Interview with Joan Constance Churchill Bernard

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Description

Object description

British civilian student at St Anne's College, Oxford University, GB, 1939-1940; private served as secretary with Auxiliary Territorial Service, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in Reading, GB, 1940-1941; officer served with Auxiliary Territorial Service, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1941-1942; served as staff officer with Anti-Aircraft Command, Headquarters, Fighter Command and Air Defence of Great Britain at RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1942-1944; served with Air Defence Division, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945; served with Special Projectile Operations Group, Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force in Germany, 7/1945-11/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB and Australia, 1918-1938: family; education. Recollections of period as student at St Anne's College, Oxford University, GB, 1939-1940: memories of outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; decision to leave university to join war effort, 1940; taking final exams at time of Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940. Aspects of enlistment and training as private with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1940: decision to join Auxiliary Territorial Service; adjusting to army life; living conditions; uniform; food rations; first experience of kitchen duty. Aspects of period as secretary with Auxiliary Territorial Service, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in Reading, GB, 1940-1941: posting as platoon secretary; duties; selection for officer training. Aspects of officer training with Auxiliary Territorial Service in GB, 1941: attitude towards officer training; class background of women on course; sex education. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1941-1942: duties; attitude towards 'Dig for Victory' campaign; story of standing up to Auxiliary Territorial Service inspector; role of searchlight batteries; relations between male and Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel; dealing with pregnant Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel. Recollections of period as staff officer with Anti-Aircraft Command, Fighter Command and Air Defence of Great Britain at RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1942-1944: duties; change in Auxiliary Territorial Service organisation; promotion to junior commander; duties; briefing on German V1 Flying Bomb threat, 1/1944; visit by Princess Royal. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Auxiliary Territorial Service, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1941: duties in charge of food provision for twenty four anti-aircraft sites in Sussex; difficulties of posting. Recollections of period as staff officer with Air Defence Division, Supreme Headquaters Allied Expeditionary Force in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945: selection for service at Supreme Headquaters Allied Expeditionary Force and interview; arrival at Camp Griffis, Bushy Park; story of being given top secret D-Day plans; German V1 Flying bomb attacks; memories of colleagues; German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 Rocket attacks. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period with Special Projectile Operations Group, Supreme Headquaters Allied Expeditionary Force in Germany, 7/1945-11/1945: reaction to sight of slave labourers at Nordhausen Concentration Camp; suggesting to superiors that they should research, test and report on V2 Rocket; interrogation of scientists and officials about V2 Rocket; discovery and preparation of V2 Rockets for tests at Cuxhaven; co-operation of Werner Von Braun and other scientists; launch of V2 Rocket; invitation of Very Important Persons (VIPs) to launch; attitude of War Office towards V2 Rocket project. REEL 5 Continues: recieveing a Mention in Despatches for role in V2 Rocket project; belief that V2 Rocket in Imperial War Museum is one of the eight that they rescued; German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 Rocket attacks on GB and methods of countering them; prior recollection celebration of VE Day at Supreme Headquaters Allied Expeditionary Force, Rheims, France, 5/1945; restrictions on female service personnel in Germany after VE-Day, 5/1945. Reflections of service with Auxiliary Territorial Service during Second World War: impact of wartime service on life; decision to embark on career post-war; obtaining employment with scientific department of National Coal Board, 1945; impact of war on women's lives; public attitude towards women in services; relations between servicemen and women. REEL 6 Continues: story of smoking cigar in front of disapproving brigadier; memories of meeting General Dwight D Eisenhower and General Bernard Montgomery.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Smith, Lyn E (Recorder)
Bernard, Joan Constance Churchill (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1998-03-23
Dimensions: whole: Duration 165, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 18001

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Interview with Joan Constance Churchill Bernard

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