Interview with Robert Coupland

British NCO served with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Bde, III Corps in GB and France, 8/1939-4/1940; served with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 48th (South Midland) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940; served with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Bde in GB, 6/1940-4/1942; served with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Bde, 79th Armoured Div in GB and Normandy, France, 4/1942-7/1944

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1916-1938: family; education. Aspects of period as trooper and NCO with 26th (East Riding Yeomanry) Armoured Car Coy, Royal Tank Corps and Royal Tank Regiment in GB, 8/1938-8/1939: joining Territorial Army, 8/1938; substitution of tanks for armoured cars, 1939; move of unit to Tidworth on Salisbury Plain, 12/1939; social background of unit personnel; posting into unit new recruits, some of whom had been involved in stolen car incident; change of unit name to 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 8/1939. Recollections of period with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Bde in France, 4/1940-5/1940: arrival in Le Havre, 4/1940; carrying of side arms in case of attack by French civilians in Le Havre; interest of troops in brothels in Le Havre. REEL 2 Continues: basing of unit in Somme Valley; relations with French civilians at Doullens; incident of fining of trooper for cutting saplings for firewood; 4/1940; move to Ivry-sur-Seine, west of Paris, 4/1940. Recollections of operations with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 48th (South Midlands) Infantry Div in France, 5/1940: move by train to Belgian border, 10/5/1940; opinion of colonial troops serving with French Army; sharing defensive positions with 1st Bn Welsh Guards on Hill 60; orders to move from Hill 60 towards Dunkirk; arrival in Dunkirk; supervision of boarding of MV Royal Daffodil on East Mole at Dunkirk; conditions on board MV Royal Daffodil; food given to troops by shopkeepers in Margate, GB; practice with Boys Anti-Tank Rifle in France; disabling of unit's vehicles prior to abandoning them, 5/1940. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 1st Light Armoured Reconnaissance Bde in GB, 6/1940-4/1942: reforming unit in Bovington Camp, 6/1940-7/1940; re-equipping with Beaverette Armoured Car; move to Witham for anti-invasion measures; reaction of local civilians to having identity cards checked during invasion scare at Braintree, 9/1940; move to Brackley, 11/1940. REEL 3 Continues: issue of Covenanter Tank to unit at Brackley, 1940-1941; training on battle practice ground in Pembrokeshire, 1941; opinion of Covenanter Tank's armament; training in Brandon/Theford area, Norfolk, 1941-1943; sight of fox torn to pieces by Brackley Hunt; drafts sent from 1st East Riding Yeomanry to other units, 1941-1943. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Bde, 79th Armoured Div in GB, 4/1942-6/1944: issue of A15 Cruiser Mk VI Crusader Tank; adaptation of some Covenanter Tanks with special invasion equipment; training near Lowestoft with Valentine Duplex Drive Tank; construction and workings of Duplex Drive tanks; embarkation at Gosport, 5/6/1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st East Riding Yeomanry 27th Armoured Bde, 79th Armoured Div on Sword Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: landing on Sword Beach at Lion-sur-Mer; beach defensives; amusing incident during beach landing. REEL 4 Continues: move off beaches; lack of resistance by some German troops; characteristics of Sherman Firefly. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Bde, 79th Armoured Div in Normandy, France, 7/6/1944-8/7/1944: push inland towards Caen; German observation platforms in trees; knocking out German Panzer Mk IV; unit driver who disappeared after being captured by Waffen-SS, 7/6/1944; attending unit officer with fatal shrapnel wound from German 88mm Gun; other casualties caused by artillery shelling; morphia injection apparatus; protocol in addressing officers after Second World War; farm animal casualties; wounding and blinding by mortar shell during preparations for attack on Caen, 8/7/1944. Recollections of medical treatment for wounds and hospitalisation in GB, 1944-1948: opinion of treatment and ophthalmic surgeon; surgery on eye sockets. REEL 5 Continues: damage to hearing and treatment received for it; how St Dunstan's provided cost for hearing aids; opinion of plastic surgery he received; opinion of help and facilities provided for the blind by St Dunstan's. Aspects of service with 1st East Riding Yeomanry, 27th Armoured Bde, 79th Armoured Div in Normandy, France, 6/6/1944-8/7/1944: unit's support role to 3rd Infantry Div on Sword Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; role as troop commander of 5 Troop after officer was wounded; state of sea at Lion-sur-Mer compared to landing beaches further west; attitude to having participated in Second World War.