Baldwin, Arnold Charles (Oral history)

British private served with Artisan and Works Coy, Royal Engineers in Iceland, 1940-1941; NCO served with B Sqdn, Glider Pilot Regt in GB and North West Europe, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Canada and GB, 1913-1939: family and education in boy's home in Farningham, Kent; employment in building trade; mother's return from Canada. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Period as member of Young Communist League in GB, 1930s: failed attempts to fight for Spanish Republic during Spanish Civil War; joining Young Communist League in Croydon, 1936. Period with Artisan and Works Coy, Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1940: formation of unit; rates of pay. REEL 2 Continues: reasons for joining unit; abortive plans to send unit to Norway, 4/1940. Recollections of period with Artisan and Works Coy, Royal Engineers in Iceland, 1940-1941: arrival, 7/1940; building facilities for troops and RAF; conducting socialist propaganda in unit; decorating of his bed with red flags on German invasion of Russia, 22/6/1941; reaction to German invasion of Russia; relationship between British troops and Icelanders; political activity among Icelanders; British use of local Icelander labour; making contact with Icelander Communists; meeting in Reykjavik to welcome back Communists from Brixton Prison in GB; lack of impact of his socialist propaganda on his RE comrades. Volunteering for airborne forces in GB, c1942. REEL 3 Continues: Period of training with Glider Pilot Regt in GB, 1942-1944: selection for unit, summer 1942; pattern of glider pilot training, 194-1943; opinion of role of RAF in formation of Glider Pilot Regt; joining 2nd Battalion, 1943. Recollections of abortive operation against Melville Battery with B Sqdn Glider Pilot Regt, D-Day, 6/6/1944: selection as one of three glider crews to attack Melville Battery; reasons for his own gliders failure to take part in operation. REEL 4 Continues: difficult take off from RAF Brize Norton; dangers of cumulus cloud to gliders; snapping of tow rope and reaction to it; forced landing at RAF Odiham; discovery of causes of accident; attitude of 9th Bn Parachute Regt passengers despite failure to reach target. REEL 5 Continues: Relationship between glider pilots and RAF tug crews, 1943. Recollections of operations with B Sqdn Glider Pilot Regt during Arnhem operation, 9/1944: move to RAF Manston in preparations for Operation Market Garden; flight of gliders from GB to Netherlands, 9/1944; lack of sense of urgency after landings; reception by Dutch civilians in Arnhem; orders to retrace steps and return to Oosterbeck; move into grounds of Hartenstein Hotel; making tea under German mortar fire; narrow escape from mortar fire; secondment of Parachute Regt, 22/9/1944. REEL 6 Continues: move to paratrooper headquarters near Vreewijk Hotel, 22/9/1944; foraging for food; amusing story of cockney soldier under German fire, 24/9/1944; threat of German commander to destroy house Baldwin was holding with tank fire; circumstances of withdrawal; effect of events on morale; diet of bottled plums, 23/9/1944-25/9/1944; shooting of German soldier, 25/9/1944; collapse of comrade's morale; reaction to being under orders to hold impossible positions, 25/9/1944. REEL 7 Continues: reprimand from Parachute Regt officer for allowing men to leave positions; reaction to order to withdraw; precautions taken from withdrawal from house; heavy German fire from warehouse onto house formerly held by glider pilots; withdrawal past Hartenstein Hotel; release of German POWs from Hartenstein Hotel; move to banks of River Rhine, 25/9/1944; discipline of British troops awaiting evacuation; ferrying of escaping survivors across River Rhine by Canadian Engineers; arriving on south bank of River Rhine; amusing story relating to comrade Ted Bevan; treatment by Church Army in Eindhoven; nervous reaction to operation by chain smoking cigarettes. REEL 8 Continues: story of British soldier captured at Arnhem and how he got retaliation from German ex POW he had mistreated. Recollections of operations with B Sqdn, Glider Pilot Regt during Rhine Crossing, 3/1945: conversion to Hamilcars, late 1944; attitude towards forthcoming operation; personal morale before operation; plan to spiral down on landing; asking for more height from tug pilot; loosing sight of landing zone in spiral approach; survival of collision with roof of house on landing; shooting German officer who approached crashed glider; taking cover with co-pilot, Jack Codd in wood. REEL 9 Continues: Canadian paratrooper's wish to shoot German POWs for shooting helpless Canadian paratroopers in trees; belief of two German POWs that they were digging their own graves; story of liberating alarm clock from Canadian paratroopers; comrades acquisition of German electric clock as booty.