Howell, Neville Frederick (Oral history)

British NCO served with 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North Africa, 1942-1943; served with 234 Battery, 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Great Yarmouth, GB, 1922-1937: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Artillery in GB, 1937: background to enlistment in army as boy soldier, 18/1/1937; discipline at Royal Artillery Boy's Depot, Woolwich; ditties put to bugle calls. Aspects of period as trumpeter with Royal Artillery in GB, 1938- 1939: posting to field regiment at Nelson Barracks, Norwich, 1/1938; duties; replacing of unit's field guns with searchlights, 1938; operating searchlights; overdose of inoculations, 9/1939; reaction to declarations of Second World War, 9/1939. Aspects of period as trumpeter NCO with 36th Signal Training Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1939-1940: duties at Colchester; preparations for attacking German tanks in case of invasion, 1940; sight of German bombers over Colchester; fire in Nissen huts; sight of 17/21st Lancers training with horses; indiscipline of Australian troops at Colchester. REEL 2 Continues: move of unit to Clitheroe. Aspects of training with anti-tank guns with Royal Artillery in GB, 1940- 1941: posting to Hitchin; dismissal of disciplinary case against him; posting to 73rd Anti-Tank Regt at Godalming; promotion to sergeant, 12/1941; story of his being taken to Scotland Yard to check his rank. Voyage from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 1942: accommodation on board ship; shortage of water on board ship; ashore in Cape Town area; reaction to sight of South African policeman smashing windows of Indian doctor's car; re-fuelling accident at Aden; arrival in Canal Zone. Recollections of operations as NCO with 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North Africa, 1942-1943: 6 Pounder Anti-Tank gun course at Al Maza Camp near Cairo; experiences in Cairo; membership of advance party in desert; abortive action to support Australian infantry in El Alamein area. REEL 3 Continues: occasion when unit vehicles accidentally brought down fire on infantry positions; initial experiences of action on El Alamein line, c7/1942-8/1942; disbandment of 8th Armoured Div and unit becoming corps troops; crash landing of German fighter pilot on coastal road; occupation of Ruweisat Ridge with Gurkha troops; German Junkers JU 87 Stuka attacks and attempts to use machine guns against them; re- equipping with 6 Pounder Anti-Tank guns; narrow escape from German Air Force bombing; role of anti-tank guns; bombardment at El Alamein; sight of Australian corpse; loss of vehicles to mines. REEL 4 Continues: move to edge of Qattara Depression; sight of crew baling out of British medium bomber; problems of passing through El Alamein minefield; blowing up of his portee in minefield; sight of Italian troops' surrendering, 11/1942; advance to Fuka; in action at Wadi Akarit; running out of rations during advance to Tripoli; arrival of New Zealand troops in Mareth Line; luring of German tanks onto anti-tank screen on Mareth Line; character of German infantry attack on Allied lines; method of supporting infantry attacks. REEL 5 Continues: character of Mareth Line defences; Allied casualties during attacks on Mareth Line; sight of German Air Force fighter crashing; end of campaign in North Africa, 1943; glider accident witnessed during Operations Husky, 7/1943. Aspects of operations as NCO with 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in Sicily, 1943: character of landing in Sicily; infantry casualties to German S mines; Allied air attack on Sicilian village; nature of stomach complaint at Messina; firing tracers across Messina Straits. Voyage from Italy to GB via Algeria aboard Franconia, late 1943: conflict between unit and army dock workers in Algiers; arrival in GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 234 Bty, 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1943-1944: move to Felixstowe; story of dropping of charges against him from North African campaign. REEL 6 Continues: posting to 234 Battery; character of M10 tank destroyers; preparations for invasion of Normandy. Recollections of operations as NCO with 234 Bty, 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944: issue of maps and currency aboard landing craft, 4/6/1944; character of Channel crossing; sight of rocket firing landing craft; attempted landing amongst beach obstacles at 7.23am; damage to landing craft from beach obstacles and inability to effect landing; eventual landing at junction of Gold and Juno beaches; narrow escape