Jones, Arthur James Edward (Oral history)

British private served with 7th Bn Devonshire Regt in GB, 1938-1940 served with 5th Corps Headquarters in Norway and GB, 1940-1943; served with 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Teignmouth, Devon, 1922-1939: family and education. Period with 7th Bn Devonshire Regt, Territorial Army in GB, 1938-1940. reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. guard duties in Midsummer Norton. Recollections of period as batman to staff officer with Headquarters, 5th Corps in Harstad, Norway GB, 1940-1943: voyage from GB to Norway aboard Polish destroyer Szroby, spring 1940; defence of Harstad by Royal Naval cruisers. Period as batman with Headquarters 5th Corps in GB, 1940-1942. Period with B Coy, 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 1943: transfer to unit, Cambourne; landing craft training at Inverary, 1943; role as bren gunner, Folkstone. Recollections of operations with 10 Platoon, B Coy, 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 43rd Div in Normandy, 1944: beach landings, 6/1944; field rations; move into front-line to relieve Cameronians; first action in Cheux orchard; German tank attacks on battalion headquarters; initial experience of shell-fire; behaviour of soldiers suffering from battle fatigue; dealing with battle fatigue; move of unit from Cheux to Colleville under observation from Hill 112; pinned down by German shell-fire in Colleville; discomforts of living in slit trenches for long periods; push along railway line from Colleville to Verson to protect flank of Canadian attack on Carpiquet; transfer from 10 Platoon to Support Coy, Anti-Tank Platoon; opinion of support of Royal Artillery and RAF; opinion of usefulness of 6 pounders; attack of unit on Hill 112 including massacre of old company, B Coy, nature of fighting, orders for unit to pull out from wood on Hill 112, reaction to casualties on Hill 112, opinion of German defenders and loss of commanding officer on Hill 112. REEL 3 Continues: rebuilding of unit after action on Hill 112; method of defecating in slit trenches; second period in positions on Hill 112, 7/1944; card cutting to decide which company led; technique of following up artillery barrages; capture of Le Plessis Grimault, 8/1944. German counter-attack on unit and Somerset Light Infantry, Vernon, ca 25/8/1944. Contact with French resistance and attitude to treatment of female collaborators. Recollections of operations with 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Netherlands, 1944: push to Nijmegen, 9/1944; push from Oosterhout to Driel, 9/1944; sight of Dakotas trying to supply Arnhem; living off German rations whilst cut off in Driel. Recollections of operations with 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Germany, 1945: operations around Reichswald Forest; use of Kangaroos in attack on Geilenkirchen; narrow escape from German patrol; incident when soldier let comrades down by failing to carry out sentry duty; crossing River Rhine, 3/1945; liberation of camera; behaviour of Polish displaced persons in Bremen area, 5/1945; impression of Russian troops in Lubeck area, 5/1945. Demobilisation in GB, 1/1946. Attitude to having served in Second World War.