Duddle, John (Oral history)

British civilian in Manchester GB, 1940; sapper served with Royal Engineers in GB, Mediterranean and North West Europe, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Gorton, Manchester, 1921-1939: family and education; employment. Reaction to declaration of war 3/9/1939. Recollections of Manchester Blitz, 12/1940: German Air Force attacks on city when he was living in Ardwick area, 22/12/1940-23/12/1940; use of brick built surface shelters; accuracy of German bombs on city centre; persistence of workers in getting to work; attitude towards German Air Force bomber crews; work of emergency services in averting panic. Abortive attempt to join RAF aircrew, 1939 and call up to army 6/1942. Period of training with Royal Engineers in GB, 1942: basic training Royal Engineers Training Depot, Blacon, Chester, summer 1942; nature of basic training and reception by training NCO; punishment for saluting incorrectly. Story of accident with hotel plumbing system in Belgium, 1944. REEL 2 Continues: Period with 695 Artesian Works Coy, Royal Engineers, GB, 1942: posting to unit Honiton, Devon, late 1942; volunteering for overseas posting, 1943; story of how mates tried to disguise Duddle being absent without leave, Halifax. Voyage from GB to Egypt aboard Winchester Castle, 3/1943 including policing duties on board ship. Contacting malaria in Suez Canal Zone, 1943 Period with 239 Field Park Coy, RE, 51st Highland Division in Mediterranean, 1943: joining unit Tunis, summer 1943; move to Sicily; injury in lorry accident and hospitalisation; move to Tripoli, Libya, 7/1943. Voyage from Mediterranean to GB, 11/1943 including collision with Duchess of Bedford and repairs in Gibraltar. REEL 3 Continues: Reaction to return to Manchester, GB, Christmas 1943. Joining 16 Bridging Platoon, RE, GB, early 1944. Recollections of operations with 16 Bridging Platoon in North West Europe, 1944-1945: sailing from River Thames to Normandy under fire of German guns in Calais, 6/1944; landing in Normandy under-fire; building Bailey bridge, Ouistreham; problems of building Bailey bridges over rivers; speed such bridges could be built with; satisfaction with rations, summer 1944; sight of tank battle, Le Harve, ca 1944; construction of Bailey bridges. REEL 4 Continues: refusal of French farmer to give British troops water, 6/1944; unsuccessful attempt of British troops to purloin radios from Phillips factory in Eindhoven, 9/1944; rapid move to Liege area, 12/1944; V1 and V2 attacks on Liege and Antwerp; relations with civilians in eastern Belgium 1945; problems of returning to unit after home leave, 1/1945; opportunities for desertion by British troops in France and Belgium, early 1945. REEL 5 Continues: sight of dead German troops propped up in trenches in Reichswald Forest, 2/1945; selling food to Dutch civilians, 1945; fate of captured German piglet, ca 2/1945; story of how German and British troops refrained from firing at each other on eve of Rhine crossing, 3/1945; reaction to devastated state of Bremen, 4/1945; delay in recieving news of end of war, 5/1945; celebratory drinks with German farmer's family, evening VE Day; attitude of German civilians towards Allied troops on journey to Bremerhaven , 5/1945.