Watson, Ken (Oral history)

British NCO served with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Deptford, Honor Oak Park and Grove Park, London, 1922-1942: family circumstances; education at Stilness Road School; minor traffic accidents; education at Stilness Road and Gordon Bank Central Schools; commercial qualifications; sporting activities; interest in wireless Morse code amateur transmission; cycling activities. REEL 2 Continues: long distance cycling holidays; question of career and grant to parents to allow continued study till 16; work with share dividend coupons with Belgian bank; question of approach of war; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; effects of war on work at Belgian bank, 1939-1942; fire watching duties on bank building roof; use if stirrup pump against German incendiary bombs in house roofs; Morrison air raid shelters; Anderson air raid shelter and drainage to counter flooding; close escape from German bomb; repairs carried out by Mobile Labour Force if Ministry of Works. REEL 3 Continues: view of German air raids on London; view of bomb damage whilst cycling to work; distinctive smell of bomb damage; emergency water arrangements and water tanks; question of bomb casualties; question of Home Guard activities; failed attempt to join Merchant Marine as wireless operator; attitude to call up; call up procedure and aptitude test; call up, 4/1942. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Royal Tank Regt Depot, Cove, Farnborough, 4/1942-9/1942: different age groups; reception; opinion of instructors; uniform; accommodation and biscuit mattresses; morning routine; food rations; drill; opinion of instructors; misfit recruits; PT and route marches; nature of basic training; preparing for kit inspections; relationship with recruits and minimal contact with officers; recreations and visits to Farnborough. REEL 4 Continues: signal training and value of pervious theoretical knowledge; background to decision to not to return to Belgian bank post-war; driving training on 15cwt lorries and Bren carriers; training in driving Valentine and Convenantor tanks in Long Valley including double de-clutching, method of steering using brake levers and parking break; value of theoretical engine training in workshops; weapons training; assault courses; driving tanks across rough ground in Long Valley; opinion of training; passing out as driver/operator. Recollections of period with 2nd Fife & Forfar Yeomanry at Fornham Park Camp, 9/1942: tent accommodation; question of Scottish character of unit including relationship with Scots personnel, porridge and difficulty with Scots accents; question of status within unit; guard duties. Recollections of period with Tank Delivery Sqdn at Brandon, North Burton, Bridlington, 10/1942-: question of status and composition of unit; charactersitics of Crusader tank including crew and problem with gears. REEL 5 Continues: role of Crusader crew including driver, tank commander, wireless operator and gunner; nature of training as TDS; move to North Burton, ca 6/1943; recreational visits to Filey; machine gun training at drogue towed by aircraft; tank driving practice in field; move to Bridlington; inspection by George VI; charactersitics of Sherman tank including synchro-mesh gears problem, cooling system, armour and engines; question of Shermans 'brewing up'; co-driver; firing practise in Kirkudbrigshire, 12/1944, including weather and problem with 75mm gun sights; introduction of Sherman Firefly variant; dispute with officer over map-reading; haracteristics of Dingo Daimler armoured car including training as driver, accident, crew and question of armament; story of soldier who hated dogs. REEL 6 Continues: scavenging for wood from billets due to shortage of coal; story of knocking over pillbox with Sherman; fish from fishermen. Period at Aldershot, 3/1944-6/1944: accommodation in cavalry barrack hayloft; method of waterproofing Shermans and testing in Frenchan Ponds; charactersitics and crew of Honey tank; relationship with ORs and status as teetotaller and non-smoker; punishment for theft of revolver. Crossing aboard Landing Craft Tank of English Channel and landing at Courcelles, France, 6/1944: prior period in enclosed camp; awareness of D Day, 6/6/1944; delay in Solent due to bad weather; removal of waterproofing on landing. Recollections of operations with A Echelon, 2nd F&FY in Normandy, 6/1944: cattle compound; view of 'brewed up' Churchill tank; role as spare personnel; use of 3 ton lorry transport; camouflage; compo food rations; use of cigarette ration to barter for drink and food; prior abandonment of teetotal beliefs; difficulty in digging slit trenches. REEL 7 Continues: difficulty in digging slit trenches and unsuitable tools; latrines; view of BBC war correspondent on move up to Hill 112, ca 30/6/1944; nebelwerfer fire; ditched Bren gun carrier; role as reinforcement personnel; view of German air attack on Ransart glider field on night of 18/7/1944; reaction to casualties, 18/7/1944; continued status as spare personnel; move to Caumont, 30/7/1944. Recollections of period as driver of Intelligence Officer with