Oral history

British private served with 9th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers in GB and Western Front, 1917-1919

REEL 1 Background in Croydon, GB, 1899-1917: family and education; employment; father's trade unit involvement. Enlistment and training with 110 Training Reserve and London Regt, GB, 4/1917-11-1917: Honeysett singing Fred Karno's army; move to Chisledon, Wilts; question of ration supply; Honeysett playing regimental tune on mouth organ; embarkation. Recollection of period with 9th Royal Irish Fusiliers, France and Belguim, 3/1918-10/1918: arrival in France; move to Le Harve; rail journey to Poperinge; question of amount of equipment carried; casualities amongst regiment's pipers; adopting coy artillery formation on Kemmel road; aspects of of German offensive 3/1918 including arrival in Messines sector, German shelling of trenches, story of soldiers discussing nature of war, start of German barrage, reaction to barrage, officer casualities and British counter-barrage and withdrawal; reformation of units; opinion of South African troops; composition of Royal Irish Fusiliers; move to Kemmel Hill. REEL 2 Continues: Honeysett reading poem; Irish troops relaxing; Honeysett playing mouth organ; arrival of US troops; tactics employed by French; opinion of General Horace Smith-Dorien; opinion of Australians; contracting Paratyphoid fever; opinion of French peasants; story of being shelled by Germans whilst bringing rations up to village of Bailleul; reaction to gas victims in field hospital; opinion of Royal Army Medical Corps; evacuation to GB via Bologne; reaction to end of war, 11/11/1918; reaction to end of war. Period as speaker for League of Nations: question of effectiveness of League of Nations. Physical effects of war.