Interview with Herbert Edward George Wallace

British fireman served with Portsmouth Fire Brigade, Portsmouth, GB, 9/1939-8/1941; served as policeman with Portsmouth City Police in Portsmouth, GB, 8/1941-10/1942; gunner served with E Troop, 383rd Bty, 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Home Forces and 80th Anti-Aircraft Bde in GB, 12/1942-6/1944; NCO served with E Troop, 383rd Bty, 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 80th Anti-Aircraft Bde, I Corps, 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Portsmouth, GB, 1923-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Recollections of period as fireman with Portsmouth Fire Brigade in Portsmouth, GB, 9/1939-8/1941: degree to which war affected him at first; hierarchy in Portsmouth Fire Brigade; pay as police cadet; unification of municipal police, fire brigade and ambulance service; start of German Air Force bombing; water supply problem during German Air Force raid, 10/1/1941; use of Ajax fire-extinguisher, 10/1/1941; firestorm in Commercial Road, 10/1/1941; loss of Fireman Harry Whiteman, 10/1/1941; restrictions placed on movements of firemen; dealing with fires after German Air Force raid, 11/1/1941; success of decoy fires, 12/1/1941; German Air Force use of parachute land mines, 10/3/1941; fatigue experienced by firemen; refusal of London based firemen to enter burning Portsmouth, 10/1/1941. REEL 2 Continues: story of how he persuaded London based firemen to leave Portsdown Hill and go to Gosport, 11/1/1941; role of Auxiliary Fire Service; question of compatibility of fire fighting equipment; machine gun scare; uniform worn; attitude towards damage caused by German Air Force bombing; formation of National Fire Service and his return to beat as policeman. Aspects of period as policeman with Portsmouth City Police in Portsmouth, GB, 8/1941-10/1942: length of daily duties; air raid messages in different colours; work carried out by policemen during German Air Force bombing raids; attitude of Air Raid Precautions wardens to police officer incident officers; question of looting after air raids; level of law and order. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1942: call-up to Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) for basic training at Colchester Garrison, 10/1942; conditions at Hyderabad Barracks, Colchester; 10/1942-11/1942; condition of uniform on issue; adjusting to army discipline; transfer to 232nd Training Regt, Royal Artillery at Arborsfield. REEL 3 Continues: reasons why he didn't get into Royal Marines. Aspects of period as gunner with 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, Home Forces and 80th Anti-Aircraft Bde in GB, 12/1942-6/1944: posting to regiment at Mushroom Farm Camp, Wethersfield, 12/1942; character of unit; covering departure of First Army from Dumbarton, 11/1942; practicing embarking and disembarking off concrete barges at Blandford Forum; air defence role at Southampton and Swanage; move to holding camp at Avebury, 5/1944; NCO's accident demonstrating German Teller Mine; embarking on board landing ship tank at Tilbury, 2/6/1944; anchorage off Spitsand Fort at Portsmouth. Recollections of operations as NCO with E Troop, 383rd Bty, 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 80th Anti-Aircraft Bde, I Corps, 21st Army Group in Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944: character of landings on Mike Green Beach, Juno Beach; opinion of 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun in contrast to German 88mm Gun; under fire from Merville Battery; personal morale on landing; organisation of landings; under fire from French female civilians at Douvres-la-Délivrande; attitude of French civilians in Normandy. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with E Troop, 383rd Bty, 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 80th Anti-Aircraft Bde, I Corps, 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: engaging German 88mm Gun at Le Havre from Honfleur, France; Canadian Army troop's treatment of German prisoners of war in Dieppe, France, 8/1944; use of unit in infantry role at Tillemont, Belgium; use of 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun against German V1 Flying Bombs; contact with United States Army anti-aircraft troops near Antwerp, Belgium; shooting at E-boats at Westkapelle, Netherlands; relations with Dutch civilians; arrest of United States Army troops during Ardennes Offensive at Dinant, Belgium, 12/1944; VE Day at Westkapelle, Netherlands, 8/5/1945; memories of occupation duties in Germany; demobilisation, 12/1945. attitude to having served with 86th (Honourable Artillery Company) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in Second World War.