Description
Object description
British NCO served with 18th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, Egypt and on Western Front, 1914-1918; present during bombardment of Hartlepool, GB, 16/12/1914
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hartlepool, GB, 1895-1914: education; work in solicitor's office. 1909-1911; work as invoice clerk at steelworks, 1911-1914; football activities; reactions to approach and outbreak of war, 4/8/1914. Background to recruitment with B Coy, 18th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 9/1914: initial rejections on physical grounds at County Court Recruiting Office; Infantry, 9/1914: initial rejections on physical grounds at County Court Recruiting Office; Hartlepool; success in joining without proper medical at Spennymoor. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at West Rainton and Cocken Hall, 9/1914-12/1914: drill; personal morale; move to Cocken Hall; food rations; route marches.
REEL 2 Continues: food rations; guard duties; recreations; hut accommodation; relationship with NCOs, officers and other ranks; training. Recollections of German naval bombardment during assignment on coastal defence duties at Hartlepool, 16/12/1914: ; volunteering; signal station post; question of prior warning; view of bombardment and effect of German shells; personal morale; story of loss of souvenir shell fragment; casualties.
REEL 3 Continues: civilian reaction. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Cocken Hall, Cramlington, Rippon and Fovant, 1/1915-11/1915: boxing activities; cold weather; latrines; river swimming, hut accommodation and firing range at Ripon; recreations; unit morale. Voyage aboard Empress of Britain to Port Said, Egypt, 12/1915: question of destination; sea sickness; abortive German submarine torpedo attack; collision with freighter; coaling at Malta; question of posting to Gallipoli. Period at Port Said, stories illustrating Australian troops' treatment of Egyptian civilians; precautions against attack by Egyptian civilians. Period based at El Kantara, 12/1915-3/1916 : eating dates; desert outpost defensive positions to defend Suez Canal; conditions of service; story of false alarm during desert patrol; bath.
REEL 4 Continues: desert conditions; censorship and letter contact with GB. Journey via Port Said to Marseilles, France, 3/1916: story of drinking looted condensed milk on barge; swimming in sea and Sweetwater Canal; bed bug problem aboard Ivernia; train journey to Somme area; reactions to posting to Western Front. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in Beaumont Hamel sector, Somme area, 3/1916-6/1916: story of conversation with senior officers; unique atmosphere in front line; German sniping; nature of trenches; ration parties; food rations and water supply.
REEL 5 Continues: absence of fires; saving rum ration for use by others and question of effects of rum; cigarette rations; question of personal appearance; latrines; rubbish disposal; lice and rat problems; state of health and trench feet; stand to; daytime activities; parcels from GB; sentry duty and relationship with ORs; wiring and covering parties; quiet nature of sector and question of unofficial truce.
REEL 6 Continues: avoidance of firing rifles to avoid cleaning; problem with British shells dropping short; personal morale under German shellfire; minenwerfer fire; German sniping; question of mining operations; special friend; relationship with NCOs and officers; question of officers' superior conditions of service; story of dispute with officer over inability to dig quickly. Period in support lines and at rest camp in Buss, 3/1916-6/1916: working parties; contrast between conditions in support and front lines; story of being drunk after visit to estaminet; relationship with French civilians; question of absence of women; question of origins of other ranks. Recollections of attack in Beaumont Hamel sector, 1/7/1916: prior briefing; preliminary British bombardment; state of morale.
REEL 7 Continues: attitude of officers assisting troops over top from support trenches; isolated feelings in No Man's Land and return to British lines; casualties; question of 'shell hole droppers' and personal morale; awareness of failure of attack; instructions to walk during attack. Recollections of period in Bethune area, 7/1916-1/1917: account of repelling German raid in Neuve Chapelle sector, 5/7/1916, including reaction to shooting of German troops, senior officers' inspection of corpses, refusal to take POWs, question of avoiding use of bayonet, use of aimed rifle fire and personal morale; opinion of German troops; presence of independent Australian machine gunner; nature of breastwork trenches at Neuve Chapelle; story of capturing German officer in Neuve Chapelle behind British lines and souvenirs taken.
REEL 8 Continues: quiet nature of sector; selection as sniper/observer; role in observation posts immediately behind front line and making up reports due to lack of visible German activity; dislike of policy of snipers operating in No Man's Land and return as lance corporal to B Coy duties, 9/1916; opinion of non-front line troops and senior officers; situation at La Bassee minecrater; nature of trenches; question of role of observers; duties as lance corporal at company headquarters including ration parties; reactions to rejection for promotion to sergeant; attitude to religion and war. Aspects of periods in Somme and Arras areas, 1917-1918: conditions of service in Hebuterne sector including rat problem, cellar dugouts, trench repairs after thaw, acclimatisation to corpses and food rations.
REEL 9 Continues: avoidance of working parties as original member of unit and attitude to volunteering; GB leave, 11/1917; army blankets; comparison of British and German dugouts at Vimy Ridge; British and German hand grenades; story of exposing boastful soldier; opinion of new drafts; state of unit and personal morale; unit discipline; story of soldier trying to exacerbate minor wound ; story of failed attempt whilst on leave to get friend recalled from active service; personal morale; question of Blighty wounds; situation 3/1918.
REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of retreat, 3/1918-4/1918: situation; sniping at German soldier directing traffic; crossing stream; situation; isolation from rest of unit; wounded cow; personal morale; reaction to open warfare; rejoining unit; question of taking precautions to minimise risk; question of looting; reaction of German POWs to British food rations; prior sporting activities including divisional cross country race, boxing and question of value of physical fitness; separation and superior conditions of service of original unit personnel in comparison to later drafts; casualties; story of discovering hernia; minor arm wound and deliberate neglect. Recollections of GB leave and hospitalisation, 8/1918-10/1918: story of ignoring NCO illustrating effect of long service stripes and medals; medical treatment of arm wound at Newcastle Infirmary. Period in South Shields, 10/1918-11/1918: reception as long service soldier; minimal duties; question of return to Western Front; relaxed discipline on route marches.
