Description
Object description
British NCO served with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB and North West Europe, 3/1943-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background Fox House, Townhead and Droylsden, GB, 1923-1943: social circumstances; education; question of approach of Second World War; leaving school on move to Droylsden, 6/1939; employment as laboratory assistant testing and producing dyes at Courtaulds dye works. Recollections of period as civilian in Droylsden, GB, 9/1939-9/1942; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; filling sandbags for anti-blast walls at factory; work producing camouflage nets and machine gun belts; provision of air raid shelter in Courtaulds dye works; effect of German Air Force raids on Manchester, 12/1940. Recollections of period as private with Droylsden Local Defence Volunteers and 51st (Ashton-under-Lyne) Bn Lancashire Home Guard, 5/1940-9/1942: initial shortage of rifles and uniforms for guard duty; relations with First World War veterans; drill; rifle training and visits to rifle range; tactical training and exercises; guard posts; defensive plans and Browning Machine Gun positions; night routine on guard duty.
REEL 2 Continues: rationing; interviews for assignment to war work and continuation of work at Courtaulds dye works. Recollections of enlistment and training at No 1 Primary Training Centre, Saighton Camp, GB, 9/1942-11/1942: call-up for military service, 17/9/1942; reception and kitting out; hutted accommodation; laying out kit and room inspections; drill; rations; rifle training and anti-aircraft practice; bayonet training; Bren Gun training; exercises on route march; tactical training, physical training; relations with instructors, fellow recruits and officers; lectures; visits to canteens and cinema; visits to Chester; aptitude tests and passing of Morse Code test by guesswork; interviews and physical tests. Recollections of training as gunner/wireless operator at 53rd Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps at Catterick Garrison, GB, 11/1942-3/1943: reaction to posting to Royal Armoured Corps; reception; revolver and Thompson Machine Gun training; anti-gas training and gas masks issued.
REEL 3 Continues: signal training including theory, Morse Code, operation of No 19 Wireless Set, voice procedure and phonetic alphabet; gunnery training including types of guns trained on, firing from mock up turret and on machine gun range; driving and maintenance training; opinion of instructors and rejection of opportunity to become wireless instructor; question of opportunities for commission; visits to Richmond. Recollections of period as gunner with No 4 Troop, B Sqdn, 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div at Chippenham Park Camp, Newmarket, GB, 3/1943-6/1943: reaction to posting; train journey; reception and joining B Sqdn on training exercise at Thetford; acting as gunner with Crusader Tank crew with wireless operator Trooper Charles 'Pat' Ketteridge and driver Trooper Alex Henderson; characteristics of Crusader Tank; nature of exercises in Thetford and Stamford areas; camp routine; opinion of Lieutenant Peter Webster and Sergeant James Truscott.
REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as gunner with No 4 Troop, B Sqdn, 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB, 6/1943-6/1944: hutted accommodation at Rudston Camp; characteristics of M4 Sherman Tank including 75mm Gun, problem with gun sights, ammunition storage, role as wireless operator/loader, role of co-driver and Browning Machine Gun; exercises and firing on ranges on North York Moors; opinion of Sten Gun; move into accommodation at Bridlington, 10/1943; story of whistling 'The Sash My Father Wore'; rations and salted porridge; nature of visit to tank ranges at Kirkcudbrightshire, 12/1943, including unloading ammunition form railway trucks, effects of lack of ventilation during period of continual loading whilst firing from static position and M4 Sherman Tank catching fire; Operation Eagle Exercise on North York Moors; story of preparations for inspection by King George VI, 3/1944; move to Warburg Barracks, Aldershot Garrison, 3/1944; living conditions; waterproofing M4 Sherman Tank; personal morale; acting as wireless operator in crew with Corporal Alistair McHattie, driver Trooper Ronald Forbes and co-driver Trooper Clifford Pember; signs of D-Day landings, 6/6/1944, including signal from Supermarine Spitfire, issue of maps and air activity.
