Ridley, William Marshall (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, France, Belgium, Cyprus, Iraq and North Africa, 1939- 1944; NCO served with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1944

REEL 1 Background in Pelaw and Felling, GB, 1919-1939: family; reason for being known as Marshall; stories of childhood; effect of the General Strike on family; education; discipline at school and home; work from aged fourteen as errand boy; moved to warehouse after two years. REEL 2 Continues: opinion that first aid learned from Boy Scouts saved his life in army; other lessons learned from Scouts; work in warehouse; cycling and dances at weekends; fights; Sunday evenings on the Durham Road; work in shops; little interest in events in Germany; father's excitement at Munich Agreement; starts to think more about war; tired of long hours and keen to join navy; went to join with friends; don't all pass medical; he is rejected because a tooth short; reason for not joining Marines instead. REEL 3 Continues: declined by Royal Air Force; joins Territorial Army; timing of joining up; reasons for joining Army. Recollections of period in training as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 5/1939- 1/1940: trouble from uniform; medical; story of call-up; recruitment marches prior to call-up; 2/9th Battalion; band on marches; uniform; stationed at Alexandra Road school; sleeping arrangements; make-up of Intelligence Section; troops of Section; stories of drinking among troops; reactions to outbreak of war; belief of victory throughout war; march to Whitburn; equipment; make-up of Intelligence Section; spotting for snipers. REEL 4 Continues: duties of Intelligence Section; opinion of training including map reading and drawing; memories of Intelligence Section officer and NCO; firing course; move to Shropshire; immaturity of troops; route marches; Kitebrook Hall accommodation; sleeping arrangements; entertainment; food; memories of "Sonia" Heaney; visits to Moreton-in-Marsh; Christmas Concert Party; cleanliness; details of training at Shropshire; gas training; hardness of winter; journey to France; reaction to going abroad; reaction of parents; gambling among troops. Aspects of period in training as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France, 1/1940-5/1940: landing at Cherbourg; first night in France. REEL 5 Continues: moved to small village; relationship with French civilians; accommodation at Battalion Headquarters; other billets; story of fight leading to court marshal; Field Punishment; memories of Charlie Watson; details of pay; making own entertainment; washing clothes; story of drunkenness; route marches and rifle drill; motorised training later at Bougainville; details of Batman work with Intelligence Officer; story of Billy Carr's court martial at Bougainville; opinions of Field Punishment; training at Bougainville; attitude of Company troops to Headquarters Company; training to gain fitness; sight of grave of Captain Albert Ball. REEL 6 Continues: billet in old brewery at Lille; show at Lille; parcels from home; health of troops; advancement of German army. Recollections of operations with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: reception of Belgian civilians; moved close to Brussels for big march; refugees and shattered troops; lack of support; order to use Boyes Anti Tank Rifle; march back to Lille under fire; first dead seen; reaction to refugees; Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks; memories of Major Battiscombe; confusion at this time; effect on morale of a halt; bus to Vimy Ridge; reactions to situation; looting of souvenir kiosk; bombing raid; other battalions attack from Petit Vimy; march out of Vimy; time in factory at Provin; helping with casualties following an air raid. REEL 7 Continues: burying the dead; lift and sleep on a truck; dawn concert; sent to position over canal; Platoon Sergeant Major's hole in road embankment; volunteers to take message; problems with cornfield; retreat from position; leaves men in cover at shrine; asks for Durham Light Infantry at Chateau on Furnes Canal for wounded; lift with Northumberland Fusiliers; officer in cottage under fire; time under mortar fire on bank with Major Battiscombe; casualties at the Chateau; morale boost from Major Batterscombe. REEL 8 Continues: scenes on journey to Dunkirk; bombing at La Panne dunes; torpedoes running up beach; air activity; reasons for doubts over memories; searches for water with