Description
Object description
British private served with General Service Corps in GB, 1943; served with Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1943-1944; served with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 1944; served with 5th Bn Wiltshire Regt in North West Europe, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Battersea, GB, 1925-1943: family; education; civilian work; fire watching duties including dealing with incendiaries; attitude to death; attitude to approaching service; train journey to Glasgow; journey to General Service Corps barracks at Maryhill, 8/1943; memories of platoon sergeant including story of field craft training; accommodation; opinion of service; physical training; opinion of rations; friends in unit; posting to Warley. Aspects of period as private with Royal Fusiliers in GB, 9/1943-5/1944: opinion of instructors; leisure activities; accommodation; posting to Bembridge; reception on arrival; memories of officers and NCOs; opinion of unit; sports; pattern of training including opinion of Bren gun; posting to Hartlepool; accommodation; exercises; memories of NCOs; disbandment of unit and posting to Beckenham. Aspects of period as private with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 5/1944-7/1944: opinion of posting; accommodation; visits home.
REEL 2 Continues: activities during period in closed camp; news of D-Day; scenes in Southampton; rations issued; voyage to Normandy; boarding of landing craft; movement up beach and inland; details of period in holding camp. Aspects of operations as private with 5th Bn Wiltshire Regt in North West Europe, 7/1944-11/1944: first night with battalion; role in unit; description of patrols undertaken at Maltot; advance on Hill 112 including Nebelwerfer fire faced and attack on German tank; memories of officers; casualties; collection of wounded; activities at Hill 112; terrain; surrender of German troops; talk with German POW; story of German POW casualties; story of night sheltered behind wall; memories of divisional commander Major-General Ivor Thomas; supply of rations; details of advance on and withdrawal from Hill 361.
REEL 3 Continues: story of night on farm; return to unit; details of Mont Pincon; problems with initial attacks; memories of Colonel Pearson; story of bridge crossing and subsequent counterattack; story of German patrol; casualties; help given to reinforcements; story of troops killed while crossing Seine at Vernon; contact with French civilians; crossing of Seine and advance beyond river; memories of Sergeant Lovegrove including argument over Bren gun; story of sleeping through action; activities during period in Gasny; health problems and hospitalisation in Bayeux; return journey to unit in Germany; captured German rations; lighting in trench; role of No 2 in Bren team.
REEL 4 Continues: activities of unit at Stegh; story of wounding at Tripsrath, 26/11/1944; details of wounds; evacuation and treatment received including reaction to news of return to GB; voyage to Tilbury; hospitalisation and convalescence. Aspects of period as private with in GB, 1945-1947: details of unit and duties; details of pay; leisure activities; VE Day celebrations; duties; medical grading; troops of other nations in area; leisure activities; health problems and hospitalisation shortly after demobilisation.
REEL 5 Continues: reaction to demobilisation; question of staying in army. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: civilian work and health problems; opinion of army training; troops suffering from stress; details of patrols in Germany; cases of self-inflicted wounds; contact with Military Police; memories of officers; opinion of officers' conditions; contact with and opinion of troops from other nations; reason for fighting; opinion of medical treatment received; reflections on service; details of pension; opinion of treatment from army.