Headquarters Sqdn during advance through France, Belgium and Netherlands, 8/1944-12/1944: characteristics of Hunter scout car; role of IO and opinion of IO Lieutenant Hudson; smell of battlefield; German mortar shell fire; role sorting and distributing maps; insignia from German corpses; horse skeleton in Falaise sector; crossing bridge at Vernon; reception from French civilians and story of meeting former Scottish soldier; overnight advance to Amiens, 31/9/1944; story of capture of German stragglers whilst escorting General Ebberback back to Headquarters, 29th Armoured Bde. REEL 8 Continues: story of reception from French civilians in Amiens area; fatigue and story of falling asleep driving; arrival at Antwerp, 3/9/1944; fatigue; question of continued advance north of Scheldt; departure of Hudson; initial opinion of IO Lieutenant Harry Axton; status as lance corporal; casualty from isolated German shell; account of crossing bridge at Asten, 22/9/1944, including bravery of Royal Engineer officer constructing bridge, notification of unit on bridge completion, situation, view of Sherman crossing unit and capture of Asten relationship with Axton; scavenging for extra food and cooking; story of close escape from 'S' mines and attitude to mines; question of German booby traps; terrain and winter weather conditions; relationship with Dutch civilians; liaison visits to neighbouring units; recreations; infantry attempts to disable Panther; subsequent fighting in sector; move to Ypres, 14/12/1944; billets. REEL 9 Continues: story of captured German pay roll and trip with Axton to buy hampagne for officers' mess in Rheims and Epernay, ca 10/1944; handing in Shermans, 12/1944; recreations during leave in Brussels. Recollections of operations in Ardennes, 12/1944-1/1944: re-equipment with Sherman; winter weather conditions; terrain; Sidcot tank suits; story of being knocked unconscious during collision between Hunter scout car and jeep; posting to A Echelon; billets; wild boar; story of near accident whilst repairing Sten gun; driving 3 ton lorry in icy conditions back to Ypres. Period in Ypres, 1/1945-3/1945: delayed Christmas celebrations; unit scout cars; impressions of speech from Montgomery; question of contact with officers; reactions to visit to First World War cemeteries and battlefields; recreations; billets. REEL 10 Continues: absence of training on new Comet tank; period of exercises at Montaigu; question of delayed leave and pay due to name; GB leave, ca 3/1945. Recollections of operations during advance into Germany, 3/1945-5/1945: reaction to scale of devastation to towns; story of missing lift in lorry subsequently ambushed by German troops; incompetence of replacement and consequent return to post as Axton's driver; conditions of German soldiers; question of superior German weapons; ineffective Stuka attack on bridges; intelligence from regimental net; conversion to agnostic beliefs; writing letter of condolence to Trooper Alf Wedderburn's family; close escape from German shrapnel in Hunter scout car; question of contact with German civilians; wounded German nurse; question of looting and collection of German revolvers; delay in advance during negotiations over Belsen Concentration Camp; camera taken from German corpse; resumption of advance; story of leg wound from German shell whilst inspecting blown bridge a Muden at 19.30, 15/4/1945. Recollections of evacuation to GB, 4/1945-5/1945: unsuitability of stretcher for tall soldiers; evacuation by ambulance and question of avoiding Belsen. REEL 11 Continues: evacuation by ambulance including question of avoiding Belsen and fellow patients; operation and decision to leave shrapnel in situ; airlift to Brussels; period at 101 General Hospital. Period in hospital in Bruges, 4/1945-5/1945: development of gangrene and treatment with penicillin injections; VE Day, 8/5/1945; bedpans; shaven head; pain from stitches; learning to walk again; continued presence of shrapnel in wound; visit from Major Trotter; state of Belsen inmates. Periods in various hospitals prior to downgrading by medical board to C2, 1945. Period in convalescent camp in London, 1945. Period with 40 Bn, Royal Pay Corps at Hurstbourne Park, ca 12/1945-12/1946: reaction to loss of tradesman's pay and rank as lance corporal; claiming extra pay as clerk; composition of unit; story of successful complaint to colonel over quality of food rations; relationship with former active service ORs; story of planting flag on statue, 1?5/1946; relationship with personnel; question of demobilisation; keeping nominal roll. REEL 12 examples of reports from investigations into allowances of soldiers' wives; notifications of death issued following local aircraft crash; story of avoiding paying railway fares. Demobilisation, 12/1946. Post-war career: partial disability pension; decision not to return to Belgian bank; review of career in building trade initially as book keeper; marriage and buying house; effects of leg wound; commutation of pension; question of mental effects of war service; continued contacts with Axton; membership of South of Border Group, Fife & Forfar Regimental Association.