Interview with Dennis Smith

British marine served with No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in North West Europe, 6/1944-12/1944; served with 4th Commando Bde Signals in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Calne and Hitchin, GB, 1924-1939: family circumstances; education; employment. Aspects of period as civilian living in Chrishall, GB, 1939-1942: memories of air activity over RAF Duxford, 1940; listening to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and William Joyce 'Lord Haw Haw' broadcasts; membership of Home Guard. Aspects of training as marine with Royal Marines in GB, 1942-1943: enlistment; basic training at Royal Marine Depot Deal; training at driving school, Portsmouth; infantry training in Devonshire, 1942-1943; becoming marksman; signals training in Pembrokeshire; volunteering for commando training at Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry; preparations for Far East service at Wrexham; posting to No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando at Gravesend; job operating Aldis Lamp. Recollections of operations as marine with Signals Section, No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde during landings on Juno Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: character of landing on Juno Beach; advance into Saint-Aubin-sur-le-Mer; acting as rifleman rather than signaller; holding defensive position with NCO from No 10 Commando; attitude of French civilians. REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as marine with Signals Section, No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: laying ambush, 7/6/1944; burying dead on beach; move to Douvre la Deliverande; use of 'pep pills'; joining up with airborne forces at Salonelles; holding left flank of bridgehead, 6/1944-8/1944; patrol work; recapitulation of D-Day crossing and landing, 6/6/1944; break-out from Normandy, 8/1944; question of length of time unit was in action, 6/1944-8/1944. Aspects of period as marine with Signals Section, No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in France, 8/1944-9/1944: crossing River Seine, 8/1944; duties policing Le Havre after Royal Air Force bombing of town; obtaining German supplies at Le Havre; patrolling around Dunkirk, France, 9/1944-10/1944. Recollections of operations as marine with Signals Section, No 48 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde at Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 10/1944-11/1944: preparations for operations at De Haan and Ostend, Belgium, 10/1944; embarking on board LVT-4 Buffalo Amphibians, 31/10/1944; radio equipment used; character of landing under-fire; attack on German strongpoint, W13 Battery; malfunction of radio set during attack on German strongpoint W13 Battery; wounding whilst attempting to get his radio set to work, 1/11/1944; refusal to be evacuated from beach-head. REEL 3 Continues: medical treatment for wounds. Aspects of period with 4th Commando Bde Signals in North West Europe, 1944-1945: transfer to 4th Commando Bde Signals at Bergen-op-Zoom, Netherlands; raid on Tholen, Netherlands; German thwarting of raid across River Maas at Geertruidenberg, Netherlands; move to Recklinghausen, Germany to protect German farmers from attentions of Displaced Persons; duties in Germany, 1945. Aspects of period with Royal Marine commandos in Hong Kong, 1945-1946: flight from GB to Hong Kong; question of how main party travelling by ship arrived in Kowloon faster than his advance party; attitude of Chinese in Kowloon; attitude to having served with Royal Marines during Second World War; question of long-term effects of military service.