Description
Object description
British marine served with Royal Marines aboard HMS Nelson, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1938-1939; served with Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation in Egypt, 1939; served with 31st Howitzer Bty, 101st Royal Marine Bde, Royal Marine Division in GB and Norway, 1940-1942; served with Royal Marine Divisional Artillery in GB, 1942-1943; NCO served with Royal Marines Armoured Support Regiment in GB and Normandy, France, 1944; served with Royal Marine Amphibious Assault Unit in India and Java, Dutch East Indies, 1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Manchester, GB, 1919-1937: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Marines in GB, 1937-1938: reasons for joining Royal Marines, 10/1937; basic training at Royal Marine Depot, Deal, 1937. Aspects of period as marine with Royal Marines aboard HMS Nelson, Home Fleet in GB coastal waters, 1938-1939: issue of rum; attitude towards better conditions enjoyed by officers; duties; access to weapons aboard; shore parties. Aspects of period as marine with Royal Marines attached to Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation in Egypt, 1939: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; transfer to unit; living conditions; role building anti-aircraft defences in Alexandria and Canal Zone; transfer back to GB, 9/1939. Recollections of operations as marine with 31st Howitzer Bty, 101st Royal Marine Bde, Royal Marine Division in Norway, 4/1940: initial posting to artillery battery in Scotland, GB, early 1940; landing from MS Chrobry at Namsos; state of Namsos after German Air Force bombing; impression of German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers; question of morale after campaign. Aspects of period as marine with 31st Howitzer Bty, 101st Royal Marine Bde, Royal Marine Division in Shetland Islands, GB, 1940-1942: opinion of living conditions.
REEL 2 Continues: German Air Force attacks and use of Lewis Gun; initial attitude of islanders towards British forces; development in relations with islanders; anticipation of German invasion; discovery of radio transmitter operating to Germany; change in nature of Royal Marine training. Aspects of period with Royal Marine Divisional Artillery in GB, 1942-1943: joining divisional artillery, 1942; Lord Louis Mountbatten's decision to break up division; need for artillery support in landings. Recollections of operations as NCO with Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment in GB, 1944: equipping with 95mm Howitzer mounted in Centaur Tank; waterproofing of Centaur Tanks; towing of Porpoise Sled to carry ammunition supplies; training for D-Day landings in Poole area; sight of slogan 'No Leave, No Second Front' on 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div lorries; rations carried in Centaur Tank including self heating soup; question of deliberate sabotage of Landing Craft Tank (LCT); apprehension about forthcoming D-Day landings; question of presence of 'No Leave, No Second Front' slogans; conditions aboard Landing Craft Tank (LCT) during rough sea conditions in English Channel, 5/6/1944.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: sight of beach defences going into assault; personal morale during beach landing; landing procedure for Centaur Tank on beach; German enfilading fire along beach; question of belief that unit would take 80% casualties; operating against SOS targets on night of D-Day. Recollections of operations as NCO with Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment in Normandy, France, 6/1944: capturing German artillery battery; 7/6/1944; attitude of German prisoners of war; sight of Waffen-SS atrocities against Canadian Army prisoners of war near Tilly-sur-Seulles, 16/6/1944; attitude towards German forces on witnessing atrocity. Recollections of operations with Royal Marine Amphibious Assault Unit in India and Java, Dutch East Indies, 1945: how unit was armed for Operation Zipper; attitude to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; chaos after Japanese forces' handed over of weapons to Indonesians, Batavia, Java; attitude to question of who should rule Java; use of Japanese sentries; returning fire against unknown assailants who opened fire on Royal Marines stationed on jetty; failure of Japanese to distribute American supplies to prisoners of war and internees in Java during Second World War.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Marines in India, 1945-1946: return to Calcutta, 31/12/1945; opinion of Calcutta; move to Bombay, 1/1946; attitude of Royal Marines serving in Bombay, 1/1946; riot duty in Bombay; killing of despatch riders in horse-trough; rioter's throwing of 'pop bottle' bombs in Bombay, 1946; use of Bren Gun to quell riot; starving Royal Indian Navy mutineers of ammunition, 1946; personal wish to 'Quit India', 1946; attitude of Indians towards British in 1946; dislike of 'pukka sahibs'; return to GB, 1946. Aspects of service with Royal Marines, 1948-1949: sea service aboard HMS Howe and HMS King George V; sight of Protestant and Catholic hatred in Belfast, North Ireland, 7/1949-8/1949.