McKenzie Johnston, Henry Butler (Oral history)

British officer served with 6th Bn Black Watch in GB, Tunisia, Italy and Greece, 1941-1945

REEL 1 Background in Edinburgh, 1921-1940: family; education. Aspects of period as private with 70th Bn Black Watch and officer training in GB, 1940-1941: enlistment in 70th Bn Black Watch; adjusting to army life; move to OCTU at Perth; NCO treatment of officer cadets; bout of pleurisy and TB; ban on officers and other ranks socialising; absence of rationing on Isle of Man; commissioning, 7/1941. Aspects of period as officer with 6th Bn Black Watch in GB, 1941-1942: posting to unit at Danebury; atmosphere in unit; memories of James Stewart the actor Stewart Grainger; Montgomery's attitude towards 5th Corps training; memories of visit from Queen; forming of battle patrol at Camberley; opinion of Home Guard; move to Stubbs Camp at Hawick; signals course at Catterick; opinion of the jeep. Recollections of operations as signals officer with 6th Bn Black Watch in Tunisia, 1943: voyage from GB to Algiers; attitude to going into action; arrival at Medjis-el-Bab; signals work under Axis shell-fire at Medjis-el-Bab; narrow escape from shell-fire. REEL 2 Continues: confidence that he would survive Second World War; damage to his gramophone records during Junkers Ju87 attack; attack on Sidi Medienne; intelligence gleaned from German radio set; effect on his hearing of mining of tank; pursuit of Germans to Cape Bon; capture of large number of Germans and Italian POWs; role commanding POW camp; how German POWs organised Italian POWs; move to Egypt, 12/1943. Recollections of operations as signals officer with 6th Bn Black Watch in Italy, 1944: arrival in Naples, 3/1944; move into front-line east of Monte Cassino; rations available; sight of eruption of Mount Vesuvius; move to ruins of Cassino; battalion headquarters in crypt under cathedral at Cassino; leave at Sorrento; recall to Cassino; start of attack at Cassino; wounding by Allied shell falling short. REEL 3 Continues: medical treatment at Bari; story of abduction from convalescent camp by second in command of unit; re-joining unit at Foligno as adjutant; reaction to administration work; story of waste of battalion mess funds. Aspects of period as adjutant in Greece, 1944- 1945: arrival at Phaleron Bay, 12/1944; role of unit in Athens; relations with civilians in Greece; garrison role at Janina, 1945; attitude towards ELAS tactics. Attitude towards having served with 6th Bn Black Watch during Second World War.