Description
Object description
British civilian in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 9/1939-6/1944; private served with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 12/1944-5/1945; served with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine and Egypt, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 1926-1939 family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in Kingston upon Hull, GB, 9/1939-6/1944: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; German Air Force attacks, 1941; destruction of family house in bombing; effect of German Air Force bombing on mother's morale. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB and Northern Ireland, 1944: call-up for military service, 6/1944; journey to Northern Ireland; basic training at Ballymena; advanced training at Gallowgate Camp near Richmond; reason for being excused duty; living conditions at Longframlington, winter 1944; prior recollection of civilian life and fire watching duties in Kingston upon Hull, 1939-1944; degree of knowledge gleaned from training at Longframlington especially about German mines.
REEL 2 Continues: lack of contact with civilians at Longframlington. Recollections of operations as private with 16 Platoon, D Coy, 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 12/1944-5/1945: voyage from Tilbury, GB to Ostend, Belgium, 31/12/1944; medical treatment for swelling at Louvain, Belgium, 1/1945; patrolling on River Maas, Netherlands; living conditions at Maastrict, Netherlands, 1/1945; billeting with civilians at Louvain, Belgium; types of grenades carried; accident with grenade at Louvain, Belgium; character of move between Louvain, Belgium and Goch, Germany; description of Officer 'O' Group; trek across fields towards German held bridge at Schaddenhof, Germany, 26/2/1945.
REEL 3 Continues: in action at German held bridge at Schaddenhof, Germany, 26/2/1945-28/2/1945; escorting German paratrooper prisoners of war back from front line; sight of unit wounded; night spent in open, 28/2/1945; advance towards Enschede, Netherlands and then Bremen, Germany; memories of Major Charles 'Banger' King and his death at Fahrenhorst, near Brinkum, Germany; reasons for being initially being left out of battle at Brinkum, Germany, 4/1945; accident cleaning rifle; capture of Bremen, Germany, 4/1945 ; sight of German civilians in Bremen, Germany, 5/1945; role after German surrender. Aspects of period with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Belgium, 8/1945-10/1945: cancellation of plans to send unit to Japan; training officer cadets at Bourg-Leopold.
REEL 4 Continues: incident when he was wounded in arm; opinion of medical treatment he received for broken arm; hospitalisation in Antwerp; presence of black United States Army troops in Antwerp; opinion of his platoon officer. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Palestine and Egypt, 1945-1946: journey from Belgium to Palestine via Egypt, 10/1945; duties at Haifa; relations between British troops and Arabs civilians; sight of dock workers coaling ships; leave period in Beirut, Lebanon; return to Canal Zone, Egypt after six months in Palestine; daily regime; attitude awaiting demobilisation, 1946; return to GB, 8/1946.
REEL 5 Continues: Reflections on military service in Second World War: attitude to having served with 2nd East Yorkshire Regt in Second World War; question of psychological effects of active service; post-war career; question of depiction of fighting in war films. Recollections of operations as private with 2nd East Yorkshire Regt, 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 12/1944-1/1945: sight of body of unit NCO; battalion casualties at Schaddenhof, Germany; incident of German panzer officers attempts to get British troops to reveal their positions; use of 'Monty's Moonlight' at Schaddenhof, Germany; aftermath of action at Schaddenhof, Germany, 26/2/1945-28/2/1945; role of Hull Daily Mail newspaper in sending parcels to battalion, 2/1945; German treatment of civilians at Tilburg, Netherlands; use of flying columns for advance into Germany; entering Bremen, Germany, 4/1945; reaction to end of Second World War in Europe, 8/5/1945; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945.
REEL 6 Continues: post-war stationing of unit in Bielefeld, Germany; presence of Displaced Persons camp in area; attitude of United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) personnel; story of discovery of farmer's wine cache, Germany, 3/1945; story of patrol being shelled by British artillery, Germany, 1945.
