Description
Object description
Australian NCO served with 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 24th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div in Australia, Middle East and North Africa, 7/1940-7/1942; prisoner of war aboard MV Nino Bixio during voyage from Libya to Greece, Campo PG 75, Bari and Campo PG 57, Grupignano, Italy and Stalag XVIII-A/Z, Spittal an der Drau, Austria, 8/1942-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Melbourne, Canterbury and Clairemont, Perth, GB, 1922-1939: family origins; father's military service in First World War; family; education; employment; degree of knowledge of political events in Europe; membership as Boy Scouts and Australian Army Cadets; story of enlistment with Citizen Military Forces; growing anticipation of war in Europe, 1938; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of enlistment and training as NCO with Citizen Military Forces and 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 24th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 9/1939-12/1940: enlistment in Australian Imperial Force, 12/1939; introduction of conscription; reaction to sight of troops moving to GB.
REEL 2 Continues: family and patriotic ties to GB; attitude to war during Phoney War period, 9/1939-5/1940; pledge signed on enlistment with Australian Imperial Force, 12/1939; payment; promotion; method of dealing with recruits complaints; question of aims of military training; personal motivation; nature of training; formation of 9th Australian Infantry Div; attitude to overseas service; opinion of officers; attitude of family to his military service; train journey to Fremantle, 1/1941. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Aquitania and HMT Nieuw Zeeland from Australia to Egypt via Ceylon,1/1941: attitude to embarkation at Fremantle.
REEL 3 Continues: initial reaction to being on board HMT Aquitania; question of attitude towards role as sergeant; accommodation on board HMT Aquitania; morale on troops; degree of knowledge of destination; daily routine; ashore in Ceylon and change of troopship to HMT Nieuw Zeeland; amusing story of escorting commanding officer around ship; Australian soldier's characteristics in comparison to German soldier; question of attitude to arrival in war zone. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 24th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Middle East, 1/1941-3/1941: arrival in Egypt; move to Palestine; contrast between Arab and Jewish communities in Palestine, 1941; visit to Jerusalem, Palestine.
REEL 4 Continues: attitude of Jews and Arabs towards Australian troops and each other; issue of equipment and training in Palestine. Recollections of operations as NCO with 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 24th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force during Siege of Tobruk, Libya, 4/1941-9/1941: move to Tobruk, 26/3/1941; equipment available to defend Tobruk; sight of retreating troops moving through Tobruk; nature of positions; problems of sand storms; shortages of water; character of rations available; initial attacks on positions by Axis forces, 4/1941; patrolling on Tobruk Perimeter; incident with Deutsches Afrika Korps despatch rider.
REEL 5 Continues: initial reaction to being in action and subsequent reactions; reaction to death of comrades; question of married men having to go to war; attitude to life threatening situations; reconnaissance patrolling outside Tobruk Perimeter; attitude towards patrolling; question of luck during incidents which occurred during reconnaissance patrols; narrow escape from Axis artillery fire; story of patrol in which Captain Johnston was wounded and Italian prisoner of war captured; question of attitude of guards to their prisoners of war.
REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Italian Army and Deutsches Afrika Korps troops; question of behaviour of different nationalities in action, as prisoners of war and as prisoner of war guards; morale in Tobruk during siege; problems of defecating; birthday spent in front line, 10/6/1941; unloading stores in harbour; swimming in harbour; effects of drinking alcohol; casualties caused by accidental discharge of Bren Gun; attitude towards accidental wounding and deaths; Axis bombing of hospital and evacuation from Tobruk with wounds.
REEL 7 Continues: method of taking cover from German Air Force Junkers Ju87 Stuka dive-bomber attacks; importance of contact with home; frequency of mail during Siege of Tobruk; attitude to leaving Tobruk. Aspects of hospitalisation in Egypt, 1941: conditions in 66th British General Hospital; visit to Egyptian night club; transfer to Australian hospital; impressions of General Thomas Blamey; question of confidence in high command; leave in Alexandria; encounter with Egyptians; reaction to lack of relief during period in Tobruk, Libya; visit to Museum of Hygiene in Cairo; question of behaviour of Australian troops. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 24th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div Australian Army in Middle East, 1942: move to French Syria; opinion of South African troops who surrendered Tobruk, 6/1942; problems with tapeworms.
REEL 8 Continues: threat of Germans taking over Middle East; nature of training in French Syria; visit to Syrian family; hospitalisation for tapeworms; story of journey from Lebanon to Egypt to rejoin battalion after hospitalisation, 7/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with B Coy, 2/28th Australian Infantry Bn, 4th Australian Infantry Bde, 9th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Egypt, 1942: in action at Ruin Ridge, 27/7/1942; advance with 50th Royal Tank Regt; loss of platoon commander and Corporal Bruce Hill, 22/7/1942; taking over 10 Platoon; situation on El Alamein Line, 7/1942; reaction to returning to battalion; plan for attack on Ruin Ridge, 28/7/1942; execution of attack on Ruin Ridge, 28/7/1942; responsibility as company sergeant-major; dealing with German prisoners of war; loss of supporting vehicles and anti-tank guns.
