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Object description
British private served with 4th Bn East Lancashire Regt, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in France, 4/1940-5/1940; served with No 4 Provisional (Syme's) Bn in France, 5/1940-6/1940; private and NCO served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 126th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div and 42nd Support Group, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 7/1940-4/1942; NCO served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 5/1942-10/1943; served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB and Normandy, France, 10/1943-8/1944; served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 158th Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hapton, GB, 1919-1939: family; education, family's military background; employment in dye factory; sporting activities and hobbies; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt at Squire's Gate Camp, Blackpool, GB, 1939-1940: call-up to 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 1939; issue of rifles; night training on sand dunes. Aspects of period as private with 4th Bn East Lancashire Regt, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB and France, 4/1940-5/1940: posting to battalion at Marlborough, GB; voyage aboard HMT Ben-my-Chree from GB to France; initial impression of France; amusing story of soldier who fell in manure; memories of Captain Hoare; route march. Recollection of operations as private with No 4 Provisional (Syme's) Battalion in France, 5/1940-6/1940: composition of unit; move to Abbeville; withdrawal to Rouen; German Air Force bombing of bakery; move towards Saint-Malo via Le Mans; destruction of vehicles at Saint-Malo; return to GB.
REEL 2 Continues: reception in Southampton and Durham, GB, 6/1944; question of British Army attempting to fight with First World War in France, 1940; question of lack of equipment and anti-tank weapons; tactics employed by German forces; sight of German Army armoured cars; opinion of Captain Harold Ervine-Andrews of 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt; period with 4th Bn East Lancashire on return to GB, 6/1940-7/1940 including move to Moreton Hall, home leave and move to Stoneyhouse College. Recollections of period as private and NCO with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 126th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div and 42nd Support Group, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 7/1940-4/1942: transfer to battalion, 7/1940; posting to B Coy at Northallerton; move to Broadway, move to Bisham Abbey, near Marlow; amusing story of haunting of Bisham Abbey; sight of fish killed in River Thames by German Air Force bombing; coastal defence duties at Lowestoft, 10/1940-12/1940; period at Watford, 12/1940-2/1941; living conditions at Mushroom Farm near Halstead; accident during grenade training; route marches in East Anglia.
REEL 3 Continues: move to Orwell Park School, Ipswich, 7/1941; promotion; return to ranks after argument with sergeant; attending signal course; return to unit at Rillington near Malton; story of brief transfer of unit to 2nd Infantry Div then return to 42nd Armoured Div, 4/1942. Recollections of period as NCO with Signals Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 5/1942-10/1943: transfer to Signals Platoon; character of signals course and role of signallers; use of 18 Wireless Set; period at Northallerton; move to Malton, death of soldiers during swimming training in River Derwent near Malton, 10/1942.
REEL 4 Continues: compassionate leave for mother's illness and being put on charge, 7/1942; playing with battalion dance band, 1942-1943; change to No 19 Wireless Set; period in Mere, 4/1943-9/1944; composition of dance band; amusing story of turning up at wrong venue with dance band; move of unit to Burford; signals work in Oxfordshire. Aspects of period as NCO with Signals Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB, 10/1943-6/1944: role of advanced party to Sittingbourne, 10/1943; transfer of battalion to 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div, 10/1943; waterproofing vehicles and radios in preparation for amphibious landings at Sittingbourne; vermin in billets; death of adjutant in motorcycle accident; allocation of signals platoon to companies; move to sealed camp at Hayward's Heath; weather conditions, 6/1944; reaction to news of D-Day, 6/6/1944. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Lady Longford from Newhaven, GB to Normandy, France, 22/6/1944-23/6/1944: reasons for Support Coy sailing from London Docks; conditions on board; sight of Royal Navy ships. Aspects of operations as NCO with Signals Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944: arrival at Bény-sur-Mer, 25/6/1944; move to Grainville-sur-Odon, 2/7/1944; question of only quarter of unit having combat experience; German night attack broken up by artillery.
REEL 5 Continues: attack on 'Pepperpot House'; German artillery shelling of reserve positions. Aspects of operations as NCO with Signals Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div at Bougy, Normandy, France, 7/1944: move to Bougy; German artillery shelling of positions; casualties to units signallers; death of Private Terence Doyle on patrol led by Major J F Lake, 21/7/1944; contact with German forces in sunken lane; armoured support at Bougy; reasons for later move from 71st Infantry Bde to 158th Infantry Bde, 26/8/1944. Aspects of operations as NCO with A Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div at Bois Halbout, Normandy, France, 8/1944: crossing River Orne: story of stretcher-bearer finding dead body of officer bearing his name and birthday.
