Description
Object description
British officer cadet trained with 163 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1940; officer served with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, Cyprus, Iraq, North Africa, Italy and France, 1940-1944; served in GB, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Sydenham, GB, 1913-1940: family; education; time in Officers Training Corps; sports; opinion that might have gone to Sandhurst if father had not died; work with stepfather; work with Woolworth Company in Kneesdon; details of pay; working week; outbreak of war; joining of The Artists' Rifles and posting to Officer Cadet Training Unit; selling of blackout material; reactions to war; process of joining army; reaction of mother to his joining up; sense of duty; medical; details of unit; reason for joining The Artists' Rifles and for not joining earlier. Aspects of period as officer cadet with 163 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1/1940- 5/1940: posted to Shorncliffe; uniform issued; description of barracks; sleeping arrangements; drill parades; NCO instructors; summary of training; weather conditions; training with .303 Lee Enfield.
REEL 2 Continues: field training; length of training; training in leading groups and giving commands; gas precaution training; rations; physical training; details of pay; lectures; background of cadets; summary of time at Shorncliffe; chose to apply for Royal Sussex Regiment and reason for selection; interview with regiment; Royal Sussex Regiment paraphernalia bought; commission gained in King's Shropshire Light Infantry; leave and uniform bought; arrival at Shrewsbury; accommodation in Maltings; crowds of subalterns present; volunteered to go elsewhere; posted to Durham Light Infantry; reactions to Dunkirk; knowledge of Durham Light Infantry. Aspects of period as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 6/1940-3/1942: draft taken to Rugeley; arrival with 6th Battalion; settling in of Scottish reinforcements; morale of battalion; move to Dorset and more on settling in of reinforcements; memories of Victor Yates; organisation of battalion; role of battalion; presence of Montgomery.
REEL 3 Continues: digging of slit trenches; occupation of trenches; Stand To; fear of invasion; air activity; reinforcements; role in battalion; invasion scare; conditions in trenches; training of Home Guard including background of Home Guard and weapon situation; ammunition supply; dummy guns and people in positions; contact with civilians; company officers mess; role following move to Cullompton; type of training; mobilisation of battalion; accommodation including with wife; spread of battalion; command of battalion; false alarm for move abroad; issue of tropical kit; buying of service dress; officers mess in Cullompton; relationship with fellow officers; reactions to posting abroad; comradeship among troops. Aspects of journey from Gourock, GB, to Port Suez, Egypt, aboard the Duchess of Richmond, 5/1941-7/1941: conditions onboard for officers and troops.
REEL 4 Continues: make-up of escort; disappearance of escort; knowledge of destination; stop in Freetown; reception in Durban and relationship with civilians; discomfort from climate; activities of officers during voyage; arrival at Port Suez. Aspects of period in transit through Egypt, 7/1941: first impressions of Egypt; news of danger to Cyprus; description of ship sailed on; boarding of vessel; disembarkation at Famagusta. Aspects of period as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Cyprus, 7/1941-11/1941: journey to salt lake camp; positions taken on airfield; accommodation; role of battalion; climate; contact with civilians; problems with mosquitoes; sick leave for officers in Troodos; rota for visits to Nicosia and leisure activities; cases of VD; relationship with Turkish and Greek civilians; length of time in Cyprus; Battalion Christmas card; journey to Haifa. Aspects of journey from Haifa, Palestine to Northern Iraq, 11/1941: new transport picked up in Haifa; charged with organisation of movement of battalion to Iraq; role in advance guard.
REEL 5 Continues: routine during journey and formation of battalion's movement; route taken through desert; stop at RAF Habbaniyah; accommodation; terrain; problems with civilian thieves; reason for not punishing troops who had had rifles stolen; journey through Baghdad; march on final part of journey. Aspects of period as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Iraq, 11/1941-2/1942: arrival at Esk Kellik; role in Iraq; problems with snow; defensive positions dug; reconnaissance undertaken; contact with civilians; end results of reconnaissance; terrain; methods of relieving boredom and discipline; rank; rations; mail; censorship of mail; journey to Western Desert including redirection from posting in Syria; signs of previous fighting in desert. Aspects of operations as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 2/1942-7/1943: units in Gazala Line; terrain in area including ease of hiding within it.