REEL 9 Continues: German counter-attacks on Ruin Ridge; situation on Ruin Ridge, 28/7/1942; wounding of adjutant, Captain James Allen; actions on capture by Deutsches Afrika Korps armoured unit. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in North Africa, 7/1942-9/1942: death of Captain James Allen at Ruin Ridge, 27/7/1942; reaction to becoming prisoner of war; move to transit camp at El Dabaa, Egypt; distribution of water in camp; wounding by anti-aircraft shrapnel; reaction to arrival in Tobruk, Libya; transfer into Italian captivity at Benghazi, Libya; prisoners of war fighting over rations; embarkation on Italian ship at Benghazi, Libya; question of escape in North Africa; relations with guards; role as warrant officer when a prisoner of war; importance of bodily and psychological health as prisoner of war.
REEL 10 Continues: question of understanding rights as prisoner of war under Geneva Convention. Aspects of period as prisoner of war aboard MV Nino Bixio in Mediterranean, 7/1942 including torpedoing by submarine HMS Turbulent, 17/8/1942: precautions he took to ensure prisoners of war could escape from hold; effect of torpedo hit on hold; panic amongst Italian abandoning ship; behaviour of the ship's captain; casualties during torpedoing of the ship; dealing with dead bodies; night on board ship after torpedoing; rations available; disembarking at Pylos, Greece; identification of dead; question of deaths by friendly fire in wartime; behaviour of Italian Army guards in Greece. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 75, Bari and Campo PG 57, Grupignano in Italy, 8/1942-9/1943: behaviour of Italian civilians towards prisoner of war in Brindisi; conditions in transit camp Campo PG 75 Bari, 9/1942.
REEL 11 Continues: move by train to to Campo PG 57, Grupignano; character of camp; mass escape from camp, 10/1942; character of solitary confinement; dealing with boredom; attitude of Italian camp commandant towards prisoners of war; frequency of Red Cross parcels; items confiscated by Italian Army guards during search; camp rations; method of supplementing rations; relations between prisoners of war and Italian Army guards; change in attitude of Italian Army guards after British victory during Battle of El Alamein including night-time checks; degree of security about escape; degree of mixing amongst different prisoner of war nationalities.
REEL 12 Continues: dealing with incident of homosexuality in camp; question of how thoughts of sex change in length of captivity; story of obtaining Canadian beer in desert; infrastructure in camp; use of hidden radio; reaction of prisoners of war and Italian camp commandant to capitulation of Italy, 1943; reaction to Germans taking over of camp; march to railway station; German measures to stop prisoners of war escaping from train; impressions of train journey to Austria; escapees from train. Recollections of period as prisoner of war Stalag XVIII-A/Z, Spittal an der Drau in Austria, 10/1943-5/1945: arrival in Austria; literature read during captivity; interest in religion; question of importance of experiences during captivity; question of NCOs working.
REEL 13 Continues: escape preparations; discussions with fellow prisoners of war; focus of his reading in camp; opinion of Soviet prisoners of war; rations available; use of Italian dixies; method of dealing out rations; attitude of guards; distribution of Red Cross parcels; amusing encounter with German sergeant-major; dealing with low periods in personal morale; communication with home; effects of worsening diet; Australian sergeant-major's price for collecting Red Cross parcel; sight of Allied aircraft.
REEL 14 Continues: change in attitude of prisoners of war during winter 1944-1945; obtaining fuel for hut; ablution facilities; atmosphere in hut; question of escape from camp; Christmas entertainment, 25/12/1944; effect of concert parties; change in conditions as war progressed; relations with fellow NCOs and their method of dealing with sexual feelings. Aspects of liberation of Stalag XVIII-A/Z, Spittal an der Drau, Austria, 5/1945: dealing with guards after end of Second World War, 5/1945; raiding German food store; reaction to watching German forces driving past camp; acquiring car; relations between ex-prisoners of war and Austrian civilians; arrival of United States Army troops and concentration of ex-prisoners of war in former camp.
REEL 15 Continues: relations with Austrian civilians. Recollections of journey from Austria to Australia via GB, 5/1945-8/1945: overnight accommodation near airfield at Salzburg, Austria, 5/1945 airfield; reaction to leaving Austria; flight from Salzburg, Austria to Brussels, Belgium; effects of sunken stomach; arrival in GB and move to Eastbourne; meeting with relative in Sevenoaks; travels in Scotland; question of self-esteem; reaction to potential posting to Pacific; voyage aboard HMT Mauritania from GB to Australia, 7/1945-8/1945 including leave in Hawaii and duties raiding brothel in Wellington, New Zealand; reception in Sydney Harbour, 8/1945; two day period in Sydney, Australia; travelling across Australia by train; homecoming in Perth, Australia, VJ Day, 15/8/1945; demobilisation, 10/1945.
REEL 16 Continues: Post-war life and employment: question of the perceived priorities of civilian life; rejoining family business, 28/10/1945; telling story of patrol at Tobruk, Libya, 1941 during lecture on voyage from GB to Australia; effect on war on businesses in Australia; importance of military service; question of adjusting to civilian life; question of the bonds that exist between ex-servicemen.