REEL 6 Continues: capture of six German machine guns; unit formation for attack; arrival of armoured support; advance into village; capture of Soviet and Polish prisoners of war serving with German forces; move through village; under German machine gun fire; evacuation of casualties; firing at German tank; casualties to unit; shooting up German motorcycle crew; checking communications line; question of not having Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT) to deal with German tanks; operating Projector Infantry Anti-Tank (PIAT). Recollections of operations as NCO with A Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div at Noron-l'Abbaye and Miette, Normandy, France, 17/8/1944-18/8/1944: move through Noron-l'Abbaye; advance towards Miette; fighting in Miette, 17/8/1944-18/8/1944; communications role; capture of German Army officer; distance between Miette and Noron-l'Abbaye; casualties caused by explosion in house; rain storm.
REEL 7 Continues: attending concert party; sight of sight of destruction in Falaise Gap, 8/1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 158th Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-1/1945: problems with Captain R J Hawkins over communications; advance to Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France; death of stretcher-bearer Walter Eastwood, 5/9/1944; advance to Amiens, France; accommodation in dock area, Antwerp, Belgium, 9/1944; laying cable connection to 1st (Machine Gun) Bn Manchester Regt; move into forward positions.
REEL 8 Continues: crossing canal in darkness; attack on German positions; formation for attack on Bladel, Netherlands; clearing Bladel, Netherlands; advance up to Eindhoven, Netherlands; question of Guards Armoured Div not capturing crossing at Lommel, Belgium; contact with American paratroopers; communications duties; reasons for move to Weert; role of unit defending canal at Weert, Netherlands; attack on s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 22/10/1944-27/10/1944 including use of artificial moonlight, night-time advance towards city; ambush of German vehicles and horse drawn troops; street fighting in s'Hertogenbosch; German artillery shelling of signals platoon position; line laying in city; areas cleared by unit.
REEL 9 Continues: opinion of Dutch hospital; narrow escape from German patrol on River Maas, Netherlands, 11/1944; incident of walking through minefield; replacement of Lieutenant-Colonel George Burden by Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Allen, 11/1944; crossing Wessem-Nederweert Canal; sending shell reports; problems encountered during line laying; conflict with Captain R J Hawkins; patrolling.
REEL 10 Continues: attending church service; weather conditions; move back to Roermond, Netherlands, 11/1944; withdrawal to Belgium, 12/1944; patrolling in Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944; Christmas dinner, 25/12/1944; move to Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944; accidental wounding of Private Bert Goodfellow; taking over as commanding officer's wireless operator; under German artillery fire; start of snowing and engagement with German Army troops in forest; establishing forward headquarters; German mortaring of battalion; wounding in head during advance, 1/1945; rate of casualties; evacuation to regimental aid post.
REEL 11 Continues: Aspects of hospitalisation with 8th British General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps in Brussels, Belgium, 1/1945-2/1945: reception; treatment for wounds; nature of wounds; collecting uniform; move to holding camp; return to unit at Helmond, Netherlands. Recollections of operations as NCO with Signals Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 158th Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in Germany, 2/1945-5/1945: move up to Nijmegen, Netherlands for jumping off point; character of artillery barrage and advance into Reichswald Forest, 2/1945; reaction to being in action after wounding; digging in overnight in Reichswald Forest, 2/1945.
REEL 12 Continues: leave in GB, 2/1945; capture of Geldern; posting to B Coy; capture of farmhouse during advance to River Rhine, 3/1944; period in reserve; crossing River Rhine, 3/1944; action against German tanks in bridgehead on River Rhine; night-time attack on Bocholt; crossing Elbe-Weser Canal; capture of German Army officer; advance into Germany; nature of crossing of River Aller; capture of Verden-an-der-Aller, 14/4/1945.
REEL 13 Continues: incident of German civilian killed by British fire; sight of tank turning over on bridge; patrolling; capture of German village and acquisition of wine; advance to Rotenburg; sight of Hamburg from Lüneburg Heath, 4/1945; sight of high ranking German Army officers coming through lines to negotiate surrender; nature of fighting in Germany, 3/1945-5/1945; reaction to war coming to end; German policemen standing to attention on main road into Hamburg; accommodation in Hamburg; duties in Hamburg, 5/5/1945; capture of barge of sprits; VE Day celebrations, Hamburg, 8/5/1945.
REEL 14 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in Germany, 5/1945-8/1945: move to Oberhausen; communication duties in Oberhausen; receiving commendation from brigadier; kit inspection by commanding officer; story relating to contact with German civilians; amusing stories relating to crossed lines on telephone exchange; leave in GB, 8/1945. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) in Palestine, 1945-1946: journey to join battalion in Palestine, 8/1945; mess duties; use of defaulters in mess; story relating to Arab during Ramadan; attachment to B Coy, 12/1945; visit to Bethlehem, 24/12/1945; amusing story relating to adjutant.
REEL 15 Continues: journey from Palestine to GB, 3/1946; demobilisation procedure in GB, 29/3/1946. Aspects of post-war life and career: period as Chairman of East Lancashire Regimental Association and dedication of memorial at Bois Halbout, Normandy; attitude to having served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in Second World War.