Description
Object description
British cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 9/1939-2/1940; officer served on ski training with 5th (Special Reserve) Bn Scots Guards in France, 2/1940-3/1940; served with Training Bn, Welsh Guards in GB, 3/1940-7/1940; served with No 8 (Guards) Commando in GB and North Africa, 10/1940-8/1941; served with GHQ Liaison Sqdn and Special Air Service in North Africa and Middle East, 8/1941-9/1942; served as staff officer to General Bernard Montgomery in North Africa, 10/1942-11/1942; prisoner of war in Campo PG 43, Garessio, Italy, 12/1942-9/1943; served with 2nd (Armoured) Bn Welsh Guards, Guards Armoured Bde in GB, 11/1943-1/1944; served as staff officer with Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 1/1944-1/1945; served with 2nd Bn Welsh Guards, 1st Guards Bde in Palestine, 1946-1948
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1919-1939: family origins; training with Officer Training Corps at Harrow School and at University of Cambridge; anticipation of coming war, 1938-1939; visit to University of Cambridge by Winston Churchill, 1938; memories of Lieutenant-General Bernard Law Montgomery including his relationship with officers and other ranks. Aspects of period as officer cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 9/1939-2/1940: character of course; background of company commanders and cadets; emphasis on motor transport; expectations of trench warfare. Aspects of period as officer with 5th (Special Reserve) Bn Scots Guards in France, 2/1940-3/1940: reasons for volunteering for unit to fight in Finland; officers who reverted to ranks; question of use ski battalions could be used.
REEL 2 Continues: question of growing professionalism in British Army; lack of many officers who couldn't shoot and cook. Aspects of period as officer with Training Bn, Welsh Guards in GB, 3/1940-7/1940: reasons for joining unit; training at Colchester; invasion scares, 1940; contrast between Scots and Welsh Guards; life in training battalion. Aspects of period as officer with No 8 (Guards) Commando in GB and North Africa, 10/1940-8/1941: reasons for joining commandos; character of early training; lack of need to impose discipline; landing exercises on Isle of Arran, GB; move to Canal Zone, Egypt; reasons for cancellation of operations; state of unit morale; initial impressions of Egypt; move to Tobruk and abortive attempt to raid on Italian headquarters at Gazala, Libya; opinion of training in Canal Zone, Egypt.
REEL 3 Continues: recreation in Canal Zone, Egypt; disbandment of his unit. Aspects of operations as officer with GHQ Liaison Sqdn in North Africa and Middle East, 8/1941-5/1942: memories of David Stirling; description of Lewis Bomb; character of first operation; recruitment to unit; driving in desert; navigational techniques; maintenance and repair of vehicles; character of operations in desert; clothing worn; health problems; role simulating signals traffic at Jarabub Oasis, Libya; nature of communications; overrunning of Headquarters, 4th Armoured Bde at Sidi Rezegh, Libya; chaotic situation after action; reason for move to Palestine and French Syria, 3/1942; character of work on Turkish frontier; detention for crossing Turkish border; road communications on border.
REEL 4 Continues: political consequences of unit incursion into Turkey; attitude of Vichy French; security situation in Palestine; situation in Middle East. Recollections of operations with Special Air Service in North Africa, 5/1942-10/1942: reasons for joining Special Air Service, 5/1942; base at Kabrit, Egypt; attacks on Axis airfields and communications; organisation of unit jeeps; plan for mass attack Axis airfield; reasons for delayed arrival at target; character of attack; loss of one jeep; Free French contingent; question of fatigue; use of Benzedrine; attitude to operations behind lines at El Alamein, Egypt; memories of David Stirling's style of leadership, General Bernard Montgomery's attitude to David Stirling.
REEL 5 Continues: Axis counter-measures against Special Air Service operations; Hungarian spy assisted by Egyptians; air supply drop in Qattara Depression, Egypt; question of tanks being a liability in planned attack on Benghazi, Libya; lack of security of planned attack on Benghazi, Libya; lack of experience of some recruits; attitude towards Egyptians; maintenance of morale on journey to Kufra Oasis, Libya; running out of petrol; threat from Italian Air Force on withdrawal from Benghazi, Libya. Recollections of period as liaison officer to Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, 10/1942-11/1942: General Bernard Montgomery's method of improving morale on arrival in Cairo, Egypt; Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's insistence on 'thinking time'; General Bernard Montgomery's daily routine; use of massed artillery.
REEL 6 Continues: Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's aim during Battle of El Alamein; effects of air superiority; relations between Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, Air-Vice Marshal Arthur Coningham and Air-Vice Marshal Arthurt Tedder; Air Vice-Marshal Tedder's character; Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's character; question of pressure from Prime Minister Churchill; clashes between Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery and Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden; question of problems using armoured forces in deep mine fields; opinion of Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden; crisis between Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery and Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden; Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden's attempts to avoid contact with Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery; Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden sceptical attitude towards Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's plan.
REEL 7 Continues: Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery's criticism of British lack of preparations and professionalism; significance of Battle of El Alamein. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Camp PG 43, Garessio, Italy, 12/1942-9/1943: Italian use of stool pigeon; prisoner of war mentality in Campo PG 43; information obtained from Italian newspapers; Italian attitudes, 8/9/1943; escape from camp; orders received from British Senior Officer. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd (Armoured) Bn Welsh Guards, Guards Armoured Div in GB, 11/1943-1/1944: impressions of GB, 11/1943; training with unit near Pickering; role and equipment of unit; role and duties. Recollections of operations as liaison officer with Tactical Headquarters, 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 1/1944-1/1945: General Bernard Montgomery's speech to senior officers; importance of morale component; American personnel's attitude towards liaison officers; organisation of Tactical Headquarters; security of headquarters; threat from snipers; landing in Normandy, France, 7/6/1944; choice of Creully for headquarters; reaction to Soviet prisoners of war serving in German Army.
REEL 8 Continues: General Bernard Montgomery's view of Generals Charles de Gaulle and Philippe Leclerc; civilian attitudes in Normandy, France; role and duties in Normandy, France; character of General Bernard Montgomery's operations in Normandy, France; question of objectives of Operation Goodwood; relations between General Bernard Montgomery and American Generals George S Patton and Omar Bradley; question of intelligence before Operation Market Garden; problems of timing during Operation Market Garden; question of potential of German success in the Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944; threat from German infiltrators in United States Army uniforms; response of Air Marshal Arthur Tedder to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery taking control during Ardennes Offensive; wounding when observer aircraft shot down near Grave, Netherlands, 9/1/1945. Aspects of operations as with 2nd Bn Welsh Guards, 1st Guards Bde in Palestine, 1946-1948: rejoining battalion; role of battalion; concentration on illegal immigration duties and anti-insurgent operations; deployment in Palestine; lack of resources; attitude of troops.
