Description
Object description
British private served with Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment in GB, 1939-1940; served in France, 1940; served with East Yorkshire Regiment in GB and North Africa, 1940-1943; served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa and Italy, 1943
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; civilian work; outbreak of war; call-up to army; posting to Duke of Wellington's in Plymouth. Aspects of period as recruit trained with Duke of Wellington's Regiment in GB, 1939-1940: anti-semitism from George Day on journey to Plymouth; training unit posted in and army number; leisure activities; NCOs and officers at Plymouth; journey to Le Havre. Aspects of period in France, 1940: arrival in Yiffreu; role in France; accommodation; listening to Lord Haw Haw; bombing of aerodrome; news of return to GB; march to Dunkirk including air raids; events on beaches at Dunkirk; fear of water and refusal to march off; movement up jetty and boarding of the Tynemoore Douglas; journey to Tenby; stay in camp at Tenby including phone call home; reactions on return home on leave. Aspects of period with East Yorkshire Regiment in GB, 1940: arrival with unit in Bridlington; make-up of 50th Division; disembarking from Gourock. Aspects of journey from Gourock, GB, to Egypt aboard HMT Moolton, 1940: description of ship; crew of ship; sleeping arrangements; knowledge of destination; stop in Freetown harbour; scares on journey and air activity; shore leave in Durban and rations on ship; journey to Port Fouard. Aspects of operations with East Yorkshire Regiment in North Africa, 1940-1943: journey to camp in desert; time in camp and acclimatisation; journey to Mersa Matruh; description of positions at Mersa Matruh; accommodation; shelling; Salvation Army presence; length of journey to Egypt; memories of Charlie Pelton; movement between front and rest camp at Sidi Bish; Battle of El Alamein and advance across desert; laying of minefields; wounding at Wadi Akarit; evacuation; time in 47th South African General Hospital including description of wounds; activities of division; posting to 1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry; story of Jewish cave dwellers in desert; water rations and sucking stones.
REEL 2 Continues: story of insect in ear; contact with Bedouins; story of bumping into relation; medical downgrading. Aspects of period in Italy, 1943-1945: journey to Naples with 1st Battalion; removal from battalion on medical grounds; journey to reallocation centre at Biano; medical problem; story of relation in centre; story of fight; appearance of name on draft for GB; medical board hearing; story of 1943 leave in GB. Aspects of period with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Middle East, ca 1943: attitude towards posting in Durham Light Infantry; punishment for incorrect wearing of service cap; decision to desert; railway from Ismailia to Palestine; method of boarding and riding on train; journey to Lydda; walk to Nathania rest camp; items carrying on arrival; theft of items from tents; attempt to take refuge in a kibbutz; length of time on run; story of capture by Special Investigation Branch; return to battalion; court martial and punishment; time in White House Prison in Alexandria; return to battalion; second desertion to Syria; time in civilian prison including Arab seen whipped to death; journey to Cairo for court martial; imprisonment in Mena including kit inspections by Sergeant Williams; time on bread and water; return to battalion in Italy; medals awarded; memories of brothers Solomon and Lionel Berstein; memories of mother; story of audience with Pope in the Vatican City; memories of Charlie Pelton; opinion of treatment of the Rajputana Rifles in North Africa; contact with civilians in Egypt.