Interview with Samuel Cawdron

British gunner trained with 210th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Training Regt, Royal Artillery at Park Hall Camp, Oswestry, GB, 9/1939-5/1940; fitter served with Motor Transport Section, 88th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th and 45th Anti-Aircraft Bdes, 5th and 9th Anti-Aircraft Divs in London and Newport GB, 6/1940-1/1941; trained as fitter with Royal Artillery in GB, 1/1941-1/1942; served with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 52nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, First Army in French Algeria and Tunisia, 1/1943-5/1943; served with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 52nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, First Army on Pantellaria Island, Italy, 6/1943-8/1943; served with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 22nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, Headquarters, Allied Forces in Italy, 10/1943-8/1944; served with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Greece, Italy and Austria, 12/1944-2/1946

REEL 1 Background in Rotherham, GB, 1918-1939: family circumstances; education; activities with Boy Scout Movement; difficulty in finding employment 1932; mining and electrical engineering courses; employement as servant; work as apprentice fitter with engineering fitting shop at Silverwood Colliery; awareness of approach of war; interview for conscription to Militia and rejection of application to join Royal Navy, 15/6/1939; delay due to accidental broken foot; call-up for military service, 15/9/1939. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of training as gunner with F Squad, 210th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Training Regt, Royal Artillery at Park Hall Camp, Oswestry, GB, 9/1939-5/1940: reaction to posting to unit; send off; reception; rations; hutted accommodation; kitting out; hair cut; sending civilian clothes back home; uniform fit; relations with NCOs; story of exchanging contents of parcels from home; relations with other recruits; physical training; drill; tactical and weapons training; lectures in history of Royal Artillery; training on predictor, height finder and Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun; visits to dance hall in Oswestry; drinking habits; recreational activities at garrison theatre. REEL 3 Continues: guard and fire picket duties; kit inspections; pay parade and pay; friends; Christmas Day celebrations, 25/12/1939; practice shoots at drogue towed by aircraft during firing camp at Towyn; story of hospitalisation with pneumonia during leave prior to posting; rejoining unit and cancellation of posting; return of Dunkirk Evacuation veterans. Aspects of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, 88th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Anti-Aircraft Bde, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in London, GB, 6/1940-7/1940: distribution of anti-aircraft gun sites in London area. REEL 4 Continues: Motor Transport Section vehicles; movements around London; further details of Motor Transport Section; routine maintenance tasks; battery vehicles; lack of German Air Force raids. Aspects of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, 88th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 45th Anti-Aircraft Bde, 5th and 9th Anti-Aircraft Divs at Newport GB, 7/1940-1/1941: accommodation; assisting gunners during German Air Force raids; detachment to gun positions at Caerleon, 12/1941; Christmas Day celebrations, 25/12/1940; relations with civilians. Recollections of period training as fitter with Royal Artillery in GB, 1/1941-6/1941: atttending course at School of Electrical Lighting, Gosport, GB, 1/1941-3/1941; attending course at Gloucester Technical College, Gloucester, 4/1941 including accommodation and strafing from German Air Force aircraft; engagement during leave; attending fitters course in Leeds, 4/1941-6/1941 including accommodation; marriage and subsequent arrangements to sleep out of billets. REEL 5 Continues: scabies attack and treatment; passing as fitter; orders to return to Newport despite unit's move to Middle East. Aspects of period as fitter with Royal Artillery in Woolwich Barracks, London, GB, 7/1941-1/1942: duties with fire brigade; skin disease and treatment; duties with telephone exchange; arrangements during visit from wife. Aspects of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 5th Anti-Aircraft Bde, 9th Anti-Aircraft Div and 44th Anti-Aircarft Bde, 4th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1/1942-8/1942: circumstances of posting formally as gun fitter and reception at Gloucester; move to Manchester, 5/1942; relations with quartermaster; use of civilian garage; specialist vehicle for recharging batteries; stores situation; role defending naval facilties at Loch Maree; recreational activities; movements; story of visit to relatives during drive to embark lorry on boat at Birkenhead; further movments. REEL 6 Continues: embarkation leave; move to Leeds; compulsory course to qualify as gun fitter to remain with unit; movements, 10/1942-11/1942. Aspects of voyage from GB to Algiers, French Algeria, 11/1942-1/1943: mess deck; use of hammocks; gambling on card games and 'Crown and Anchor'; manning ship's guns; escorts; stay over in Gibraltar Harbour; fishing; sight of infantry landing. Recollections of period as fitter with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 52nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, First Army in French Algeria and Tunisia, 1/1943-5/1943: landing and initial period at Maison Carrée, Algiers, French