Interview with Donald Scrimgeour

British NCO served with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards, 201st Guards Motor Bde in North Africa, 2/1943-5/1943; served with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards, 201st Guards Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in Italy, 1943-1944; officer served with 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt in Egypt and Austria, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1921-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollection of period as police cadet with Kingston upon Hull City Police in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1940-1941: carrying German Air Force incendiary bomb in saddle bag; bomb damage to home; pressure of work on policemen. Recollections of period of training as guardsman with Guards Depot, Caterham, 1941: reasons for joining Guards Brigade, 4/1941; coping with discipline during basic training; story illustrating nature of discipline; scraping gym floor with razor blades as punishment for squad deficiencies; move to training battalion at Guards Training Depot, Pirbright. Aspects of voyage aboard HMS Arawa from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 1942: hospitality of civilians in Durban, South Africa. Aspects of period as NCO with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards in Egypt, Palestine and French Syria, 1942-1943: sight of field punishment centre whilst on draft at Port Tewfik, Egypt; joining unit at Mount Hermon, Palestine; membership of signals platoon; contrast between Guards officers and officers of other regiments. Aspects of period with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards, 201st Guards Motor Bde in North Africa, 1943: move to Quassassin Camp, Egypt for re-equipping of battalion as motorised infantry; contracting dysentery and hospitalisation at Marble Arch, Libya. REEL 2 Continues: problems of finding battalion again; initial experience of action on Mareth Line, Tunisia, 3/1943; visit by General Bernard Montgomery; level of battalion casualties; rescue of guardsman with shattered leg; exploits of Guardsman 'Pop' Glover; opinion of Axis forces; pursuit of Germans towards Tunis, 4/1943. Recollections of operations as NCO with 3 Coy, 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards, 201st Guards Bde, 56th (London) Infantry Div in Italy, 7/1943-1944: period garrisoning Pantelleria Island, 7/1943-8/1943; character of Salerno landings, 9/1943; capture of Italian prisoners of war; move to The Pimple at Salerno; German prisoner of war who was allowed to go into no-man's land to deal with badly wounded. REEL 3 Continues: push north to River Gargliano; weather conditions at Monte Camino under German mortar bombs; prevalence of fleas in Italian villages; organisation of bathing; advance towards Rome; lucky escape of two Germans on motorcycle and side car, 6/1944; patrolling over River Arno. Aspects of officer training in Italy and GB, 1944-1945: applying for commission; selection board at Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples; return to GB aboard HMT Reina Del Pacifico; reception at Guards Training Depot, Pirbright; attending pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit course at Wrotham; attending No 164 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Barmouth; lessons learnt at No 164 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Barmouth; choice of regiments for posting; commissioning into East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own), 11/1945. Aspects of period as officer with B Coy, 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own) in Egypt, 11/1945-3/1946: duties at Ismailia; guard duties in Cairo; attitude of Egyptian civilians towards British Army troops. Aspects of period as liaison officer to Soviet Military Mission in British Zone of Occupation, Austria, 4/1946: basing of 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own) at Graz; duties as liaison officer. REEL 4 Continues: attempt of Soviet Military Mission to interview Displaced Persons about whether they wished to return to Soviet Union; behaviour of Displaced Persons at sight of Soviet uniform; relations with mission members. Aspects of period as officer with 5th Bn East Yorkshire Regt (The Duke of York's Own) in Austria, 1946: guarding secret establishment; condition of Austrian civilians including fear of Soviets and attitude towards British Army troops; attitude to having served with 3rd Bn Coldstream Guards in Second World War.