Description
Object description
British private served with 5th Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Gb, France and Belgium, 1938-1940; POW in Germany, 1940-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gloucester, GB, 1921-1938: family; education; civilian work. Aspects of period as private with 5th Bn Gloucestershire Regt in GB, 1938-1940: activities before war; mobilisation; reactions to situation; accommodation; posting to Marlborough; accommodation; background to joining transport platoon; weapons training; physical training; pride in regiment; memories of NCOs; vehicles in unit; learning to drive; memories of roommates; leisure activities; location of battalion headquarters; opinion of posting; training of other parts of battalion; memories of officers; loss of underage troops; embarkation leave; knowledge of posting abroad; loading of vehicles at Southampton; reactions to situation; friends in unit; voyage to Le Havre. Aspects of period as private with 5th Bn Gloucestershire Regt in France, 1/1940-5/1940: posting in Thumeries; accommodation; exercises; posting on Maginot Line; details of patrols undertaken.
REEL 2 Continues: advance into Belgium including opinion of defences and leisure activities beforehand. Aspects of operations as private with 5th Bn Gloucestershire Regt in Belgium and France, 5/1940: first posting and withdrawal; story of return to biscuit factory and first experience of shelling; further details of withdrawal through Belgium and problems with memory; details of village posted to; shelling received while in orchard and reason for not evacuating with transport; details of period in orchard including shelter taken and activities of battalion; story of attempted withdrawal and capture. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1940: initial treatment from guards; night in church; march away from church including rations; sleeping arrangements; question of escape.
REEL 3 Continues: details of march through France including sleeping arrangements; train journey to Szubin; separation from officers; talk among POWs; gaining of water during march; health problems among POWs; knowledge of German ascendancy. Aspects of period as POW in Germany, 1940-1945: march around Szubin; initial accommodation and sleeping arrangements; rations including bartering and use of helmet; army kit held onto and lost; relationship with civilians; period in and departure from Szubin; water supply and cleanliness; health of POWs; latrines; memories of friends among POWs; journey to and details of working party accommodation; work undertaken including story of accident; details and use of pay; details of Stalag XXI D and guards; work in hospital including scenes of Russian POWs; digging of trenches during winter; issue of and problems with clogs; details of camp commandants; posting to Arbeitskommando 21; details of work undertaken; accommodation.
REEL 4 Continues: joining and details of band; entertainments; time for band practice; treatment from guards; air raids including method of disguising factory and shelter taken; desire to leave factory work and strike; period in solitary confinement including interview with commandant and air raids; bombing of air raid shelter; Christmas celebrations; details of Red Cross parcels; cooking of meals and heating; division of bread; rations; details of mail; family including death of sister, 4/1940; making of alcohol; searching of accommodation and results; planes crashing in and around camp and attempt to gain news of war from airmen; details of radios.
REEL 5 Continues: relationship with camp interpreter and other guards; escape attempts from camps and reasons for their failure; awareness of Auschwitz concentration camp including scenes of Jewish forced labourers; work of self and Jewish forced labourers in Siemens factory; further details of escape attempts; memories of medical officer in camp including items made for him and treatments received; item made for dentist and details of false teeth in return; story of later loss of false teeth; work of dentist; background of POWs; earlier separation from other 5th Battalion POWs; stories of later reunions with fellow POWs; departure from camp. Aspects of period as POW in transit, 1/1945-4/1945: scenes of dead Jews; clothing worn; shelter taken en route; rations gained.
REEL 6 Continues: further details of rations gained including potatoes and chickens; bartering with civilians; details of route taken; reception from civilians in Czechoslovakia; death of friend; story of stumbling on bridge and help gained; escapes from column; details of Stalag VII A; arrival of US Army; description of journey to GB. Aspects of period as private with various units in GB, 4/1945-5/1946: reactions and processing on arrival; medical grading; items brought to GB; talk about women among POWs; story of POW's relationship with woman; story of POW suicide; morale among POWs; leave including reception from family and further details of camp band; postings after return from leave.
REEL 7 Continues: attitude to service; demobilisation; civilian work; opinion of German troops; reason for fighting; rumours about Russian POWs; contact with US troops; state of German towns; memories of padre; story of attendance at church service; VE Day celebrations; details of pay; opinion of treatment from army; return to fitness; further details of air raids; reflections on period as POW; later contact with POW.