Robbins, Derek Ivan Mathie "Dim" (Oral history)

British officer officer served with 5th Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1941-1944; commanded C Coy, 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt in North West Europe, 1944; served as town major at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, 1945; served with 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt in Cyprus, 1956-1958; served with Ministry of Defence in Oman, 1976-1979 [Reels 6 & 7 have restricted access]

REEL 1 Background in India and GB, 1918-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War in India, 9/1939. Memories of attitudes of officers to new officers in 1st Bn Wiltshire Regt at Catterick Camp and contrast with India, late 1930s. Recollections of period as captain with B Coy, 5th Bn Wiltshire Regt in GB, 1941-1944: return to GB, 3/1941; posting to unit in Kent; attitude of Montgomery towards slacking officers; German shelling of unit at Grand Shaft Barracks at Dover; German Air Force attack on his train near Folkstone, 1942; German Air Force attack on square in Dover; character of soldiers in battalion, 1942-1944; training in Kent; period at battle school in Deal; his knowledge of superior German weapons; degree of fitness in unit, 1944; unsuccessful attempt to join Parachute Regt. REEL 2 Continues: period as instructor at Alton Towers; background to his transfer to 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt at Rye, 4/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt, 43rd Div in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: move from GB to Normandy; relieving Scottish unit at St Meuvieux, 6/1944; attitude of French civilians towards Allies; commanding reconnaissance patrol towards Caen and Carpiquet Airfield; attempt to capture Hill 112; performance of unit at Hill 112; sight of Operation Goodwood from Hill 112; his role as adjutant in command post during action at Maltot. REEL 3 Continues: his new job commanding C Coy after Battle of Maltot; advance of unit with 13/18th Hussars towards Mont Pincon, 4/8/1944; importance of Mont Pincon; loss of tank support and orders to attack Mont Pincon; action on Mont Pincon and company casualties; wounding in hand after Battle of Mont Pincon; liberation of Gevernay and Claude Monet's house, 8/1944. Recollections of operations commanding C Coy, 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945: role of unit during Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; advance towards Elst,9/1944; finding German clothes at Elst, 9/1944; wounding by German Panzer Grenadier officer disguised as Red Cross worker, c7/10/1944-8/10/1944; subsequent trial of officer as war criminal, 1945; fate of US Army unit which took over from unit; impressions of US Army in Aachen area, 11/1944; wounding by German airburst, 30/11/1944. Recollections of period as town major of Bergen-Belsen in Germany, 1945: impressions made on British troops by condition of inmates of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. REEL 5 Continues: role as town major; protection of German civilians from Displaced Persons; reaction to learning his lamp shades made from human skin; impressions of Jozef Kramer and Irma Grese; demands made by female SS guards; conduct of court martials he served on; organisation of firing squad and how the firing squad all deliberately missed. Story of how officers in 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regt petitioned to have their commanding officer removed from his command, c1946. REEL 6 [incomplete until 2005]