REEL 5 Continues: drive to transit camp at Gosport, 6/1944. Aspects of crossing English Channel from Gosport, GB to Courseulles-sur-Mer, Normandy, France, 6/1944: overnight stay in centre of Gosport, GB; boarding Landing Ship Tank; sight of landing area; landing at Courseulles-sur-Mer, 16/6/1944; de-waterproofing tanks; move inland. Recollections of operations as gunner/wireless operator with B Sqdn, 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: sight of knocked out M4 Sherman Tank at Cully, 16/6/1944; camouflage net; use of tent sheets to make bivouac; question of digging in; use of Compo rations; question of smoking cigarettes; latrines; minimal contact with French civilians; aerial activity; prior attack by 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div at Cheux; move to start line for attack on Cheux and firing at German tanks, 26/6/1944; ditching and receiving assistance from Churchill Tank; losing contact with unit; first casualties and personal morale; move forward to join B Sqdn in orchard south of Cheux; explosion wounding of Corporal Alaistair McHattie in head; reorganisation of tank crew; move back into night laager; situation, 27/6/1944; sight of infantry moving forward; German counter-attack; move back into Cheux; advance towards Grainville-sur-Odon; retreat of Reconnaissance Troop; night action on move to west of Cheux; laager, 26/6/1944, including refuelling, re-ammunition, repairs and guard duties.
REEL 6 Continues: occupation of defensive positions, 28/6/1944; move into reserve positions, 29/6/1944; Allied naval bombardments; moves up to support infantry; German mortar fire, 1/7/1944; story of firing Browning Machine Gun at German Air Force aircraft; use of slit trench under M4 Sherman Tank; narrow escape from German mortar fire; burial of German corpse; opinion of M4 Sherman Tank's performance; operation of No 19 Wireless Set in action; move to Cazelle, 16/7/1944; opinion of Lieutenant Buchanan; briefing for Operation Goodwood; moving High Explosive (HE) ammunition to right hand side of M4 Sherman Tank; move to Ranville glider field; visit to glider; move through minefield at start of Operation Goodwood, 18/7/1944; preliminary artillery bombardment and cases of shells dropping short; crossing first railway embankment and continuing advance; move to left and ditching on log after passing through hedge; engaging German 88mm gun near Cagny; sight of anti-tank shells in flight; various targets engaged; sight of M4 Sherman Tank 'brewing up'; German anti-tank gun concealed in haystack; success in unditching; rejoining troop facing Cagny in isolated position; visit from chaplain and his use of German prisoners of war to collect wounded; advance of Guards Armoured Div; flank guard role; lack of wireless contact with rest of unit; arrival of Captain Raymond Trehearne's M4 Sherman Tank; night retirement.
REEL 7 Continues: effects of German Air Force night-time air raid; awareness of unit's casualties; burial service; wet conditions; German Air Force attacks on road convoy; rest period at Ardenne Abbey, 22/7/1944-29/7/1944; reinforcements and transfer to 2 Troop, B Sqdn; opinion of Lieutenant John Darke; use of No 18 Wireless Set to communicate with attached infantry; advance on high ground west of Caumont, 30/7/1944; wounding of stretcher-bearers; tanks losses due to German mines; role acting as Major John Gilmour's headquarters tank; nature of fighting in bocage country; opinion of Major John Gilmour; laager wireless watch duty, 30/7/1944; advance to Vire road, 1/8/1944; assisting Cromwell tanks of 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry moving along Vire Road; advance towards Burcy, 2/8/1944; situation; story of opening fire on German vehicles; advance onto Perrier Ridge, 2/8/1944; discovery of abandoned German Panther Tank; role supporting infantry outpost positions and subsequent attempted advance, 3/8/1944-5/8/1944; move back into rest prior to urgent recall on German counter-attacks on Perrier Ridge, 6/8/1944; opinion of Corporal Edmund Whatmough.
REEL 8 Continues: move back into laager, 6/8/1944; situation on move back onto Perrier Ridge, 7/8/1944; confusion during manoeuvre under cover of smoke screen to evade fire from German Tiger Tanks; German mortar fire; personal morale; opinion of driver Trooper Vivian Holden and gunner Trooper Charles 'Pat' Ketteridge; overnight laager; rest period, 8/8/1944-12/8/1944; arrival of reinforcements; bathing in stream; move to 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div's sector; receiving replacement gunner on Trooper Charles 'Pat' Ketteridge's promotion to lance corporal; sight of corpses during advance on Lassy, 14/8/1944; damage caused by running over German mine; recovery of M4 Sherman Tank and period awaiting repairs, 14/8/1944-16/8/1944; rejoining unit, 16/8/1944; roving guard duty in laagers; replacement of Corporal Edmund Whatmough with Lieutenant Alexander Monroe; reception from French civilians; story of bailing out after M4 Sherman Tank after being hit by Panzerfaust whilst operating to near hedge, 17/8/1944, including use of fire extinguisher, death of Lieutenant Alexander Monroe, driver Trooper Vivian Holden's mortal wounding in legs from German machine gun fire, failed rescue attempt by Sherman Firefly and crawling back to infantry positions.
