Ingram, Cecil Wilfred (Oral history)

British sapper served with Royal Engineers in GB, 1938-1939; served as map draughtsman with Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Div, I Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 1939-1940; served with 512th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Egypt, 1941; sapper and NCO served with 517th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Middle East, 1941-1943; NCO served with 524th Palestine Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Egypt, Palestine and French Syria, 1943; served with Headquarters, Survey Branch, Royal Engineers in Alexandria, Egypt, 1943-1944; served with Polish Survey Coy in Egypt and Italy, 1944; served with 517th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Italy, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1924-1938: family; education; reasons for joining Ordnance Survey. Aspects of training with Survey Battalion, Royal Engineers in GB, 1938-1939: pattern of training; mobilisation, 9/1939. Recollections of period as map draughtsman with Headquarters, 2nd Div, I Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 1949-1940: duties as map draughtsman; problems with technique of map layering; how he acquired nickname 'Nipper'; memories of Major-General Henry Loyd; relations with French civilians; move into Belgium, 10/5/1940; sight of Belgian refugees, 5/1940; retreat towards Dunkirk, France; German Air Force dive-bombing attacks at Dunkirk, France; evacuation by Royal Navy from Dunkirk, France to Margate, GB, 5/1940. REEL 2 Continues: handling of Dunkirk Evacuation survivors in GB, 6/1940. Aspects of period as sapper with 512th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Egypt, 1941: posting to Middle East; voyage from GB to Egypt, 2/1941; joining unit in Heliopolis, Egypt; transfer to work on ground survey, El Alamein, Egypt. Aspects of period as sapper and NCO with 517th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Middle East, 1941-1943: joining unit in Jerusalem, Palestine, 4/1941; composition of unit; topographical survey techniques; problem of triangulation linkage between Palestine, Transjordan and French Syria, 1941-1943. Aspects of period as NCO with 524th Palestine Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Egypt, Palestine and French Syria, 1943: character of unit; amusing story of tomb in Palestine; work of company including resurvey of French Syria using traversing technique. REEL 3 Continues: encounter with party of Arabs. Aspects of period as NCO with Headquarters, Survey Branch, Royal Engineers in Alexandria, Egypt, 1943-1944: work on unloading of supplies at dock; problems with damage to stores; escorting nursing sisters ashore in Alexandria. Aspects of period as NCO with Polish Survey Coy, Polish II Corps, Polish Armed Forces in the West in Egypt and Italy, 1944: joining unit as instructor at Ismailia, Egypt; work of company; amusing story of fetching cognac for commanding officer from Bari, Italy. Aspects of period as NCO with 517th Field Survey Coy, Royal Engineers in Italy, 1944-1945: surveying duties in Siena-Florence area; contracting dysentery in Bologna area, 1945; Python repatriation procedure, 1945. REEL 4 Continues: story of black market in Naples, 1945; return to Ordnance Survey in GB, 1945-1946; service map section gave to Royal Artillery in Second World War; prior recollection of special mapping job he did to aid underground drillers in French Syria, 1943.