Interview with Charles Clarence Stadden

British driver served with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in France and Belgium, 1940; NCO served with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in GB, Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea and French Syria, 6/1940-5/1941; served with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in French Syria, Army Remount Service Depot, Sarafand, Palestine and Middle Eastern Mountain Warfare Training School in Lebanon, 5/1941-6/1943; served with No 618 Pack Coy, Cyprus Regt in Italy, 3/1944-11/1944; served with No 306 Pack Transport Coy, Royal Army Service Corps in GB, 12/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Leytonstone, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; employment; short period as trumpeter with Royal Artillery, 1936, reasons for return to civilian employment; attempt to join Lancashire Fusiliers, 1939. Aspects of period as driver and NCO with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in France, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and French Syria, 4/1940-7/1941: background to posting to unit from Royal Army Service Corps, 1940; training with animals; dealing with mule colic; firing Thompson Machine Gun; composition of unit; handling of wounded mules; character of mules and question of braying; attachment to 5th Indian Infantry Bde, 4th Indian Infantry Div in Eritrea; memories of Robert Flemyng. Recollections of operations as NCO with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in France, 5/1940: question of role of unit, 5/1940; turning mules loose in Forest of Nieppe. REEL 2 Continues: formation of ad hoc infantry battalion; period in dunes near Dunkirk; abortive attempt to board boats off beaches; contact with French Army troops; organisation of embarkation from Dunkirk; state of East Mole at Dunkirk; collection of rifles; crossing to Dover, GB; organisation to collect those returning from Dunkirk Evacuation. Aspects of period as NCO with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in GB, Egypt and Sudan, 1940: reaction of Cypriot personnel to being armed in GB, 7/1940; voyage aboard HMT Andes from GB to Egypt, 8/1940-9/1940 including route taken and hospitality of civilians in Cape Town, South Africa; arrival at Geneifa Camp, Egypt; arrival of mules; handling mules; journey up River Nile to Sudan, 1/1941; march from water hole to water hole; supply role of unit; question of lack of front line in mountain warfare. Recollections of operations as NCO with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in Eritrea, 1/1941-4/1941: shortage of mules; dangers to soldiers who lacked fresh food; lack of motorised transport; performance of Cypriot muleteers in unit. REEL 3 Continues: story relating to handling problem mules; shodding mule hoofs; emotional ties between men and mules; opinion of Italian Army troops especially artillery. Aspects of period as NCO with No 1 Mule Pack Transport Coy, Cyprus Regt in French Syria, Army Remount Service Depot, Sarafand, Palestine and Middle Eastern Mountain Warfare Training School in Lebanon, 5/1941-6/1943: disease afflicting mules in French Syria, 1941; type of French military personnel in French Syria; period with Mountain Warfare Training School; conversion of cavalry horses into draught animals at Army Remount Service Depot, Sarafand, 1941-1942. Recollections of operations with No 618 Pack Coy, Cyprus Regt in Italy, 3/1944-11/1944: attachment to unit of French Canadian troops; slight arm wound he received in encounter with German Army patrol; problems of crossing mountain streams with mules; attitude towards Germans; attitude of Italian civilians towards Allied troops; sight of Waffen-SS atrocity carried out against Italian civilians on Gothic Line; description of Lancashire Fusiliers 'Ghost Gun' at Monte Cassino; Polish troops of 5th 'Kresowa' Infantry Div attitude towards British Army troops treatment of German prisoners of war. REEL 4 Continues: Polish forces losses during Battle of Monte Cassino, 5/1944; advance towards Lake Trasimeno, 7/1944; story of clash with officer over loading of sanitary wear on mule; appreciation of regimental 'esprit de corps'; repatriation to GB, 11/1944-12/1944. Aspects of period as NCO with No 306 Pack Transport Coy, Royal Army Service Corps in GB, 1944-1945: training with Norwegian forces in Cairngorms Mountains; overstaying leave in London, winter 1944-1945; narrow escape of his family from German V2 Rocket hit near house, Wanstead. Aspects of period as military artist in GB, 1951-1995: background to becoming military artist. REEL 5 Continues: development of his military painting work; social contacts which developed from painting work; prior recollection of mules becoming frisky if allowed leisure time.