Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Bn Norfolk Regt in GB, 1933-1936; served with 1st Bn Norfolk Regt in India, 1936-1940; served with 2nd Bn Norfolk Regt in GB, India and Burma, 1940-1945; . Present at Battle of Kohima, 4/1944-5/1944; served with 2nd Holding Bn Norfolk Regt in GB, 1945-1947; served with East Anglian Training Bde in GB, 1947-1948; served with 1st Bn Norfolk Regt in West Germany, GB, Korea and Hong Kong, 1948-1953; served as regimental sergeant major with Norfolk Regt Depot at Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1953-1959
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Marham, 1915-1931: part time employment; household tasks; farm work. Enlistment at Recruitment Office, Swaffham, 12/1932. Recollections of conditions of service lifestyle and daily routine during basic training with 75 Squad, Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1/1933-5/1933: question of joining guards unit; kitting out; method of laying out kit for inspection; polishing boots.
REEL 2 Continues: cleaning barrack room; NCOs; coal fatigues; relationships with ORs, fight in gymnasium and question of bullying; PT; food rations; drill; rifle training.
REEL 3 Continues: rapid fire technique; bayonet drill and question of value of bayonet in action; grenade training including phosphorous and rifle grenades; opinion of Lewis, Bertha and Thompson machine guns; Boyes anti tank rifle; rifle maintenance; importance of firing tight groups to allow armourer to adjust rifle sights; gas mask training.
REEL 4 Continues: minimal tactical training; educational certificates; saluting and stick drill; recreations; pay; drinking at the 'Castle' and street fights with local artillery units; question of pubs placed out of bounds; question of drinking. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle with C Company, 1st Bn, RNR at South Raglan Barracks, Plymouth, 1933-1935: reception; relationship with officers, NCOs and ORs.
REEL 5 Continues: ruse to avoid work cleaning wards at Military Maternity Hospital, Devonport; work as clerk despatching mail for Drake Institute; taking up rugger and playing in battalion team; training and methods employed as member of battalion tug of war team; firing annual range course to secure military proficiency pay; shooting in King's Medal Competition at Bisley, 1935; inter-company boxing competitions.
REEL 6 Continues: inter-company boxing competitions; personal concentration on sporting as opposed to military training; question of tactical training during summer camp including work with tanks and artillery, practice digging slit trenches, night attack and camouflage; tents; accepting challenges at boxing booths.
REEL 7 Continues: recreational visits to Plymouth including drinking habits, question of friction with army or naval personnel and story of fight with sailor, question of prostitutes and VD, girlfriends, frequency of nights out and purchase of local patsies; promotion to lance corporal, immediate demotion following fight with military police and consequent decision to refuse further promotion opportunities, 9/1933; confusion over different marching speed during joint church parade with Rifle Brigade; canteen facilities; period as reserve driver working with horses in stables at Granby Barracks and pride in polishing horse's harness. Recollections of period at Mamora Barracks, Aldershot, 1935-1936: attachment to Carden Lloyd section.
REEL 8 Continues: period attached to Carden Lloyd section including driving course at Bovington Camp, controls and accident on hill; period driving lorries during attachment to MT section including driving course, types of lorry, story of rebuilding 30 cwt Morris with makeshift controls and how it was condemned as unsafe to drive and minor accident; recreations including camp cinema; sparring with army champions in boxing gymnasium; story of losing tug of war heavyweight final at Olympia, London; preparations for overseas draft.
REEL 9 Continues: embarkation leave; civilian attitudes to regulars; British Union of Fascists interest in recruiting soldiers; issue of topical kit. Voyage aboard HMT Somersetshire to Bombay, India, ca 10/1935: lack of stability; conditions on messdeck; seasickness cure; life boat drills; Indian beggars on disembarkation. Recollections of conditions of service, daily routine and lifestyle with 1st Bn, NR in Jhansi, 1936-1937: train journey; climate; Indian punkah wallahs; duties as tent storeman and story of death of previous storeman; heat stroke.
REEL 10 Continues: precautions to avoid heat stroke and their subsequent abandonment during war; importance of cleanliness in avoiding dysentery; malaria precautions; sandfly fever; cholera; personal PT; role supervising Indian personnel in tent store; afternoon break; card games and question of gambling; food rations and question of eating Indian food; recreations and sport including hockey, boxing, wet canteen and drinking parties on maidan.
