Interview with Denis George Avey

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Description

Object description

British private and NCO served with 1st Bn London Rifle Brigade, 2nd London Bde, 1st London Div in GB, 9/1939-8/1940; NCO served with 2nd Bn Rifle Bde (The Prince Consort's Own), 7th Support Group, 7th Armoured Div in North Africa, 9/1940-11/1941; prisoner of war in Libya, 11/1941-12/1941; survived torpedoing of MV Sebastiano Veniero off Pylos, Greece, 9/12/1941; prisoner of war in Campo PG 65 Gravina-Altamura, Italy and Stalag XX-B, Graudenz, Germany, 1/1942-10/1943; prisoner of war in Arbeitskommando E715, Stalag VIII-B at IG Farbenindustrie AG, Auschwitz III-Monowitz Concentration Camp, Poland, 11/1943-1/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1919-1939: family; life on farm at North Weald Bassett; description of farming methods; education; father's military service with Royal Horse Artillery; villager who fought with International Bdes during Spanish Civil War; degree of awareness of situation in Europe; attending technical college; obtaining apprenticeship with Tate and Lyle Ltd; visit to Germany, 1938; character of German engineer at Tate and Lyle Ltd; recreational activities; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939. Aspects of period as private and NCO with 1st Bn London Rifle Bde, 2nd London Bde, 1st London Div in GB, 9/1939-8/1940: volunteering, 9/1939; pattern of training at Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) Regimental Depot, Winchester. REEL 2 Continues: benefits of familiarity with weapons; field craft training; rations; bayonet training; sight of troops returning from Dunkirk Evacuation, 6/1940 including meeting with childhood friend. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Otranto from GB to Egypt, 8/1940-9/1940: embarkation at Liverpool, GB; conditions on board; arrival at Port Tewfik, Egypt. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2nd Bn Rifle Bde (The Prince Consort's Own), 7th Support Group, 7th Armoured Div in North Africa, 9/1940-11/1941: injections after swimming in Bitter Lakes, Egypt; inspection during guard duties; situation in Western Desert, Egypt; opinion of Italian artillery; conducting inventory on section of Italian Army artillery; adapting to war in desert. REEL 3 Continues: origins of nickname 'Desert Rats'; opinion of General Archibald Wavell; opinion of activities of Italian Air Force; operation to recover disabled tank; description of night patrol in desert; story of participation in reconnaissance patrol that got lost in desert; operation to cut coast road at Agedabia, Libya; number of Italian prisoners of war taken; story of conducting inventory of Italian equipment and spending money found in bar in Benghazi, Libya; coping with lack of water in desert. REEL 4 Continues: patrols to assess Axis strength outside Tobruk, Libya; story of rescuing officer from sea and offer of posting to South Africa; desert sores and rations; hospitalisation for sandfly fever; nature of posting to South Africa; decision to return to unit in Egypt; in action in El Adem, Libya; wounding and capture by Deutsches Afrika Korps troops at Sidi Rezegh, Libya, 11/1941; medical treatment in Deutsches Afrika Korps advanced dressing station prior to embarkation from Benghazi, Libya. Aspects of sinking of MV Sebastiano Veniero off Pylos, Greece, 9/12/1941: torpedoing of MV Sebastiano Veniero and his escape from stricken ship; period spent in the sea avoiding depth charges before managing to reach shore south of Pylos, Greece. REEL 5 Continues: brief stay with Greek farmers during which he recovered from his ordeal; eventual recapture, physical and psychological condition; poor conditions in holding camp, despite novelty of receiving currants as part of ration, prior to transfer to Italy. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 65, Gravina-Altamura, Italy and Stalag XX-B, Graudenz, Germany, 1/1942-10/1943: removal to Campo PG 65 at Gravina-Altamura, Italy; physical condition; move to transit camp on Italian/Austrian border; punishment for not saluting German officer and removal to Stalag XX-B, Graudenz; attitude towards Geneva Convention and Red Cross; short period of allocation mining work at Katowice, Poland; treatment of Soviet prisoners of war. REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Arbeitskommando E715 at IG Farbenindustrie AG, Auschwitz III-Monowitz Concentration Camp, Poland, 11/1943-1/1945: background to journey to camp; duties working for I G Farben; sabotaging work at IG Farbenindustrie AG; gaining information from female Ukrainian forced labourer; treatment of prisoners of war and forced labourers; psychological impact of period in camp; treatment of political prisoners; dismantling and reassembling building under Germans noses; products produced by IG Farbenindustrie AG. REEL 7 Continues: methods of sabotaging work; father's reaction to learning of his imprisonment; obtaining information on situation in Auschwitz II-Birkenau Concentration Camp; receiving Red Cross parcels; story of prisoners of war who smuggled chicken out of IG Farbenindustrie AG; state of health; degree of medical treatment available; degree of organisation of prisoners of war in camp; German use of 'ferrets' planted in camp; German use of British prisoners of war for propaganda purposes, including participation in football matches. REEL 8 Continues: German photographing of prisoner of war football match; witnessing German female guard killing Polish prisoner; United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force's bombing of camp and deaths of prisoners of war, 20/8/1944; story of burial of prisoners of war killed in air raid and how bodies were reburied post-war; contrast between Auschwitz II-Birkenau and Auschwitz III-Monowitz Concentration Camps; question of Australian prisoners of war who worked as stoker in crematorium; question of pay; attitude towards post-war reports on Auschwitz III-Monowitz Concentration Camp; question of compensation; letter written to Prime Minister Tony Blair. REEL 9 Continues: reads Schutzstaffel (SS) edict published in German newspaper; effects of bombing of camp by United States Army Air Force Fifteenth Air Force. Aspects of march away from Arbeitskommando E715, Poland to Germany, 1/1945-4/1945: conditions on march; escape attempts; accommodation on farms; arrival in Regensburg, Germany; escape from column during United States Army Air Force raid at Regensburg, Germany; encounter with United States Army tank commander. Aspects of journey from Germany to GB, 5/1945: flight to Brussels, Belgium; reaction to sight of GB; arrival at family home. Reflections on period as prisoner of war, 1941-1945: inability of him and his father to discuss their prisoner of war experiences; psychological condition; question of lack of interest of authorities in his prisoner of war experiences; reaction to loss of friends in war and abortive decision to emigrate to South Africa; return to civilian employment in engineering. REEL 10 Continues: physical effects of captivity, including loss of eye due to beating received as prisoner of war; receiving war pension; psychological effects of captivity; question of difficulties talking of experiences; memories of grandfather prior to embarkation for overseas service.

Content description

NB: Concerns have been raised over the historical accuracy of certain aspects of this interview, in particular those parts of the testimony concerning Auschwitz. Particular caution and background research is therefore advised. Further information is available on request in a supplementary file (SUP 128).

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Smith, Lyn E (Recorder)
Avey, Denis George (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2001-07-16
Dimensions: whole: Duration 300, Number Of Items 10
Catalogue number: 22065

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Interview with Denis George Avey

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