Description
Object description
British private served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB and North Africa, 1940-1943; POW in Italy and Germany, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Thornley, GB, 1912-1940: area grew up in; family; education; leisure activities; work as shop errand boy; importance of education; animosity between Catholics and Protestants; Zeppelin air raids during First World War.
REEL 2 Continues: war casualties in Thornley; 1926 General Strike; story behind leaving shop; competition won at agricultural show; courting; work at Co-Op store and marriage; details of dole; homes lived in; outbreak of war; wait for call-up; reactions to call-up; process of joining up in Durham; reactions of family to his leaving; journey to Edinburgh. Aspects of period as private with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 7/1940-12/1942: Frockton Camp; issue of uniform and rifle; inoculations.
REEL 3 Continues: settling in; issue of equipment; state of rifle; uniform issued; accommodation; scenes at stations on journey to Edinburgh; conditions; morning procedures; weapons lectures; memory tests; medical and friends in unit; marching at Light Infantry pace; opinion of NCOs served under; discipline; lecture before leaving camp; visits to Edinburgh; acceptance of army life; weather; route marches; gas training; problems with gas cape when shooting; shooting when younger; shooting competitions; opinion of Bren gun; training with mortars; bayonet training; posting to Bonnyrigg; story of almost becoming signaller; work as batman; details of guard duties.
REEL 4 Continues: posted to B Coy; lending money to Sergeant; exercises in Caledonian Forest; memories of Lieutenant Dees; Div, Bde and Army No; posting to Dunfermline; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; marching in Carnegie Park; Christmas in Bonnyrigg; officers accommodation; ankle problems from marching; march down Princes Street in Edinburgh; journey to Thetford; accommodation; intensive training; period camping and sleeping rough; care of feet; singing on marches; training with tanks; practice river crossing; rations; memories of Captain Metcalfe; self-inflicted wounds; friends in unit; drafting of officer and refusal to join him; beach defence postings at Great Yarmouth and Folkestone.
REEL 5 Continues: accommodation in Rye; story of an air raid; need to constantly carry rifles; church parades; charge for parading without coat; treatment of houses commandeered; memories of Colonel Ware; posting in Camberley; move to Liverpool; batman for officer called Dorian; problems with thieving among troops; sent card to wife against orders. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Algiers, Algeria, aboard The Tiber, 12/1942-1/1943: details of journey aboard The Tiber; conditions on boat; travelled with transport; seasickness; boat drill; overflowing of latrines in Bay of Biscay; rations; Christmas 1942; combating boredom on journey. Aspects of operations as private with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1943: arrival in Algiers; warnings given on arrival; camp in orange grove; uniform worn; mass; entrained to front line to relieve another unit; lack of preparations; events on train journey.
REEL 6 Continues: arrival in front line; relief of another unit; information from unit coming out; shelling; terrain; role of patrol; movement of patrol; bell rung in hut; voices behind second building; challenged them and found to be Free French; talk with French and return; B Coy sent forward; role as Batman; crossing of bridge; attack from Axis troops; retreat to river; time sheltering in river; move back to lines after dusk; reunion with coy; issue of new clothing; casualties and officer that broke down; reaction to action; speech from Lieutenant Colonel Ware including plan for next attack; meal; crossed river and lined up; wait for artillery signal; following of barrage; removal of bayonet and conditions underfoot; shells dropping short; problems faced as moved forward; hopelessness of situation; ending of barrage; death of an officer; capture by German soldiers who had got behind; surrender. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1943: removal of officers; help given to wounded comrade.
REEL 7 Continues: burial of dead comrade; treatment of wounded; march carrying wounded; meal at Bizerta; reaction to situation; journey to Naples; scenes across sea; arrival in Naples. Aspects of period as POW in Italy, 1943: taken to Transit Camp 66; accommodation; rations; problems with lice; saluting on roll calls; guards; distribution of Red Cross parcels; problems from boredom and depression; washing of clothes; move to Macerata; search on arrival in camp; sleeping arrangements; siesta; clock made by a POW; reasons for not looking to escape; problems with bugs; relationship with guards; stealing amongst prisoners; bartering system; entrained to Germany. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1943-1945: arrival at camp; shower and meal on arrival; treatment of Russian POWs; guards; move to camp near Vienna; arrival; children training for army; Allied bombing raids; morale.
REEL 8 Continues: removal of tonsils; questionnaire given; entertainments; details of working party near Linz; accommodation and rations; news of the war; relationship with civilians; move to work elsewhere; air activity; morale of Germans; different jobs worked; arrival of Americans; importance of Red Cross parcels; discipline of American troops; sorting out in factory; flown to Reims; food in Reims; flight in Avro Lancaster to GB; reception on arrival in GB; accommodation; medical; entrained to Darlington; journey home with MP Fred Peart.
REEL 9 Continues: reception from wife; leave; training in Yorkshire; request for posting near home; postings in Emsley and Hartlepool; demobilisation in York; opinion of 16th Bn troops.