Henderson, Ronald (Oral history)

British private served with General Service Corps in GB, 1942; trooper served with 61st Training Regt Royal Artillery in GB, 1942-1943; served with 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) in GB, North West Europe and Germany, 1943-1947

REEL 1 Background in Barnard Castle, GB, 1924-1942: family situation and details of Barnard Castle; memories of childhood; money; description of family home; leisure activities; attendance at Sunday School and Church Lads' Brigade; trips away from Barnard Castle; education; attempt to join Royal Air Force and problems from being born out of wedlock; contact with mother; further details of education; civilian work including extra work done and details of pay; work building army camps in Barnard Castle; joining of Home Guard; uniform and weapon issued; duties; joining of Fire Brigade; details of Home Guard unit. REEL 2 Continues: make-up of unit; firing on Deepdale ranges; background of troops; details of training received; details of uniform and turnout; relationship among troops; opinion of Ross Rifle; further details of uniform; pace of drill; opinion of chances against opposition; drill nights and duties; details of schemes with army; route marches; civilian work with Fire Brigade; joining of army. Aspects of period as private with General Service Corps in GB, 10/1942-11/1942: journey to and arrival in Carlisle; homesickness; reception on arrival; rivalry among huts; opinion of comrades; details of camp; passing out parade; inoculations; details of accommodation and sleeping arrangements; replacement of lost kit; issue of uniform; heating and cleaning of stove; physical training; cleaning of accommodation. REEL 3 Continues: uniform and equipment issued; details of pay; relationship with civilians; rifle issued; cleaning and inspection of rifle; hat and cap badge worn; kit inspections; medicals; denims worn; troops visiting psychiatrist; memories of recruits in hut; memories of Sergeant Payne; contact with officers including church parades; morning procedures including clothing worn in bed; details of meals; daily routine; drill; rifle training and route marches; bayonet training; gas precautions; grenade training; training with Boyes Anti-Tank Rifle; evening and leisure activities; army attitude to gambling; treatment from army; passing out parade; posting to RAC; reception on arrival and standard of turnout; details of NCO instructors; tactical training; attitude toward future possibility of action. REEL 4 Continues: description of aptitude and physical tests; civilian clothes sent home; opinion of treatment at Carlisle; news of posting to Barnard Castle. Aspects of period as trooper with 61st Training Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 11/1942- 5/1943: arrival at Barnard Castle; period before allowed out of Streatlam Camp; cleaning of kit; details of training and discipline; band in camp; Saturday parades; changes to uniform; lessons with tank engine; keenness to gain skills and increases in pay; description of accommodation; bumping the floor; Saturday inspections; opinion of comrades; discipline; opinion of instructors; drill; posting at end of course; learning about history of tanks; map training; potential officers in camp; gunnery training; daily routine and organisation of courses; wireless training with 19 set; aircraft recognition training; pay parades; leisure activities including details of Red Shield Club. REEL 5 Continues: memories of NCOs; contact with officers; punishment received; berets worn including methods of shrinking and wearing them; relationship with other units in Barnard Castle; guard duties at Carlisle and Barnard Castle; preparations for guard duty including selection of stickman; details of guard duties; fire piquets; leave in London; parts of Barnard Castle camps still in existence; learning of Morse code at Stainton Camp; training in semaphore and sending Morse with light; maintenance of wireless sets; details of wireless sets in tanks; efficiency of 19 sets; location of wireless in tank; details of squadron commander's tank; communications between tanks. REEL 6 Continues: communications with infantry; application for sleeping out pass and changes to service; driving training; make-up of Covenanter tank crews; driving of Covenanters; driving around Barnard Castle area; details of haversack rations; preference for driving; description of Covenanter and Valentine tanks; maintenance of tanks; hatches on tank; rotation of turret; gunnery training including expectation of posting in desert and loading of gun; details of driver's duties; details of British tanks including armour and weapons; make-up