Knowles, Peter Dennis (Oral history)

British fusilier served with 15 Platoon, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 3rd Independent Machine Gun Company in North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Buxton, 1923-1942: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; Air Raid Precautions in Buxton; keenness to get into armed forces. Enlistment and training with Royal Artillery in GB, 1942-1943: call-up at Stranraer, 12/1942; basic training at Ballymena; coping with army training; joining 193 Field Regt, Royal Artillery at Huddersfield; memories of Jimmy Hanson; driving Morris Quads; reasons for disbanding of some Royal Artillery units. Aspects of period with 15 Platoon, 3rd Independent Machine Coy, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 131 Bde, 7th Armoured Div in GB, 1943-1944: reaction to transferring to unit at Hingham; role as range finder; theft from canteen; embarking at Tilbury. Recollections of operations with 15 Platoon, 3rd Independent Machine Coy, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 131 Bde, 7th Armoured Div in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: landing at Arromanches, 7/6/1944; unit canvas at Bayeux; character of fire from Vickers Machine Gun; narrow escape from dropped German Air Force petrol tank. REEL 2 Continues: supporting Canadians near Caen; dealing with wounded Canadian; role driving rations vehicle. Recollections of operations with 15 Platoon, 3rd Independent Machine Coy, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 131 Bde, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: liberation of forced labour camp in Netherlands; discovery of dead German crew of 88mm; character of roads in Arnhem corridor; disappearance of platoon officer; refusing order from platoon sergeant; question of not sheltering in woods during German mortar fire; unit casualties; sight of German jet aircraft on River Elbe; VE Day in Hamburg. Period with Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 7th Armoured Div in Berlin during Occupation of Germany, 1945: reception of civilians in Wedding; use of German women to clean barracks; selling petrol to Germans; guarding private bakery. Reflections of service with 15 Platoon, 3rd Independent Machine Coy, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 131 Bde, 7th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: story of discovery of dead Germans in trenches in Netherlands, 12/1944. REEL 3 Continues: shower facilities in monastery at Sittard, 12/1944; shooting down of German aircraft at Sittard, 1/1/1945; suspected fifth columnist in Eindhoven; problems with French troops in Berlin; his visit to Berlin Opera House; taking fairground horses to Hamburg and arrest by Russians after road accident at Helmstedt; story of how officer's horses received NAAFI ration. Attitude to having served with Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in Second World War.