Corporal Andy Davidson at Dunkirk and Gazala; scenes on the beaches; reprimand on search for food; reactions to situation; march to pier and boarding the Prague; journey on boat to Dover; reaction to retreat; reception from civilians; discussion of superior German force; lessons learned in France; more on civilian welcome; suffering from bad dreams; reception from father. REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of period as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940-1941: state in after Dunkirk; moved to Lyme Regis for coast defence duties; new draft from Shropshire Light Infantry; map sketching duties at Lyme Regis; training of troops as snipers; accommodation; stories of observer duties at Morecambe Lake; equipment commandeered; unarmed combat training; ambush tactics; manufacture of Molotov cocktails; activity on the beaches; dreams at this time; opinion that despite everything troops felt they would win; Battalion morale; accommodation; practice with snipers; night patrols; relationship with locals; weapons used at time; move to Maiden Newton; stories of dances in Devon. REEL 10 Continues: move to Sherbourne; reason for supply of spare uniform; story for Cathedral parade; move to Tiverton; route marches and manoeuvres; fitness of troops; formation of reserve Coy; punishments given; fitness and morale built up at Tiverton; relationships with local women; final night at Tiverton; farewell from locals; Intelligence Section's duties; artillery and tanks in Devon; pride for regiment; opinion and memories of the Company Commander; description of cottage billets; story of cottage burning down; opinion of other officers. REEL 11 Continues: story of Private Adam Wakenshaw forgetting cape; story of stolen flour; memories of Charlie Watson; opinion of NCOs; families in Battalion; memories of Private Adam Wakenshaw; post-war visit to Tiverton; issue of tropical dress; story of deserters from Tiverton. Aspects of journey from GB to Egypt aboard the Orduna in 1941: reaction to embarkation; Orduna's place in the convoy; sleeping arrangements; changes in climate; desertion of escort; collision with Duchess of Richmond; taking fire onboard; arrival in Freetown; begging boats; tropical storm; food on ship; school friends in South Africa; gambling; involvement in boxing and bout with Dickie Freeman. REEL 12 Continues: reception at Durban; guard duty; entertainment from locals in Durban; treatment from Boers; riot at Aden; reasons for riot; other regiments on ship; death of ship's commanding officer; crash of the HMS Exeter's seaplane; burial of crew; bombing of Georgia. Aspects of period as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Egypt, 1941: first impressions of Egypt; transit camp at El Qassassin; illness; sleeping arrangements; food; cinema in camp; NAAFI; problems with seagulls and flies; moved to Cyprus. REEL 13 Continues: journey to Cyprus on a destroyer; Royal Navy cocoa. Recollections of time as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Cyprus, 7/1941-11/1941: problem on arrival at Famagusta; move to camp in olive grove; aerodrome building duties on Cyprus; visits to Nicosia; rest camp leave; treatment of desert sores; relationship with Cypriots; story of young officers getting in trouble; civilian workers at the aerodrome; Medieval nature of Cyprus; food; feud between Hussars and Fleet Air Arm; use of rifle during air raids; sport meetings with Cypriots; map work with Intelligence Section; story of guard duty; journey to Iraq; memories of officers. REEL 14 Continues: Aspects of period in transit from Cyprus to Haifa and through Iraq, 1941: arrival at Haifa; moved to holding camp at Azib; journey by truck to Iraq; escort; landscape travelled through; Regimental Guard Mounting in desert; discomfort of trucks; truck drivers strike; breaks during journey; description of stove building; opinion of journey; dealing with dirt on journey; effects of recent revolution; organisation at staging posts; sleeping arrangements; orders for arrival in Baghdad; reception from locals; Ghurkha trouble previous day; sentry duty; story of guard getting lost; arrival in Kirkuk; promotion to Lance Corporal; march to Great and Little Zab Rivers; problems with feet. Recollections of period as NCO with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Northern Iraq, 11/1941-2/1942: Indian equipment; weather conditions; digging defensive positions. REEL 15 Continues: conditions; problems with charcoal; sleeping