REEL 11 Continues: drinking parties on maidan; story illustrating relationship with Indian civilians; success of battalion boxing team; relationship with ORs, NCOs and officers; opinion of Major Gordon Thorne and Colonel Clode; shave from Indian servant; Indian fruit and egg sellers.
REEL 12 Recollections of period based at Dosalli Camp, North West Frontier, 5/1937-9/1937: discovery during march of benefits of short puttees; question of role of Kassadars working on road building in guerrilla activities; period of duty at Nuddy Picquet including discovery that Kasssadars was responsible for sniping fire on Weedon Picquet, subsequent artillery fire on Kassadar Post and stone construction of picquets; story of tribesmen success in stealing goats despite guards; ability of Indian unit to move in silence; nature of picquet duty; story of ruse to frighten nervous NCO; ruse to maximise access to cook's excellent porridge; periods in camp; story of accidentally firing rifle and subsequent punishment by Colonel Clode.
REEL 13 Continues: background to accidentally firing rifle; story of soldier accidentally firing Clode's revolver and subsequent punishment; hospitalisation and treatment for malaria attack. Period at Nicholson Lines, New Delhi, Chakratta Hill Station and Bangalore, 9/1939-5/1940: duties as driver of regimental bus including driving on dangerous precipitous roads to Mutra, story of being victim of practical joke, possibility of all ranks hiring use of bus and driving parties to Delhi; recreational visits to Delhi; story of driving football pools winners on celebratory party; driving officers on pig shoots; decision to seek promotion; success in NCOs' cadre training course and consequent promotion to corporal.
REEL 14 Continues: opinion of Major Cubitt; reaction to newspapers carrying first news of outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; background to decision to extend period of service to 12 years at request of Major Reid; posting to C Coy; role as training instructor with territorials of X Platoon and success in attracting approval of Regimental Sergeant Major Turner; role of orderly corporal; role of orderly sergeant in taking regimental detail of fatigue parties required from RSM and success in standing in. Voyage back to Liverpool, 5/1940-7/1940: stops at Durban and Capetown, South Africa; reaction to racist treatment by South Africans of Benjamin Macrae; first news of Dunkirk from naval officer arrested under suspicion of being spy; ruse to prevent discovery of contraband cigarettes by Customs officers; sympathetic attitude of customs officers. Period at Lingfield Barracks and Ashstead, 7/1940: story of sparring with boxing professional.
REEL 15 Continues: story of sparring with boxing professional and his serious approach to training. Posting as NCO to C Coy, 2nd Bn, RNR at Driffield Woods and Hessle, ca 7/1940-12/1941: story of dispute with Corporal Sculthorpe over training methods within NCO cadre and subsequent posting to command cadre; question of quality of draft from Warwickshire Regt; decision to request transfer over possible further posting to Far East and Colonel George Winter's successful ruse to prevent it; opinion of RSM Gordon Wright; sergeants' mess including importance to efficiency of unit, facilities, securing fresh supply of fish, role of mess president, story of buying and eating horse meat, formal nature of mess, drinking habits, guests and entertainments.
REEL 16 Continues: sergeants' mess including entertainments and question of inviting in officers; duties training Home Guard; stories of close escape whilst manning hosepipe firefighting and digging out buried bomb survivors in Hull after German air raids; question of firefighting training; role as provost sergeant including story of taking rigorous punishment drill, story of catching soldiers out after hours, night patrols and clearing out pubs, controlling fighting between Norfolks and Royal Scots and their subsequent punishment by Major Robert Scott; boxing for battalion.
REEL 17 Continues: role as provost sergeant including riding motorbike on convoy duty, organisation of defaulters parade, nature of offences and punishments given, question of theft inside and outside of unit, discouragement of afternoon drinking, number and rank of regimental police, story of being charged by Military Police for inadequately blacked out motorcycle lights and securing revenge, relationship with military prison staff, relationship of ORs with MPs and RPs, role in maintaining overall discipline, organisation of vehicle convoy discipline and question of driving without lights; lack of equipment in clearing rubble after air raids on Hull; role as RP in patrolling billets whilst unit was on training schemes, move to Fairford, 12/1941.
REEL 18 Recollections of period at Fairford, 12/1941-2/1942: role as provost sergeant in protecting headquarters; route marches; story of arresting officer's girlfriend; marriage in Hessle, 30/3/1944 and story of having to hitchhike having missed train due to Churchill inspection; preparations for embarkation. Recollections of duties as ship's provost sergeant during voyage aboard Orbita to Bombay, 2/1942-6/1942: fighting amongst civilian crew; story of catching and punishing civilian medical orderly selling supplies; story of cutting officers' washing line on orders of ship's captain; dispute with senior officers caught smoking after blackout on upper deck.
