Description
Object description
British private and NCO served with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, Belgium, France, Egypt and Iraq, 9/1939-1/1943; NCO served with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 2/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Godstone and Sevenoaks, GB, 1919-1939: family; sporting activities; effects of father's military service; employment. Recollections of period as signaller and clerk with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in GB, 1938-1940: reasons for joining Territorial Army, 1938; anticipation of coming war; reasons for joining Signal Section; becoming quartermaster's clerk; mobilisation, 9/1939; initial role as gas and air sentry at Royal Tunbridge Wells; character of territorials; accommodation; duties as quartermaster's clerk; lack of experience of drill; inspecting billets; move from Royal Tunbridge Wells to Axminster; cancellation of training exercise, winter 1939-1940; move to France 4/1940.
REEL 2 Continues: Recollections of operations as NCO with 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: move to Oudenaarde, Belgium, 5/1940; encounter with suspected Fifth Columnists; encounter with German troops during withdrawal from Oudenaarde, Belgium; destruction of vehicles; German Air Force attacks during retreat to Dunkirk, France; arrival on beaches at Dunkirk, France; narrow escape from German artillery fire; atmosphere on beach; embarking on board destroyer HMS Ivanhoe; weather and rations available on beach; physical condition on boarding HMS Ivanhoe; arrival in Dover, GB; attempt to contact family during train journey from Dover, GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 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: move to Southampton; reaction to being back in GB; move to Hall Green.
REEL 3 Continues: reforming of unit at Hall Green; move to Gainsborough area; story of meeting his future wife; relations between troops and civilians in Gainsborough area; battalion transport; social life in Gainsborough; move to Deal; promotion to colour sergeant; daily routine at Deal; character of the battalion; move to Kingswood; marriage by special license. Aspect of voyage aboard HMT Laconia from GB to Egypt, 5/1942-7/1942: embaration at Liverpool, GB; accommodation on board for NCOs and other ranks; lecturing duties; importance of fitness; disembarking at Port Tewfik, Egypt, 7/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 132nd Infantry Bde, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Div in Egypt and Iraq, 7/1942-1/1943: problems of navigating in desert; precautions taken against sun.
REEL 4 Continues: role of B Echelon; character of the desert; attacks from German Air Force; cooking rations; character of rations; availability of cigarettes; water supply; contrast between desert and jungle sores; problems with flies; ablutions in desert; tidying up of positions; unit casualties in action at Bare Ridge, Egypt, 10/1942; alcohol ration; role of battalion as follow up troops after Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942-11/1942; distance troops able to march in desert; sight of Axis prisoners of war.
REEL 5 Continues: journey from Egypt to Iraq; impressions of Baghdad, Iraq; amusing encounter with Iraqi. Aspects of period as NCO with B Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Arakan, Burma, 2/1943-3/1944: embarkation procedure for voyage from Iraq to India; role of trooping officer; conditions on board ship; arrival in Chittagong, India; reaction to change in terrain in Arakan, Burma; introduction of mules to unit. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div at Kohima, India, 4/1944-5/1944: move to Dimapur, 3/1944; move from Dimapur to Kohima, 4/1944; move into Kohima; taking up positions above the District Commissioners Bungalow; Imperial Japanese Army shelling of battalion positions; finding supply depot on FSD Hill; obtaining water supplies; role collecting supplies from store depot; under sniper fire; deployment of unit; opinion of artillery support recieved; air supply drops; water rationing; narrow escape from Imperial Japanese Army artillery fire.
REEL 6 Continues: relief from 2nd Infantry Div, 18/4/1944; state of battalion morale; thoughts on leaving Kohima; reception on return to Dimapur; fate of wounded at Kohima; degree of casualties in Headquarters Coy. Aspects of operations as NCO with B Coy, 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt, 161st Indian Infantry Bde, 5th Indian Infantry Div in India and Burma, 6/1944-8/1945: uniforms worn; duties in columns moving into Burma; importance of getting weight right on mules; injuries he received from bucking mule; rations; treating water supplies; precautions taken against malaria; health problems; finding dead in Imperial Japanese Army hospital; encounter with flying ants; killing of Imperial Japanese Army troops in basha; arrival in Rangoon, Burma; review from General Montagu Stopford; reaction to end of Second World War, 15/8/1945; attitude towards Japanese.
REEL 7 Continues: monsoon conditions; precautions against scrub typhus; climate in Burma; leaving Burma, 11/1945; attitude to having served with 4th Bn Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regt in Second World War.
