Interview with Herbert Patrick Anderson

Austrian schoolchild, student and businessman in Vienna, Austria, 1919-1938; refugee in GB, 1939-1940; private and NCO served with 80th Pioneer Coy, Pioneer Corps in GB and France, 1940-1942; NCO trained with Special Operations Executive in GB, 1942-1944; served at Essex Regiment Regimental Depot, Warley Barracks, Brentwood in GB, 1944; served with No 827 Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps in Germany, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Hamburg, Germany, 1913-1919: family; father's work in oil industry; his parent's marriage in synagogue because of mother's Jewish religion; attraction of Hamburg to parents; family involvement in First World War; memories of education in Volks-schule. Recollections of period as schoolchild, student and businessman in Vienna, Austria, 1919-1938: memories of education in Volks-schule; transfer to Viennese gymnasium, 1924; anti-Semitism in Vienna; joining a Socialist youth organisation, the Red Falcons; reasons for formation of his left wing sympathies; visit to GB with Red Falcons, 1926. REEL 2 Continues: reasons why family had good supply of food during First World War; suicide of Tomas Schwartz a Jewish schoolboy and its subsequent effects on school, 1924; joining University of Vienna as student to study ancient law, 1932; transfer to Vienna Trade School; clandestine socialist discussions; his arrest by Italian Alpini on Tyrol frontier at time of Engelbert Dollfuss assassination, 7/1934; entry into his father's business, 1936; work in Istanbul, Turkey, 1937-1938; German take-over of Austria, 3/1938; reaction to Chancellor Kurt Schushnigg's announcement of plebiscite, 6/3/1938; sight of German Army troops entering Vienna and their reception, 12/3/1938; sight of German theft from Jewish civilians; difficulties of arranging family's escape to GB; reasons why Jews were attacked in Vienna after 12/3/1938; role of British Jews in aiding refugees from Austria. REEL 3 Continues: story of his protection of a woman from violence on Reeperbahn, Hamburg, Germany; voyage with parents from Hamburg, Germany to GB, 6/1938; resumption of work in Istanbul, Turkey, 1938-1939. Aspects of period as refugee in GB, 1939-1940: voyage from Istanbul, Turkey to Kingston upon Hull, GB, 2/1939; farm work in Shaftsbury, 1939; his reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; steps taken to rid himself of 'enemy alien' status, 9/1939; his farmer employer's need of labour, 1939; attempts to join British Army, 1939; plans to form refugee 'foreign legion', late 1939; reaction to King George VI's Christmas speech, 25/12/1939; assembling of friendly refugees at Kitchener Camp, Richborough, 1/1940. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as private and NCO with 80th Coy, Pioneer Corps in GB and France, 1940-1942: start of training at Richborough; move to France; stevedore work in Le Havre, France; evacuation from Saint-Malo, France to Weymouth, GB, 6/1940; reception in Weymouth, 6/1940; training at Chard, 1940; bomb disposal work in Chard; billeting of company in south east London; bomb damage clearance work; assistance given to Observer Corps in south east London; posting to Velindre, 4/1941; move to Liverpool, 5/1941; attitude of civilians in Liverpool to lack of air defences; peace demonstration in Liverpool; public morale under bombing in Liverpool; opinion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; transfer to East Blockhouse, Pembroke. REEL 5 Continues: memories of pacifist John Garrett at Pembroke Dock, 1941; story of how John Garrett blew himself and others up on landmine, 1941; work digging defences in Carmarthenshire; making civilian friends in Carmarthenshire; cultural and political life in Carmarthenshire, 1941; story of how he met his future wife; types of men serving in Pioneer Corps. Aspects of volunteering for and training with Special Operations Executive in GB, 1942-1944: background to volunteering for Special Operations Executive; marriage in Salisbury, 8/1943; training at Special Training School 62 (STS 62) Anderson Manor, Winterbourne Anderson, 1943; changing surname to Anderson, 1943; refusal of compassionate leave and his dismissal from Special Operations Executive; fate of fellow trainees, 1944-1945. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with Essex Regiment Regimental Depot, Warley Barracks, Brentwood, GB, 1944: transfer to regimental depot; his court martial for letting prisoner escape; how he avoided punishment. Recollections of period as NCO with No 827 Field Security Section in Germany, 1945-1946: attachment of unit to VIII Corps; advance into Germany; attempt to negotiate with German resisters at Bremen, 4/1945; devastation of Hamburg, 5/1945; work at Eutin liaising with German authorities; aftermath of SS Cap Arcona incident, 3/5/1945; move as interpreter to Wolfenbüttel near Hanover; rapid demise of non-fraternisation order; opinion of reasons for non-fraternisation order and why policy broke down, 9/1945. REEL 7 Continues: war trials where he acted as interpreter; occasional trial of British Army troops; his trading cigarettes with German civilians, 1945-1946; participation in trials over starvation of babies of forced workers at Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg; demobilisation in GB and return to civilian life, 1946; acquiring British citizenship in 1947; attitude towards Austria since 1945.