Waller, Douglas (Oral history)

British NCO served with 9th Bn, Rifle Brigade in North Africa, 1941-1942; served with 1st Bn RB in North Africa, Italy, GB and North West Europe, 1942-1947

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Tottenham, London, 1920-1940: social circumstances; education; sporting activities; work as office clerk; effects of approach of war whilst on holiday in Switzerland, 8/1939; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; death of father, 5/1940; move of office to Rickmansworth and switch to part-time hours; service with ARP rescue team; call up, 8/1940. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Rifle Brigade Training Centre, Winchester Barracks, 8/1940-10/1940: kitting out; barrack accommodation, cleaning and kit inspections; food rations; PT; drill; regimental history lectures; rifle cleaning; rifle training and shooting on ranges. REEL 2 Continues: bayonet, hand grenade and Bren gun training; relationship with instructors and question of swearing; bugle calls; question of light infantry drill pace; route marches; pay; relationship with recruits; visits to Winchester; relationship with civilians; canteen; passing out parade. Recollections of period with 2nd Motor Training Bn, RB at Tidworth Barracks, 10/1940-12/1940: size of base; map reading and field craft training. REEL 3 Continues: tactical exercises; 2" mortar training; driving and maintenance training on lorry and Bren carrier; training on Boyes anti-tank rifle; move to coastal defence positions and lack of weapons; initial issue of Ross rifles; map reading; divisional exercises; question of signal training; gas training; specialist platoons; minimal contact with officers; visits to Andover; vaccinations; embarkation leave and decision to get engaged; mother's war work in Witney; issue of tropical kit; question of posting as reinforcement draft. Voyage aboard Andes to Durban, South Africa, 12/1940-1/1941 route; mess deck. REEL 4 Continues: visit to Freetown, Sierra Leone; recreations ashore at Durban. Voyage aboard Neue Amsterdam to Port Tewfik, Egypt, 1/1941.Period at Genefa Camp, 1/1941. Acclimatisation to climate; training in driving in desert conditions; role guarding ammunition dumps; hospitalisation with malaria; police patrols in Ismailia. Recollections of operations with 5th Platoon, B Coy, 9th Bn, RB in Tobruk area. Ca 3/1941-4/1941: joining unit at El Adem; role guarding petrol dump; problem with leaking petrol cans; relationship with section; slit trenches; training on 2pdr anti tank gun including background to selection, gun drill and opinion of gun; subsequent change to 6pdr AT gun and cases of eye injuries from gun sights. REEL 5 Continues: minimal training on 2pdr AT gun; conversion of B Coy platoons to anti-tank role and subsequent attachment to A Coy; situation following Germna advance and temporary attachment to Tobruk garrison; Stuka attacks during evacuation by destroyer, ca 4/1941. Period in Cairo area, ca 4/1941-5/1941: acclimatisation of reinforcements; training; daily routine; bingo sessions. Aspects of operations in Western Desert, ca 5/1941-12/1941: anti-tank gun positions question of firing off portees; routine duties; issue of rations; food, cigarette, water and emergency rations; method of brewing tea; scorpion and chameleons; fly problem; desert sores and state of health; food rations. REEL 6 Continues: nature of 'Jock columns' attempting to cut German supply lines; nature of fighting patrols; opinion of Thompson gun and preference for Schmeisser light machine gun; situation during operations to relieve Tobruk, 11/1941; personal morale; advance towards Benghazi and relationship with civilians. Recollections of period in Gazala Line, ca 1/1942-5/1942: role during German reconnaissance probes; relationship with gun team including Corporal Alf Reeves, Rifleman Bill Ash and Driver Magridge; relationship with officers and NCOs; German breakthrough; issue of 6pdr A/T gun and cases of eye injuries from gun sights. REEL 7 Continues: role as loader in gun team; confused nature of fighting; effect of 2pdr and 6pd A/T shells and aiming points on German Mark III and IV tanks; retreat in stages; slight facial wound and makeshift medical treatment; British tanks 'brewing up'; question of stopping retreat at Medrsa Matruk; explosion of supply dumps; digging in at El Alamein. Period at Mena Camp, Cairo, 7/1942: story of accidentally firing shell at Pyramid; shortage of reinforcements and reaction to disbandment of unit. Recollections of initial period with 1st Bn, RB at Alam Halfa, 7/1942-8/1942: nature of unit and isolation of A/T Platoon; taking up positions on Haimanet; reaction to German shellfire; prior treatment of facial wound. Account of failed German attack on Alam Halfa, 31/8/1942: nature of positions in front of hull down British tanks; restriction on range of opening fire; ruse to lure German into trap; opening fire and German machine gun fire. REEL 8 Continues: knocked out German tanks; limited traverse of 6pdr A/T gun in gunpit; over-run by German tanks; taking cover during British 25pdr barrage; tank battle; situation; lying in gunpit; question of being sighted by German tank; arrival of officer and retirement to platoon HQ; re-occupying gunpits; destruction of knocked out German tanks by sappers; discovery of corpses inside knocked out German tank while hunting for souvenirs; dispute with officer over opening fire at long range on German recovery team and consequent reduction to private and loss of MM nomination; situation; leave in Cairo. Aspects of Battle of Alamein, 10/1942-11/1942: advance into gap in minefield in southern sector; hit on protee truck; joining infantry in attacking Italian strong points; Italian mortar fire; tactics in attacking machine gun posts; artillery barrage; capture of Italian positions; souvenirs and question of booby traps; move to reserve positions in northern sector. Aspects of advane through Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, 10/1942-5/1943: situation; desert driving conditions. REEL 9 German rearguard actions and opinion of 88mm gun; supply system; emergency rations; hold up caused by dummy minefield; effects of wet