hot meals; visits to positions; digging of slit trenches; state of Catania; movement along coast road and opposition faced; story of reconnaissance patrol including make- up of patrol; navigation; location in patrol; equipment taken on patrol; memories of actions; contact with civilians; constant state of alert; opinion of Montgomery. REEL 5 Continues: contact with German troops; rumour of return to GB; brigade signals course; brigade signals course attended at Taormina; news of posting in GB; memories of Colonel Woods; friction within battalion; memories of officers in battalion including Donald Taylor; characters in platoon; importance of working with sergeant; voyage to GB; reactions on return home and knowledge of role in D-Day; problems with malaria. Aspects of period as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1943-1944: posting at Saffron Walden; leave; posting in Braintree; hospitalisation in Colchester with malaria; joining of battalion at Southampton; disappearance of kit and kit borrowed from Grosvenor Square; landing training; camp in Nightingale Wood; briefings for invasion; wireless communications; motorcycle issued; attendance at and make-up of Order Groups; leisure activities; officers in battalion; journey to Southampton docks; boarding and description of landing craft; sleeping arrangements; delay of invasion and disembarkation practice; embarkation; scenes on water; conditions on sea; time of landing; activities on voyage. Aspects of operations as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 6/1944-4/1945: setting up of communications onshore. REEL 6 Continues: scenes on landing; reformation beyond beach and setting up of communications; operation of wireless; advance on first day behind 69 Brigade; operation of wireless in Bocage country; casualties at Lingèvres; activities at Battalion Headquarters during action; story of Peter Thompson; signaller lost at Lingèvres; role of officer; state of German POWs; casualties; searching of POWs; story of checking line near D Company in action; nature of fighting in Bocage; sheling and death of intelligence sergeant; shelling at Tilly-sur-Seulles; reactions to and cover taken from shellfire; writing to relatives of casualties; burials of troops; action in Villers Bocage; shelling at Mont Pincon; memories of Lieutenant Colonel Mogg; reinforcements; importance of sleep; concentration of Durham Light Infantry battalions; mail; issue of bread; help given to soldiers with problems; battle weariness of troops; importance of rest; advance to Falaise Gap; activities during rest period; leaves in rest area; scenes in Falaise Gap. REEL 7 Continues: opposition faced outside Beauvais; story of Guards not allowing Quartermaster through; casualties at Beauvais; French shaving of women's heads; reception from civilians; passing through First World War battlefields; story of O Group getting shelled; relationship with troops; sleeping arrangements; tiredness following bout of malaria; reinforcements; advance behind tanks; settling in of reinforcements; reception on arrival in Brussels and accommodation in Louvain; tank attack on and retreat of C Company at Gheel; reorganisation of company; move on Maas Canal; air activity at start of Operation Market Garden; movement of advance; memories of John Horrocks including visit when cut off; opinion of American troops; arrival in Nijmegen; activities in Nijmegen; terrain; rest in Nijmegen and leave in Antwerp; break-up of 50th Division and reaction; enlargement of signal platoon; new role as lorried infantry; rank; joining of 7th Armoured Division; settling into and role of Division; wireless communications; communication with tanks. REEL 8 Continues: advance into Germany; near miss from shell at Geilenkirchen; time as acting heqadquarter company commander; crossing of Rhine; opposition faced; story of being wounded while checking civilian telephone exchange at Hildrizhausen. Aspects of hospitalisation in Belgium, 4/1944: hospitalisation including discipline; return to battalion and damage to kit in absence; story of getting lost night before discharge from hospital; journey back to battalion via Brussels; VE Day celebrations. Aspects of period as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Germany, 5/1945-5/1946: return to signals officer post; relationship with civilians; journey to Berlin; accommodation; leisure activities; Victory March; state of Berlin; story of being stranded in Russian sector; conditions for civilians; problems with Russian troops; role as signals officer; length of time in Berlin; posting in Hamburg with 49th Division; start of demobilisation; role as signals officer; relationship with civilians; earlier help with mine disaster at Sittard; journey to GB; process of demobilisation at Aldershot; German weapons feared; opinion of British weapons; worst moments in army and religion among troops; religion in own life.