from German shell; character of POWs; his handling of aged German POW; escape from German armoured car. REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with 234 Bty, 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: role transporting infantry; threat from German snipers; character of M10 tank destroyer; status as corps troops; relations with 43rd Division especially 4th Bn Wiltshire Regiment; question of the performance of some of the infantry who the unit operated with; in action against German anti-tank gun; mortar hit on tank destroyer; capture of German officer; attempt of Germans to draw his fire; unit casualties from mortar fire, c16/6/1944; attempt to recover damaged M10. REEL 8 Continues: character of operations in Normandy; narrow escape from German tank fire; damage to his vehicle in bomb crater; incident when contact was lost with infantry; problems caused by mis-identification of M10s; method of dealing with personal morale of various crew members; supporting infantry of 15th Scottish Division during Operation Epsom; reasons for withdrawal under German small arms fire during Operation Epsom; loss of comrade Ron Barlow to German nerbelwerfer fire during Operation Epsom; knocking out of vehicle and personal morale after action. REEL 9 Continues: burying Sergeant Ron Barlow; trail for deserting his post; mental breakdown of his driver; personal morale; taking over role as M10 driver for attack; German stalking of his tank destroyer; reaction of infantry to late arrival of tank destroyers in Hill 112 area; close support from RAF Hawker Typhoons at Mont Pincon; blocking of bridge by mined tank destroyer at Mont Pincon; advice he gave to his troop commander; fate of Bombardier 'Yocker' Young. REEL 10 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with 234 Bty, 73rd Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 1944-1945: arrival at Vernon; crossing River Seine; reaction of Germans to having their mobile workshop; reception from civilians in Brussels; sight of female collaborators having their heads shaved; sight of Messerschmitt 262; start of advance along Arnhem corridor, 17/9/1944; arrival in Eindhoven, 18/9/1944; sight of airborne forces at Grave; fatal crash landing of Supermarine Spitfire at Molden; shooting down of British aircraft by German fighter; comparatively peaceful period in Molden and Nijmegen; contact with Dutch civilians. REEL 11 Continues: effects of German Air Force attacks on Nijmegen; story of shooting down of German aircraft; contracting tonsillitis and hospitalisation in Eindhoven; re-joining unit; role of unit supporting US and British infantry at Heelen on German- Netherlands border; visit by Montgomery to unit; move to Eindhoven area, 12/1944; hearing news of Ardennes on journey south; taking up positions in Ardennes, 12/1944; weather conditions and accommodation in Ardennes. REEL 12 Continues: slaughter of sheep for rations; contact with Belgian schoolboys who had witnessed US POWs being executed by Germans; accommodation, 23/12/1944-24/12/1944; character of Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944; use of artificial moonlight during Operation Veritable in the Reichswald Forest, 2/1945; capture of German Home Guard unit; attack by German Air Force jets on road to Cleeve; unit casualties in Cleeve area; incident when infantry officer forced his men forward at revolver point near Goch; sight of RAF bomber being shot down. REEL 13 Continues: character of journey to and from rear workshops near Nijmegen; advance towards Kevelar; billeting on poultry farm; firing Bren-gun over heads of German civilians; leave in GB and course in Rhyl, 3/1944; method of returning to unit in Germany; narrow escape from German ambush; mercy killing of wounded dog; liberation of Mercedes car; reaction to killing of stork nesting on battery headquarters; attempt to forage for food; the surrender of Bremen; sight of concentration camp survivors. Recollections of Occupation of Germany, 1945: behaviour of Russian POWs. REEL 14 Continues: capture of Heinrich Himmler; opinion of General Brian Horrocks; reluctance of Russian POWs to return to Russia; loss of M10s; move to steelworks in Brunswick; administrating former labour and POW camps in Wolfenbuttel area; searching for SS POWs; relations with German POWs; disbanding of unit. Story of receiving permission to marry his Dutch girl-friend from Nijmegen, 20/12/1945. Question of not reporting shooting down aircraft and other incidents. Attitude to having served with Royal Artillery during Second World War. Question of psychological effects of military service during Second World War.