REEL 6 Continues: role as intelligence officer; proximity to Axis troops and uselessness of rifles and bayonets; aims of intelligence patrols; passing in of information; snipers attached to intelligence section; need for organised patrols into No Man's Land; roles of sergeants in intelligence section; selection for section; capture of prisoners; change of methods in France; contact with Axis troops; description of Gazala Line; patrolling as Axis troops approached; realisation of situation; attack from Axis troops; air activity; role in breakout and story of hitting mine during breakout; reaction to hitting mine; death of truck driver; navigation of column away from Gazala and route taken into Axis minefield; gunfire during breakout; takeover of Lieutenant Wedgewood when he was wounded; journey in ambulance to a boat; description of wounds; stay in hospital; state of battalion on return; adjutant's course attended in Haifa.
REEL 7 Continues: role as adjutant; succession of Major Eardley-Wilmott and rank attained; change in command of battalion; memories of Bill Watson; rejoined battalion in Delta; capture of Colonel Battiscombe; positions taken in Alamein line; movement to Benghazi; Christmas 1943; morale; description of Mareth Line; role in battle; reason for getting involved in fighting; positions taken; story of getting hit by bullet while moving wireless; opinion that should retreat; difficulties controlling events; group with him when lost commanding officer; decision making during battle; fear during battle; reactions following battle; importance of training; panic among troops; letters written to families of officers killed.
REEL 8 Continues: duties of adjutant following a battle; involvement in action at Wadi Akarit; halt at Enfidaville; orders to return to Delta and reasons for posting; training for invasion and fighting in Sicily; leave in Alexandria; reinforcements; writing of orders. Aspects of journey from Egypt to Sicily, 7/1941: embarkation; safety instructions; length of voyage; deterioration of weather; boarding of landing craft; disorganisation of landing; seasickness. Aspects of operations as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Italy, 7/1943- 10/1943: opposition to landing; linking up of battalion; description of Marina d'Avola; reception from civilians; looting; terrain of Sicily; opinion of reason for not seeing booby traps early on; action seen before Primosole Bridge; opposition faced at Primosole Bridge; attacks put in by 8th and 9th Battalions; brigade attack; description of area fought over; crossing of river; actions of carriers; scenes following battle; results of battle.
REEL 9 Continues: nature of fighting at Primosole Bridge; withdrawal following battle and leave rota; mail; importance of mail; following of advance toward Taormina; battalion morale; news of return to GB; reinforcements; time in Taormina; move to reserve position; entertainments in Syracuse; visit from Montgomery; boat returned to GB on; crew of ship; activities during voyage; route taken; train journey from Gourock to Cambridgeshire. Aspects of period as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 10/1943-6/1944: leave in London including air activity; return to spit and polish discipline; camp stayed in; visit from King George VI; settling in of troops to new routine; promotion to Major in charge of C Company; arrival and opinion of Colonel Green; training received at Shudy Camp; length of time in Shudy Camp; training on Norfolk Broads; opinion of C Company; knowledge of role in Europe; reaction to posting; posting in Romsey area; visits to wives in Romsey; invasion training; briefings for invasion; officers talk from Montgomery in Ringwood.
REEL 10 Continues: sealing into Nightingale Wood camp; march to Southampton and boarding of landing craft; weather and delay of invasion; issue of bicycles; role of battalion on landing and reason for bicycle issue; description of landing. Aspects of operations as officer with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 6/1944: scenes on beach; shelling of beach; movement of column inland; POWs taken; absence of opposition; visit to Bayeux; change of clothes for troops; situation during advance; weapons in company; opposition faced in cornfield in Verrières; attempt to reach forward companies and wounds received; death of batman Private Barrett; takeover of David Fenner; evacuation by stretcher bearers; treatment received at advance dressing station; description of assault boat taken to GB on. Aspects of hospitalisation in GB, 1944: description of wounds; stay in Scottish hospital; overcrowding in hospital; leave. Aspects of period as officer in GB from 1944: story of visit to War Office to request his return to battalion.
REEL 11 Continues: reply from War Office; posted to Northern Ireland; role of unit joined; accommodation; posting away from unit when sent to France; posting in training unit; demobilisation; reasons for leaving army; Colonel Green's attempts to keep him in army.