arrangements; Christmas celebrations; story of found chicken; problems with tent; food; story of puddle outside cookhouse; mail; Bob Renshaw losing girlfriend; latrines; dealing with boredom; defences built in hills; leave in Mosul; story from escort patrol work; survey work in area. REEL 16 Continues: keeping rifles safe. Aspects of period in transit from Iraq to Gazala, 1942: move to Africa; Intelligence Section learning way from Suez with Royal Army Service Corps; inside of Royal Army Service Corps trucks; guiding Battalion through desert. Recollections of operations as NCO with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Gazala, 1942: initial work in desert; description of position; opinions of desert; patrols; terrain; stories about water rations; Salvation Army presence in box; mobile baths; concert party; animals in desert. REEL 17 Continues: description of A PAT patrols and story of one; opinion of Sergeant Jobson; battle patrols; memories of Corporal Raisin; description of moving across minefields; story of a listening post; movement within a column. REEL 18 Continues: story of a cancelled three-day patrol; Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attack; casualties after the attack; reaction to such events; prayer under fire; position of Intelligence Section in the box; memories of Sergeant Richley; conditions in the desert; description of dugouts; health in desert; preparation of food; beer and tobacco. REEL 19 Continues: mail in Iraq and desert; cake from mother; sudden advance of Axis troops; decision to break out; kept in dark; explosion in Axis line; move out under fire; description of the scene; turn round and use escarpment on coast road; chaos on road; story of stop-off at well; anti-tank crew on beach; parade by Scott-Batey outside Tobruk; memories of Scott- Batey; position taken at Mersa Matruh; move to ridge once under fire; fire taken on ridge. REEL 20 Continues: confusion on ridge; hit by shrapnel; attempt to retrieve Bren Gun; Major Slight commanding on the ridge; officer in tears; ammunition truck on fire; story of tank pulling in; arrival of honey tanks; call for retreat; prepares to move off; shot in arm; self- treatment of wound on spot and in truck; journey in truck away from battle; opinion of doctor of treatment; reaction to being wounded; dressing of wound; move to RAF Station Hospital. Recollections of period as patient in Egypt, 1942: queues on arrival at hospital; quick movement out to Alexandria; discovery of chest wound; story of puttees and whistle; moved by hospital train; wounds of other passengers; staff on train; reactions of troops to situation; discussion of angelic aspect of nurses. REEL 21 Continues: other patients at Cairo hospital; memories of the Matron; move to Nissan huts before El Alamein; invitation from French Embassy; news received of the Battalion; opinions of Adam Wakenshaw. Aspects of period in transit from Egypt to GB, 1942: journey down Suez to board Orduna for South Africa; meeting old friends aboard Orduna; reception at Pietermaritzberg hospital; relationship with civilians; visits outside of hospital; stories of officers in hospital; reasons for being in South Africa; food; treatment of black people in South Africa; fight in hospital; relationship with nurses; journey to GB; problems with Scottish troops on ship. REEL 22 Continues: comparison with voyage out; married women onboard; sleeping arrangements; routine on ship; Aspects of period in GB, 1942-1944: arrival in Scotland, GB; stop-off at hospital in Bathgate; memories of Billy Carr; transfer to Relton Hospital, Chester-le-Street for leave; story of collar; arrival home on leave; reception of locals; move to Winnick Hospital, Warrington; almost hospital orderly by now; memories of Matron; condition of wounded arm; reasons for being kept in army; ways helped at hospital; story of helping with bottles at Chester-le-Street; moved to Convalescent Hospital at Lym; occupational therapy at Winnick; move to Watton Camp, Nottingham; story of draft to Middle East; sent to Shudy Camps to join 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry; general duties while Battalion prepared for D Day; fight at Shudy. REEL 23 Continues: discharge after Medical Assessment in Midlands; process of demobilisation; details of pension. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1944: problems settling back into civilian life; contact with old comrades; work as editor of 9th Battalion Old Comrades Magazine.