Description
Object description
British private served with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, France, Belgium, North Africa and Iraq, 10/1939-1/1943; served with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 1/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Grafty Green and Lenham, GB, 1918-1939: family; education; sporting activities; apprenticeship as carpenter; employment in building trade in Maidstone; character of building work on Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone; relations between civilians and troops in Maidstone, 1930s; building air raid shelters. Aspects of enlistment and training as militiaman with Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regimental Depot at Invicta Park Barracks, Maidstone, GB, 7/1939-9/1939: medical and call-up to militia; reception at depot, 7/1939; weighing of recruits; reaction to drilling and rifle training; route marches; relations between militiamen; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; reaction of militiamen to being placed in regular army, 9/1939. Aspects of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 10/1939-3/1940: joining platoon at Axminster; importance of company orders.
REEL 2 Continues: problems in accommodation in brush factory at Axminister; cancellation of scheme, winter 1939-1940; supplementing rations; nature of rations; reaction to gas training; training with Bren Gun; grenade training; weather conditions, winter 1939-1940. Recollections of operations with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 4/1940-5/1940: voyage from GB to France, 4/1940; reaction to posting to France; incident when Private Peter Horton attempted to avoid posting to France; move into Belgium, 5/1940; firing at German troops from positions at Oudenaarde, Belgium; character of withdrawal from Oudenaarde, Belgium; orders to make way to Dunkirk, France; arrival on beaches at Dunkirk, France, 29/5/1940; evacuation by ship, 30/5/1940; German Air Force attacks on beaches at Dunkirk, France, 29/5/1940-30/5/1940. Aspects of period with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-5/1942: loss of rifle at Margate; re-equipping in Oxford area; coastal defence duties at New Romney, summer 1940; utilising carpentry skills at New Romney; anticipation of German invasion.
REEL 3 Continues: strike over rations in Royal Cavalry Barracks, Canterbury. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Laconia from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 5/1942-7/1942: embarkation at Liverpool, GB; rations on board; ashore in Cape Town, South Africa. Recollections of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in North Africa and Iraq, 7/1942-1/1943: arrival at Port Tewfik, Egypt; accommodation and water supply; problems with flies and weevils; clothing worn; move into front line near El Alamein, Egypt; role salvaging equipment after Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 11/1942; move to Iraq, 1/1943; problem of theft in Baghdad, Iraq. Aspects of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infanty Div in India, 1943: move to India; initial impressions of India; jungle training; duties.
REEL 4 Continues: accommodation; problems with ants and snakes; leave in Calcutta; issue of cigarettes. Aspects of operations as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in Arakan, Burma, 12/1943-3/1944: advance into Arakan, 12/1943; character of villages; Imperial Japanese Army attacks on positions; death of comrade Lance Corporal Johnny Gilbert; Imperial Japanese Army defensive positions; tactics used against Imperial Japanese Army positions; nature of advance; threats to health; role of pioneers in constructing crosses. Recollections of operations as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infanty Div at Kohima, India, 4/1944-5/1944: journey from Arakan to Kohima; danger of road from Dimapur to Kohima; debussing at Kohima and move into positions on Garrison Hill; platoon weapons.
REEL 5 Continues: deployment of battalion; role of Pioneer Platoon; sight of Imperial Japanese Army infiltration; obtaining water supplies; construction of command post and medical post; problems of air supply drops landing in Imperial Japanese Army lines; rations available; loss of vegetation as siege continued; direction of Imperial Japanese Army attacks; relieving rifle companies; nature of Imperial Japanese Army attacks; reaction to Imperial Japanese Army attacks; markings for air supply drops; technique for dropping water; role of Naga hill people; supporting artillery fire.
REEL 6 Continues: lack of platoon casualties; evacuation of wounded; gradual Imperial Japanese Army encroachment on unit positions; behaviour of non-combatants; physical appearance; relief by 2nd Infantry Div; unit casualties; degree of knowledge of situation; reaction to withdrawal from Kohima; work on Brigadier Dermot Warren's caravan on arrival at Dimapur. Aspects of operations as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infanty Div in India and Burma, 6/1944-8/1945: move thorough Imphal via Kohima; unit morale; advance through monsoon; contracting malaria on Tiddim Road and evacuation to India, 1944; story of working on the Kohima Memorial Cross; attitude to having served with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt in Second World War.
