Interview with Edward Charles Treacher

British marine served with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde and 1st Commando Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1922-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in London, GB, 1939-1942: lack of reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; degree to which Tottenham area was bombed; sleeping arrangements; listening to Prime Minister Winston Churchill and William Joyce 'Lord Haw Haw' radio broadcasts; attitude towards Germans; Reserved Occupation in timber trade at Ware. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Marines in GB, 3/1942-7/1943: reaction to his being diverted from Royal Navy to Royal Marines; arrival at Royal Marine Depot, Lympstone, 10/3/1942; nature of training at Royal Marine Depot, Lympstone; joining E Troop, B Coy, 5th Bn Royal Marines, 101st Royal Marine Bde, Royal Marine Division at Pollokshields, Glasgow; training at Carmarthen; question of role of Royal Marines, 1942; exercising in wet conditions in Black Mountains. Aspects of training as marine with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde in GB, 8/1943-6/1944: formation of commando at Burley, 8/1943; in civilian accommodation at Ayr, 10/1943; march from Spean Bridge to Commando Basic Training Centre, Achnacarry, 26/11/1943; training on Death Slide; memories of instructor Staff Sergeant Stanely Bissell; hand-to-hand combat training. REEL 2 Continues: character of training at Achnacarry; story of landlady's daughter at Ayr; issue of green berets at Hilsea Barracks, Cosham; how unit joined 1st Special Service Bde; house-to-house combat training at Eastbourne; attending No 11 Snipers Course at Gosport; deer stalking course in Scotland; inspection by Lord Lovat; exercise with Home Guard at Newhaven; D-Day briefings in holding camp near Southampton, 5/1944-6/1944; sporting activities pre-D-Day; attitude towards participating in D-Day. Recollections of operations as sniper with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde on Queen Red, Sword Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: crossing English Channel in Landing Craft Infantry 518 (Small) (LCI 518 (S)); run in to Queen Red, Sword Beach. REEL 3 Continues: effect of shell hits on Landing Craft Infantry 518 (Small) (LCI 518 (S)) during landings; situation on Queen Red; re- assembling inland; advance towards Orne bridges; sight of interior of Merville Bty; capture of Merville-Franceville-Plage; sniping at Merville; withdrawal to Amfreville. Recollections of operations as marine with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde in France, 6/1944-9/1944: twenty-four hour rest period at Amfreville, Normandy, France; encounter with Germans; allocation to brigade sniper section with Marine Derek Cakebread; use of camouflage; avoiding naval gun shelling; discovery of dead airborne soldiers; sniping techniques. REEL 4 Continues: attitude towards snipers in rest of unit; sniping techniques; relieving paratroopers at Mesnil; use of listening posts at Le Mesnil; story of comrade who was killed; breakout from Normandy, France, 8/1944; orders to infiltrate German lines at Pont l'Eveque, 8/1944; withdrawal to GB, 9/9/1944; period at Eastney Barracks, Southsea and Bexhill-on-Sea, 9/1944-12/1944. Aspects of operations as marine with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Commando Bde in North West Europe, 1/1945-3/1945: emergency move to Belgium, 1/1945; move to Helmond, Netherlands, 1/1945; crossing River Rhine at Wesel, 23/3/1945; wounds he received from German Panzerfaust, 23/3/1945. Aspects of hospitalisation in GB, 1945: medical evacuation to GB; hospitalisation in GB; refusal to have right arm amputated. REEL 5 Continues: discharge from Royal Marines; regaining use of right arm; attitude to having served with Royal Marines in Second World War.