Lodge, George Kenneth (Oral history)

British private trained with General Service Corps in GB, 1943; served with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 1943-1944; served with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB and North West Europe, 1944; POW in Stalag XII A and Stalag IV B in Germany, 1944-1945; private served with 14th (Holding) Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1945; driver served with Royal Army Service Corps in GB, Greece, Egypt and Palestine, 1945-1947

REEL 1 Background in Pelton, GB, 1925-1943: family; education; work in brickyard; details of pay; outbreak of war; searchlight in Pelton; air raids; reactions to air raids; rationing; contact with troops in Pelton; reaction to armed service. Aspects of period as Durham Light Infantry Cadet, 1941-1943: joining of army as Durham Light Infantry Cadet; uniform; rifles drilled with; training received; organisation; ranks of cadets; officers in charge of unit; mother's reaction to seeing him in uniform; conscription and decision to join army; reasons for wanting to join army; arrival of call-up papers; choice between service in mines or army. Aspects of period as recruit with General Service Corps in GB, 11/1943-12/1943: reception on arrival at Brancepeth; issue of uniform and march to camp; issue of rifle; description of camp; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; hiding of beds; population of huts; heating; duties; morning procedures; making of bed and kit inspections; cleaning of barrack room and equipment; latrines. REEL 2 Continues: cleaning of latrines; settling in to army life; recruits unable to settle into army; horseplay among recruits; army language; supply of meals; story of stacking plates too high; fraternisation with ladies; breakfast; morning activities; lectures; learning of regimental history; visits to NAAFI; lunch; afternoon activities including details of route marches; problems with feet; charge for dropping out of march; pace marched at and primary training period; presence of Duke of Wellington troops; physical training; rifle training; zeroing of rifle; cleaning of rifle; rifle inspection; opinion of Lee Enfield Mark IV; bayonet issued; description of bayonet drill; gas training including joke played on one another; description on updated masks issued; later discarding of gas masks; weapons trained with. REEL 3 Continues: background of recruits; weekend leaves; punishment for late return; delay before first leave; mail; padres and church parades. Aspects of period as private with Durham Light Infantry Depot in GB, 12/1943-3/1944: move into Durham Light Infantry area of camp; naming of squads; issue of cap badge; changes in training; recording of rifle number; pace of route and forced marches; field training; night exercises; training digging slit trenches; camouflage; training with tanks; regimental pride; NCOs at Brancepeth; background of recruits; length of training with regiment; description of assault course at Brancepeth; knowledge of war; talks with instructors who had seen action; posted with transit unit at Leigh- on-Sea; accommodation; troops present; activities during wait for posting. Aspects of period as private with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 3/1944-6/1944: arrival with battalion at Lowestoft; accommodation with A Company; WVS tea and cakes; details of pay; medicals; reception from troops; opinion of Major Galloway; officers and NCOs in company; other reinforcements and memories of Jimmy Hopper. REEL 4 Continues: length of period at Lowestoft; changes to uniform; forage caps issued; significance of black buttons on uniforms; memories of Norfolk Broads and presence of Royal Navy; accommodation; attitude and memories of veteran troops; move to Nightingale Woods; weather during erection of camp; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; wildlife in woods; conditions in camp; improvements during stay and activities of American troops; contact with American troops; invasion schemes; types of landing craft; disembarkation; presence of General Montgomery; drying off upon landing and exercise inland following last invasion scheme; instructions for movement following landing; role with Green Howards on D-Day; plan for D-Day invasion; relationship with American troops; complaints from troops; reactions to approaching action and advice from veterans; guard around camp; censorship of mail; sending of shoes home; refusal of leave and slogans appearing on wagons; attempts of troops to leave camp and punishment; troops' acceptance of situation; opinion of officers; role in first assault; scrambling net training in Southampton harbour; postponement of invasion. Aspects of journey from Southampton, GB, to Arromanches, France, 6/1944: embarkation; last view of English coast; scenes of French coast upon waking; issue of rum ration; start of naval barrage; first troops landing; disembarkation of Green Howards; counter fire from beach; attempts of troops to burst smoke canisters; actions