REEL 19 Continues: dispute with senior officers caught smoking after blackout on upper deck; story of closing down crown and anchor game; congratulations of ship's captain; improving relationship with 1st Bn, Royal Scots; crowded conditions; weapons training from stern of ship; opinion of Bren gun, Sten gun; Thompson gun and phosphorus grenades; khaki drill. Recollections of period at Chinchwad camp, 6/1942-7/1942: effects of monsoon.
REEL 20 Continues: introduction of training during heat of day; prickly heat. landing craft exercises at Kharakvasla, 7/1942. Period based mainly at Ahmednagar, 7/1942-3/1944: story of inaccurately measuring parade ground for battalion parade; period on internal security duties at Ahmedabad including story of clearing railway station of demonstrators, crashing through Indian road blocks in Bren carrier and eventual success in calming situation; period on internal security duties in Bombay; opinion of Major Robert Scott; dispute with Scott over drunk officer; posting as platoon commander to B Coy; story of umpire preventing overly successful flanking attack in brigade exercise.
REEL 21 Continues: story of umpire preventing overly successful flanking attack in brigade exercise; successful encircling manoeuvre in exercise; jungle training at Belgaum including making equipment from bamboo, story of attempt to stalk tiger from tree platform subsequently attacked by rogue elephant, accidental booby trap on tank commander, alternative food supplies in jungle, leech problem, snakes, moving quietly, use of machete, sleeping arrangements, single file march formation and advance in open formation.
REEL 22 Continues: jungle training in Belgaum; assault craft landing exercises at Juhu; opinion of officers and ORs; use of bugle calls in jungle; opinion of Japanese troops; pride in 2nd Div; role as platoon commander; personal morale; review of speech during visit by Mountbatten, 1/1944. Flight to Dimapur, 9/4//1944.
REEL 23 Recollections of advance along Dimapur/Kohima road , 10/4/1944-: tactics employed; composition rations; establishing defensive positions around Naga village and relationship with Nagas; Naga 'Toddy' drink; hot meals; situation; first contact with Japanese, 14/4/1944; accidental shooting of Company Sergeant Major Milne whilst checking defensive positions; method of checking platoon positions at night.
REEL 24 Recollections of Operation Strident and march to GPT Ridge, 4/1944-5/1944: load carried; moving through jungle; overnight stops; story of detaining Naga captured during standing patrol across path between villages; accidental creating of smoke with tommy cooker. Recollections of attack and initial occupation of GPT Ridge, 4/5/1944-5/5/1944: officer casualties including Captain Michael Fulton; initial reserve role of B Coy; coming under fire from Japanese whilst waiting on start line and decision to attack without artillery support; capture of Japanese 70 mm mortar; taking over Bren gun; story of Japanese POWs bayoneted by soldier whose brother had been killed by Japanese in Singapore hospital; consolidation of positioning foxholes and linking Bren gun posts; question of using Japanese bunkers; inner and outer defence rings.
REEL 25 Continues: inner and outer defence rings; cancellation of artillery support; officer casualties; state of morale and important role of Scott; Japanese snipers; reconnaissance patrol. Recollections of attack on Norfolk Bunker, 6/6/1944: prior O Group with Captain Jack Randle, background to choice of Fitt's 9 Platoon for attack and plan; advance and view of Randle being wounded; success in knocking out bunker with grenade; view of Randle being killed on bunker; facial wound prior to hand to hand combat with Japanese soldier emerging from bunker; throwing grenades at bunker.
REEL 26 Continues: nature of facial wound; situation; arrival of Captain Davies and decision to leave Fitt in command; orders to withdraw; casualties; story of hitting soldier who lost his nerve; story of Scott's reaction to Fitt's wound; congratulations from Brigadier William Goschen; review of Captain Jack Randle's actions for which he was awarded posthumous Victoria Cross at Kohima Ridge 5/1944; success in knocking out two Japanese bunkers with grenades; hand to hand combat with Japanese soldier emerging from bunker.
