Interview with William Oliver Millard

British NCO served with Headquarters, 127th Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB, France and Belgium, 4/1940-11/1941; served with Headquarters, 42nd Support Group, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 11/1941-6/1942; served with Headquarters, 71st Infantry Bde, 42nd Armoured Div in GB, 6/1942-10/1943; served with Headquarters, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB and Normandy, France, 10/1943-7/1944

REEL 1 Background in Wigan, GB, 1920-1939: family; education; joining 5th Bn Manchester Regt, Territorial Army, 1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as NCO with Intelligence Section, Headquarters Coy, 5th Manchester Regt in GB, 9/1939-4/1940: move to Langley Castle on declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; promotion to lance-corporal and intelligence training; living conditions at Marlborough, winter 1939-1940. Aspects of period with Headquarters, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB and France, 4/1940-5/1940: joining unit at Pewsey, 4/1940; intelligence duties; map-making; relations between officers and men; anticipations of Second World War prior to 1939; prior recollections of Territorial Army service, 1939; reflections on military life; move to France, 4/1940; French dock strike at Cherbourg, France. REEL 2 Continues: contact with civilians at Roncq, France; case of food poisoning. Recollections of period as NCO with 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940: start of German offensive, 10/5/1940; background to Brigadier Jackie Smyth's written memoirs; arresting suspected German spy; question of presence of Fifth Column; German Air Force attack whilst obtaining food supplies; guarding capture German Air Force aircrew; dangerous encounter with French cows; occasion when he slept through German attack; duties as despatch riders; attitude of German prisoners of war; disabling his motorcycle; arrival at Bray-Dunes near Dunkirk, France; construction of pier from military vehicles; evacuation by ship, 31/5/1940. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period with Headquarters, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-11/1941: reception in Oswestry, 1/6/1940; reaction to Dunkirk Evacuation; movement of headquarters, 1940; coastal defence duties in Ipswich area. Recollections of period as NCO with Headquarters, 42nd Support Group, 42nd Armoured Div and Headquarters, 71st Infantry Bde, 42nd Armoured Div and 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB, 11/1941-6/1944: practising armoured tactics; buying battledress from Canadian Army soldier; nature of large scale exercise; move to Shaftsbury; joining 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in Kent, 10/1943; start of German V1 Flying Bomb attacks, 6/1944; move to concentration area at Hayling Island to set up false signal traffic; preparing brigade maps for Normandy at Egham, 5/1944; attempt to refloat landing barge full of petrol at Hayling Island, 6/6/1944. REEL 4 Continues: embarkation at London Docks; week-long period on board ship in Thames Estuary, 6/1944. Aspects of operations with Headquarters, 71st Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Div in Normandy, France, 27/6/1944-4/7/1944: reaction to landing in Normandy, 27/6/1944; digging in on beachhead, 27/6/1944; encounter with French Canadian Army troops, 27/6/1944; intelligence duties; taking over positions from 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div near Cheux; coding system used. Recollections of wounding and medical evacuation to GB, 1944: wounding during mortaring of command post, 4/7/1944; sight of wounded soldier being given blood transfusion; medical treatment in London hospital; further medical treatment and operation; posting to No 24 Machine Gun Training Centre at Chester on recovery. REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 5th (Machine Gun) Bn Manchester Regt, 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB, 1944-1945: joining battalion at Balmoral Castle, 8/1944; duties as Royal Bodyguard to Royal Family, 1944; entertainment provided by Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) and members of the Royal Family; strength of unit at Balmoral Castle; move to Haywards Heath; reasons for applying for commission; attending No 160 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Alton Towers; attitude to potential serving in Far East; move to 24 Machine Gun Training Centre. Reflections of military service, 1939-1945: attitude to leaving British Army; demobilisation at Aston-under-Lyne; memories of VE Day, 8/5/1945; sight of dead sniper's boots in Normandy, France; rations available in France, 1940; question of acquiring souvenirs; degree of religious observance; sight of dead German Army tank crew in Normandy; burial of British dead in Normandy. REEL 6 Continues: attitude towards volunteering; incidents when he was placed on charges by Corps of Military Police; casualties amongst senior officers; relations between Other Ranks and officers at brigade headquarters; attitude towards mines; opinion of Canadian Army troops; degree of contact with United States Army troops; opinion of United States Army troops; opinion of French Army troops, 1940; sight of Italian prisoners of war in GB; opinion of conscientious objectors and black marketers; civilian rations; adjusting to civilian teaching career after military service in Second World War. REEL 7 Continues: wartime communications with family; opinion of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; listening to American Forces Network; pension received for damaged hearing; question of effects of military service; attitude to service in British Army and type of servicemen encountered; incidents of fighting he was involved in and boxing bouts; homosexuality in British Army; relations between NCOs and Other Ranks; military discipline.