Gueritz, Edward Findlay (Oral history)

British midshipman served aboard HMS Mashona, 6th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, 4/1939-7/1939; officer served aboard HMS Cumberland, 8th Cruiser Sqdn in South Atlantic, 7/1939-2/1940; served on shore duties with Royal Navy in GB, 2/1940-9/1940; served aboard HMS Jersey, 5th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, English Channel and Mediterranean, 9/1940-5/1941, including mining and sinking at Malta, 2/5/1941; served aboard HMS London, 1st Cruiser Sqdn in Mediterranean, North and South Atlantic, 5/1951-7/1941; served with Combined Operations in GB and during invasion of French Madagascar, 8/1941-6/1944; served as beachmaster with Fox Beach Landing Group, Royal Naval Commandos, Force S, Combined Operations during landings in Normandy, France, 6/1944

REEL 1 Background in Woburn Sands, GB, 1919-1937: family; education; background to joining Royal Navy. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Cumberland, 8th Cruiser Sqdn in South Atlantic, 1939: drafting to cruiser, 7/1939; fatigue under wartime conditions; morale aboard ship; role of ship during hunt for Admiral Graf Spee, 12/1939; first news of Admiral Graf Spee's scuttling in River Plate, Uruguay; echo of signal sent by Admiral Graf Spee whilst hunting German submarine supply ship aboard HMS London in South Atlantic, 6/1941; return to GB aboard HMS Ajax, 2/1940; issue of lifebelts, after 12/1939. Aspects of period as midshipman aboard HMS Mashona, 6th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, 4/1939-7/1939: memories of sinking of submarine HMS Thetis in Liverpool Bay, 6/1939; visit to French Navy cruiser Montcalm in River Clyde; question of relations between Royal Navy and French Navy. Aspects of period as officer involved construction of anti-invasion defences with Royal Navy in GB, 5/1940-9/1940: constructing defences in Portsdown Hill area, near Portsmouth, 5/1940-6/1940; work in the Kingston upon Hull area. Recollections of operations as officer aboard HMS Jersey, 5th Destroyer Flotilla in GB coastal waters, English Channel and Mediterranean, 9/1940-5/1941 including sinking at Malta, 2/5/1941: drafting to destroyer, 9/1940; rescue of motor cruiser sunk by acoustic mine; encounter with German Navy destroyers in English Channel. REEL 2 Continues: German Air Force raids on Plymouth; bombarding Genoa, Italy with Force H in Mediterranean; escorting HMS Resolution to GB, late 1940; German Air Forces raids on Portsmouth, 3/1941; move to Malta, 1/5/1941; sinking of ship on mine at Malta, 2/5/1941; process of cleaning off oil after sinking. Aspects of operations as officer aboard HMS London in Mediterranean, North Atlantic and South Atlantic, 5/1941-7/1941: taking passage in ship, 5/1941; crowded conditions on board with survivors and prisoner of war; memories of Lord Louis Mountbatten. Recollections of operations as beachmaster with Combined Operations in GB and during invasion of French Madagascar, 1941-1944: joining Combined Operations, 8/1941; examples of Lord Louis Mountbatten's memory. REEL 3 Continues: memories of Lieutenant-Colonel R C Hill of 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards; start of service at Inveraray, 8/1941; exercise at Scapa Flow, 1941; training at Loch Fyne, autumn 1941; role in planning for invasion of French Madagascar, winter 1941-1942; landings at Diego Suarez, French Madagascar, 3/1942; hospitalisation on contracting stomach disorder; appointment as staff officer to Commander of Support Group, Force S during preparations for D-Day, 11/1943; appointment as principal beachmaster for Fox Beach Landing Group, Royal Navy Commando of Force S for Normandy landings, 3/1944; importance of right mixture of personnel on landing craft; logistical preparations for D-Day, spring 1944. REEL 4 Continues: sense of national discipline over security measures preceding Normandy landings. Recollections of operations as beachmaster with Fox Beach Landing Group, Royal Naval Commando, Force S, Combined Operations during landings in Normandy, France, 6/1944: crossing English Channel, D-Day, 6/6/1944; character of landings on Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; meaning of term Force S; question of attitude of members of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div; tasks of Beach Landing Groups and Royal Navy Commandos during landings; problems clearing vehicles off Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; accidental friendly fire incident on beach; personal morale amongst troops landing on beach; attitude to taking part in landings; shooting down of German Air Force aircraft that had scattered SD-2 Butterfly Bombs on beach; character of night-time Allied smokescreen; effect of great storm on Sword Beach, 6/1944; German artillery shelling of Sword Beach, 6/1944. REEL 5 Continues: circumstances in which he was wounded on Sword Beach, 26/6/1944; evacuation by LST from Arromanches-sur-Bains to Portsmouth, GB; recovery from wounds; different role of Fox and Roger Beach Landing Groups on Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; casualties amongst beach landing groups.