White, Ronald Albert (Oral history)

British NCO served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, Western Desert Force in Egypt, 1940-1941; served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 1st (Malta) Infantry Bde on Malta, 2/1941-3/1943; served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde in Egypt and Italy, 3/1943-10/1943; served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 11/1943-11/1944

REEL 1 Background in Portsmouth, GB, 1916-1940: family; education; employment; reaction to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as private with Hampshire Regiment in GB and France, 1940, call-up for military service 3/1940; basic training; move to France on draft and return to GB after German invasion, 5/1940. Aspects of voyage from GB to Egypt via India, 1940: conditions on stretch between Bombay, India and Canal Zone, Egypt. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, Western Desert Force in Egypt, 1940-1941: arrival in Canal Zone; sight of thousands of Italian prisoners of war captured during Operation Compass, 12/1940-2/1941. Recollection of period as NCO with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 1st (Malta) Infantry Bde on Malta, 2/1941-3/1943: work of regiment keeping Royal Air Force airfields in action; relations with Maltese civilians; physical conditions of troops end of siege; rations; state of health of troops during siege; conditions at RAF Safi during siege; regimental casualties; relationship between Maltese civilians and battalion; dangers of drinking Maltese wine; formation of battalion Anti-Tank Platoon, Malta, 1943; issue of sabot shells for Ordnance QF 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun; reaction of infantry to tanks. REEL 2 Continues: Recollection of operations as NCO with Anti-Tank Platoon, Support Coy, 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde in Egypt and Italy, 3/1943-10/1943: training for Operation Husky in Egypt; dawn beach landing at Pachino, Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; attempt to use Ordnance QF 2 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun against German tanks at Agira, Sicily, Italy; malaria problem in Sicily; German tanks knocked out on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943-8/1943; anti-tank tactics; opinion of Universal Carrier; visit by General Bernard Montgomery to battalion; landings at Pizzo, Italy, 9/1943 including landing on wrong beach and German counter-attack which pushed battalion back to Pizzo, Italy. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 11/1943-6/1944: preparations or D-Day landings at Long Melford; waiting on ships off Spithead. Recollections of operations as NCO with Anti-Tank Platoon, Support Coy, 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 231st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 6/1944-11/1944: landing in Normandy, France, D-Day 6/6/1944 including lack of tank support and profusion of German snipers; German techniques for directing fire in bocage, Normandy, France; destruction of German tanks; anti-tank role in Normandy, France; methods employed by unit advancing cross-country; orders to hold line at Hottot-les-Bagues, Normandy, France. REEL 3 Continues: attitude towards German forces; congestion on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; dislodging Germans, Le Hamel, Normandy, France, 6/6/1944; pride in unit; breakout from Normandy, France, 8/1944; liberation of Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium, 9/1944: friendship with Belgian family; German resistance at Elst, Netherlands, 10/1944; death in action of Captain Reed, wounding in leg; medical treatment received for wound; question of effects of war.