Description
Object description
British trooper served with 1st and 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Kirkaldy, 1921-1939: family circumstances; education; death of father, 1931; work in Printing Department, Nairn's Linoleum Factory, 1937-1939; recreations including cycling and Boys Brigade activities;. Recollections of recruitment and training with 20th Armoured Car Coy, <Fife & Forfar Yeomanry> Royal Tank Regt at Hunter Street Drill Hall, Kirkaldy, 1/1939-9/1939: reasons for joining; learning to drive and practise with personnel carriers and Mark VI tanks at Annsmuir, Ladybank; signal training; machine gun training; drill; question of raising of second line unit; map reading exercises as motorcycle despatch rider at summer camp at Weightworth Camp, Catterick. Mobilisation and initial period with Headquarters Sqdn, 1st F&FY in Kirkaldy, 1/9/1939; first guard duty; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; posting as MT driver; nature of course as fitter at Bovington Camp. Aspects of postings as driver mechanic with 2nd Fife & Forfar Yeomanry in GB, ca 10/1939-4/1944: duties as driver on joining unit at Leslie; period at Aldershot and Runfold, 2/1940-6/1940; background to posting to unit.
REEL 2 Continues: local weekend passes whilst at Farnham; move to Dungannon, Northern Ireland, 6/1940; relationship with Irish civilians; role on exercises; move to Bessbrook, 12/1940; move to Whitby, 7/1941; conversion to armoured regiment on formation of 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div; equipment with Valentine tank; training as reserve driver with Valentine and problem with reversed steering at speed; exercises on moors; relationship with ORs and NCOs; opinion of Captain Melville, opinion of Major Alastair Nairn illustrated by story of his attitude on route march in Northern Ireland; opinion of Colonel Sandy McIntosh; opinion of Colonel Cooper and question of his removal of various officers including Nairn; relationship with civilians; various moves, period at Chippenham Camp, 8/1942-4/1943; move to Bridlington; role as reserve tank driver; opinion of Sherman tank; attitude to exercises and question of active service; firing practice at Kirkudbrigshire; training in method of waterproofing and period detached as instructor. Various aspects of operations in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: crossing English Channel; compo and emergency food rations.
REEL 3 Continues: role driving ammunition lorry including collection of ammunition from B Echelon, rendezvous with tank laager and role in supplying Headquarters Sqdn tanks; view of destroyed Sherman and question of success of crew in baling out, 18/7/1944; advance through France; period as driver with Sherman in C Sqdn including relationship with tank crew, question of attitude to English personnel, environment in Sherman, lead tanks and question of land mines, hospitalisation with shrapnel wound in leg; return to unit; story of convoy getting mixed up with German vehicles in Peer sector; story of eating horse meat prepared by Belgian civilians; stop at Helmund; posting as personal driver to Quartermaster Lieutenant John Blakey; opinion of Blakey; opinion of HQ Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant Tommy Willmott and Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant Tommy Paterson; role as Quartermaster's assistant in checking A1 Echelon supplies and promotion to lance corporal; role of A1 and A Echelons; death of friend and his listing as missing; move to Ypres, 12/1944; operations in Ardennes, 12/1944-1/1945; case of water in petrol tanks; GB leave, ca 1/1945; relationship with Belgian civilians; opinion of Comet tanks; question of crossing river prior to capture of Antwerp.
REEL 4 Continues: crossing Rhine by pontoon bridge; hospitalisation with appendicitis; VE Day celebration in Holding Camp at Ath. 58/5/1945. Period at Saltsgetter, Germany, 1945-1946: minimal duties as during initial period as medical orderly; story of securing position as mechanic attached to Allied Military Government; lack of contact with German civilians; question of remaining as regular; demobilisation, 5/1946. Post-war career: starting as garage mechanic; securing position as charge hand with Nairns paper mill; importance of comradeship in decision to rejoin F&FY; membership of F&FY Regimental Association and Normandy Veterans Association.