of troops on beach; scenes on water; spring tide; boarding of LCA; problems on journey to shore. Aspects of operations as private with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 6/1944-9/1944: disembarkation and movement up beach; work of Royal Engineers on beach; wait for Durham Light Infantry in a shellhole. REEL 5 Continues: scenes on sea from shellhole; story of sinking jeep and sailor who saved crew; dead sailors in water; scenes on beach; return of wounded from front and first dead soldier seen; reactions to situation; German POW on beach; organisation on beach; briefings before invasion; air activity; German defences seen when tide went out; movement inland when battalion did not show; rations issued for invasion; food eaten on D-Day; reactions to being abroad; contact with civilians; German POWs seen with suitcases; slope of beach; night on beach; arrival of transport for return to unit; reunion with unit; posting on Bayeux to Tilly-sur-Seulles road; story of German staff car shot at; occupants and contents of car; 20mm gun by road and burning of German soldier who had manned it; reactions to cremation; story of motorbikes fired on; story of shots fired through van windscreen and capture of driver by Lieutenant Bell; story of armoured reconnaissance car; news of German army column approaching; attack from German troops; issue and description of sticky bombs; counter fire against German tanks including orders to keep down and sound of passing bullets; cessation of attack and units passing through; period of rest and reasons for not getting sleep beforehand; contact with Colonel Green; German defensive line; reactions to action at fighting that followed; formation of march to Tilly-sur-Seulles; supply of rations; heating of meals; ammunition carried. REEL 6 Continues: advance towards Tilly-sur-Seulles; story of his section coming under fire from Spandaus; activity of mortars; story of withdrawal from scene after cessation of activity; talk with officer; wounded; decision to regroup and attack Germans; attack with tank support; reason for attack at Verrières; supporting units; formation on start line; advance of B Company and description of cornfield; formation of advance; sounds on battlefield and reaction of Spandau fire; movement of advance; advance to village; support from tanks; withdrawal of Germans; sniper fire in Verrières; positions taken; wait for counter attack; reactions and activities following battle and casualties; becoming battle experienced; story of German soldier captured; reactions and motivation during battle; reorganisation of company and composite company formed after Verrières; memories of Major Galloway. REEL 7 Continues: rest following Verrières; picking up of dead from battlefield; reactions to seeing dead friends; burial of dead; reinforcements; activities during rest period; opinions of Major Atkinson and Major Galloway; advance through bocage; opposition faced; terrain in the bocage; activity of snipers; policy of not taking snipers prisoner; reactions to Spandau fire; communications; air and artillery support; tank support; Cheshire Regiment machine gunners; anti-tank weapons; 3" mortar support; reaction to coming under shellfire; signs in troops breaking under strain; story of hearing minenwerfers for first time; opinion of 88 guns; opinion of and lessons learned from German troops; activities during quiet at night. REEL 8 Continues: warnings about booby traps and mines found during advance; memories of battlefields including problems with dead animals; story of digging in and coming under mortar fire; opinion of orders to dig in on top of sunken road; noise and smells on battlefield; advance through and state of Villiers Bocage; action seen at Villiers Bocage and St Pierre-la-Vielle; story of Major Galloway's death; effect on nerves; reactions to shellfire and horrific events; formation of composite company; memories of Major Atkinson; withdrawal of Germans from Normandy; scenes in Falaise Gap; looting of bodies and vehicles including story of fight between sergeants; contact with American troops; reception from French civilians and activities during advance; reception in Brussels; women with shaved heads; relationship with civilians and accommodation. REEL 9 Continues: 8th Battalion crossing of Albert Canal; work of Royal Engineers; German use of air bursts; date canal crossed; work of Roman Catholic padre; description of bridge; German attacks; sleeping arrangements; digging in south of Gheel; fire faced from Germans; attack of a Durham Light Infantry company; start of advance on Gheel; arrival in Gheel with tank support; scenes in town; reception from civilians; cover taken from mortar fire; casualties; flags hung out by civilians; German activity; positions dug on outskirts of Gheel; coffee brought by civilian; approach of German troops and subsequent attack; absence of officers and NCOs; situation; withdrawal to houses after help firing mortars; locked doors in house and capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 