Loffman, Phil (Oral history)

Australian private served with 2/28th Bn Australian Imperial Forces in North Africa, 1941-1942; POW in Italy and Germany, 1942-1945

REEL 1 Background in Perth, 1920-1939: family; father's military service in First World War; membership of Son's of Soldiers League; membership of military cadets; nature of community prior to Second World War; personal motivation towards enlistment; reading copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf; degree of knowledge of events in Europe. Aspects of period as driver in militia, 1939-1940: job as driver; opinion of equipment; attitude towards declaration of Second World War and enlistment; character of national spirit; process of enlistment into Australian Army at Northam Camp. Aspects of period with 2/28th Bn Australian Army, 1940-1941: method of joining up; attitude towards pay; age of volunteers; character of recruits. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of voyage from Australia to Egypt aboard, 1/1941-3/1941: travelling up the Suez Canal; sight of Italian POW Camps and opinion of Italian troops; speed of convoy; attitude to leaving Australia; conditions on board Acquitainia; lack of knowledge of destination; transfer to Nieuw Zeeland in Columbo; hygiene lectures and recreation on board ship; opinion of Suez Canal. Aspects of period as corporal with 2/28th Bn Australian Army in Middle East, 1941: reception on arrival in Palestine; leave in Jerusalem; impressions of Middle East; wish to get into action; attitude towards Italians; lack of political debate amongst troops; training; conditions in camp in Palestine. REEL 3 Continues: question of sorting out level of command not in training but in action. Recollections of operations as corporal with 2/28th Bn Australian Army in Tobruk, 1941: story of Rommel's attitude towards Australian POWs; effect of sand storm on weapons; sight of retreating Allied troops; defensive positions and equipment including opinion of Boyes anti-tank rifle; character of the 'Bush Artillery'; naval supply of Tobruk; unloading ships in Tobruk harbour; description of port of Tobruk; use of concrete bunkers and psychological problem of leaving bunkers; defensive positions; patrolling; use of mines; resting in daytime; water shortages; rations available; state of health; leave in Cairo after leaving Tobruk; lack of mail in Tobruk; state of morale after six months. REEL 4 Continues: organisation of patrols; problems of firing Bren gun from hip; reaction to being fired at and causalities; degree of isolation in positions at Tobruk; impression of Rommel; question of age of commanding officer; Australian troops' motivation; period out of front-line; lack of air support; morale during siege; importance of patrolling; leaving Tobruk by destroyer; diet during siege. Aspects of period as private with 2/28th Bn Australian Army in Middle East, 1941-1942: move to Tripoli in Syria; shooting of Arab labourer whilst stealing equipment. REEL 5 Continues: contrast between training in Western Desert and Syria; conditions in Syria; question of degree of threat from Germans in Syria; reaction to Japan's entry into Second World War; opinion of Axis troops; attitude on return to Western Desert; need to disguise brown boots. Recollections of operations as private with 2/28th Bn Australian Army in Western Desert, 1942: attitude of retreating South Africans; description of being under fire from German 88mm guns; digging in at El Alamein; arrival of 50th Royal Tank Regt, 7/1942; opinion of 50th Royal Tank Regt in facing 88mm guns; panic in Cairo and attitude of Egyptians towards Allies; German defensive minefields at El Alamein, 1942; attacks on Ruin Ridge; loss of platoon commander during attempt to retrieve lost map case; advice he gave to new platoon commander; soldier who managed to get back from attack at Ruin Ridge. REEL 6 Continues: barrage prior to El Alamein; reasons for not taking POWs; initial night time attack on Ruin Ridge; loss of supporting vehicles and artillery to German counter barrage; opinion of British armour and tank crews; loss of unit's anti-tank guns. Aspects of period as POW in North Africa, 1942: circumstances of capture; loss of platoon officer and NCOs; reaction to loss of comrades; loss of camera to German soldier; contrast in treatment between German and Italian captors; move to Benghazi; rations available. Aspects of voyage from Libya to Italy, 1942: conditions on board ship; torpedoing of ship carrying POWs. REEL 7 Continues: fate of POWs on torpedoed ship; degree of knowledge of destination; reaction to becoming POW; conditions in hold of ship. Recollections of period as POW in Italy, 1942-1943: condition on arrival in Brindisi; reception from Italian civilians; move to Bari; clearing lice from clothing; move to POW camp near Trieste; mass escape of POWs; emphasis on escaping; character of POW camp; membership of working party in rice fields; collapse of Italian regime, 7/1943; attempt to escape to Switzerland and recapture on border; need to travel in small groups; relations with Italian civilians during escape attempt; method of travelling; attitude of German troops towards Italian civilians; recapture by Caribineri; opinion of Italian partisans. REEL 8 Continues: story of murder of comrade captured with partisans; role of partisans; reasons for leaving Italian farm; degree of security in partisan unit; partisan weapons; shooting up of German convoy; crossing rivers; border defences; handing over to German Army; German collection of Italian forced labourers. Recollections of period as POW in Germany, 1943-1945: move to Moosburg POW Camp; story of capture by German Army; obtaining clothing in stores; initial allocation to Russian compound; move to US Air Force compound. REEL 9 Continues: attitude to period in solitary confinement; impressions of German POW camp guards; German treatment of Russian POWs; degree of knowledge of Geneva Convention; rations available and importance of Red Cross parcels; listening to stories from US airmen; opinion of US boots; move to Lansdorf POW Camp; use of toilet block; condition of POWs captured at Dunkirk; character of camp; accommodation; attitude to being confined in large camp; reasons for lack of escapes in Germany in comparison with Italy; attitude to being placed on working party; character of work camp. REEL 10 Continues: character of accommodation in work camp; effect of Allied bombing; daily routine; self inflicted wounds to get off work party; threat from unexploded bombs; state of morale; character of German guards; question of payment; destruction of accommodation, 25/12/1944; character of work and camp's production; reasons for leaving camp, 4/1945; question of sabotaging German war effort; behaviour of Hitler Youth guarding POWs. REEL 11 Continues: character of air raid shelters; method of moving cement; obtaining role as diesel engineer; work as diesel engineer; character of US air raids; treatment of Allied airman by German guard; under Allied bombing; hearing the bombing of Dresden; character of German guards; treatment by SS guard in brickworks; treatment of German civilian prisoners. REEL 12 Continues: working conditions in winter; coping with winter conditions; industrial activity in area surrounding camp; leaving camp, 4/1945. Aspects of liberation in Germany, 1945: arrival of Russian troops, 4/1945; reception by Russian troops; joining Russian horse drawn transport; acquiring German vehicle; heading west to American lines; arrival in American lines; transfer to Belgium; delousing process; flight to GB; reception in Eastbourne; social life in GB, 1945; memories of VE Day, 5/1945. REEL 13 Continues: Reflections on period as POW and return to Australia, 1942-1945: attitude towards Germans troops and civilians; question of Germans not wanting to taken by the Russians; memories of VJ Day in Perth; state of German cities; voyage from GB to Australia on board Stirling Castle; reception in Sydney; train journey from Sydney to Perth; reaction to return to Australia; adjusting to civilian life; return to employment; joining Returned Serviceman's League; ambitions on return to civilian life; increase in use of cars during war; use for back pay; reasons for rejoining Citizen's Military Force, 1948. REEL 14 Continues: role with Citizen's Military Force and opinion of 17 Pounder; training cadets with Citizen's Military Force; role as president of 2/28th Association; question of role of army in peacetime; question of changing face of remembrance; need for preparation for future wars; role in establishing War Museum of Western Australia.