Description
Object description
British band boy with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Aldershot Garrison, GB, 1929-1930; band boy and bandsman served with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in India, 1930-1937; bandsman with Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in GB, 1937-1938; bandsman and NCO with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in India and Iraq, 1939-1942; NCO served with band of 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North Africa, 1942-1943; served with band of 1st Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry at Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Victoria Barracks, Bodmin, GB, 1943-1944; served with band of 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in North West Europe, 1944-1946; served with Royal Army Service Corps in Germany and GB, 1948-1952
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1915-1929: family; reasons for enlistment in British Army. Aspects of period as band boy with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry at Aldershot Garrison in GB, 1929-1930: reporting to battalion at Aldershot Garrison; lack of prior knowledge of music; reasons for not going to India; uniform; music study in barrack room; character of training NCO; physical training; desertion of band boys; origins of recruits; degree of contact with officers; education. Recollections of period as band boy with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Barielly in India, 1930-1933: character of voyage from GB to India aboard HMT Nevasa; embarkation on troop train at Bombay; character of troop train journey; arrival at Bareilly; weather conditions.
REEL 2 Continues: description of barracks; issue of bedding; uniform worn; daily routine; band practice; music instruction received by band boys; types of music played; route marches; punishments including pack drill; Indian barrack servants; cook house; emphasis on sport; role of charwallah; pay; stoppages of pay; visits to cinema; studying for first class certificate in education at hill station; character of NCO schoolmaster.
REEL 3 Continues: instruction in drill and shooting; shooting on ranges; band's role as 'enemy' during tactical training at annual camp; tactical training; character of exercise area; training in first aid by medical officer; techniques for dealing with wounds. Recollections of period as bandsman with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Razmak and Dinapore in India, 1933-1937: posting to Razmak; description of six day march to Razmak; description of camp at Razmak and troops based there; emergency landing strip at Razmak.
REEL 4 Continues: brigade operations using columns from Razmak; snow storm during brigade operation; foot injuries; number of stretcher-bearers per company; guard duties on perimeter wall at Razmak; stand to and daily checking of latrines and wood pile; playing at officer mess dinners and in soldiers' canteen; guard and observation duties in watchtower near emergency landing strip; move to Dinapore; impressions of Anglo-Indians; character of camp at Dinapore; situation in Dinapore; visit to Calcutta; sporting activities; awareness of situation in Europe; acting as escort for psychological disturbed soldier on route to GB for six months leave; voyage to GB and subsequent leave.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspect of period as bandsman with Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall in GB, 1937-1938: attending music course; methods of instruction; kitchen duties; role as acting unpaid corporal; daily routine; accommodation; rations; off duty activities; activities at time of Munich Crisis, 9/1938 including digging trenches; assessment at end of course; brief attachment to 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Recollections of period as bandsman and NCO with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Lahore, India, 1939-1941: troopship voyage to India; return to battalion at Lahore; barracks at Lahore; off duty activities; political situation in Lahore; aid to the civil power deployments.
REEL 6 Continues: riot drill; role of band re-supplying troops occupying key points; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; reception of reinforcements; activities at Dagshai Hill Station; arrival of motor transport; driver training; manoeuvres in Northern India; formed support platoon to guard battalion headquarters during exercise; description of trenches; role looking after band boys; attending cadre course for platoon sergeants including introduction to Bren Gun; promotion to corporal, then band sergeant; duties as band sergeant; conducting band and choir; supervision of band boys; instructing on Bren Gun.
REEL 7 Continues: disbandment of band; further training for stretcher-bearers; role playing 'enemy' during ambush exercise; tactical use of ground during ambush exercise; training volunteer Anglo-Indian medical orderlies; marches and drill; restoration of band; reasons for acting as bandmaster. Recollections of period as NCO with band of 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Iraq, 1941-1942: reasons for move to Iraq; reaction to posting; sight of German civilians from Afghanistan on ship from Karachi; band activities during voyage; arrival in Basra; effects of bad weather; dining arrangements for Christmas, 25/12/1941.
REEL 8 Continues: playing Christmas carols, 25/12/1941; football match played against Iraqi Army; travelling around Iraq entertaining troops and duties as acting bandmaster; radio broadcast; recreational facilities in Baghdad; impressions of Iraqis; playing on racecourse and at British Embassy in Baghdad; visit by Sir Walter Monckton; touring Iraq; bandmaster rejoining band; playing at rest camp on Iraq-Iran border; organisation of entertainments; supplementing rations; disbandment of battalion. Recollections of period as NCO with band of 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North Africa, 1942-1943: orders to move to Egypt; drive across desert to Palestine; securing weapons; contracting malaria.
REEL 9 Continues: arrival in camp at Ismailia; band receiving leave; reporting to Cairo; extensive musical tour of Middle East; sightseeing; training Jewish military band; on leave in Cairo; attitude of Egyptians; move to Alexandria; visit to Rand Light Infantry in desert; met old bandsman; voyage from Egypt to Libya; German Air Force attack on convoy; arrival in Tripoli, Libya; playing on concrete bandstand in Tripoli, Libya; playing in Victory Parade in Tripoli, Libya, 23/1/1943.
REEL 10 Continues: hospitalisation for malaria in Egypt; return to GB for length of overseas service, 1943; role on prisoner escort for voyage back to GB, 1943. Aspects of period as NCO with bands of 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry with Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Victoria Barracks in Bodmin, GB, 1943-1944: posting to battalion; role as supervisory sergeant with band; accommodation at Bodmin; band activities; orders for move to France; swapping places with band sergeant from 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Recollections of period as NCO with band of 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: band playing for troops on route to Normandy, France at Aldershot Garrison, 9/1944; inspection of his music; move to Normandy, France, 9/1944; train journey through France to Belgium; move to Grave, Netherlands, 9/1944.
REEL 11 Continues: playing or survivors of Operation Market Garden; participation in concert under shell-fire at Nijmegen, Netherlands, 9/1944; incident of being given wrong map reference; move to Calais, France, 12/1944; playing in Belgium towns; relations with civilians; opinion of rations; move to Eindhoven, Netherlands; obtaining meal from Americans at Waterloo, Belgium; move to Germany; impressions of Germany; non-fraternisation order; sight of surrendered German forces at Lüneberg; band playing for Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's headquarters; opinion of German Army barracks; contact with former bugler prisoner of war from 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry.
REEL 12 Continues: Recollections of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 1st Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and District Commander Royal Engineers in Germany and GB, 1945-1948: playing for garrisons until VJ Day; attitude towards dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; conditions for German civilians; move to Berlin, 7/1945; visit to Denmark; return to GB, 1946; disbandment of 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; posting to 1st Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; story of meeting future wife in Germany and clandestine visits to her in Lüneberg; background to posting to District Command, Royal Engineers; duties; problems on first day with inspection.
REEL 13 Continues: duties with garrison engineer. Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Army Service Corps in Germany and GB, 1948-1952: duties with barrack services; marriage to German woman in GB; attending clerical course at Bordon Camp; return to Germany; visit to East Berlin in Soviet Zone of Occupation; managed coal depot at Oldenburg; attending drill course; visit to 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in GB; later problems adjusting to civilian life.
REEL 14 Continues: rifle training; trade tests; background to leaving army and return to civilian life; employment as civilian working for army barrack services; work as civilian barrack accountant in Germany; value of military service.