Description
Object description
British officer served as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 10th Bn Royal Marines in GB, 1942-1943; served with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Glasgow and Perth, GB, 1916-1941: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 1942: call-up for military service, 1/1942; reaction to posting to field ambulance unit, 3/1942; keenness to serve overseas. Aspects of period as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to 10th Bn Royal Marines in GB, 1942-1943: posting to battalion, 9/1942; abortive sailing of HMT Duchess of York from River Clyde, late 1942; question of role of Royal Marines in 1943. Aspects of period as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in GB, 8/1943-6/1944: formation of No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 8/1943; beneficial effects on commando of appointment of new commanding officer C F Philips; reasons for commandos billeting in private houses rather than barracks; criteria of fitness and question of 'abundance of spirit; move from Dorchester to Castle Douglas, 10/1943.
REEL 2 Continues: training at Achnacarry, 12/1943; training at Ardnamurchan, 1/1944; incident with Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) at Weymouth during exercise. Recollections of operations as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde on Gold Beach at Port-en-Bessin in Normandy, D-Day, France, 6/6/1944: task given to commando to capture Port-en-Bessin; how his landing craft was sunk by mine attached to tetrahedron; how unit's landing craft had to sail parallel to beaches; period in sea before he could reach beach; treatment of first casualty on beach.
REEL 3 Continues: problems M4 Sherman Duplex Drive Tanks had getting ashore on Gold Beach; meeting with Brigadier A Stanier on beach; forming up of commando under Paddy Donnell; sight of M4 Sherman Crab Flail Tank blown up on mine; march towards Port-en-Bessin along sunken road; shooting of German Army soldier in sunken road; use of captured German weapons by commando; capture of La Rosiere; problems treating casualties in the field; depositing British casualties with French civilians; capture of German NCO, evening, 6/6/1944; in positions at Point 72, night 6/6/1944. Recollections of operations as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde in Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944: attack on Port-en-Bessin, 7/6/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: work of Germans serving with No 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando at Port-en-Bessin, 7/6/1944; threat of capture by Germans at Port-en-Bessin, 7/6/1944; elimination of two German anti-aircraft ships outside Port-en-Bessin, 7/6/1944; story of capture of German strongpoints east and west of Port-en-Bessin, 7/6/1944-8/6/1944; handling of casualties at regimental aid post in Port-en-Bessin; nature of Hitler's Commando edict; how Royal Marine captured by Germans during attack on western strongpoint led their surrender, 8/6/1944; United States Army Air Force's dropping of medical supplies at Port-en-Bessin, 8/6/1944; move of unit to assist 6th Airborne Div.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of operations as medical officer with Royal Army Medical Corps attached to No 47 (Royal Marine) Commando, 4th Special Service Bde during Operation Infatuate at Walcheren Island, Netherlands, 1/11/1944-3/11/1944: background to need to capture Walcheren Island; unit's allocated task to attack Westkapelle through gap blown in dyke; gathering of unit at Ostend, Belgium prior to attack, 31/10/1944; equipping of commando with Amphibious LVT-4 Buffalo and Weasel vehicles; naval gunfire support, 1/11/1944; role of Royal Navy's T Force, 1/11/1944; problems for landing craft carrying unit to land in right place; crossing of Buffalo he was travelling in from north to south side of the gap in dyke, 1/11/1944; sinking of Weasels, 1/11/1944; landing and advance towards Westkapelle to support 48 (Royal Marine) Commando.
REEL 6 Continues: capture of Zouterlande, 1/11/1944; Q Troops' attack on German Strongpoint Carmen, 2/11/1944; casualties during attack on German Strongpoint Carmen; encounter with shell-shocked German, 2/11/1944; handling wounded comrade, 2/11/1944; night attack on W11 Battery, 2/11/1944; dealing with casualties, night 2/11/1944-3/11/1944; renewed assault on W11 Battery, 3/11/1944; request from German Army medical officer to help with casualties in bunker, 3/11/1944; final battle for last German held positions before Flushing, 3/11/1944; surrender of Germans, 3/11/1944.
