Description
Object description
British driver served with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Fulham, London, 1924-1942: family circumstances; education; running activities; recreations; father's political activities in Labour Party; desire to work for Cooperative grocers; work and educational classes as telegram boy with Cable and Wireless, 1938-1939; work as delivery boy with Coop grocery shop, 1939-1942, including duties as errand boy, weekly customer ordering system and operation of dividend system.
REEL 2 awareness of approach of war; question of attitude top British Union of Fascists and father's racial prejudices; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; evacuation of brothers and sister; effects of war on work in Coop grocers including food rationing, staff turnover, introduction of women, closed shop union, work as counter-assistant and political influence of manager; erection and use of Anderson and street air raid shelters; fire watching duty at Coop grocers; employee parties in Coop air raid shelter; suspension of political activity.
REEL 3 effects of German air bombing raids; question of becoming conscientious objector; attestation and desire to avoid service in tanks; medical. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with Royal West Kent Depot, Invicta Barracks, Maidstone, 11/1942-12/1942: sympathetic attitude of officers and NCOs; kitting out; vaccinations; hut accommodation; relationship with recruits; story illustrating sympathetic attitude of officer; morning routine; compulsory shaving; food rations; PT; drill; reactions to army lifestyle; route marches; aptitude tests; rifle training and problems as left handed.
REEL 4 Continues: training in bayonet, Thompson machine gun and hand grenades; kit inspections. Recollections of period training as gunner/mechanic with 61st Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps at Barnard Castle, 1/1943-: reactions to posting; learning to drive lorry; characteristics of Covenantor and Crusader tanks including method of driving, taking up hull and turret down positions, method of firing 2 and 6pdr guns.
REEL 5 Continues: engine and track maintenance training; gunnery course on 2 and 6pdrs, misfire drill; question of signal training; opinion of instructor s; mechanical aptitude of recruits; relationship with ORs. Recollections of period with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry at Chippenham Camp and Bridlington, 1943-1944: reactions to posting; unit badges; reception as part of English draft; role as gunner in Crusader tank; relationship with tank crew, officers and NCOs; hut accommodation; daily routine and duties on tank maintenance; NAAFI canteen; story of catching rabbit; unofficial visits home.
REEL 6 Continues: taking drill sessions and question of promotion; deliberately failing prior interview for possible commission; story of mounting guard with Trooper Gordon Fidler; characteristics of Sherman tank including effects of poor suspension, mechanical reliability, question of armour, opinion of 75mm gun and multiple crew roles; visit to Kirckudbrigshire tank range including failure to set overnight guard, firing at towed vehicles, use of armour piercing and high explosive shells and wet weather conditions; nature of Operation Eagle; relationship with officers; billets; recreations.
REEL 7 Continues: story of fight with bullying soldier. Period at Warburg Barracks, Aldershot, 3/1944-6/1944: nature of barracks; prior posting as driver of with Reconnaissance Troop, Headquarter Sqdn; characteristic of Honey light tanks including problems with oil leaking, automatic gears and crew roles; waterproofing and testing Honey; moor fire fighting; awareness of approach of D Day; send off from civilians and personal morale. Crossing English Channel and landing at Courcelles, Normandy, France, ca 16/6/1944: loading Landing Ship Tank; use of LST to evacuate casualties; guard duty; landing and move inland. Recollections of period at Cully, ca 16/6/1944-26/6/1944: parking and camouflaging tanks around edge of field; equipment storage on Honey; bivouacs; compo food rations; cooking arrangements; importance of tea; first bread issue.
REEL 8 Continues: cigarette parcel from Coop; latrines. Recollections of being Honey being put out of action during Operation Epsom advance on Cheux, 26/6/1944: oil carried in box on front of Honey; effects of direct hit on front of Honey; story of immediately taking up smoking to calm nerves after seeing effect on co-driver Jimmy Byers; prior removal of ammunition rack to facilitate brewing up in turret and casual treatment of HE shells. Recollections of Operation Goodwood, 18.7.1944: question of prior removal of Honey turret; crew roles; effects of dust in eyes during overnight drive to Ranville and subsequent medical treatment and acting as co-driver; preparatory air and artillery bombardment; move forward inline; question of flammability of Sherman and question of bailing out; orders to rescues bailed out crews including Lance Sergeant Tubby Watson; hanging on to back of Honey; direct hit and explosion of Honey; attempt to rescue other crew members.
REEL 9 Continues: burns to face and hands; efforts to rescue Watson and Byers; evacuation of Byers in Bren carrier; view of battlefield and story of meeting French civilian whilst walking back to field dressing station; meeting wounded Sergeant Bob Wann; voyage back on LST. Hospitalisation in GB, 7/1944-8/1944: reception; use of suphanimonide powder on medical treatment of burns; severe burns case; story of trip to pub disguised as sergeant; recovery. Period with Holding Unit at Chippenham Camp, 8/1944-12/1944. Various aspects of periods in Belgium and Germany, 12/1944-5/1945: rejoining unit and posting to Honey tank; cold conditions during Ardennes operations, 12/1944-1/1945; tank suits; period at Ypres; opinion of Comet tank; billets and relationship with Belgian civilians; loss of Christmas dinner; story of accident prior to crossing Rhine, 3/1945; opinion of US food rations and uniforms.
REEL 10 Continues: lack of action during advance into Germany; question of pause by River Weber; passing Belsen Concentration Camp; reception from German civilians; opinion of German soldiers; question of post-war relationship with Soviet Union and USA; story of taking large number of German POWs at Lubeck; former British POWs reactions to Comet tanks and lorries; looting activities; question of incidence of rape. Period in Germany, 5/1945-5/1947: story of carrying repatriating Russian displaced workers in lorry; news of VE Day, 8/5/1945; reaction to final casualties; black market activities; non-fraternisation ban; role driving lorries; question of politics and General Election, 7/1945; German electrical fuses; question of demobilisation.
REEL 11 Continues: question of posting to Far East and transfers to 1st F&FY and Royal Scots Greys; driving duties and story of racing lorries; horse riding and gliding activities; return to GB and demobilisation, 5/1947. Post-war career: return to work for Cooperative grocers; problems in acclimatising to civilian lifestyle and effects of war service; involvement in Union of Shop and Distributive Workers; work on provisions counter during rationing; joining Labour Party; membership of South of Border Group, F&FY Regimental Association; comparison of army and trade union comradeship.
