Almond, John Raymond (Oral history)

1940111127
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Permitted use for these purposes:
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© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British gunner served with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, II Corps, British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium, 9/1939-6/1940; served with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Home Forces in GB, 6/1940-6/1942; served with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, 10th Armoured Div and Eighth Army in North Africa, 9/1942-5/1943

Content description

REEL 1 Background in South Elmsall, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; employment; joining Territorial Army, 1938. Recollections of operations as gunner with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, II Corps, British Expedionary Force in France and Belgium, 9/1939-5/1940: stationing in Lille, France, 1939-1940; warning shots fired at Dutch airliner; visit to see Gracie Fields show in Paris; leave in GB, 3/1940; move into Belgium and return to Lille, France, 5/1940; his duties as despatch rider during road moves; destruction of unit equipment at Dunkirk, France; wading out to sea to embark on rowing boat at Dunkirk, France, 2/6/1940; reception at Dover, GB, 3/6/1940. Aspects of period as gunner with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Home Forces in GB, 1940-1942: disposition of unit on south coast, summer 1940; German Air Force attack on barrage balloons at Portsmouth, summer 1940; in action against German Air Force aircraft on Suffolk coast; German use of anti-personal bombs at Great Yarmouth, 1941; public morale at Great Yarmouth; question of story of attempted German 'invasion' of coast of East Anglia. REEL 2 Continues: damage done by German Air Force air attacks on Great Yarmouth, 1941. Aspects of operations as gunner with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 10th Armoured Div in North Africa, 9/1942-12/1942: voyage from GB to Egypt, 6/1942-7/1942; passing through minefield on El Alamein Line; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery; effect of artillery barrage on troops' hearing during Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942; pursuit of Deutsches Afrika Korps after Battle of El Alamein, 11/1942-12/1942; conversation with General Bernard Montgomery. Aspects of operations as gunner with 53rd (King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Eighth Army in North Africa, 12/1942-6/1943: unit's attachment to 201st Guards Motor Bde on Mareth Line, Tunisia, 3/1943; loss of brigade tanks on Mareth Line; unit casualties from German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombing attack; capture of German recovery team collecting damaged tanks on Mareth Line; participation in Battle of Tunis, 5/1943. REEL 3 Continues: description of incident for which he was awarded Military Medal during Battle of Tunis, 5/1943.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Almond, John Raymond (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1996-10-15
Dimensions: whole: Duration 80, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 16906

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Almond, John Raymond (Oral history)

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