Description
Object description
British officer served with 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoured Div in French Algeria and Italy, 1/1943-4/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as civilian in Spalding, GB, 1921-1941: family; education; anticipation of coming war, 1938-1939; employment in family business; political views on Italy; interest in military history; formation of Spalding Local Defence Volunteers, 6/1940-7/1940; guard duties with 2nd Holland (Spalding) Bn, Lincolnshire Home Guard; importance of security; tactical importance of rivers in eastern counties. Aspects of enlistment and training as trooper with 54th Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps at Tidworth Camp, GB, 2/1941-9/1941: swearing oath at Grantham; reporting for basic training at Tidworth; issue of uniform; character of officers and NCOs; adjusting to army life; preparations for barrack room inspections; opinion of rations and use of White Hart Hotel at Andover; character of training and instruction; royal visit; physical training.
REEL 2 Continues: inoculations; army boxing; daily routine; role of potential officer cadets after passing out parade; attending command board. Aspects of period as trooper with Inns of Court Regiment, 9th Armoured Div in GB, 9/1941-6/1942: formation of squadron as part of 9th Armoured Div at Raunds; character of unit and it's equipment; wireless training; hazards of driving armoured cars on exercise; characteristics of Humber Armoured Car; maintenance of armoured cars including attending manufacturers course in Birmingham; character of billets; memories of troop officers; discipline in unit; training conducted by officers and role of troop sergeant.
REEL 3 Continues: character of large scale exercises; feeding arrangements and visits home; issue of No 19 Wireless Set; range of effective signals; question of quality of training with unit; issue of smoking in action and open turrets; question of development of combat wisdom; move to Wimpole Hall; attending pre-OCTU course at Blackdown. Aspects of period as officer cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 8/1942-1/1943: incident which occurred during drill; intakes; syllabus of training; occasion when his tank threw a track in disused quarry during exercise; discovering of theft of money and outcome.
REEL 4 Continues: conversation with Brigadier Harold Prior-Palmer about Derbyshire Yeomanry; reasons for choosing Derbyshire Yeomanry; adapting from armoured cars to tanks; opinion of the Crusader Tank; level of tactical training at Sandhurst; pattern of training; regimental selection board; brief period with Northamptonshire Yeomanry; reception on arrival at regiment; exercise with unit; accommodation at Ogbourne St George. Aspects of voyage from GB to French Algeria, 12/1942: boat drill; conditions for other ranks on board ship. Aspects of period on draft in French Algeria, 1943: role as baggage officer; initial impressions of French Algeria; move by train to Maison Carrée; loss of NCOs on route.
REEL 5 Continues: Recollections of period as officer with 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoued Div in Tunisia and Algeria, 1943-1944: joining unit at Tally-ho Corner on Goubellat Plain; condition of vehicles; return to Corps Delivery Squadron; organisation of squadron; question of dispute of which unit was first to entered Tunis, Tunisia, 5/1943; pattern of training; character of squadron officers; role of Captain Leslie; relations with French civilians; battlefield tour; visit to United States Army camp; in tented accommodation; start of conversion from armoured cars to tanks.
REEL 6 Continues: role as rear link officer with squadron headquarters; role of headquarters squadron; decision to convert armoured car regiments to armoured reconnaissance regiments; use of modified M3 Stuart Tank; tactics used on contact with opposing forces; contrast in using American 75mm Gun and British Ordnance QF 2 Pounder Gun; training with 75mm Gun; armament of modified M3 Stuart Tank; importance of having good drivers; posting to A Sqdn; participation in divisional exercise Light Blue, 2/1944; transfer from 4 Troop to 2 Troop; relations with troop sergeant in 4 Troop; reception of new officers in unit.
REEL 7 Continues: character of troop sergeant in 2 Troop; role of troop sergeant; crew selection; case of battle fatigue; unit morale on leaving French Algeria, 3/1944; unit discipline; degree of awareness of general war situation. Aspects of period as officer commanding of 2 Troop, A Sqdn, 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoured Div in Italy, 1944: nature of sea crossing from French Algeria to Italy, 3/1944; impressions of Naples and the state of it's populace, 3/1944; setting up camp on approaches to Monte Cassino; weather conditions at camp; troop training and preparations for action; relations with Italian civilians; skill and technical expertise of unit members.
REEL 8 Continues: tanks confined to roads south of Rome. Recollections of operations commanding of 2 Troop, A Sqdn, 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoured Div in Monte Cassino area, Italy, 4/1944-5/1944: view of terrain from Monte Trocchio; impressions of General Harold Alexander; terrain around Monte Cassino; nature of terrain in Liri Valley; advance to and crossing River Rapido; reconnaissance role during first day of offensive against Gustav Line; terrain and sight of dead British Indian Army troops; reconnaissance patrol on foot; unit casualties during attack on German strongpoint; rate of advance early in offensive; harbouring at night; elements of regimental group; commanding officer's behaviour under artillery fire.
