Nuttall, Sidney (Oral history)

British private served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps attached to 1st Bn Border Regt in GB, France and Belgium, 1939-1941; NCO served with 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Bty, City of London Yeomanry (The Rough Riders), 1st Airborne Div in GB, North Africa and Italy, 1942-1944; served with 20 Liaison, Special Air Service in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Halifax, 1919-1939: family; education; enlistment in Army Supplementary C Reserve. Aspects of period with 14 Army Field Workshop, Royal Army Ordnance Corps in GB and France, 9/1939-1/1940: situation at Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth, 9/1939; posting to unit at Farnborough; move to France as dispatch rider; problems with vehicles in winter weather; duties in Maginot Line during Phoney War; attempt to retrieve vehicle in no-man's land, 1939; hospitalisation with frost-bite at 1 General Hospital at Dieppe; under canvas at Pornichet, 1/1940; attachment to 1st Bn Border Regt. Recollections of operations as mechanic with Royal Army Ordnance Corps attached to 1st Border Regt in France and Belgium, 5/1940: move into Belgium from Douai, 10/5/1940; German Air Force attack on convoy; cutting of line of Communication and orders to forage. REEL 2 Continues: role as company runner with infantry; shooting at Germans on canal near Tournai; effect of surrender of Germans; amusing story relating to Lancashire Fusiliers; retreat to Poperinghe; disabling of vehicles on Dunkirk perimeter; degree of disorder on Bray Dunes; physical condition he was in; enforcement of discipline on beaches; drunkenness and queuing on beaches; shooting down of German dive-bomber over beaches; impressions of guardsmen and French unit; evacuation on board HMS Icarus; arrival in Dover. Recollections of period as NCO with Royal Army Ordnance Corps attached to 1st Bn Border Regt in GB, 1940-1941: re- forming of unit at Crook; character of equipment; invasion scare during coastal defence duties in Northumberland; move to Welwyn Garden City. REEL 3 Continues: memories of German Air Force incendiary raid on London; coastal defence on Norfolk coast; training as mountain troops in Crickhowell area; handling mules in the Brecon Beacons; operating Bren Gun; exercises with Home Guard; move to Barry Port; amusing story of convoy following circular bus in Llanelli area, 1941; converting of his brigade into 1st Airlanding Bde; move to Barton Stacey; toughening up training at Barton Stacey; introduction of bakelite grenade; danger of operating Mark 1 Sten Gun; opinion of later marks of Sten Gun; training injuries he received at Ilfracombe; arrival of early mark of jeep; problems of fitting jeeps into gliders. REEL 4 Continues: character of pilots attached to unit; three types of gliders used; fatal accident during first glider testing; performance of glider in air; death of commanding officer in glider crash at Kiddington; accident in which paratroopers were killed, 1942. Recollections of period as NCO with 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Bty, City of London Yeomanry, (The Rough Riders), 1st Airborne Div in GB and North Africa, 1942-1943: character of unit; loading guns into gliders and question of planning behind there use; problems with gliders towed behind Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle; background to having to face court of enquiry; move to Stiffkey for live firing; voyage from GB to Algeria. REEL 5 Continues: arrival at Oran; morale of US troops encountered in Algeria; characteristic of Waco gliders; lack of navigational training of US pilots; pattern of training in North Africa. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Bty, City of London Yeomanry, (The Rough Riders), 1st Airborne Div during Sicilian landings, 7/1943: plans to capture Syracuse; attachment to Border Regt for operation; character of landing and attempts to rescue jeep; problems of attacking objective; capture of Syracuse; outcome of glider landings; return to North Africa for further operational training. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Airlanding Light Anti- Aircraft Bty, City of London Yeomanry, (The Rough Riders), 1st Airborne Div in Italy, 1943: landings at Taranto, 9/9/1943; sight of Italian Navy on route to Malta to surrender; losses during mining of minesweeper at Taranto; advance northwards from Taranto and surrender of Italian troops. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Bty, City of London Yeomanry, (The Rough Riders), 1st Airborne Div in North Africa and GB, 1943-1944: return to North Africa, late 1943. REEL 6 Continues: conditions on board train in Algeria; train collision in Algeria; in transit camp at Blida; return to GB, 12/1943; move to Skegness; reasons for application to join Special Air Service; move to 1st Airborne Div workshops at Sleaford. Aspects of period as NCO with 20 Liaison Special Air Service in GB, 1944: joining unit at Kilmarnock; use of Vickers K guns and mounting machine guns on jeeps; use of red berets; composition of different units; briefing at Rickmansworth. Recollections of operations with 6th Parachute Bde in Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944: attachment to brigade to operate artillery element of brigade; landing on wrong landing ground; loss of his guns to staff officer; moving Royal Engineers to Troarn. REEL 7 Continues: blowing of bridge at Troarn; role evacuating wounded at Troarn; role setting up position to withstand German counter-attack near Troan; opinion of Non-Combatant Corps; outcome of assaults on Merville Battery; return to GB, 6/1944. Recollections of operations with 20 Liaison, Special Air Service in North West Europe, 1944-1945: character of Operation Barker in Dijon area; aid given by Communists amongst railway workers; landing with jeep in Dijon area; memories of French comrade; advance to Epernay before arrival of US Third Army; policy towards German POWs; dropping in Netherlands during Operation Market Garden; abortive attempt to cross River Rhine near Driel; return to GB; memories of role of Special Air Service during Operation Amherst in Netherlands, 1945. REEL 8 Continues: composition of unit. Aspects of period with 20 Liaison, Special Air Service in France and Belgium 1945: role he had in Nantes and Paris areas after VE Day; hunt for French war criminals; reasons for handing over prisoners to military police in Germany; liaison work in Brussels between British and Belgian Armies; last parachute jump at Waterloo, 10/1945; return to GB for demobilisation. Reflections of service with British Army, 1939-1945: reaction to Sicilian landing; question of fear during operations; length of time special forces are in action in comparison with infantrymen; attitude to having served with different regiments; effects of service; narrow escape from RAF in the Netherlands, 9/1944; attitude towards Germans and Italians; story of receiving US Army card stating that 'This man has been cleared by 1 Mobile Prophylactic Station in Paris. REEL 9 Continues: story of drunken brawl on VJ Day in Paris.