Interview with James Campbell

British NCO served with 2nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 227th (Highland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Paisley, GB, 1925-1939: family; education. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, Paisley, 1939-1942: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; employment in ship yard; German Air Force attacks on Paisley and Clydeside. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1942: reasons for signing on as regular soldier, 7/11/1942; basic training at Perth. Aspects of period as NCO with Anti-Tank Platoon, 2nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 227th (Highland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in GB, 1943-1944: joining regiment on Orkney Islands, 1943; role of battalion within 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div; exercises in GB, 1943-1944; atmosphere in Southern England, 4/1944-5/1944; friends he had in platoon; send off for troops in London, 6/1944; sight of German V1 Flying Bombs; reaction of former ship builders to sailing on board Liberty ships. Recollections of operations as NCO with Anti-Tank Platoon, Support Coy, 2nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 227th (Highland) Infantry Bde, 15th Scottish Infantry Div in Normandy, 6/1944- 8/1944: at anchor in Mulberry Harbour during Great Storm, 19/6/1944-20/6/1944; moving ashore; description of Ordnance QF 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun. REEL 2 Continues: introduction of new ammunition; first unit casualty at Cheux, 26/6/1944; condition of Cheux; destruction of first German Army tank in action; method of eliminating machine gun fire; contact with French civilians; under German multi-barrelled mortar fire; key importance of Hill 112; defence of battalion headquarters, 6/1944; surrounding of unit by German forces; wounding by mortar bomb splinters, 30/6/1944. REEL 3 Continues: declining to go to Casualty Clearing Station; nature of German opposition; reinforcements from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; withdrawal after casualties; move to American sector, 8/1944; opinion of 6th Guards Armoured Bde; loss of friend George Martin; loss of supporting tanks; capture of German Army half-track; further casualties; sight of Allied air attack on Caen, 7/1944; sight of carnage in Falaise Gap, 8/1944; crossing River Seine and reception in liberated village, 8/1944. Recollections of operations as NCO with Anti-Tank Platoon, Support Coy, 2nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 227th (Highland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: reception from civilians in Belgium, 9/1944; skirmishing during advance to Netherlands, 9/1944; sight of Allied air armada during Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; role of 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in threating Antwerp, Belgium, 9/1944; battalion casualties on Escaut Canal, Belgium; German forces' stripping of farms of livestock; move to Best, Netherlands; in action at Vliet, Netherlands. REEL 4 Continues: being underneath shower of Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoon cannon shell casings; reception by civilians during capture of Tilburg, Netheralands; taking over United States Army positions; holding positions on River Maas, Netherlands, 10/1944-1/1945; arrival of Lloyd Carriers; clearing action around Nijmegen, Netherlands; attack at Kranenburg in Reichswald Forest, Germany, 2/1945; use of Kangeroo Armoured Personal Carrier; casualties from Allied artillery fire; crossing River Rhine in LVT-4 Buffalo Amphibian; troops' attitude towards use of artificial moonlight; strength of German forces' opposition; sight of air dropping of 6th Airborne Div during Operation Varsity, Germany, 3/1945; camouflaged German airfield at Celle, Germany, 4/1945; sight of German Air Force jet aircraft; surprising of German military police at Celle, Germany, 4/1945; advance through Uelzen and Lüneburg, Germany, 4/1945; description of specialist armour. REEL 5 Continues: sight of Churchill Crocodile Flame Throwing Tanks and Wasp Flame Throwing Carrier; news that his cousin had been killed at Nijmegen, Netherlands; crossing River Elbe, Germany, 4/1945; last minute battalion deaths, 4/1945-5/1945; taking German surrenders; appearance of Soviet Army troops at Trävemunde, Germany. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), 227th (Highland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in Germany, 1945-1946: construction of 'Iron Curtain'; Soviet treatment of German civilians; Polish Displaced Persons' lynching of Germans at Trävemunde; problems in British Zone of Occupation; state of battalion at end of Second World War; sight of bombed state of Cologne; reaction to not having to go to Far East; nature of service with 1st Bn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) in Palestine, 1946. Aspects of operations as NCO with Parachute Regiment in Middle East, 1950-1956: volunteering for Parachute Regiment and service in Korean War; move to Cyprus with 2nd Parachute Regt during Mossadeq Crisis, 1953; injuries he received in road accident in Cyprus; cordon and search operations in Canal Zone, Egypt; return to GB from Canal Zone, Egypt; role as company sergeant-major with 2nd Parachute Regt during Operation Musketeer at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956; attitude to service with British Army, 1942-1965.