Interview with John Eddy Day

British officer served with 1st Bn Royal Marines and aboard HMS Howe in GB coastal waters and Mediterranean, 1941-1943; served with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde and 1st Commando Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Exeter, GB, 1922-1939: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Marines in GB, 1940-1941: reasons for wanting to join Royal Marines; enlistment at Plymouth, 1/1940; pattern of training, 1940; coastal defence duties with 12th Bn Devonshire Regt at Deal; invasion scare in Plymouth, 9/1940; German Air Force bombing of Portsmouth, 1941; false alarm incident at Hayling Island; training at Royal Marine Depot Lympstone, 4/1941. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn Royal Marines, 101st Royal Marine Bde, Royal Marine Division in GB, 1941-1942: appointment to 1st Bn Royal Marines; expectations of active service operations; joining 1st Guards Bde at Duns; role as motor contact officer at Headquarters, 101st Royal Marine Bde; battalion's role in agricultural assistance in Berwickshire; stories of Evelyn Waugh. Recollections of operations as officer with Royal Marines aboard HMS Howe in GB coastal waters, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, 1942-1943: joining cruiser, 6/1942. REEL 2 Continues: working up at Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands; his role on board ship as after director; role as officer of the guard at Flotta Island, Orkney Islands; attempts to provide entertainment at Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, 1942; story of Royal Marine NCO's act of desecration with member of Women's Royal Naval Service at Scapa Flow, GB; operations in North Atlantic; relations with Captain Charles Woodhouse including story of his firing at high angle instead of low angle; move to Mediterranean to join Force H, 5/1943; patrolling brothels in Oran, French Algeria; rescue of survivors from blown up ammunition ship at Algiers, French Algeria; bombardment work during Operation Husky, Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; problems of swimming off Malta, 1943; mining of HMS Abdiel at Taranto Harbour, Italy, 10/9/1943; escorting Italian Fleet into Alexandria, Egypt, 9/1943. REEL 3 Continues: attitude to not seeing action in 1943. Aspects of training with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde GB, 3/1944-6/1944: method he employed to get into commandos; memories of George Irving; joining commando at Eastbourne, 3/1944; fieldcraft course under Captain Tasker Watkins; character of E Troop; pattern of amphibious training; move into staging camp near Southampton, 24/5/1944; briefing for D-Day operations; story of chaplain who committed suicide on being told he could not accompany the commando. Recollections of operations as officer with E Troop, 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: crossing English Channel; problems of landing on Sword Beach; push Inland. REEL 4 Continues: advance to bridges on River Orne; wounding of NCO during crossing of bridges on River Orne; narrow escape from German fire at Salonelles; sight of gliders evening landing. Recollections of operations as officer with E Troop, No 45 Commando, Royal Marines in Normandy, 7/6/1944-12/6/1944: positions in orchard at Hameau Oger near Merville-Franceville-Plage; casualties from German artillery fire at Salonelles; plan to attack Merville-Franceville-Plage; wounding in arm from mortar explosion at Merville-Franceville-Plage; withdrawal from Merville-Franceville-Plage; volunteers who stayed behind with wounded; occupation of Merville Battery, 8/6/1944; decision to pull out of Merville Battery in face of heavy German opposition. REEL 5 Continues: character of withdrawal back to Le Plein; patrolling in Amfreville/Bréville-les-Monts areas; German counter-attacks; German and French civilian casualties from mortar-fire; plans for him to take command of D Troop due to officer casualties; wounding by aritillery fire, 12/6/1944; initial medical treatment for wounds. Aspects of medical evacuation and treatment and period with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Special Service Bde in GB, 6/1945-1/1945: evacuation to GB c16/12/1944; medical treatment for wounds; return to unit at Petworth. REEL 6 Continues: role as adjutant; plans to send unit to Far East. Recollections of operations commanding B Troop, No 45 (Royal Marine), Commando, 1st Commando Bde in North West Europe, 1945: move to Netherlands, 1/1945; description of troop flag; duties on River Maas at Baarlo, Netherlands; move to Echt, Netherlands; attempt to gain bridgehead over Montfortebeeck Dyke at Linne, Netherlands; effects of cold weather on weapons; firing on Germans Army troops wearing snowsuits; plans to raid over River Maas, Netherlands. REEL 7 Continues: attempts to cross River Maas, Netherlands, 19/2/1945; rescue of wounded man; relief of commando by United States Army troops; operating in area between River Maas, Netherlands and River Rhine, Germany, 2/1945; move to Venray, Netherlands; preparations for crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 23/3/1945; destruction of Wesel, Germany; taking up positions in toilet factory at Wesel, Germany; sight of airborne landings during Operation Varsity; under German artillery fire at Wesel, Germany; move into reserve, 27/3/1945; arrival at Greven, Germany, 1/4/1945; discovery of misreporting by British Broadcasting Corporation that Münster had been captured, Germany, 1/4/1945. REEL 8 Continues: plans to take Osnabrück, Germany; apprehensions at road junction near Osnabrück, Germany, 4/1945; unit posing for fighting-order photograph; character of German opposition along River Weser, Germany; under German Air Force attack on River Weser, Germany, 4/1945; death of Lieutenant Peter Caspar at Leese, Germany, 6/4/1945; advance towards railway embankment on River Weser, Germany; accidental firing on British troops in bridgehead on River Weser, Germany; plans to cross River Aller, Germany, 10/4/1945; use of Vickers Machine Guns at Hademstorf on River Aller, Germany; in action near Hademstorf, Germany; move to Lüneberg for briefing for crossing of River Elbe, Germany, 4/1945; attack by bull. REEL 9 Continues: crossing of River Elbe, Germany, 4/1945; fate of Germans who refused to leave dugouts at Lauenburg, Germany, 4/1945; advance to Baltic Sea, 1/5/1945; in action at Wangelau, Germany, 5/1945; conversation with former Royal Air Force prisoners of war; sight of concentration camp survivors at Neustadt in in Holstein, Germany, 5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with No 45 (Royal Marine) Commando, 1st Commando Bde in Germany, 1945: background to becoming town commandant at Malente; requisitioning of German concert party; dealing with farmer who employed Polish forced labourers during search for Heinrich Himmler, 5/1945; refusal to stop marching German from singing; contracting throat infection and return to GB; post-war service with and reasons for leaving Royal Marines, 1951.