REEL 9 Continues: medical treatment and evacuation to dressing station; ambulance journey; medical treatment in tented hospital; evacuation to GB. Aspects of hospitalisation and convalescence in GB, 8/1944-11/1944: hospitalisation in Manchester Royal Infirmary, 8/1944-9/1944; medical treatment and visitors received; move to convalescent hospital at Didsbury, Manchester, 9/1944; periods in convalescent depots at Stoke-on-Trent and Hamilton Racecourse, 10/1944-11/1944 including physical training, passing medical and living conditions; period at holding units at Catterick Camp and Chippenham Park Camp, Newmarket, 12/1944-2/1945. Aspects of period as gunner with 1 Troop, B Sqdn, 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div at Ypres, Belgium, 2/1945-3/1945: changes on rejoining unit; characteristics of Comet Tank; retraining and joining tank crew as gunner with Corporal Patrick 'Paddy' Purcell, driver Trooper Bernard Bartlett and wireless operator Thompson; accommodation; relations with Belgian civilians; visits to First World War sites.
REEL 10 Continues: further training at Montaigu, 3/1945. Recollections of operations as gunner with 1 Troop, B Sqdn, 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in Germany, 3/1945-5/1945: air activity; crossing River Rhine; failed attempt by tank to cross wooden bridge over stream; problems with muddy conditions; story of advance into village including clearing road block, jammed tow rope and firing to keep back German civilians; Panzerfaust problem faced; German Air Force attacks on crossing Dortmund-Ems Canal, 1/4/1945; use of Compo rations and cooking arrangements; supporting infantry attack on ridge, 2/4/1945; occupying positions along River Weser; German Air Force attack and treatment of shot down Junkers Ju 87 Stuka pilot; question of ability to speak German language; circumstances of death of Major Arthur Loram at Petershagen, near Loccum, 7/4/1945; action at Schwarmstedt, 10/4/1945 including firing Besa Machine Gun along hedges and crew member finishing off German wounded, sniping casualties, putting out smouldering canvas cover, surrender of German Army troops and capture of village.
REEL 11 Continues: applying insect powder as anti-typhus precaution when near Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp; story of firing on house after Panzerfaust attack and necessity of hand traversing gun, 13/4/1945; period left out of battle; return of Corporal Patrick 'Paddy' Purcell to command tank; ineffective reconnaissance in force with infantry, 16/4/1944; story of shooting lone German soldier during advance on Winsen, 18/4/1945; question of looting; period in reserve; story of clearing house and road block; continuing in truck and looted car after M4 Sherman Tank broke down during advance on Lübeck; movements; accommodation outside Lübeck; VE Day, 8/5/1945. Recollections of period as gunner with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in Germany, 5/1945-7/1945: accommodation at Bredstedt, 5/1945-6/1945; duties at Soviet Displaced Persons camp; parades; non-fraternisation; volunteering for service with 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and posting to Far East after disbandment of unit.
REEL 12 Aspects of period as gunner with B Sqdn, 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in Germany, 7/1945-8/1946: training on Crocodile Churchill Flame-Throwing Tank; attitude to possible use of flamethrowers on Japanese; accidental shooting; cancellation of Far East posting after Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945; situation; attending physics course; guard duties; question of black market activities; movements; disbandment of unit, 8/1946. Aspects of period as gunner with 14/20th Kings Hussars at Wuppertal, Germany, 9/1946-4/1947: opinion of M24 Chafee Tank; unofficial personal weapons; visit to dye works; German civilian staff; return to GB, 4/1947; demobilisation, 4/1947. Post-war life and employment: reaction to return to work at Courtaulds dye works in Droylsden; question of effects of war service; contacting Fife and Forfar Yeomanry veterans and membership of South of the Border Branch of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry Association.
