Interview with Thomas Patrick Neary

British NCO served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944; served with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 158th Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 71st Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: attitude to move to Normandy, 6/1944; reasons for starting to smoke pipe aboard SS Longford during crossing of English Channel, 26/6/1944; disembarkation off Normandy; initial impressions of Normandy beach-head; move through Bény-sur-Mer; move to Grainville-sur-Odon, 2/7/1944; character of 71st Infantry Bde; attack on house suspected to held by Germans; conditions near Hill 112; casualties during German Air Force bombing of unit at Mouen; advance towards Bougy; timing of German artillery fire; effect on stretcher-bearer of German artillery fire at Bougy; attack on Bougy; description of echelon system; twenty four hour period left out of battle with B Echelon; move to Évercy; transfer of battalion from 71st Infantry Bde to 158th Infantry Bde, 8/1944; advance across River Orne; attack on Bois-Halbout, 8/1944; casualties in wireless position. REEL 2 Continues: encounter between A Coy and Germans; capture of Soviet prisoners of war serving with German Army; capture of high ranking German Army officers; move to Noron-l'Abbaye; attack on Miette, 8/1944; capture of German Army officer; rain storm on edge of Falaise. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt, 158th Infantry Bde, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: opinion of Captain R J Hawkins; clash with Captain R J Hawkins over communication problems; attitude of civilians in France; advance to Saint-Pol, France; death of stretcher-bearer Private Walter Eastwood in Northern France, 5/9/1944; advance to Antwerp, Belgium, 9/1944; laying cable to 1st (Machine Gun) Bn Manchester Regt positions at Antwerp, Belgium. REEL 3 Continues: clash with Captain R J Hawkins; move to Lommel area, Belgium; night crossing of Escaut Canal, Belgium; attack on German positions and capture of prisoners of war; question of personal morale; attack on Bladel, Netherlands, 9/1944; advance towards Eindhoven, Netherlands; accidental attack on unit by Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoons; description of attack on s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 10/1944; equipment carried by signallers; ambush on German vehicles and horse drawn artillery near s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 10/1944; casualties during street fighting in s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, 10/1944; German artillery shelling of signal platoon; narrow escape from German patrol on canal in River Maas area, Netherlands. REEL 4 Continues: walking through minefield; crossing Wessum-Nederweert Canal; problems encountered during line laying on River Maas, Netherlands, 11/1944; taking over signals office; clash with Captain R J Hawkins; visit by General Miles Dempsey; return to Belgium, 12/1944; move to Ardennes, Belgium; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944; accommodation in hotel and hunting lodge; move to Hotton, Belgium, 2/1/1944; start of snowing and engagement with German Army troops in forest; winter conditions; German Army mortaring of battalion; wounding in head by artillery fire; evacuation to regimental aid post. REEL 5 Continues: casualties at battalion headquarters in Ardennes, Belgium; treatment for head wound in Brussels, Belgium; recuperation and period in holding camp at Bourg Leopold, Belgium; rejoining unit at Helmond, Netherlands; move to Nijmegen after action in Reichswald Forest, Germany; leave in GB, 2/1944; return to battalion prior to attack on Goch, Germany; linking up with Ninth Army, United States Army; capture of Geldern, Germany prior to period in reserve; posting to B Coy; crossing of River Rhine, Germany; in action against German armour in Rhine bridgehead, Germany; battalion casualties at Bocholt, Germany; crossing Ems-Weser Canal, Germany. REEL 6 Continues: sight of German burnt by flame-throwers; capture of German Army officer on Ems-Weser Canal, Germany; boat accident during crossing of River Aller, Germany; narrow escape from German artillery fire; battalion casualties after crossing of River Rhine, Germany; capture of German village and acquisition of wine, 4/1945; advance to Rottenburg am Neckar, Germany; sight of high ranking German Army officers moving through British lines, 5/1945; advance into Hamburg, Germany; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period with 1st Bn East Lancashire Regt in Germany, 1945: communication duties in Oberhausen. REEL 7 Continues: amusing story of communication at Oberhausen; posting to 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers) in Palestine, 1945-1946; demobilisation process, 3/1946; return to civilian life, 1946.