weather; advance into cultivated area; story of inexperienced officer not recognising German tank; story of 'unpaid' soldier; flank advance round Mareth Line, ca 3/1943; reception on meeting First Army; damage to portee truck; story of running over German mines; US troops buying souvenirs; advance into Tunis; story of spending Tunisian money found on German POWs; firing into Cap Bon sector; conversation with German POWs. Recollections of period at Hons, ca 5/1943-9/1943: bivouacs; crabs; reaction to not being sent to Egypt or GB; recreations and reaction to seeing film 'Desert Victory'; visit from mobile brothel. REEL 10 Continues: story of being confused with sapper unit and sent to fill in crater in supply road; visit to Roman ruins; concert party and story of reception given Vivien Leigh; investigation into looted weapons and vehicles; local leave in Tunis. Story of smoking during Victory Parade in Tripoli; promotion to sergeant responsible for 2 6pdr A/T guns. Aspects of operations in Italy, 9/1943-11/1943: embarkation on LCTs at Tripoli; reinforcement role; state of unit morale; German shell fire during approach to Salerno beach; move inland; reaction to fighting in area populated by civilians in contrast to desert; advance to Naples; relationship with Italian civilians; advance to wards River Garigliano and minimal role of A/T guns; move back to Sorrento and reactions to news of return to GB. Voyage aboard Cameronia to Glasgow, 12/1943: disputes with officer in command of troops aboard ship; fire in cinema; conditions; reactions of troops to seeing women on arrival. Recollections of period at Brandon, 1/1944-5/1944. REEL 11 Continues: hut accommodation; story of theft of beds and desertion by soldier in advance party; story of prior demotion to private for going AWOL an looting in Italy; story of marriage to girlfriend on disembarkation leave; ruses employed while assisting in B Coy office; hospitalisation with malaria relapse; story of missing exercise and going AWOL to visit wife serving in WRENS at Lowestoft; 6pdr A/T gun firing range practice; use of half tracks to pull 6pdr A/T guns; relationship with young reinforcements; story of seeing stage performance of 'The Desert Rats'; landing craft training. Period recreation; security measure; opinion of Montgomery. REEL 12 Continues: checking waterproofing and equipment; issue of francs. Recollections of crossing English Channel and landing at Gold Beach, Arromanches, Normandy, France, 5/6/1944-6/6/1944: embarkation at Tilbury Dock; self heating tins; personal morale; loss of half track in deep water; situation on landing on beach; move inland to Villers Bocage; question of NCO shot by French woman. Recollections of operations in Villers Bocage, 6/1944: advance in column; meeting Tiger tank and lack of penetration of 6pdr A/T gun shells; taking cover in ditch; comparison of British and German tanks; retreat to take up defensive positions; gas alarm caused by smoke shell; withdrawal. Aspects of operations in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: shell fire on rest area; re-equipment; compo food rations and cooking arrangements; move to Tilly sure Seilles; minimal roile of A/T guns in bocage country. REEL 13 Continues: opinion of Sabot ammunition; move to Caen area; view of Allied bombing raid on Caen; use of Bren carriers in attacking V1 sites; nebelwerfer fire; minimal role of A/T guns; story of Bill Ash being wounded. Recollections of operations during advance through France, Belgium and Netherlands, 8/1944-11/1944: advance into Falaise gap, 8/1944; reception from French and Belgian civilians; question of treatment of collaborators in Ghent; local leave in Brussels; advance into Netherlands, 24/9/1944; relationship with Dutch civilians; billets; nature of forest fighting in Overloon area. Period in Born sector, 11/1944-3/1945: billets in Born sector; relationship with Dutch civilians; pithead showers; German propaganda leaflets; guard duty; move to establish defensive positions on River Meuse during German Ardennes offensive, 1/1945; view of German jet fighter. REEL 14 Continues: question of movements, 1/1945-3/1945; story of capturing German soldiers asleep in pillbox; concentration area prior to crossing Rhine.. Recollections of advance into Germany, 3/1945-5/1945: state of towns; policy of non-fraternisation with German civilians; nature of fighting; transfer as driver to flame-thrower Bren carrier; use of flame-thrower to clear pockets of German troops in forest; personal morale; situation during prior advance to Nijmagen, 10/1944; reactions to visit to liberated Belsen Concentration Camp and enforced visits by German civilians; collapse of German resistance on entry to Hamburg; move to liberate Denmark; evacuation of surrendered German troops from Denmark; VE Day, 8/5/1945; question of German resistance movement; period at Gokel. Recollections of period at Gluckstadt, 5/1945-7/1946: removal of German female naval personnel; modern nature of barracks. REEL 15 Continues: use of German naval personnel to clear mines in River Elbe; separation from 7th Armoured Div; minimal duties; recreations; exception of desert veteran NCOs from training programme; duties as orderly room sergeant; visits to Hamburg; return of regular POWs to unit; preparing briefing on demobilisation; question of quick promotion back to sergeant; pantomime; end of non-fraternisation and relationship with German civilians; dances organised in local bar; question of role of unit; story of acquisition of German currency from Nazi HQ and subsequent visits to spend it in France due to anomaly in currency regulations; sergeants' mess; question of black market activities; interview prior to demobilisation and question of remaining in army. REEL 16 Continues: question of remaining in army; demobilisation documentation; battalion magazine 'Shuftie'; searches for war souvenirs during journey back to GB, 7/1946. Demobilisation, 7/1946. Post war career: return to work as clerk; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; effects of war service; housing; membership of Rifle Brigade Assoc; career in hospital administration; background to trips with Lady Randall to Egypt and Libya.