REEL 9 Continues: distance between troops; visit to French Canadian regimental headquarters on third day of battle; capture of German prisoners of war; advance to Aquino; character of Adolf Hitler Line; sight of Germans during foot reconnaissance of Aquino; frequency of reports to squadron; German rapid reinforcement of Aquino and length of time taken to capture town; interview with Major-General Charles Keightley and award of decoration; question of priority given to his reconnaissance report about Aquino; lack of artillery fire support at Aquino.
REEL 10 Continues: effect of lack of training in all arms tactics; conduct of troop 'O' groups; degree of sleep available; sleeping arrangements; activities during periods in reserve; reliability of M3 Stuart and M4 Sherman Tanks; incident when M3 Stuart Tank broke down in action. Recollections of operations as commanding of 2 Troop, A Sqdn, 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoured Div in Italy, 6/1944-4/1944: character of advance after fall of Gustav Line; use of mountain road; friend wounded in encounter with German tank; conditions on mountain road; rate of movement; Royal Engineers method of dealing with blown bridges; lack of German defences in mountains; increase in German defensive activity north of Monte Rotundo; scale and effect of German delaying tactics; loss of bedding to artillery fire.
REEL 11 Continues: terrain on approach to Arezzo; dealing with German delaying tactics; role of unit providing flank guard, reconnaissance and screening; crossing River Arno at ford and loss of tank track to German box mine, 21/7/1944; German forces' tactics in Pratomagno area; discovery of case of mutilation of Italian civilian by German forces; question of value of intelligence gained from Italian civilians; encounter with German Army motorcyclist; narrow escape from German anti-tank fire across River Arno; German demolitions cleared during night; daily rate of advance; threat from booby-traps and mines; tank recovery system.
REEL 12 Continues: reserve of armoured vehicles; initial sight of Florence; meeting with patrol with 10th Indian Infantry Div; opinion of British Indian Army troops' reconnaissance skills; use of voice codes for wireless transmissions; method of giving and receiving daily orders; troop 'O' group; use of tactical signs; organisation of logistic support in harbours; sleeping arrangements; character of periods in reserve; sleep and performance; incident of food poisoning at Perugia; problems with flies; reaction to news of D-Day and not being allowed to enter Rome, 6/6/1944.
REEL 13 Continues: accidental attack by aircraft on column; move to foothills of Apennine Mountains; change in weather conditions; limited scope for armoured reconnaissance in poor weather conditions, autumn 1944; withdrawal to Florence for winter quarters, 10/1944; attending troop leaders' course; postal arrangements; role of unit acting as infantry; personal weapons; attitude of troops to performing infantry role and acting as stretcher-bearers; reaction to having to report to Pesaro, 3/1945; regime at Pesaro; character of training in Lombardy; limitation of tanks in Italy.
REEL 14 Continues: story of recovering M3 Stuart Tank under fire; question of effects of fear increasing with operational experience; increase in cautiousness towards war's end; lack of psychological casualties; character of regular soldiers in unit; start of Eighth Army offensive, 4/1945; reasons for his being held in reserve; slow advance due to terrain; bombardment prior to start of operation; rapid advance to Udine; character of victory celebrations, 5/1945. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry, 6th Armoued Div in Austria, 1945: reasons for entering Austria rapidly; state of Italian refugees; deployment in Austria; night in tank surrounded by Yugoslav Partisans; impressions of Slovene minority.
REEL 15 Continues: rest and recreation; exchanging tanks for M8 Greyhound Light Armoured Car; role patrolling around River Drava; ethnic groups who had served with German Army in area; withdrawal of Yugoslav Partisans; occupation duties north of Klagenfurt; shortage of food amongst Austrian civilians in Klagenfurt; fraternisation ban not very effective; degree of information available about demobilisation; reorganisation of unit for service in Middle East; integration of officers and men into unit; tour of Italy; signing on for an extra six months military service; appointment as second in command of headquarters squadron and regimental sports officer. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry in Egypt and Libya, 1945-1946: move to Quassassin; impressions of GB when on leave.
REEL 16 Continues: role of unit in Egypt; situation in Egypt; move to Cyrenaica; taking command of A Sqdn; rapid turnover of personnel in unit; move to Tripolitania; deployment of unit; accommodation in old Italian barracks; visits to police stations, local civilians and caves; proposed role during civil unrest. Aspects of demobilisation and return to civilian life in GB, 1946: demobilisation leave, 2/1946; reasons for leaving British Army; readjusting to civilian life; value of military service.
