Description
Object description
British trooper served with Sherwood Rangers in GB, Palestine, North Africa and Sicily, 1939-1943; NCO served with Sherwood Rangers in North West Europe, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Balderton, 1919-1939: family; education; joining Territorial Army, 1936; training with Nottinghamshire Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 1936-1939. Aspects of period with Sherwood Rangers in GB, 1939-1940: mobilization, 9/1939; move to Malton; arrival of unit's horses and rejection of those unfit; character of his horse Dolly; move to Brocklesby Park. Recollections of period as trooper with Sherwood Rangers in Palestine, 1940: character of journey across France on route to Palestine, 1/1940; handling of horses during voyage aboard Rejula across Mediterranean; arrival in Haifa; occupying camp at Latrun, 15/2/1940; relations with Arabs' Governors present to unit; reasons for stampede of horses at Kharker; films shows; cavalry sweeps and problems of mounting a charge of four hundred horses; bathing horses in sea at Caesarea; reaction to loss of unit's horses; dispersing Jewish riot in Tel Aviv.
REEL 2 Continues: relations with Jews in Palestine; attitude to training as motorised infantry. Recollections of operations as trooper with Sherwood Rangers in Tobruk, 1941: problems of getting to Tobruk by sea; installing guns round harbour; role spotting Axis mines; return to Mersa Matruh aboard HMAS Vendetta. Recollections of operations as trooper with Sherwood Rangers in North Africa, 1942: move to Western Desert after training in Palestine; withdrawal to Siwa Line; reforming with Crusaders at Katatba; in action as wireless operator at Alam Halfa; marking of tracks at El Alamein, 10/1942; sight of German 88mm guns in action; effect of numerous hits on German Panzer Four observation tank; knocking out of his Crusader tank on second day of Battle of El Alamein; memories of Sam Garrett.
REEL 3 Continues: story of attack on Axis lorry convoy and capture of four hundred Italians at El Alamein, 11/1942; reaction to breakthrough on El Alamein line; destruction of Italian M40 tank and Sam Garrett's compassion for wounded Italian tankman; memories of Keith Douglas; damage to tank during Battle of Wadi Zem Zem; apprehension prior to moving up to battle; forming up at Medenine; in action on Mareth Line; charge at El Hama.
REEL 4 Continues: air support at El Hama; role of New Zealand infantry on tanks at El Hama; wound received by Sergeant McCann at Enfidaville; return to GB via Sicily. Aspects of period as trooper with Sherwood Rangers in GB, 1943-1944: preparations for D- Day at Chippenham Camp, near Newmarket including waterproofing; training for beach landings at Hayling Island; embarking at Southampton. Recollections of operations as corporal with Sherwood Rangers in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: landing on Gold Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; role as tank commander; advance towards Bayeux; Colonel S D Christopherson's use of horse to communicate with Essex Yeomanry; liberation of Bayeux, 7/6/1944; in action at Point 103; unit casualties, 9/6/1944; John Semken's knocking out of German Tiger tank; method of supporting infantry attacks at Rourai; infantryman's method of dealing with SS wounded at Rourai.
REEL 5 Continues: narrow escape from German machine gun fire; reasons for unit's success against Tiger tanks; role taking 6 Pounder anti-tank gun up slopes of Mount Pincon; sight of knocked out Tiger tank at Mount Pincon; devestation in Falaise Gap; problems crossing River Seine. Recollections of operations as corporal with Sherwood Rangers in North West Europe, 1944- 1945: action at Geel; start of Operation Market Garden; opening fire on German multi-barreled mortar at Nijmegen; US paratroopers destruction of German patrol; crossing River Rhine; capture of Bremen, 4/1945; supporting US infantry during attacks on Siegfried Line; reaction to sight of barbed wire defenses of Siegfried Line; dealing with pill boxes in Prumen area, 3/1945; award of Military Medal for actions ad Heinzberg, 21/1/1945.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with Sherwood Rangers during Occupation of Germany, 1945-1946: police role in Hanover; arrest of Germans wearing uniforms; raids on Displaced Persons camps; behaviour of British troops; story of action at Lochem, 1/4/1945. Demobilisation, 2/1946. Attitude to having served with Sherwood Rangers in Second World War. Question of why his memory is better of North Africa than Normandy.