Interview with Francis Joseph Langfield

1050598374
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80019860&media_id=100847" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
933706877
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80019860&media_id=100848" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>
1389824277
Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
By embedding this audio file you agree to the terms and conditions of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence, including your use of the attribution statement specified by IWM. For this item, that is:

© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Embed

<iframe src="https://www.iwm.org.uk/embed/?id=80019860&media_id=100849" height="430" width="480" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Description

Object description

British civilian with General Post Office in East Barnet and London, GB, 9/1939-1/1941; signaller served with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1/1941-1/1942; NCO served with 106 and 105 Special Wireless Section, Royal Corps of Signals in Middle East, North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in London and Bristol, 1914-1939: family; education; employment with General Post Office, 1930-1939; memories of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as civilian with General Post Office in East Barnet and London, GB, 9/1939-1/1941: German Air Force bombing campaign, 12/1940; German Air Force incendiary bomb hit on home in Gallows Farm Road, East Barnet; belief in ultimate British victory; membership of 22nd (Crouch End) Battalion, City of London (5th General Post Office) Home Guard, 1940; war work he carried out. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Corps of Signals in GB, 1941-1942: reaction to call-up for military training, 1/1941; signals training at Trowbridge; training in interception work; equipment used for interception work. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Britannic from GB to Bombay, India, 1/1942-3/1942: embarking in Glasgow, GB, 1/1942; contrast in conditions for infantrymen and signallers; signal work carried out on board; man lost overboard; diversion of ship from Singapore, Malaya to Bombay, India, 2/1942; arrival in Bombay, India, 3/1942. Recollections of period as operator with Nos 106 and 105 Special Wireless Section, Royal Corps of Signals in Middle East, North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945: problems intercepting Axis radio signals; details of work executed; building switchboard; sense of duty of operators; work he carried out to keep to keep equipment functioning; opinion of United States Army Signals Corps equipment used in Italy; question of obtaining commission; security arrangements; attempts to reduce electrical interference. REEL 3 Continues: occasion when United States Army transport rescued signals lorry in Italy; loss of equipment down hillside, Italy; problems crossing terrain in Italy; attitude towards military life; technical role within unit; unit's responsibility for elimination of German gun battery; monitoring German forces radio signals; importance of keeping equipment in running order; origins of his practical skills; reasons for giving up operating role; attitude to having served with Special Wireless Sections, Royal Corps of Signals.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Langfield, Francis Joseph (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2001-02-08
Dimensions: whole: Duration 85, Number Of Items 3
Catalogue number: 21022

Object associations

Our collections information

We have over 1.7 million object records online, and we are adding to this all the time. Our records are never finished. Sometimes we discover new information that changes what we know about an object, such as who made it or used it. Sometimes we change how an object is interpreted. We sometimes make mistakes in our spelling, transcription or categorisation, or miss information out of our records.

Read more about our collections and the information we hold. Developing our collections information

If you have concerns about the language in this record, or you have information to improve it, please share your feedback.

We receive a lot of comments and can't respond to each one, but we do read them all and will respond where we can.

Interview with Francis Joseph Langfield

Description

Object description

Content description

Object Details

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Associated places

Associated themes

Our collections information

Related content

How Britain Celebrated Christmas During The Second World War