REEL 27 Continues: hand to hand combat with Japanese soldier emerging from bunker. Evacuation to Dimapur, 7/5/1944: question of tetanus injection; state of facial wound. Periods in Dimapur and Saragange Hospitals, 5/1944: shortage of liquid food; question of official and personal notification of wounds to family and effect on mother; journey to Saragange; self treatment due to lack of medical treatment. Unofficial return to unit, ca 31/5/1944: prior discussion with Major Henry Condor; hitching lift in lorry to Dimapur and reception from Colonel Jock Carrol; state of facial wound; state of unit. Recollections of advance to Mandalay, 5/1944-4/1944: promotion to Company Sergeant Major with C Coy; question of taking commission; opinion of Carroll; advance along Imphal road to Kigwema; situation; view of Japanese soldier committing suicide.
REEL 28 Continues: use of Bofors anti-aircraft guns against Japanese bunkers; story of Scott's brief return to unit during fighting in Kigwema sector; lecture form General William Slim and his opinion of divisional commander of Japanese 36th Div; looting following capture of headquarters of Japanese 36th Div at Maram, 21/6/1944; artillery support in capture of Chalhang, 7/1944; patrolling towards Kabong and Shorbong; story of reprimand for using excessive force in interrogation of Japanese POW and opinion of Japanese troops; independent nature of platoon patrols; baths during rest periods; cleaning weapons; washing and shaving; darning socks.
REEL 29 Continues: advance to Kabaw Valley, 12/1944; assisting Major Roger Twidle in carrying his equipment; death of Captain J E D Lowe in Saye sector, 9/2/1945; Japanese counter-attack tactics; state of unit morale; capture of Saye, 20/2/1945; opinion of jungle fighting skills of Japanese soldier; capture of Mandalay, 3/1945; operations south of Mandalay and question of Japanese POWs; reactions to VE Day; air situation. Aspects of period in India, 4/1945-: reactions to use of atomic bomb; state of health; dental treatment necessitated by facial wound.
REEL 30 Continues: boxing match during celebration s for VJ Day, 8/1945; opinion of reinforcement drafts; question of becoming regimental sergeant major; role training successful regimental boxing team. Organising bingo sessions during voyage back to GB, 11/1945-12/1945. period with 2nd Holding Bn at Dorchester Barracks and Aldershot, 1945-1947: reception for Lieutenant Colonel George Winter and posting to Headquarters Coy; story of forcing education sergeants to do guard commander duty.
REEL 31 Continues: story of Winter's methods of checking barrack cleaning; story of dog biting Fitt whilst saluting Winter; stories of shell shock case; carrying out improvements to married quarters; nature of unit. Recollections of period as weapons training warrant officer with East Anglian Bde Training Centre at Colchester, 1947-1948: personnel; role organising firing ranges; composition of companies; opinion of value of national service; nature of training course.
REEL 32 Continues: role organising firing ranges; use of gun cotton charges to simulate battle conditions and fatal accident; fatal accident caused by faulty PIAT ammunition; hand grenade accident; rifle fire to simulate battle conditions; opinion of recruits; participation in competition shooting and nature of advice given to recruits in shooting teams; story of dispute with range keeper over shooting rabbits on ranges.
REEL 33 Continues: story of dispute with range keeper over shooting rabbits on ranges; story of defusing mine found on beach, subsequent controlled detonation on firing range and consequent damage to rifle range keeper's house; refusal to transfer to Essex Regt on conversion of unit to Army Basic Training Unit. Recollections of period as CSM of D Coy, 1st Bn, NR in Berlin, 1948-1949: story of covering up for soldiers' rough treatment of Russian soldiers found mistreating German civilians; method of dealing with Russian road blocks; opinion of Russian soldiers; story of complaint of troops acting indecently with German girl; relationship with German civilians; billets at Tiergarten; rebuilding programme; shooting game and use of black market to supplement sergeant s' mess.
REEL 34 Continues: story of accidentally entering Russian zone whilst shooting rabbits; married quarters near Spandau Prison; daily routine duties. Period at Baird Barracks, Oberath, 1949-1951: attached Yugoslav platoon; black market activities; stories of sergeants' mess characters; story of visit of Special Investigation Bureau concerning black market activities.
REEL 35 Continues: story of first meeting with RSM Curtis; story of last boxing match; story of attempt to catch German women in sergeants' mess; story of dispute with RSM Curtis over drinking before opening time in sergeants' mess; story of accident subsequently blamed on fighting with RQMS Jimmy Sewell; opinion of RSM Gilchrist.
