Description
Object description
British civilian member of Young Communist League in London, GB, 1934-1937; volunteer and political commissar served with British Bn, XV International Bde in Spain, 5/1937-10/1938; gunner and NCO served as gun fitter with Royal Artillery in GB and India, 1939-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1913-1934: family; childhood; opinion of stepfather; reason for leaving home aged 15, 1928; employment as waiter in London hotels; explanation of system of tipping; wages; working conditions and hours; employment in building trade; reason for having own waiter's clothes; attitude to trade unions; story of teaspoons.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude to employment of foreign labour; role of trade unions in catering industry; story of being sacked from restaurant in Oxford, 1934. Recollections of period as member of Young Communist League in GB, 1934-1937: political beliefs and activities; joining Young Communist League, 1934; meetings and confrontations with British Union of Fascists in Camden Town; story of William Joyce attending British Union of Fascists meeting; membership of Young Communist League; role in formation of St Pancras Youth Band; further details of Young Communist League meetings.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of writer Upton Sinclair; story of running café and library in Camden Town; breaking up British Union of Fascists meetings in London; building barricades in Cable Street, East End, London, 4/10/1936; reason for putting acid in whitewash to paint anti-fascist slogans; story of posing as British Union of Fascists steward at rally; methods of disrupting British Union of Fascists meetings; role of Young Communist League in supporting strikes and demonstrations. Aspects of volunteering for International Bdes and journey from GB to Spain via France, 4/1937-5/1937: reason for going to fight in Spain; enlistment procedure for International Bdes in London; journey from GB to France, 4/1937.
REEL 4 Continues: journey from France into Spain, 4/1937-5/1937; issue of rope soled shoes; walking over Pyrenees Mountains; personal possessions; attitude to danger; arrival at Figueras Castle, Spain. Recollections of operations as volunteer and officer with British Bn, XV International Brigade in Spain, 5/1937-10/1938: train journey to Albacete; reception by local civilians; description of Figueras Castle; opinion of food; separation into nationalities; lorry journey to Madrigueras; description of uniform and clothing including poncho and boots; insignia; training and lectures; opinion of other volunteers; weapons training and marching; issue of Russian manufactured Moisin-Nagant M1891 Rifle; degree of tactical training.
REEL 5 Continues: communication with family; relations with local civilians; problem of wine drinking among volunteers; description of Moisin-Nagant M1891 Rifle and bayonet; type of ammunition; opinion of accuracy of Moisin-Nagant M1891 Rifle; memories of Political Commissar Alex McDade and writing of song 'Jarama Valley'; opinion of George Nathan; leaving Madrigueras for front line; first experience of being under fire; descriptions of trenches and dugouts in Jarama Valley; amusing story relating to sappers; organisation and chain of command.
REEL 6 Continues: description of wall newspaper in trench; daily routine in trenches; opinion of rations; cigarettes; distribution of rations; exchanges of fire over no man's land; weather conditions; delousing process; water supplies; recreational activities; awareness of progress of war; morale; story of letters published in St Pancras Chronicle newspaper; communication with family; lorry journey to Mondejar; billets in church; leave periods in Madrid; relations with local civilians; learned Spanish language; reason for move to Mondejar; marching and sleeping; opinion of Political Commissar Alex McDade; discipline in unit; story of civilians used as human shield by Nationalist troops; leave in Madrid.
REEL 7 Continues: story of watching film 'Top Hat' (1935) in Madrid; attitude to personal relationships; description of action at Villanueva de la Cañada, 7/1937; finding British made equipment being used by Nationalist forces; removing epaulette from dead Nationalist officer as souvenir; march towards Brunete, 7/1936; terrain; dug in on side of hill; amusing story of marmalade; noise made by Moorish troops; care of wounded; use of mules to carry stretchers; story of barber shop; nature of fighting and casualties; rest period at Miraflores de la Sierra; problem of sleeping in bed; story of wounded Jewish volunteer; daily routine and movements; lack of artillery and aircraft cover; attacks by German and Italian aircraft; description of being under artillery box barrage; carrying water and wine bottles.
REEL 8 Continues: medical facilities for wounded; story of Charlie Goodfellow being decapitated by artillery shell; attitude to loss of friends; march to Tarazona de la Mancha; billeting in house; visit by American singer Paul Robeson; daily life and routine; duties as secretary of communist group and political commissar to David Guest; summary of movements and actions during advance to Aragon front; death of friend Cliff Wolstencroft at Belchite, 10/3/1938; theft of revolver; retreat over River Ebro; reason for being chosen as political commissar; memories of post-war meetings with fellow volunteers; weather conditions; further details of retreat over River Ebro; story of leading reconnaissance party.
REEL 9 Continues: strafing by aircraft of German Condor Legion on mountain road; description of uniform and headgear; methods of foraging for food and use of poacher's bag; crossing River Ebro. Aspects of disbandment of International Bdes and repatriation from Spain to GB via France, 10/1938-12/1938: reaction to withdrawal of International Bdes by Spanish Republican Government, 9/1938-10/1938; story of interrogation by League of Nations officers; journey from Spain to France; question of having reimburse British Government for cost of repatriation; arrival during dock strike at Dieppe, France; refusal of refreshments from Salvation Army; contributing money to striking dock workers in Dieppe, France; reception on arrival in GB, 12/1938; farewell parade for International Bdes in Barcelona and speech by Dolores Ibárruri 'La Pasionaria', 10/1938.
REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as civilian in London, GB, 1/1939-9/1939: attitude to leaving Spain; reunion with family; reason for not returning to family home; employment as waiter and builder; activities with Aid Spain Movement; duties with Air Raid Precautions; story of being sacked for newspaper article about building site safety; call-up for military service and reasons for deferment, 1939; work building gun sites on Primrose Hill. Aspects of period as gun fitter with Royal Artillery in GB, 1939-1941: reason for applying to become gun fitter; training; duties as gun fitter and types of guns; marriage; posting to India, 1941. Aspects of operations with Royal Artillery in India and Burma, 1941-1945: disembarkation at Bombay, India, 1941; training; attitude to being classified 'surplus to establishment'; posting to anti-aircraft regiment at Karachi, India; opinion of British Indian Army officers and NCOs being subordinate to British other ranks; nature of duties.
REEL 11 Continues: leave in Kashmir and Darjeeling, India; posting to reinforcement camp, 1943; duties with Movement Control on railways; attachment to 8th (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, in Arakan, Burma; type of guns use; reason for regiment's nickname 'The Twelve Mile Snipers'; posting to Dacca, India; story of doctors with Chinese National Revolutionary Army; attachment to 53rd (City of London) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery; duties guarding airfields at Mandalay, Burma, 1945; donations made to Communist Party of India; background to return to GB, 5/1945; opinion of Communist Party of India; story of sabotage carried out by Japanese sympathisers.
REEL12 Continues: relations with Indian civilians; bartering; attitude of British Army troops towards Indians; story of Indian cook; attitude to presence of brothel at Poona, India; story of Anglo-Indian stationmaster; opinion of Madrasi British Indian Army troops; availability of beer and spirits; amusing story of Irish band; cigarettes and tobacco; relations between Roman Catholic and Protestant troops in 8th (Belfast) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery; story of wife sending message in radio broadcast; recreational activities.
REEL 13 Continues: attitude towards Common Wealth Party in GB; political lectures and discussions at Deolali, India; question of being classified 'surplus to establishment' due to political beliefs and involvement in Spanish Civil War.