Description
Object description
British sick bay attendant served with Royal Navy Landing Party 1500 at Arromanches, Normandy, France, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1921-1941: social circumstances; education and sporting activities; Boys Brigade activities and first aid training; hip injury; work as apprentice wood machinist at Swan Hunter Shipyard; first aid training with St John's Ambulance Brigade; increased warship construction on approach of war; air raid alarm on outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; failed attempt top join Merchant Navy due to reserved occupation status; effects of war on Swan Hunter Shipyard including repairs to ships, working patterns, union cooperation and question of introduction of unskilled and women workers; duties with first aid party of Air Raid Precaution Unit including effects of German air raids and treating 'casualties' in exercises; blackout precautions; minimal effect of food rationing; end of apprenticeship, 1941; removal of protected status and consequent call up, ca 10/1941.
REEL 2 Continues: call up and medical; assignment as Royal Navy sick berth attendant. Recollections of basic training at Royal Navy Training Camp, Pwehelli, ca 11/1941-1/1942: kitting out and uniform; chalet accommodation; lashing up hammock; food rations and messing system; rum ration; morning divisions; drill; rowing whalers; guard duty; swimming and submarine escape test; relationship with recruits and instructors; kit inspections; recreations; route marches.
REEL 3 Recollections of training and work as sick berth attendant at Haslar Hospital, Gosport and Portsmouth Barracks, ca 1942-1943: hammock space; exercises in diagnosis and treatment of patients; use of Thomas stretcher to move patients; role as nursing orderly in wards and operating theatre; medical lectures and manual; sulphur based drugs to fight infection; hygiene; periods working on wards and in sick bay Portsmouth Prison; treatment of VD; execution of officer for treason. Recollections of training with Royal Naval Landing Party 1500 at Portsmouth and Hadley, London, ca 1/1944-6/1944: composition and role of unit; assisting in establishment of sick bays in camps; move into billets at HMS Corbar Shore Station, Hadley Wood; issue of khaki uniform; scabies; mental health problems.
REEL 4 Continues: rumours; train journey to Portsmouth. Recollections of voyage aboard HMS Adventure to Gold Beach, Arromanches, Normandy, France, 5/1944-6/6/1944: embarkation; role as anti-aircraft cruiser; crossing English Channel; view of landings and supporting naval bombardment; landing and kit carried, 18.00, 6/6/1944; situation. Recollections of period as part of sick bay at Arromanches, 6/1944-12/1944: move onto sea front and establishing first aid post in house; medical kit and use of morphia; sleeping accommodation in house; nature of wounds and injuries treated; first aid role and use of crayon notes to record shell dressings, tourniquets and stitches; question of water supply; use of morphia; storage of blood transfusion supplies; question of effects of shock; evacuating wounded by lorry to for embarkation; predominance of walking wounded cases and general causes of injuries; role of Royal Marines guarding village perimeter; role of seamen transporting Mulberry Harbour concrete breakwaters, cassons and floating roadway; storm damage to harbour installations.
REEL 5 Continues: role of sick bay offering minor medical treatment; arrival of Royal Army Medical Corps hospitals; use of ambulance to take serious cases to hospital; activities of pro-German French snipers; treatment of French female collaborators; treatment of French civilians tortured by Germans; apple waste in road ditches; French estaminet; methods employed in role collecting and identifying copses from sea and delivery for burial; checking and identifying corpses in burnt out tanks and aircraft; story of detaching corpse in sea from suspected booby trap; retrieval of German corpse from destroyed one man submarine; daily routine; operation of blood bank; view of monitor firing on Caen; treating injuries from ships; period as temporary sick bay attendant aboard HMS Hazelmere; aspects of conditions of service.
REEL 6 Continues: question of development and self treatment of pains caused by pleurisy; reduction in importance of Mulberry Harbour after capture of ports; return to Portsmouth, 12/1944. Diagnosis of tuberculosis during routine medical X-Ray at Portsmouth Barracks, 12/1944. Period in Haslar Royal Naval Hospital, 1945: fresh air treatment; discharge from navy. Period in sanatorium in Newcastle upon Tyne, 1945: success of treatment; effects of pleurisy. Post-war career: marriage and move to High Barnet, London; work as furniture wood machinist; question of effects of war service; membership of Normandy Veterans Assoc and British Legion.