Butcher, Owen (Oral history)

British private served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in GB and North West Europe, 1942-1944

REEL 1 Background in Witham, 1925-1940: family circumstances; education; employment; sight of mobilisation of territorials, 9/1939. Enlistment and training with Royal Norfolk Regt, 1941: volunteering at Colchester, 4/1941; issue of clothing at Britannia Barracks; character of training; relief work in Norwich; move to 70th Bn Royal Norfolk Regt; duties guarding airfields; background to transfer to East Lancashire Regt, 1942. Recollections of period with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in GB, 1942-1944: reception on arrival in unit at Malton; move to Mere; parachute training course at Ringway. REEL 2 Continues: character of parachute jumps; injury to foot on seventh jump; return to unit in B Coy; opinion of company commander Joe Cetre; character of training, 1943; firing Lee Enfield 303 and Bren gun; move to Burford and becoming sniper; move to Sittingbourne area; issue of twenty four hour rations, 6/1944; discovery of his being under age; issue of sniper rifle and telescope. REEL 3 Continues: fieldcraft training; reaction to impending invasion of France, 6/1944; character of briefing by Joe Cetre, 6/1944; role as stick orderly and need to dispose of his second rifle; entraining at Sittingbourne; sight of V1s in concentration area near Newhaven. Voyage from GB to France, 25/6/1944: character of accommodation on board; nature of Channel crossing. Recollections of operations as sniper with B Coy, 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in Normandy, 6/1944- 8/1944: disembarking on Juno Beach; move inland; reaction to sight of dead troops; behaviour of German POWs; question of mistakes in regimental history; relieving Scottish unit; orders not to fire on German troops; observing German soldier bringing rations. REEL 4 Continues: question of he could carry out his sniping duty; stand-to procedures; positions early 7/1944; finding of dead German sniper; character of German sniper rifle; contrast between German and British weapons; sight of knocked-out tanks at Hill 112; character of patrols; counter-measures employed against snipers; question of friendly fire incidents; attack on Bois-Halbout, 7/1944; return to Bois-Halbout post-war. REEL 5 Continues: casualties caused by accidental explosion of mines; conditions in Falaise Gap, 8/1944; treatment of German POWs. Recollections of operations with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945: return of sniper comrade on River Seine; transfer to Headquarters Coy; character of advance beyond River Seine; positions in Antwerp, 9/1944; narrow escape from German shell-fire; question of accuracy of sniping; move to Lommel; character of crossing of Escaut Canal; story of death of friend Ken Butler. REEL 6 Continues: visit to friend's grave post-war; question of role as sniper; role of unit on Arnhem corridor; sight of US paratroopers at Eindhoven, 9/1944; character of attack on s'Hertogenbosch, 10/1944; move to River Maas area; death of sniper Ron Toft on River Maas, 11/1944; sniping at German troops on River Maas and sight of V2 launchings; question of British infantry tactics in advancing; problems of digging in frozen ground. REEL 7 Continues: move to Ardennes; weather conditions and terrain in Ardennes; nature of Grimblemont; narrow escape from shell landing on half-track at battalion headquarters; character of attack on Grimblemont; move to Helmond; use of mobile bath units; Allied barrage of Reichswald Forest; conditions during initial attack on Reichswald Forest; character of fighting in Reichswald Forest. REEL 8 Continues: role of snipers defending Headquarters Coy; role removing unit bodies from Reichswald Forest; devastation of Goch; attitude towards German civilians; leave in Brussels area; contact with Belgian civilians; crossing River Rhine near Wesel; effects of wounding of Joe Cetre at Bocholt, 3/1945; sight of treatment of Dutch female collaborators; use of Monty's Moonlight in attack on village; searching cellar in dark; casualties during crossing of River Aller. REEL 9 Continues: story of ambush on Rotenburg; advance into Hamburg; reflections on death of friend Joe Goddard and sniper casualties; celebrations in Hamburg. Career after leaving army. Attitude to having served in Second World War.