Interview with Roy Alfred William Orrin

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Description

Object description

British guardsman trained at Guards Depot, Caterham in GB, 1/1945-4/1945; served with Training Bn Irish Guards at Lingfield, GB, 4/1945-7/1945; served with 1st Holding Bn Irish Guards at Stobs Camp, Hawick in GB, 7/1945-8/1945; guardsman and NCO served with 3rd Bn Irish Guards in Germany, 8/1945-12/1946; NCO served with 1st Bn Irish Guards at Tower of London and Chelsea Barracks in London, GB, 2/1946-2/1947; served with 1st Bn Irish Guards, Palestine Command in Palestine, 2/1947-12/1947

Content description

Background in Colchester, GB, 1926-1945: family's military service; military deferment and reasons for enlistment. Recollections of enlistment and training as guardsman with Irish Guards at Guards Depot, Caterham in GB, 1/1945-4/1945: expectations concerning regiment; physical condition; medical at call-up centre in Colchester; reception on arrival at Caterham; introduction to trained soldier; nature of first day at depot; reaction to discipline; advice received from trained soldier; character of squad instructor and superintendant sergeant; relations between guardsmen and NCOs; character of company sergeant-major; origins of recruits; further details of company sergeant-major; depot officers. REEL 2 Continues: degree of contact with officers; attitude towards adjutant; disciplinary offenses including 'idle while sleeping'; uniform worn; boots; preparation and treatment of boots; parades; evening kit cleaning; opinion of army food; use of Navy, Army, and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI); dress for leave from camp; weapons and tactical training; opinion of Sten Gun, Lee Enfield Rifle and Bren Gun; training as marksman; physical training; opinion of quality of medical officers; opinion of physical training. REEL 3 Continues: learning regimental history; weekend activities; lack of organised sport; consequences of back squading. Recollections of period as guardsman at Training Bn, Irish Guards at Lingfield, GB, 4/1945-7/1945: joining Training Bn at Lingfield; accommodation; tactical training and live firing; gas training; evening leave in East Grinstead; system of instruction; value of drills; patrol training; use of ranges; training with grenades; opinion of instructors; accidental shooting of instructor; long march at end of exercise; tactical formation for advance to contact. REEL 4 Continues: platoon frontage; map reading; degree to which supporting arms were mentioned; attending battle camp near Chichester; initiative tests; how he was spotted as potential NCO. Aspects of period as guardsman with 1st Holding Bn Irish Guards at Stobs Camp, Hawick in GB, 7/1945-8/1945: move to Holding Bn at Hawick; attending snipers' course; nature of time with holding battalion; atmosphere in battalion. Recollections of period as guardsman and NCO with 3rd Bn Irish Guards at Hoffnungstahl in Germany, 8/1945-12/1946: posting orders; journey from GB to Germany via Belgium; reaction to surrender of Japan, 15/8/1945; character of Germans; nature of occupation duties. REEL 5 Continues: parading to 'show the flag'; firing on range; promotion to corporal; duties as corporal; hunting expeditions to provide meat; lack of contact with Displaced Persons; recreational activities in Hoffnungstahl; cases of venereal disease and their treatment in Germany and London, GB; return to GB and disbandment of battalion, 12/1946. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Bn Irish Guards at Tower of London and Chelsea Barracks in London, GB, 2/1946-2/1947: duties in London; guard duties and pickets; guard duties at the London Cage; appearance of Intelligence Corps personnel; guarding German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundsteadt; guarding London Cage; accommodation at Tower of London. REEL 6 Continues: nature of accommodation at Chelsea Barracks; messing arrangements at Chelsea Barracks and Tower of London; guards duties carried out from Chelsea Barracks; escort duties for German officer prisoners of war to Brussels, Belgium; attending senior NCO training courses; nature of course at School of Infantry at Warminster; examination at end of course; nature of promotion; NCO duties on Buckingham Palace guard duties; security in hands of police force; contact with members of royal family. REEL 7 Continues: attending small arms course at Small Arms School at Hythe; battalion small arms training at Chelsea Barracks and Guards Depot at Pirbright; street fighting training in Chelsea; attending anti-malarial course; warning of move to Palestine; expectations for service in Palestine and how these change on arrival; conditions in holding camp at Guards Depot at Pirbright. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Cameronia from GB to Palestine, 2/1947: conditions on board; move by vehicle from Port Said, Egypt to Haifa, Palestine; initial impressions of Egypt and Palestine. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Irish Guards, Palestine Command in Palestine, 2/1947-12/1947: character of Atlit Camp; presence of illegal immigrant camp; description of 'Swordfish' guards; scale of camp guard; escape attempts by illegal immigrants. REEL 8 Continues: siting of roadblocks; size and armament of roadblock parties; personal arms; use of Universal Carrier as obstacle; policy to check every vehicle; reaction of some civilians to searches; arrests of civilians carrying arms and explosive; character of Palestine Police Force personnel; contrast between Jewish and Arab civilians; Jewish battalion members; race relations in battalion; organisation and conduct of house searches; question of forewarning of searches in Jewish areas; restrictions on searches; repaired damage to synagogue; productive nature of searches including a cache found in lavatory; incident of just missing Menachem Begin during search; duration of searches in Jewish quarter; curfew; move to Khassa Camp near Gaza; nature of operations from Khassa Camp; move to Jerusalem, 7/1947; guard duties around Jerusalem. REEL 9 Continues: pickets in Jerusalem; description of small column expeditions into hills; description of Palestine Police Force forts; positioning of Jewish settlements; unofficial company mess in Jerusalem hotel; character of hotel's proprietor; degree of contact with Arab and Jewish civilians; battalion casualties; attitude of Jews and Arabs towards battalion; character of battalion; question of having sense of purpose; demobilisation course in Egypt; in transit camp in Port Said, Egypt; amusing story of regimental sergeant-major during voyage from Egypt to GB. REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of demobilisation and return to civilian life in GB, 1948: attending demobilisation centre at Aldershot Garrison; acquiring civilian clothing from clothing store; issue of railway warrant; invitation to sign on from adjutant; return to civilian life; benefits of military experience; contact with Field Marshal Harold Alexander; confidence and social skills gained during military service; story of clash with officer during service in Palestine and subsequent resolution of incident; question of qualities of good officers and NCOs.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), 1945-1989 (content), 1945-1989 (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
de Lee, Nigel (Recorder)
Orrin, Roy Alfred William (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1998-02-15
Dimensions: whole: Duration 280, Number Of Items 10
Catalogue number: 17957

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