Glaister, William (Oral history)

British private and NCO served with served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1939-1940; private served with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940-1941; served with 17th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1941-1942; NCO served with 8th Bn in North Africa, 1942; POW in Italy, 1942-1943; escaped to Switzerland, 1943-1944; served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1944-1946; civilian in GB, 1945-1957; private and NCO served with 2nd Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, Germany and Middle East, 1957-1963; NCO served with 99 Gurkha Bde in Borneo, 1963-1965; served with Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1965-1967

REEL 1 Background in Springwell, Northside and Birtley, GB, 1920-1939: family; stories from childhood; discipline at home; family home; Sunday school; time as professional boxer; education; effects of the General Strike 1926; work at head of mine; food; work with ponies in pit. REEL 2 Continues: details of pay; safety precautions; Miner's Welfare; story of an accident; work at coalface; indications of coming war 1938; outbreak of war. Recollections of period as private and NCO with A Coy 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1939-1940: reasons for joining army; process of joining up; stationed at Birtley Drill Hall in A Coy; evening drills; uniform; rifle; description of drill hall; basic drills; opinion of the NCOs of A Company; webbing; trench digging after outbreak of war; reaction of parents to joining army; billeted to Masonic Hall at start of war; reaction to start of war; background of troops; move to Empire Ballroom, Chester-le-Street to look after Militia; issue of battle dress at Lambton Stables; differences with militia men; promotion to Lance Corporal; weapons used; sleeping arrangements at Chester-le-Street; inspections; attitude of militia men. REEL 3 Continues: leisure activities; reactions to war; story of an air raid; food; morning procedures; programme of duties; drill; physical training; bed inspections; route marches; foot care; bullying; weapons courses at Whitburn; bayonet training; opinion of bayonet training; lunch and NAAFI breaks; pay; cleaning equipment; evenings; guard duties; transport duties; difference between piquet and guard; punishments. REEL 4 Continues: opinions of the battalion's officers; billets around Chester-le-Street; move to Lambton Park Stables; sleeping arrangements; duties at Lambton Park; schemes; company transport; duties of Motor Transport Section; make-up of section; duties of Motor Transport NCO; Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer attachments; make-up of Motor Transport Section; transport on schemes; night driving exercises; reasons for not going to France; posting to 11th Battalion; reaction to situation; short stay at the Depot, Brancepeth; troops at Depot; accommodation; discipline; other units at Brancepeth; reactions to Dunkirk. Aspects of period as NCO and private with 11th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1940-1941: reasons for being on south-west coast; story of fight and court martial; desertion home; punishment; details of time in jail at Hull; posting to 17th Bn upon release. REEL 5 Continues: food in jail; morning procedures; discipline and punishment; reactions to situation; clothing; routine; attitude of some prisoners; reception at Depot. Aspects of period as private with 17th Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1941-1942: reception at Folkestone; relationship with Company Commander Captain Kirk; move back to Depot for overseas draft; talk from Colonel Hasted; accommodation; duties in Folkestone; story of celebrations after sports day; subsequent charges; more on duties; air activity. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Egypt aboard Latisha in 1942: travelling in convoy; leisure activities on ship; sleeping arrangements; food; morning procedures; inspections; story of monkey bought at Freetown; boxing; make-up of convoy; arrival at Durban; reasons for going into camp; stories from relationships with civilians; reasons for diversion to Mombasa; arrival at Bombay; journey to via Port Said to Infantry Base Depot; first impressions of Egypt. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as private at Infantry Base Depot in Egypt, 1942: accommodation; canteens; story of fight; attitude of army to fighting; activities at Depot; inoculations; reactions to being abroad; opinion of training; rejoining of 8th Battalion at Gazala. Recollections of operations as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Gazala, 1942: memories of Wally Innis; reception from battalion; position of and duties with B Echelon; terrain; adaptations of truck for desert; navigation in desert; accommodation; water rations; water collection duties; food; mail and Red Cross parcels; opinion of Salvation Army; conditions at day and night; reasons for Axis breakthrough; division of troops for retreat; story of Italian prisoners; leave in Alexandria. REEL 7 Continues: division of troops for retreat; reactions at time; day in a wadi; move on in column; stopped by Italian sentry; orders from Captain Burdon-Taylor; reaction of Italians; escape on foot; time with Burdon-Taylor and Symes; surrender to Germans of Captain Burdon-Taylor; treatment upon being taken prisoner; reaction to surrender; route taken from Gazala; men in truck. Aspects of period as POW in North Africa in 1942: handover of Italians; difference in treatment; time at Tobruk; journey to Benghazi; food; reaction to being prisoner; camp at Benghazi; work carrying salt; journey to Italy; conditions on boat; Red Cross parcels upon arrival at Brindizi; route through North Africa after capture. Recollections of period as POW in Italy, 1942-1943: description of PG70; guardsmen shot; Red Cross parcels; mail; story of attempted escape; punishment; trick to join working party; roll calls; accommodation; sleeping arrangements; washing facilities; boxing; camp organisation; food; bartering with Red Cross parcel goods; memories of George Fearon; reporting illness; opinion of guards; problems faced by POWs; discipline. REEL 8 Continues: need to protect items from theft; bartering of items; clothing; dealing with lice; heating; attitude towards situation; move to work camp; description of camp; food; sleeping arrangements; movement out of camp; work; relationship with civilians; details of farm work; story of escape from farm; travel during night through fields; ride between carriages to Rome from Milan; reasons for return to Milan; stay with Italian friends; return of friend to work camp; taken to Tirano and handed to Alpino guards; train to Alps; walk through pass in Alps to Switzerland. Aspects of period in Switzerland, 1943-1944: reported to Swiss Army; time in quarantine; new clothes bought by British Consulate; transferred to Elge then Ville; work as batman to other former POWs; conditions; lines of control ; story of discarded photograph; work as driver and valet; details of pay; repatriated after liberation of French border. REEL 9 Continues: contact with British Consulate; reaction to news of going home; freedom of movement; journey via Marseilles to London; stay at transit camp; scenes on London Underground; leave; Aspects of period as NCO with Durham Light Infantry, GB, 1944-1946: reported back at Brancepeth as Corporal Physical Training Instructor; life at Brancepeth; became boxing instructor; relationships with other troops at Brancepeth; stories of boxing; duties at Depot; new recruits; memories of Colonel Hasted; moved to Feltham for transport duties; units at Feltham; process of demobilisation; return to pits. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 2nd Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, Germany and Middle East, 1952-1963: rejoined army at Canterbury; reasons for rejoining army; transport duties in Wupertvalle, Germany; relationship with civilians; signs of war damage; period in Middle East. REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 99 Ghurkha Bde in Borneo, 1963-1965: posting in Kuching; make-up of Psychological Warfare Team staff; broadcasting duties; people in Borneo; length of missions; content of messages; opinion of propaganda's effect; story of Ghurkhas returning with heads; reason for being in Borneo; opinion of Ghurkhas; rejoined Durham Light Infantry in Hong Kong. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1967: service in regular army; reason for leaving army; details of pension; work after leaving army; story of car accident; worst and best times in army life; best and worst officers served under.