Moreton, Lawrence Anthony (Oral history)

British private served with 4th Bn Cheshire Regt and 70th Bn King's Regt in GB and France, 1939-1940; trooper served with 109th Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1941-1942; served with 50th Royal Tank Regt in North Africa, Italy and Greece, 1942-1945; served with 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 1950-1951

REEL 1 Background in Neston, 1921-1939: family; education; employment. Period with 4th Bn Cheshire Regt in GB and France, 1939-1940: reasons for joining Territorial Army, 5/1939; escape from France via Calais, 5/1940. Period with 8th Bn Cheshire Regt and 70th Bn King's Regt in GB, 1940-1941: transfer to 8th Bn Cheshire Regt at Prenton Park; airfield defence duties with 70th Bn King's Regt in East Riding, ca 1940. Period with 109th Bn Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1941-1942: joining unit at Barnard Castle; role as Bren gun carrier driver; training at Bovington, summer 1941. Recollections of operations as trooper with 4 Troop, C Sqdn, 50th Royal Tank Regt in North Africa, 9/1942 -5/1943: posting to unit at El Alamein, 9/1942; support for Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during El Alamein, 10/1942; Battle of Mareth Line; issue of Sherman tanks at Sfax, 1943. REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Valentine and Sherman tanks. Recollections of operations as trooper with 50th Royal Tank Regt in Sicily and Italy, 1943- 1944: sinking of landing craft during landings on Sicily, 7/1943; advance across Catania Plain, Sicily, summer 1943; problems with Browning machine guns; advance towards River Sangro; attitude to bombing of Monte Cassino, spring 1944. Recollections of operations as trooper with 50th Royal Tank Regt during Greek Civil War, Greece, 1944-1945: voyage from Italy to Piraeus in HMS Aurora; sight of ELAS parading in Athens; patrolling in Daimler Dingoes on Salamis Island; move to Bulgarian border, 1945. Demobilisation in GB after Second World War. Recollections of period as trooper with 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars, 29th British Infantry Bde in Korea, 1950-1951: reaction to re-call from army reserve; voyage from GB to Korea aboard Empire Fowey; duties in quartermaster's store; taking supplies to unit on River Imjin. REEL 3 Continues: living conditions; reasons for getting frostbite; opinion of Japanese after leave period Christmas 1950; reaction to being relieved, 10/1951; issue of alcohol for officers, NCOs and men; bartering alcohol with US Army; relations with Koreans; Koreans employed by unit; question of lack of information during Korean War.