Cooper, Frederick Douglas (Oral history)

British NCO served with 8th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1940-1942; served with 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in North Africa, Italy and North West Europe, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Waterloo, 1919-1939: family; education; employment; pre-war interest in British Army; reaction to declaration of Second World War. Enlistment and training with King's Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1939-1940: his call-up, 15/11/1939; treatment during basic training; character of NCOs; advance training in Chisleden; show business members of unit; drafting to 2nd Queen Victoria Rifles. Period with 8th Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in GB, 1940-1942: reasons for getting rid of unit's motor-cycles; role as Bren gunner in motorcycle sidecar combination; coastal defence at Fifield, summer 140; exercises with 8th Armoured Div in Northampton area, 1941; reaction to not being in action; boredom in Breckland training area and reasons for volunteering for service in Middle East. Aspects of voyage from GB to Egypt via Cape Town aboard Duchess of Bedford, 1942: question of security in South Africa. REEL 2 Continues: ashore in Cape Town and reaction to racial segregation; U-boat threat between South Africa and Egypt. Recollections of operations as NCO with Mortar Section, C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps during Battle of El-Alamein in North Africa, 1942: effect of climate on diet; joining unit at El Alamein; role as 3inch mortarman; question of troop's state of exhaustion during battle; effect of chaplain's addresses; terrain looking westward from El Alamein; state of German POWs; unit's attempt to drive a wedge with tanks into Axis positions; sight of burnt out tanks; effects of German air-bursts on equipment; bayonet charge against Italians at Rahman Track; state of morale; sight of Allied reserves being committed to breakout, 11/1942; action at Kidney Ridge; opinion of German and Italian troops; air activity during battle. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with Mortar Section, C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in North Africa, 1942-1943: discovery of Axis equipment for proposed triumphal march through Cairo; advance through Cyrenaica with 7th Armoured Div; method of avoiding bombs from Junkers Ju 87 Stuka attacks; story of discovering vulgar letter dated 1915 in box of ammunition; advance towards Tripoli area; loss of company commander at Beni Ulid, 1943; state of Tripoli, early 1943; close- quarter combat course; period being cut-off at Medinine; use of mobile YMCA coffee stall; premature announcement that resistance had ceased in Tunisia; memories of action at Enfidaville; relaxation in Tripoli area after 5/1943. Recollections of operations with C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4th Armoured Bde in Italy, 1943-1944: encounter with jellyfish off Palermo, 10/1943; rumour of German stocks of mustard gas in Bari area. REEL 4 Continues: attack on Scirrli; contact with Italian civilians and their method of hiding belongings from Germans; crossing River Sangro to form bridgehead under Major John Hunt; character of attack on Licolli Ridge; his reconnaissance patrol to La Casa Casoni; capture of La Casa Casoni; cutting of line of communication by swollen River Sangro; wounding of Major John Hunt bringing up supplies; reconnaissance patrol from bridgehead on River Sangro; mortaring of reconnaissance patrol; effect of barbed wire on his trousers; threat from German patrol; unit casualties to mines. REEL 5 Continues: period in reserve at Scirrli and relations with civilians, 1/1944; reaction of troops that 4th Armoured Bde was to return to GB for preparations for invasion of North West Europe. Voyage from Italy to GB, 1944. Period as sergeant with C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4th Armoured Bde in GB, 3/1944-6/1944: re-equipping with White Half-tracks; opinion of Thompson and Sten guns; contrast in equipment issued for invasion and that used in North Africa; in holding camp in Southampton area, 6/1944; visit to cinema to watch film 'Stage- Door Canteen' when call came to embark; sense of isolation during embarkation. Recollections of operations as sergeant with C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4th Armoured Bde in Normandy, 6/1944: character of landing in Normandy; lone German aircraft attack on beach; role of unit eliminating pockets of German resistance; reaction to sight of dead and injured farm animals; plight of farmers; role of unit in River Odon-River Orne valley areas; wounding by shell-fire in which fellow soldier was killed Recollections of evacuation and medical treatment in GB, 1944: medical officer's decision to evacuate him to GB; under German nebelwerfer fire at dressing station; story of ambulance journey with wounded soldier and the German soldier sniper who wounded him. REEL 6 Continues: evacuation by DUKW and LST; reception on return to GB; treatment he received in Basingstoke Hospital and Leeds Infirmary; encounter with Lance Corporal Johnny Minns at Strensall Barracks, York; reasons why he turned down training job at depot. Recollections of operations as sergeant with C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4th Armoured Bde in Normandy, 8/1944: return to unit; listening post duties; reaction to sights of Falaise pocket; incident when soldier punched officer for lack of consideration for wounded German POW; conditions in German field hospital; results of use of Sten gun against German POW with grenade; unit casualties caused by German machine gun in belfry. Recollections of operations as sergeant with C Coy, 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps, 4th Armoured Bde in North West Europe, 1944-1945: move to Wessum area near River Maas, 12/1944. REEL 7 Continues: patrolling in snowsuits; effect of winter cold on trip flares; patrolling on River Maas, 24/12/1944; celebrations with Belgian family, 24/12/1944; tactics used during advance into Germany; street fighting in Tilburg; ENSA entertainment in Eindhoven; problems navigating through Reichswald Forest, 2/1945; sense of security in Reichswald Forest; British troop's attitude to property in Germany; story of contact with Belgian Resistance in Antwerp; promotion to sergeant, c3/1945; soldier who admitted to always deserting under-fire; character of his River Rhine crossing; status of his section in the company; action at Helmens Hof; case of battle fatigue. REEL 8 Continues: story relating to using Sten-gun; question of accepting surrender from enemy troops; death of Tom Marshall from leg wound; wounding of German civilians during shelling; volunteering to escort dead body back; his first meeting with Dwin Bramell; sergeant-major's reaction to death of one of his soldiers; effect of lack of sleep in Reichswald Forest area; patrol towards suspected German positions; story of death of soldier who was courting his future wife's sister in Reichswald Forest area; story of soldier saved from wounding by pocket watch; capture of tall German POW. REEL 9 Continues: story of reconnaissance patrol and capture of German civilian; loss of platoon commander Hugh Elgar to German machine-gun fire; unit casualties; his award of Military Medal, 4/1945. Aspects of period as NCO with 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps during Occupation of Germany and in Denmark, 1945: arrival in Burgerdorf area of Hamburg, 5/1945; celebration of VE Day; disappearance of rum jar; dealing with rapist at Burgerdorf; move to Denmark; handling German troops and arrest of SS men. REEL 10 Continues: story of abduction of Danish girl by Germans and resulting mission to return her to her family; accident in which Danish child fatally shot soldier at Colding. Attitude towards Germans. Period as NCO with 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in Libya, 1945-1946: return to Tripoli; Arab-Jewish riots in Tripoli; story of Jewish woman bludgeoned to death with cannonball in Tripoli; character o Tripoli, 1945; leaving army, 2/1946. Attitude to having served in 2nd Bn King's Royal Rifle Corps in Second World War. Question of after effects of service in Second World War.