Description
Object description
British sapper served with 391st Coy, 48th (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Bn, Royal Engineers, Anti-Aircraft Command in GB, 12/1939-8/1940; gunner served with 391st Bty, 48th (Hampshire) Searchlight Regt, 35th and 47th Anti-Aircraft Bdes, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 8/1940-4/1942; private and signalman served with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 129th Infantry Bde, 43rd Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 4/1942-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Westbury, GB, 1922-1939: family; education; employment; father's military service in First World War. Aspects of period as private with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's) in GB, 3/1939-12/1939: joining Territorial Army; arrival at Westbury Drill Hall, 2/9/1939; pattern of signals training including attending summer camp at Exmouth; degree of awareness of approach of Second World War; move to Trowbridge; changes in battalion and learning lesson of never volunteering; kit issued; opinion of posting to Trowbridge; accommodation; move to Westbourne; drill; memories of NCO; fitness training; relations with recruits from London; discipline and punishments; opinion of service. Aspects of period as sapper with 391st Coy, 48th (Hampshire) Anti-Aircraft Bn, Royal Engineers, Anti-Aircraft Command in GB, 12/1939-8/1940: nature of camp; sleeping arrangements; kit inspections; comradeship; roles in searchlight team including use of sound locator.
REEL 2 Continues: further details of roles in searchlight team; characteristics of 150mm Projector Searchlight Mk IV; sites operated from; training at Westbourne; opinion of posting to searchlight unit; accommodation; routine. Aspects of period as gunner with 391st Bty, 48th (Hampshire) Searchlight Regt, 35th and 47th Anti-Aircraft Bdes, 5th Anti-Aircraft Div in GB, 8/1940-4/1942: character of searchlight site at West Wittering; reporting approaching German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers, 12/8/1940; routine including problems with obtaining sleep and equipment; nature of searchlight sites posted to; nature of radar equipment used; opinion of radar; receiving radar training; weather and living conditions; further opinion of radar; story of missed opportunity; details of courses attended and leave; discipline.
REEL 3 Continues: supply of rations; sleeping arrangements; storage of kit; cookhouse; nature of site at Titchfield; German Air Force attack on site at Titchfield including delayed explosions; communications; deployment of regiment's searchlight sites; contact with other military personnel; visits to Chichester; contact with and opinion of Home Guard; age of searchlight team members; nature of searchlight site at Havant. Recollections of period as private with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 129th Infantry Bde, 43rd Infantry Div in GB, 4/1942-6/1944: posting back to regiment, 4/1942; reception at Dover including interview with commanding officer; attending signals course; characteristics, use and maintenance of No 18 Wireless Set; route march.
REEL 4 Continues: exercises; live firing on cliff tops; story of suspected involvement in testing infrared equipment; knowledge of approaching invasion of Normandy, France, 1944; participation in Exercise Spartan, 4/3/1943-12/3/1943; nature of Exercise Tiger including two hundred mile march, 5/1942; organisation of battalion during exercises; non-stop exercise; opinion of discipline.
REEL 5 Continues: fitness; opinion of training and potential opposition faced; background of officers; memories of D-Day, 6/6/1944 whilst still in GB; proposed divisional role in Normandy, France; train journey to Newhaven; embarkation on board landing ship including issue of bicycles. Recollections of operations as private and signalman with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 129th Infantry Bde, 43rd Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: voyage across English Channel arrival at Arromanches-les-Bains; initial accommodation during wait for battalion at Sommervieu; source of orders; advance behind 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div; problems with and discarding of bicycle; shelter taken under vehicle; orders given for attack; sight of first dead military personnel; contact with civilians; story of reconnaissance party in defile.
REEL 6 Continues: advance and digging in with mortar platoon before battle at Hill 112; casualties; situation during battle for Hill 112; period with observation post; effect of cleaning feet; description of German artillery bombardment; messages sent and received; problems with radios; noise of battle; contact with German prisoner of war; opinion of German Army troops; sight of German Army sniper whilst laying lines; casualties from German Army snipers; opinion of artillery support received; rest period including shelter taken from German Air Force attacks; shell shocked troops; posting as signals storeman.
REEL 7 Continues: initial problems obtaining supplies; subsequent collection of supplies from Royal Army Ordnance Corps; operations battalion was involved; advance to River Seine at Vernon; visit to mayor's house. Recollections of operations as signalman with with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's), 129th Infantry Bde, 43rd Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: crossing River Seine to Vernonnet, France, 8/1944; search for and location of battalion headquarters; near miss from German Army sniper; cooking of rations; K-rations; replacement of regimental sergeant-major; advance from Vernonnet, France; activities during rest period in Giverny, France including maintenance of radios and their adaptation to pick-up British Broadcasting Corporation; looting of homes for mattresses; opinion of United States Army troops; advance to Nijmegen, Netherlands, 9/1944.
REEL 8 Continues: crossing of Nijmegen Bridge, Netherlands under German artillery fire; story of artillery fire received during abortive journey; move to Elst, Netherlands, 9/1944; receiving artillery whilst digging in at Elst, Netherlands, 9/1944; withdrawal from Elst, Netherlands, 10/1944; arrival with A Echelon; arrest of Vic Adams; visit to Philips Factory in Eindhoven, Netherlands; activities of battalion at Brunssum, Netherlands; opinion of United States Army troops; activities during run-up to Christmas 12/1944; leave in GB including marriage; return to battalion; accommodation and relationship with civilians; discussion of Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944.
REEL 9 Continues: advance through Reichswald Forest, Germany, 2/1945; period in Belgium; contact with brother; crossing of the River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; liberation of towns in northern Netherlands, 3/1945-4/1945; advance into Germany, 4/1945; action at Bremen, Germany, 4/1945-5/1945; contact with German civilians; reaction to state of German towns; reaction to seizing of German civilian homes. Aspects of period as signalman and NCO with 4th Bn Wiltshire Regt (Duke of Edinburgh's) in Germany, 5/1945-4/1946: knowledge of Holocaust; reaction to visit to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp; posting to camp; accommodation; war crimes trials of concentration camp staff; burning of former Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, 6/1945; processing and behaviour of Displaced Persons; training given to new recruits; courses undertaken prior to demobilisation.
REEL 10 Continues: question of remaining in British Army; role of discipline; demobilisation in Aldershot Garrison. Post-war life and employment: settling into civilian life; civilian employment; physical effects of military service; family home; comradeship; opinion of treatment of veterans; opinion of opposition faced and modern world, 2001.
