Clark, Stanley Alan (Oral history)

British civilian in Holborn, London, GB, 1939-1942; private served with 1st Bn Hampshire Regt in Italy, 1943; served with 2nd Bn Cameronians in Italy and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Holborn, 1923-1939: family; education. Recollections of period as civilian living in Holborn, 1939-1942: role as Air Raid Precautions messenger; visiting sight of first bombs which fell on City of London; sight of dead bodies in street during Blitz; effect of parachute mine on Gray's Inn, 5/1941; attitude towards exploding incendiary bombs; public morale during Blitz; listening to radio; feeling that Britain was better without Allies. Aspects of enlistment and training with Hampshire Regt in GB, 1942: call-up; character of training at Parkhurst Barracks; move to Colchester; further training on Mersea Island; transfer to 11th Bn Hampshire Regt at Withernsea then Consett; background to posting to North Africa. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of operations with 15 Platoon, C Coy, 1st Bn Hampshire Regt in Italy, 1943: period waiting in landing craft for invasion of Italy; landing at Pizzo, 9/1943; character of unit; physical condition during advance northwards; use of landing crafts for advance northwards; return of 231 Bde home. Recollections of operations with C Coy, 2nd Bn Cameronians, 5th Div in Italy, 1943-1944: background to transfer to unit at Aletta; night spent in ossuary; push to Iserna, 11/1943; rations; contracting jaundice and evacuation to Bari; re-joining unit north of River Garigliano; weather conditions winter, 1943-1944; building sangars on Minturno Ridge; character of patrols on Minturno Ridge; problems of crossing stream in flood; issue of rum; nature of operations in Minturno Ridge area; rest period prior to move to Anzio. REEL 3 Continues: move into 'The Fortress' at Anzio; character of trench warfare in area; effect of German multi-barrelled mortars; use of bakelite grenades and effect of use of smoke; fate of B Coy; psychological effect of sound of fixing bayonets; sleeping in wet trench; role as officer's batman; quality of rations at The Fortress; reason for short supply of officers; in positions near River Moletta; death of NCOs from shell-fire; hearing bull-frogs in Pontine Marshes; Allied advance from Anzio; casualties to land-mines; advance to River Tiber and Rome, 6/1944. Period with 2nd Cameronians in Middle East, 1944: in transit at Moascar, Canal Zone; training at Gaza and Damascus. REEL 4 Continues: character of Beirut, 1944. Recollections of operations with 2nd Bn Cameronians in North West Europe, 1945: move to Belgium, early 1945; reinforcing battalion; use of night soil on fields in Belgium; move into Germany by rail; sight of devastation of Osnabruck; orders to capture Bleckheide; role as quarter-master sergeant's clerk; capture of Bleckheide; type of Germans captured at Bleckheide; consequences of Bleckheide being labelled a 'Nazi village'; loss of A Coy platoon in River Elbe; mass surrenders of Germans in Möllm area; inability to sleep in bed. Aspects of Occupation of Germany, 1945: injury to child who found phosphorus; billeting in former German Air Force barracks at Stendhal; resumption of peace-time soldiering; drilling to beat of drum; social activities; encounter with German veterans from Eastern Front, Goslar. Period with School of Infantry at Warminster, 1945-1946: role as demonstration platoon; sporting activities; position of sportsmen in unit; role of sport in unit. REEL 5 Continues: Attitude to having served with 2nd Bn Cameronians in Second World War. Aspects of operations with 2nd Bn Cameronians in Italy, 1943-1944: effect of poppy omen; case of soldier who went 'bomb happy'; lice problem in barn; orders to fix bayonets and attack from sunken road.