Description
Object description
British private served with 6th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 44th (Lowland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 10/1942-5/1945; served with 4th Bn Lincolnshire Regt in Germany, 1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Islington, London and Southgate, GB, 1922-1942: social circumstances; education; employment as apprentice joiner; cycling activities; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; Anderson and Morrison Shelters; blackout; pre-war employment as joiner making blackout screens and gas proof shelters; lack of work for joiners prior to introduction of British Government Essential Work Order scheme, 6/1940-10/1942; timber control; effects of German Air Force raids. Recollections of period as private with C Coy, 26th (Wood Green) Bn Middlesex Home Guard based at New Southgate Police Station, GB, 5/1941-2/1942: lectures; shooting on rifle range; uniform; digging trench at Cuffley; dances; mobile patrols; bout of pneumonia; guard and patrol duties; inspection by senior officer; absence of rifles and weapons training; Bangalore Torpedo; composition of unit; dance band gigs; free cinema entrance for men in uniform; failed attempt to volunteer for Royal Air Force; call-up for military service, 26/2/1942; period of unemployment due to delayed call-up for military service on health grounds.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training as private with 48th Infantry Training Centre, Newport, Isle of Wight, GB, 3/1942-4/1942: reception and kitting out; issue of Canadian Ross Rifle; hutted accommodation; laying out kit; food rations; drill; physical training; erection of barbed wire; field craft; effect on training of delayed start to military service. Recollections of period with 10th Infantry Training Centre, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Cameron Barracks, Inverness, GB, 4/1942-9/1942: barrack accommodation; precautions against meningitis; intelligence tests; drill; route marches; weapons training; guard duty; recreational activities; relations with fellow recruits, instructors and officers; move into camp at Berwick-upon-Tweed, 6/1942; signals training; recreational activities including canteen and playing piano; church parade; relations with civilians; canteens.
REEL 3 Continues: move to Cameron Barracks, Inverness; leave; pay; question of 'spit and polish' routine. Recollections of period as private with B Coy, 6th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 44th (Lowland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div, 10/1942-6/1944: reception at battalion; initial unit status as holding battalion; minimal training and role assisting farmers; failing signals course; conversion to active service status, 12/1942; weapons training and river crossing exercise; move to Monkseaton, 1/1943; accommodation; nature of training; composition of 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div; training with tanks on North York Moors; opinion of Bren Gun; move to Prudhoe, 4/1943; attack of tonsillitis; move to Boroughbridge, 9/1943; nature of exercises; move to Worthing, 4/1944; accommodation; recreational activities; question of censorship; route marches and relations with civilians; receiving news of D-Day, 6/6/1944; move into sealed camp at Eastbourne. Aspects of crossing English Channel from GB to Normandy, France, 14/6/1944: embarkation on landing craft infantry; rough weather; landing at Sword Beach.
REEL 4 Continues: smell of death on Sword Beach; relations with French civilians; move inland. Recollections of operations as private with 6th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 44th (Lowland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: attack at Cheux, 26/6/1944, including prior briefings, initial reserve role, artillery barrage, advance to cross rail line, digging in, situation, German mortar fire, German counter-attacks and opening fire; relief, 27/6/1944; corpses; in reserve positions on ridge near Le Mesnil-Patry; rations and 24 hour ration pack; renewed advance on Cheux, 28/6/1944; digging trenches in open ground; casualties to Officer 'O' Group; German multi-barrelled mortar fire; German counter-attack, 28/6/1944; advance to Le Haut Bosq, 28/6/1944; artillery exchanges; situation during German counter-attack, 1/7/1944; German air burst artillery fire and necessity of building overhead cover in trenches; situation; corpse; personal morale; relief and move to Secqueville-en-Bessin, 1/7/1944; periods in and out line; night attack across River Odon, 15/7/1944; difficulty in digging in; casualties from German artillery fire; failed attack through unit positions; German counter-attack; disruption of relief by German artillery fire; long-range German artillery fire; level of casualties and reinforcements.
REEL 5 Continues: move westward into American area of operations; situation; posting to Signal Platoon, Headquarters Coy; move into front line at Caumont-sur-Aure; nature of attack, 30/7/1944; character of signal scout car; reception of reinforcements and diminishing Scottish element in unit; return to B Coy at Bois du Homme, 31/7/1944; Battle of Minden celebrations, 1/8/1944; role as company runner; confused nature of fighting during attack at Bois du Homme, 1/8/1944; advance onto Estrée Ridge, 2/8/1944; attack on Estrée Ridge, 4/8/1944; advance to Falaise; special rest leave; reception received from French civilians. Recollections of operations as private with 6th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 44th (Lowland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-2/1945: advance into Belgium, 8/1944-9/1944; crossing canal in DUKW; situation on taking up positions on Albert Canal at Geel, Belgium; advance to Escaut Canal, Belgium; diversionary attack across Escaut Canal, Belgium, 9/1944; German artillery on bridgehead across Escaut Canal, Belgium, 9/1944; officer casualties; relations with officers; advance along Arnhem Corridor, Netherlands, 9/1944; situation; story illustrating nature of German sniper fire; slit trenches; Compo rations.
REEL 6 Continues: rest period at Gemert, Netherlands, 10/1944; capture of Tilburg, Netherlands, 24/10/1944; situation and German counter-attack; story of being buried in slit trench by artillery fire; situation; artificial moonlight; advance and attack on Blerick, Netherlands, 1/12/1944; use of Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carrier; local leave in Brussels, Brussels, 12/1944; cold conditions and nature of trenches; informal truce, 12/1944-1/1945; move to Ninove, Belgium, 1/1945; rest period in Tilburg, Netherlands, 1/1945; move to Nijmegen, Netherlands, 2/1945; attack using Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carrier at Cleve, Germany, 9/2/1945; move to Goch, Germany, 2/1945; occupying former German trenches; story of narrow escape from hand grenade thrown by nervous sentry; German prisoners of war; cooking accident and consequent hand burns; medical evacuation and treatment; interview over circumstances of accident. Aspects of period in convalescent depot at Tournai, Belgium, 2/1945-4/1945; psychiatric therapy; personal morale and symptoms of loss of nerve; period with holding units in Belgium, 4/1945; leave in GB.
REEL 7 Continues: movements; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as private with 6th Bn King's Own Scottish Borderers, 44th (Lowland) Infantry Bde, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in Germany, 5/1945-12/1945: state of unit on rejoining; duties on transfer to Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy; racing pet dogs; relations with German civilians and prisoners of war; question of black market activities; recreational activities; move into positions facing Soviet Army at Schwerin; duties at Displaced Persons camp at Lübeck; attending refresher course as joiner, 12/1945. Aspects of period as private with Pioneer Platoon, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Lincolnshire Regt in Germany, 1/1946-8/1946: minimal duties; painting divisional signs. Aspects of period as private with British Army of the Rhine at Rahlstedt, Germany, 8/1946-11/1946: minimal duties; recreational activities; return to GB and demobilisation, 11/1946. Post-war life and employment: acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; problem with boils; employment as joiner; importance of army comradeship and membership of Normandy Veterans Association; question of effects of wartime service.
