Interview with George Edward Vaughan

British private served with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 9/1939-6/1942; served with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in GB, French Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece and Austria, 6/1942-7/1945

REEL 1 Background in Southampton and Lambeth, London, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; apprenticeship at Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd, 1934-1939; reasons for joining 5/7th Bn Hampshire Regt in Territorial Army. Aspects of period as private with 5th Bn Hampshire, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div in GB, 9/1939-6/1942: guard duties in Southampton area; shooting down of German Air Force aircraft at Royston; decoy system near Royston; training Home Guard at Wanstead Flats; opinion of Home Guard; opinion of Polish and French allies; creeping artillery barrage training on South Downs, 1942; coastal defence work in Birchington-on-Sea/Margate area. Recollections of operations as private with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in French Algeria and Tunisia, 1/1943-5/1943: voyage from GB to French Algeria, 1/1943; role driving anti-aircraft vehicle; transfer to Bone, French Algeria; move to front line at Beja, Tunisia, 2/1943; German forces' attack at Hampshire Farm, Tunisia, 26/2/1943; reasons for attracting German Air Force attacks at Hampshire Farm, Tunisia, 2/1943. REEL 2 Continues: reaction to sight of German forces' casualties at Pichon, Tunisia, 4/1943; question of out-gunning of unit at Hampshire Farm, Tunisia, 2/1943; commanding officer's reaction to villagers robbing battalion dead at Sidi Nsir, Tunisia; defiance of Axis forces trapped at Cape Bon, Tunisia, 5/1943; later training for invasion of Italy. Recollections of operations as private with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in Italy, 9/1943-12/1944: nature of landings at Salerno, 9/1943; period at Calabritto, winter 1943-1944; problems of terrain; attitude of Italian civilians to Allied troops; attack on Monte Ornito; fighting for White Cross Hill at Salerno; withdrawal to Haifa, Palestine, 3/1944-6/1944; return to Italy for crossing of River Garigliano; advance to Udine; frequency of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) rations; attitude towards Germans and other Allied troops. Aspects of period as private as private with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in Austria, 5/1945-7/1945: behaviour of Soviet Army and Yugoslav Partisans; atmosphere during soccer match against Yugoslav Partisans; Yugoslav plundering of Austrian homes. REEL 3 Continues: guarding Displaced Persons being returned to Soviet Union. Aspects of period as private with 5th Bn Royal Hampshire Regt, 128th (Hampshire) Infantry Bde, 46th (North Midland) Infantry Div in Greece, 1/1945-4/1945: duties in Sparta area; reaction to Greek political feeling; opinion of armed Communist supporters in Athens; attitude of civilians to British Army troops; reception received on return to GB, 1945; attitude to having served with 5th Bn Hampshire Regt in Second World War; attitude towards rank.