of a squadron; organisation of unit at Stainton Camp; need for driving licence. REEL 7 Continues: knowledge of German tanks; morale; duties and fatigues; contact with chief instructor; passing put and wait for posting; posting to 13th/18th Hussars at Skipton. Aspects of period as trooper with 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) in GB, 5/1943-6/1944: reception on arrival; relationship within unit; reactions on arrival; history of unit; background of fellow troops; reactions to and details of discipline in unit; memories of Provost Sergeant Gilhooley; memories of Regiment Sergeant Major Duffy Hind; inspections before leaving camp; avoiding physical training; standard of turnout; troopers cleaning kit for money; cavalry orders; horses in unit; period of change in unit; make-up of regiment; details of reconnaisance troop; regimental fitters; reliability and maintenance of Sherman tanks. REEL 8 Continues: further details of 61st Training Regiment uniform and weapons training including rifle tests; Christmas 1942; other tests during time at 61st Training Regiment; visits to Grandmother's house; relationship with Barnard Castle civilians; handover of Covenanter tanks to Irish Guards; description of Sherman tank interior including details of crew members; difficulties with sleep including methods of keeping awake; storage of ammunition; starting and details of engine; noise inside tank; weapons range; dispersal of shell cases in action and in GB; latrines and washing facilities; spare parts carried in tank; camouflage of tank; description of hull-down situation; sleeping arrangements; movement of squadron; markings on tank. REEL 9 Continues: details of different shells and machine gun ammunition; opinion and details of Sherman armour; repair of tracks; Light Aid Detachment and regiment fitters; personnel transferred to 246 Field Delivery Squadron and their work abroad; medical staff including health problems in North West Europe; replenishment of tank stores; details of compo rations; currency issued for pay in North West Europe; drinks and sweets in tank including brewing of tea; water rations; speed of Sherman tank; badges and flashes worn by 13th/18th Hussars; length of time at Skipton, accommodation; posting to Wickham Market; accommodation; reinforcements; gunnery training; waterproofing of vehicles; squadron, troop and tank postings; numbering and recognition tags on tank; organisation of troop; memories and opinion of Lieutenant Colonel Moulton Barrett. REEL 10 Continues: memories of Lieutenant Colonel Harrop; exercises with infantry; importance of working with infantry; details of unit role and schemes including relationship with infantry; details of soft vehicles; arrival of Shermans; story of demonstration for senior officers including details of Hobart's Funnies; reasons unit would use Duplex Drive tanks on D-Day; description of invasion training after posting in Gosport; relationship with French-Canadian and American troops; leisure activities; accommodation and sleeping arrangements in Wickham Market; guard and piquet duties; visits into Wickham Market; relationship with civilians; visits from senior officers; inspection from King George VI; impressions of General Montgomery in GB and later in North West Europe. REEL 11 Continues: opinion of training; testing of waterproofing; background of troops; spread of regiment; leave; posting to Fort George; training with Valentine Duplex Drive tanks including story of accident; description and use of Duplex Drive tanks; initial reaction to Duplex Drive tanks; success of Duplex Drive tanks; use of tanks on Normandy beaches; posting to Petworth; accommodation; posting to Gosport and splitting of regiment; accommodation; marriage of two troopers; activities during period in sealed-in camp including mail; expectation of casualties; casualties suffered on D-Day; medals won D-Day; further details of invasion training; discipline; morale and humour among troops; knowledge of task on D-Day; successes on D-Day; opinion of organisation; role of regiment. REEL 12 Continues: scenes in Hampshire and at Southampton Docks; loading of LCTs; send-off from civilians and honorary colonel; story of trooper left behind; morale including change after first casualty lists arrived; expectations for survival; seasickness during invasion's delay; disembarkation; thoughts upon leaving to see action; uniform worn and weapon carried in tank; rations and seasickness; contact with officers during voyage; details of troop and its role; memories of Lieutenant Edwards and Lieutenant McMichael; troop commanders including memories of Colonel Harrop; make-up of tank crew; memories of the Earl of