Description
Object description
British private served with 5th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in Hartlepool, GB, 1934; served as gunner with 39th Bty, 19th Field Bde, Royal Artillery in GB, 1935-1936; served with 2/5th Bn, DLI, (55th Searchlight Regt) and 55th Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1937-1941; served as driver with 220th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, 85th (Tees) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 28th and 71st Anti-Aircraft Bdes, 6th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1941-1942; served as driver with Royal Artillery in GB, North Africa, Italy and Austria, 1942-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hartlepool, GB, 1916-1939: family background and father's death during First World War; social circumstances; education; nature of casual employment, 1930-1934. Aspects of period as private with 5th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Avenue Road Drill Hall, Hartlepool, GB, 7/1934-10/1934: recruitment to Territorial Army; attending annual camp at Ripon. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Artillery in GB, 10/1934: background to recruitment as gunner into Royal Artillery, 10/1934; nature of basic training; further details of recruitment as gunner into Royal Artillery; medicals. Aspects of training as gunner with Royal Artillery Regimental Depot, Woolwich, London, GB, 1934-1935: reception; kitting out; barrack room accommodation; kit inspections; relations with instructors and fellow recruits; cleaning barrack room; latrines and ablutions; kitting out.
REEL 2 Continues: morning routine including breakfast and drill; further details of relations with instructors; rations; education classes; recreational activities; guard duties and competition for 'stick man'; training on equipment with Ordnance QF 18 Pounder Field gun and Ordnance QF 4.5 Inch Howitzer; training on Lewis Gun; Ordnance QF 18 Pounder Field Gun drill; passing out parade. Recollections of period as gunner with 39th Bty, 19th Field Bde, Royal Artillery at Bordon Camp, GB, 1935-1936: introduction to horses and learning to ride at riding school; grooming horses and cleaning stalls.
REEL 3 Continues: daily routine looking after horses; cleaning harnesses; getting horses used to crowds; horses, drivers and 18pdr gun limber; method of dropping gun into actions and exercises; fatigues; composition of unit; necessity of breaking in new horses; exercises; care of horses; discharge on compassionate grounds due to death of stepfather, 1936. Aspects of period with 2/5th Bn Durham Light Infantry (55th Searchlight Regt) at Avenue Road Drill Hall, Hartlepool, GB, 1937-1939: prior service with artillery unit; conversion to searchlight unit; crew roles on searchlights, sound locator and generator. Recollections of periods with 2/5th Bn Durham Light Infantry (55th Searchlight Regt) and 55th (Durham Light Infantry) Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery, 43rd Anti-Aircraft Bde, 7th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1939-1941: tented accommodation; role as driver and on generator; role of searchlights acting as landing beacon for aircraft; role illuminating German Air Force aircraft for anti-aircraft guns; relations with civilians.
REEL 4 Continues: role on generator; taking post; tented accommodation; speed of taking post; story of following German Air Force aircraft on foot; deployment of unit; water supply; conscript drafts; wireless recreation; site inspections; reaction to Dunkirk Evacuation, 5/1940-6/1940; infantry training; interest in electrics; relations with farmers; changes in personnel and question of introduction of Auxiliary Territorial Service personnel; cooking arrangements; recreational visits to Whitby; relations with officers and NCOs; story of refusal of promotion; problems with petrol generator.
REEL 5 Continues: problems with petrol generator and story of being unfairly place on charge; training as driver; motor transport section vehicles and question of maintenance. Aspects of period as driver with 220th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Bty, 85th (Tees) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, 28th and 71st Anti-Aircraft Bdes, 6th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 1941-1942: initial period in Southern England; equipping of unit with Ordnance QF 3.7 Inch Anti-Aircraft Gun and gun crew roles. Recollections of period as driver with Royal Artillery in GB, North Africa, Italy and Austria, 1942-1945: joining Royal Artillery unit in Fort William, GB; German submarine attack on convoy during voyage from GB to French Algeria, 12/1942-1/1943; story of going Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) due to lack of embarkation leave and subsequent arrest; embarkation; contacts with American service personnel; arrival in French Algeria, 1/1943; story of near collision.
REEL 6 Continues; landing in French Algeria, 1/1943; driving duties; cutting off all hair; malaria precautions; attack of sandfly fever; living conditions; nature of driving duties; story various narrow escapes whilst delivering ammunition to gun positions; relations with officer; driving M10 Self-Propelled Gun; story of coming under German mortar fire; stories of incidents in Italy; move into Austria, 1945; situation of Cossacks who had served with Waffen-SS and question of their return to Soviet Union; return to GB and demobilisation, 12/1945.