Sherlaw, Ronald (Oral history)

British private served with Royal Army Pay Corps in GB, 1940-1941; served with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1941-1942; officer served with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1942-1943; served with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Italy, Middle East, Greece and Austria, 1943-1946; served with 2nd Bn Hampshire Regt in Austria, 1946

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Morpeth, GB, 1917-1940: family; education at King Edward VI Grammar School and OTC training; work as wages clerk and training in accountancy, 1933-1940; awareness of political situation in Germany; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; duties as Special Constable; question of reserved occupation status; call up, 2/1940. Period with Royal Army Pay Corps at Ashford and London, 2/1940-12/1941: tennis activities; clerical duties; billets; question of active service posting; move to London, 10/1940; effects of German air raids; question of choice of regiment on posting to infantry. Recollections of training with Durham Light Infantry Depot at Brancepeth Castle, 1/1941-8/1941: conditions of service; relationship with other ranks; drinking habits; question of bullying. REEL 2 Continues: drill; weapons training including rifle, bayonet, Bren gun, hand grenade and Thompson sub-machine gun gas mask training; tactical exercises; route marches; boxing matches; minimal contact with officers; recreations. Recollections of period with C Coy, 14th Bn, Durham Light Infantry at Shorncliffe Camp, 8/1941-8/1942: question of bullying attitude of junior NCOs; relationship with other ranks; opinion of Montgomery; reinforcement feeder status of unit. REEL 3 Continues: role as acting unpaid lance corporal; promotion to corporal, 10/1941; question of suitability for commission and War Office Selection Board tests. Recollections of attending 163 Officers Cadet Training Corps at Morecambe, 8/1942-12/1942: organisation of unit; tactical training including question of realism and art of command; recreations. Period with 14th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Paignton and Hornsea, 12/1942-5/1943: question of being posted back to former unit; relationship with NCOs and other ranks; nature of battalion and company officers' mess. REEL 4 Continues: review of service career dates, 1940-1942; landing training; training with 3" mortar platoon; battle school courses; tactical exercises; reactions to reinforcement feeder status of unit; background to being drafted to North Africa; marriage on embarkation leave. Recollections of period training with C Coy,16th Bn Durham Light Infantry at in North Africa, 5/1943-9/1943: voyage out to join unit at Blida, Algeria; reception and initial relationship with officers and other ranks; rock climbing courses in Atlas Mountains; landing craft exercise; move to Bizerta; platoon equipment. REEL 5 Continues: German air raids on Bizerta; malaria precautions. Recollections of trip in Landing Craft Infantry via Sicily to Salerno, Italy, 9/1943. Recollections of landing and initial operations at Salerno, 9/9/1943: crossing beach under indirect fire; situation; move to positions on Hospital Hill; situation; troops reactions to German shellfire and personal morale; counter-attack to re-capture platoon positions, 13/9/1943; situation; success of forward observation officer of 149 Bty, 70th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in bringing combined artillery fire down on German convoy; composition rations; digging shallow slit trenches. Recollections of operations in Vietri Valley, 22/9/1944-: situation. REEL 6 Continues: German shell fire on initial defensive positions; account of escorting forward observation officer through to Corpo di Carvo, 23/9/1943, including question of soldiers dropping out of action, situation at Corpo di Carvo, mortaring German tanks and success in opening up route; defensive nature of German tactics; reaction to award of Military Cross and consequent reputation as patrol leader. Recollections of operations, 10/1943-12/1943: reception from Italian civilians on entry into Naples, 10/1943; crossing of Volturno River, 12/10/1943; account of reconnaissance patrol towards Teano River, 27/10/1943 including briefing, methods employed and problems with drainage ditches. REEL 7 Continues: account of reconnaissance patrol towards Teano River, 27/10/1943, problems with drainage ditches, anti-personnel mines, crossing Teano, retirement on coming under fire from German positions and debriefing with intelligence officer; crossing of Teano River, 28/10/1943, including role of supporting artillery and adapting tactics for co-operation with tanks; preliminary barrage on Monte Camino, 11/1943; story of being wounded by sniper during attack on Cocuruzzo Spur, 12/1943; view of Guards attack during evacuation as walking wounded, 12/1943. Hospitalisation, convalescence, and question of desire to return to unit, 12/1943-1/1944:. REEL 8 Rejoining unit, 2/1944: question of quality of reinforcement drafts; question of supply role as second in command of D Coy including liaison with quartermaster sergeant and quartermaster. Recollections of period in Egypt, Palestine and Syria, 2/1944-6/1944: role with advance party at Tel Aviv; question of internal security duties in Palestine; tactical course at Middle East Training School at Gaza; opinions of Colonels Johnny Preston and Dennis Worrall; problems with troops and officer visiting brothels; reactions to return to Italy. Recollections of operations against Gothic Line, 8/1944-12/1944: evacuation of Major Frank Duffy with battle fatigue; posting to command D Coy; view of attack by Hampshire Regt; nature of 'O' Group. REEL 9 Continues: situation; casualties from mortar fire during continual fighting patrols on forward slopes of Gemmano, 10/9/1944-13/9/1944; question of company morale; move back to rest; relationship with Italian civilians; story of shrapnel leg wound during attack on Johnson feature on Casa Ricci, 26/9/1944; local treatment of wound; problems with ration supply; question of replacement of Colonel Worrall by Major Reggie Denny; story of German rearguard action following river crossing and officer's loss of nerve; periods commanding C and D Coys; question of personal morale and value of wounds in providing rest. REEL 10 Continues: problems with drunkenness on capture of vermouth factory. Recollections of period in Athens, 12/1944: situation; prior air lift out; story of platoon accidentally occupying Acropolis rather than Philipapou monument; move to Phaleron; organisation of temporary local truce in negotiations with ELAS leader and reactions to end of truce; opinion of ELAS; relationship with Greek civilians; internal security role; return to Italy, 4/1915. Period in Italy, 4/1945-5/1945: initial movements; jeep accident during VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Recollections of period in Austria, 5/1945-2/1946: return of Croatian group to Yugoslavia; riding horses; contact with Croatian POW camp; relationship with Austrian civilians; billets at Allerheiligen Schloss in Wildon sector; initial role in civilian administration; security role. REEL 11 Continues: question of prior return to command of Colonel Worrall; question of black-market; period as garrison troops in Vienna; GB leave, 12/1945; reactions to prospect demobilisation; attending refresher accountancy course. Period with 2nd Bn, Hampshire Regt in Austria, 2/1946-6/1946: reception and initial reduction to captain; return to peacetime conditions of service; decision not to become regular; involvement in court martial of officers for misconduct in officers' club demobilisation, 6/1946. Post-war career: return to accountancy; effects of war service.