Interview with Roy Alexander Farran

1145813254
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1913155589
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1387295208
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British officer served with 2nd Special Air Service Regt in Italy, GB and North West Europe, 7/1943-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background to joining Special Air Service in North Africa, 1943: wounding during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942 and medical evacuation to GB; application to rejoin 3rd King's Own Hussars; talk with Captain Alexander 'Sandy' Scratchly in transit camp at Algiers, French Algeria; joining of Special Air Service. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Special Air Service Regt in North Africa and Italy, 1943: history of regiment; training for mission on Sicily, Italy; capture of lighthouse at Cape Passero, Sicily, 7/1943; further details of training at Philippeville, French Algeria; degree of knowledge of David Stirling and Special Air Service prior to joining; memories of David Stirling, Robert 'Paddy' Mayne and Bill Stirling; story of fight with American forces in officers' mess at Philippeville, French Algeria; landing at Taranto, Italy, 9/1943; details of advance reconnaissance; capture and defence of Termoli, Italy, 3/10/1943; story of meeting Major Brian Franks and defensive duties given at Headquarters, 1st Special Service Bde; nature of operation to destroy railway line; return to GB, 1/1944. REEL 2 Continues: discussion of use of Special Air Service in Italy and principals of war; opinion of operations in Italy that were right for Special Air Service; strategies of Bill Stirling; story of mutiny during voyage to GB, 1/1944. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Special Air Service Regt, Special Air Service Bde in GB, 1/1944-8/1944: background to resignation of Bill Stirling; arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Franks; reasons for opinion that Lieutenant-Colonel Brian Franks could have divided Special Air Service; officers' mess at Prestwick; further details of mutiny against Bill Stirling; summary of later periods in Palestine and Malaya; memories of Major-General Frederick 'Boy' Browning. Aspects of operations as officer with 2nd Special Air Service Regt, Special Air Service Bde in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: question of use of Special Air Service in France; start of Operation Wallace in France, 18/9/1944; use of armoured jeeps; movement of advance; opinion of French road system. REEL 3 Continues: capture of and actions at Châtillon-sur-Seine, France; night-time sounds; waiting for ambush; organisation of ambushes; use of nom de guerre; end of Operation Wallace, 19/9/1944; story of operation in Italy and regret at missed opportunities; personal morale during actions.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: TVS (Production company)
Stevens, Gordon (Recorder)
Farran, Roy Alexander (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1987-03-02
Dimensions: whole: Duration 80, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 18034

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Interview with Roy Alexander Farran

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