REEL 36 Continues: friendship with Sewell; drinking habits in sergeants' mess; story of drinking session with Colonel Wilkinson; shooting game; stories of gambling during visits to racecourse; training camps; story of shooting badger; relationship with German civilian.
REEL 37 Periods at Dover Castle, Crowborough and Bodney Camp, Kent, 1951: pet seagull; riding motorcycle on escorting convoy through London; shooting rabbits; question of developments in training; question of age and question of posting on active service to Malaya or Korea. Voyage aboard Empire Orwell to South Korea, 8/1951-11/1951: relationship with officers; training. Recollections of period in South Korea, 11/1951-9/1952: reception at Pusan; initial positions in front line in Hill 255 sector; story of clash between sergeant and Korean interpreter he had known as guard in Japanese POW camp; story of taking over temporary command of D Coy after dispute between company commander and brigadier over taking up vulnerable position on hill.
REEL 38 Continues: story of taking over temporary command of D Coy after dispute between company commander and brigadier over taking up vulnerable position on hill; North Korean shellfire; story of accidental bombing from US aircraft and problem with officer losing nerve; story of success in identifying fifth column activity of Korean interpreter; situation; reconnaissance flights in light aircraft; quiet nature of situation; North Korean ambush on path behind British lines; story of deaf soldier; posting as CSM of A Echelon; supervising construction of road using South Korean labour.
REEL 39 Continues: story of being attacked by soldier and subsequent speaking in his favour during court martial after his assistance in putting out dangerous fire; comparison of regulars and conscripts; role and composition of A Echelon; role as CSM; relationship with civilian South Koreans attached to A Echelon; stories of leave in Tokyo, Japan, including buying presents for family and opinion of Japanese. Period in Hong Kong, 8/1952-2/1953: role as CSM of Headquarters Coy; question of promotion to regimental sergeant major.
REEL 40 Continues: return to GB, ca 2/1953; story of drinking session with friends from Dorsetshire Regt. Recollections of period as RSM of Britannia Barracks Depot, 1953-1959: organisation of permanent staff and training squads; ability to judge quality of newly arrived squads and story of first contact with recruit; story of catching married quarters child stealing from changing rooms; story of stopping soldiers' ruse to steal from recruits; story of catching married quarters child stealing; story of problem with soldier hitting guard.
REEL 41 Continues: story of problem with soldier hitting guard; stories illustrating disciplinary problems with married quarters children; qualities required from squad instructors; story of discovering abandoned equipment around barracks; qualities required from squad instructors; story of catching NCO charging recruits for leave passes; story of NCO misusing fatigue parties ; assessment and removal of inadequate squad instructors; selecting recruits for special training and eventual appointment as squad instructors; story of discovering and halting thefts from coalyard due to absent night-watchman.
REEL 42 Continues: liaison with training officer; story of dispute with duty officer late on parade; pinion of officers; story of barring NCO from sergeants' mess who criticised quality of battalion serving in Korea in front of disabled ex-CSM; sergeants' mess; story of losing false teeth during passing out parade; teaching NCOs in loud clear word of command and complaint about volume of Fitt's parade voice; period assisting in re-writing drill book on introduction of Self Loading Rifle at Caterham Barracks.
REEL 43 Continues: comparison of SLR and Lee Enfield rifles; role as captain of shooting team and stories of competitive shooting; administrative duties in boxing competitions; role of duty NCO; morning routine; rehearsing for Edith Cavell parade at Norwich Cathedral and story of dispute between two NCOs over original parade; daily routine duties as RSM.
REEL 44 Continues: daily routine duties as RSM; relationship with recruits; preparing kit; relationship with young officers including question of eradicating bad habits and willingness to give advice; question of becoming RSM of regular battalion and position as depot RSM; Armistice Day parade; reaction to formation of East Anglian Regt; situation on formation of Royal Anglian Regt.
REEL 45 Continues: background to rejection of commission and posting to Singapore; reaction to formation of RAR; question of extending service; parade commemorating handover of Britannia Barracks to 4th Bn, RNR. interviews prior to securing work as factory security officer; story of securing immediate release; tax bill for car expenses whilst lecturing to various school cadet forces. Recollection of civilian career, 1959-1996: security staff.
REEL 46 Continues: rapid promotion and nature of responsibilities; use of ex-servicemen; story illustrating insistence on following proper procedures; question of not having been commissioned whilst in army; role running regimental dinners at Britannia Barracks as part of General Committee of Royal Norfolk Regiment Association; work with Burma Star Association and British Legion.