Faversham; reflections on officers; length of voyage to France; sound of bombardment; launch of Duplex Drive tanks; description of voyage to beach. Aspects of operations as trooper with 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) in North West Europe, 6/1944-3/1945: landing on Sword Beach; story of tank that had to be abandoned. REEL 13 Continues: dropping of skirts; initial scenes on beach; arrival of 4 Commandos; obstacles on beach; tanks lost; movement up and off beach including opposition faced; activity within tank; reactions to burning tanks; story of Sergeant Tommy Buck's lost tanks; communications; scenes and activity in Hermanville-sur-Mer; details of later activity in Falaise Gap; sentry duty during first night including reactions to seeing casualty list and first taste of Calvados; details of night- time laagers; exhaustion and sleep; maintenance of tanks; issue of orders including story of a fearless major; problems faced in attempt to take Caen; Naval support; learning to recognise noise from shells; blankets; weather; work holding gap in line; opposition faced. REEL 14 Continues: evacuation of wounded and POWs; codenames for villages; attack on Hillman; story of interview with Colonel; impressions of France; contact with civilians; activities of troop; spread of regiment; turnover of tanks; location of spare crews; action against German tanks; opinion of German troops and tanks; terrain; infantry regiments worked with; amalgamation with 8th Armoured Brigade; change of badge; relationship with Canadian troops; currency issued; activities during rest periods including at Lion-sur-Mer; premonition of a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer sergeant; looking out for danger; religion among British and German troops; thoughts when in danger and opinion would survive; story of near miss from 88 shell. REEL 15 Continues: problems faced in Bocage country and effect on morale; booby traps; reflections on French civilians; welcome from civilians in Belgium; fortifications seen in France; relationship with infantry; description of shellfire and shelter taken; story of personnel narrowly missing death; reactions to casualty lists; opinion that would not survive and reaction when did; story of driver who broke down; sleep and physical state; description of baths and concert party at Aunay-sur-Odon; burial of causalities; work with FDS on replacement tanks including removal of bodies from tanks; story of shell exploding in a tank; Sherman escape hatches; German nickname for Shermans; humour among troopers; rum ration. REEL 16 Continues: standard of turnout and methods of washing selves and uniform; water supply; story of Free From Infection inspection; haircut on voyage to Normandy; details of face infection and hospitalisation; break-up of 27th Armoured Brigade; make-up of 8th Armoured Brigade; opposition faced; attitude to service and Germans; German treatment of POWs; formation in action; details of fighting; description of action at Mont Pinçon including use of smoke and terrain; infantry units worked with and opinion of them; further details of Mont Pinçon battle with B Squadron; scenes from Mont Pinçon; battle honours received; problems from snipers; work of tank commander and drivers; attack on Le Plessis Grimoult; contact with Durham Light Infantry including story of Tommy Buck at Breville; bombardment of Falaise pocket. REEL 17 Continues: scenes of damage from bombardment; looting and story of corned beef; driving over dead bodies; children in Falaise; army attitude to looting; advance to and crossing of Seine at Vernon; casualties during advance north; speed of advance; reception from civilians; contact with French Resistance; treatment of women who had fraternised with Germans; journey through First World War battlefields; relationship with civilians in Amiens; reception on arrival in Brussels; accommodation in Louvain; reliability of tanks; rest period including story of surrounding German infantry postion; mail; cigarette ration; attack from Hitler Youth on Albert Canal; crossing of canal; details and opinion of Operation Market Garden. REEL 18 Continues: details of advance toward Arnhem including contact with American paratroopers; air activity; opposition faced during advance to Arnhem; opinion of Dutch civilians; reactions to situation; conditions for and relationship with civilians; period in Winson; hospitalisation with face infection; accommodation; relationship with civilians and story of air raid in Nijmegen; journey into Ardennes; role in area; accommodation; posting and activity in Geilenkirchen. REEL 19 Continues: air support; methods of attacking well defended positions