Algeria, 1/1943: cold nights during march; collecting vehicles; prior water-proofing vehicles in GB. REEL 7 Continues: second hand reports of landing of guns and vehicles at Algiers, Frech Algeria; drive through Atlas Mountains; exchanging fuel for eggs with Algerian civilians; reception on rejoining unit; story of ruse to retain him as motor transport fitter and absence of role as gun fitter at Souk el Khemis, Tunisia, 1943; sand tyres; question of unofficial methods in acquiring equipment and stores; stand to in case of German infiltration; anti-mosquito precautions; German Air Force raid whilst at receiving dental treatment; story illustrating value of dental treatment; use of Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Guns against German machine gun posts on ridge and German retaliation with tanks and mortars; subsequent air battle; story of being ordered to take Willys Jeep to collect propeller from crashed aircraft in No Mans Land; sight of Italian prisoners of war during move to Bizerta, Tunisia; presence of corpses and damage to port; insects. REEL 8 Continues: attending Victory Parade in Tunis, Tunisia, 5/1943; sea bathing; re-equipment. Aspects of operations as fitter with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 52nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, First Army on Pantellaria Island, Italy, 6/1943-8/1943: embarkation with motorcycle on Landing Ship Tank (LST); sight of preliminary Allied bombing raid; ramming by another Landing Ship Tank (LST) during approach; unopposed landing at harbour; occupation of former Italian gun position and German Air Force dive-bombing attack; former Italian airfield; German Air Force strafing attacks; use of Italian gun to detonate sea mine; use of American rations and cinema; sea bathing; state of Italian village and looting sultanas; recreational activites; situation after capture of Sicily, 7/1943. Recollections of period as fitter with 58th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 22nd Anti-Aircraft Bde, Headquarters, Allied Force in Naples area, Italy, 10/1943-8/1944: disembarkation; strategic situation; story of following brother's movements with 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry via intelligence officers map; story of visit from brother on local leave. REEL 9 Continues: concert party activities; sea bathing; building latrines for Italian civilians; incident of wheels and petrol stolen by Italian civilians; visit to harbour master billeted in palace; disbandment of regiment, 8/1944. Aspects of training at Infantry Training Camp at Caserta, Italy, 8/1944-12/1944: tactical exercises in hills; rifle and Bren Gun training; land mine clearance training; story of prisoners escaping during guard duties at military prison. Aspects of period on draft to 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Greece, 12/1944: conditions during cattle truck train journey to Taranto, Italy; news of death of cousin in land mine training accident; meeting brother; recreational activities; voyage with draft from Taranto, Italy to Patras, Greece, 1/1945: warning lecture on venereal disease; visits to Greek bars; journey by truck to Athens. Recollections of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry, 139th Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in Greece and Italy, 1/1945-5/1945: opinion of Major Laurence Stringer. REEL 10 Continues: situation and internal security role in Athens, Greece; reception; role as fitter and role maintaining Headquarters Company vehicles; recreational activities; sporting activities including cross-country race and football; voyage from Greece to Italy, 4/1945; separate journey with Motor Transport Section along coast road to Forli, Italy; celebrations on German surrender in Italy, 2/5/1945; impact of nightingales singing; removing vehicle lamp headlights. Recollections of period as fitter with Motor Transport Section, Headquarters Coy, 16th Bn, Durham Light Infantry, 139th Bde, 46th Infantry Div in Austria, 5/1945-2/1946: journey in Austria, 8/5/1945; duties distributing stores during initial attachment to Royal Army Service Corps, 5/1945; rejoining unit; collection of horses from XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps, XV at Bruckl; horse races; horse race meeting on racecourse at Graz. REEL 11 Continues: removal of horses; billets and garage in schnapps distillery at Wildon; relations with German prisoner of war mechanics; installing baths in billets; journey back for GB leave, 8/1945; situation in Vienna, 10/1945; role of Motor Transport Section; enforced curfew; relations with Austrian civilians and contrast with armed Soviet Army troops; story of arrest for breaking curfew; role carrying supplies to detached guards; recreational activites; relations with Austrian civilian women and story of return visit to Vienna, 1994; use of snow chains at Wildon, 11/1945-2/1946. REEL 12 Continues: women's trousers; accommodation and garage in schnapps distillery at Wildon; Christmas Day celebrations, 25/12/1945; story of journey into mountains; skiing courses; question of demobilisation or attending courses; disbandment of unit, 2/1946. Aspects of demobilisation and return to civilian life in GB, 2/1946: journey back to GB for demobilisation; demobilisation suit; reaction to war gratuity; situation on return as apprentice fitter at Silverwood Colliery; subsequent promotion; teaching at technical college; effects of war service; story of being encouraged to attend first reunion of 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry Regimental Association, 1947; stories illustrating importance of Regimental Association.