9/1944: reactions to capture; initial treatment from Germans; story of German with Luger pistol; treatment from German officer; weapon given and unit captured by; interrogation from German officers; air activity; opinion of treatment; attitude of German troops; capture of company jeep; walk to Turnhout; reactions to situation. REEL 10 Continues: rations and size of group; events to march to Turnhout; sleeping arrangements in castle; latrines; guards; reactions to situation; reasons for not thinking about escape; morale of fellow POWs; breakfast and journey to Holland incliding story of an air raid during a train journey; staff in camp near Arnhem; accommodation; contact with Jewish prisoners; rations; background of other POWs; contact with SS; interrogation and confiscation of personal items by German intelligence officer; scenes over Arnhem; news of airborne landings and warnings not to leave camp; events during march to Utrecht; arrival of SS guards; stories from march through streets of Utrecht; accommodation for following night and disappearance of SS guards; train journey to Limburg an der Lahn including conditions and rations; Arnhem POWs. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag XII A in Germany, 9/1944-10/1944: arrival at Stalag XII A; discarding of helmet; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; delousing; rations and problems with diarrhoea including description of bread; American POWs; latrines including work of Russian POWs; guards in camp; conditions on train journey to new camp; problems with cheese on journey. REEL 11 Continues: entertainment on journey; story of collecting water during night; length of journey; rations. Aspects of period as POW in Stalag IV B, Germany, 10/1944-3/1945: delousing and inoculations; lice in accommodation; move following complaints; meals; distribution and contents of Red Cross parcels; frequency of parcels; discipline among POWs; heating and sleeping arrangements; entertainment; Russian POWs; NCO acting as spokesman; contact with guards; improvements in conditions from Stalag XII A; change in attitude of guards towards end of war; lectures; news from camp radio; policy towards work; work in Amendorf; accommodation; work in water works including pay; air raids; contact with civilians; reveille; problems with cold; description of greatcoat worn; supply of meals; background of fellow POW workers; discussion of escape possibilities; swelling of legs and face; reason and treatment received for swelling; story of air raid while working in Halle; scenes and events on walk through Halle; story of refusal to march to Halle; work on bomb damage; civilian fear of air raids. REEL 12 Continues: German realisation the war was being lost; air raids in Halle; story of upsetting civilians during an air raid; morale among POWs; mail; rations; utensils made; evening activities; relationship among POWs; effect of egg obtained from bartering; sound of artillery fire from retreating German army; rumours; packing of items; column formed for march. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 3/1945: small arms fire heard; story of run from column; cover taken in woods; American shelling of woods; story of freezing to ground during night; battle in nearby village; reconnaissance undertaken by two POWs after battle; night in barn; contact with farmer in morning. Aspects of period as private in Germany and GB, 4/1945-6/1945: contact made with American troops; freed forced labour prisoners ransacking village; reactions to liberation; accommodation; visits into town; plundering of houses; German POWs; journey to aerodrome; story of driver chasing German children; scenes at aerodrome; flight to GB; rations; arrival in GB; delousing. REEL 13 Continues: medical; debriefing; uniform issued; wait to be allowed out of camp; treatment in camp; health on return to GB; welcome on return home; leave including visit to parents of killed friend. Aspects of period as private with 14th (Holding) Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 6/1945-7/1945: posted to Otley; demobilisation number; activities; transfer to Royal Army Service Corps. Aspects of period as driver with Royal Army Service Corps, 7/1945-11/1947: posted to Alfreton; reaction to continuation of service; posting in Greece; situation in Greece; camp outside Athens; duties delivering food to Northern Greece; roads travelled on; vehicles driven; enjoyment of work; reception from civilians; leave; postings in Egypt; posting with airborne division in Palestine; reason for not doing parachute training; opinion of time in Palestine; return to GB; process of demobilisation at Aldershot including civilian clothing issued; leave; gratuity and details of pay during leave; opinion of time in army. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: period of unemployment; most frightening situations faced; best officers served under; chracters among troops; membership of Normandy Veterans Association; visits to battlegrounds.