including example of attack on Hillman; problems with 88 guns; friendly fire from own planes; boming of settlements; artillery support; opinion of RAF and Royal Navy; terrain in Ardennes; overcrowding in Nijmegen; role on Dutch-German border; conditions in Ardennes including problems with replacement tanks; sleeping arrangements; Christmas 1944; activities in Brunssum; mail; details of different accommodations with civilians; washing facilities; positions on Dutch-German border; guard duties; details of leave in Brussels. REEL 20 Continues: changes among Belgian civilians; Christmas 1944; camouflage in Ardennes; clothing worn; action in Ardennes; morale; story of losing temper; Christmas Day meal; story of American deserters; problems gaining sleep; rations; relationship with officers; air raid on New Year's Day 1945; story of charge for urinating in Quartermaster's stores; punishment; trailers attached to tanks; ration and ammunition supplies; opinion of Royal Army Service Corps; story of West Indian reinforcement; concert in Nijmegen; journey to and wait on start line to advance into Germany; description of artillery barrage; terrain in Reichwald; problems with mines; opposition faced; conditions underfoot; reactions to situation; booby traps; casualties. REEL 21 Continues: further details of mines and booby traps; reaction to situation including background of troops and scenes in Ardennes; opinion of opposition; story of near miss from tank shell; shelling including reaction to it; opinion of infantry; opposition faced and POWs taken; details of advance including state of towns advanced through and flooding; period in Goch; shelling of acommodation and escape. Aspects of hospitalisation in Belgium and GB, 3/1945-4/1945: treatment for burns at First Aid Post; evacuation ro Bruges via stops in Nijmegen and 's- Hertogenbosch; details of period at 110 British General Hospital in Bruges; discipline in hospital; opinion of treatment; uniform worn; visits out of hospital; visits from padre; story of return home on leave; exercises during convalesence; story of journey home for casualty leave. REEL 22 Continues: return journey including reaction on return; period in Netherlands before return to unit including young troops. Aspects of period as trooper with 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) in Germany, 4/1945-4/1947: posting in Bremen; events during absence; activities in Bremen; relationship with civilians; posting in Hanover; painting of tanks; visit to pub; relationship with civilians and accommodation; guard duties; German girlfriend and black market; sports; state of Hanover; relationship with children; weather; exchange of tanks for armoured cars. REEL 23 Continues: ceasefire and reactions to end of war; story of white crosses; request for volunteers to work at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp; description of camp and smell; visits of civilians to camp; details of work in camp and inmates including protection against disease; reactions to experience; conditions in Hanover; treatment of suspected Nazis; contact with German POWs; details of guard duties; problems with displaced persons; opening of opera house; sports; civilians working for army; armoured car patrols; driving duties including contact with General Horrocks and Kay Kendall. REEL 24 Continues: leisure activities; loss of duties to local police; spread of regiment and posting to Hartz Mountains; accommodation in Winnenberg; patrol duties on border with Russian Zone; Christmas 1945; leave; accommodation in Immendorf; visits from Winnenberg girlfriend; posting to Berlin and duties; leisure activities; state of Berlin; accommodation; girlfriend in Berlin; duties; story of breaking down in Russian Zone; dangers of being caught in Russian Zone; visit to Goebbel's bungalow; civilian workers in barracks; opinion of German troops faced; involvement with black market; activities with shooting team including details of Mark IV and Ross Rifles. REEL 25 Continues: leisure actvities; visit from general; story of attempt to avoid leave; memories of Tommy Dobson; story of service with firing squad; story of later visit to Durham prison; posting in Wolfenbuttal Barracks; activities; demobilisation number; final interview; regret at refusal of service extension; process of demobilisation including civilian clothing issued. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: initial civilian work; problems settling into civilian life; nightmares; training gven by regiment for return to work; conatct with old comrades; memories of Sergeant Buck; memories of officers; story of evacuating tank during shelling; worst period during war; rum ration.