Interview with Ernest Arthur Sollars

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Description

Object description

British marine and NCO served with Royal Marines in GB, 2/1940-2/1941; NCO served with 1st Royal Marine Group, Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation 1 on Crete, Greece, 4/1941-5/1941; prisoner of war on Crete and Dulag 183, Salonika, Greece, Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg and Stalag XVIII-C, Sankt Johann im Pongau, Austria, 5/1941-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Winchester, GB, 1918-1939: family; education. Recollections of enlistment and training as marine with Royal Marines in GB, 1939-1941: background to enlistment in Royal Marines, 10/1939; arrival at Royal Marine Depot, Deal, 2/1940; signals training; issue of First World War equipment; period in tented camp at Rochester, summer 1940; orders to relieve wounded NCO at Dover; narrow escape from German long-range artillery fire at Dover Castle; sight of first German Air Force raid on Portsmouth, 24/8/1940. REEL 2 Continues: infantry course at Lympstone, 11/1940; voyage aboard SS Bergensfjord from GB to Egypt 2/1941-3/1941. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Royal Marine Group, Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation 1 on Crete, Greece, 4/1941-5/1941: Italian Air Force attack on SS City of Canterbury taking unit to Crete, 4/1941; arrival of unit in Canea area; line laying duties and damage done by German Air Force; pattern of German Air Force attacks, 5/1941; problem of lack of knowledge of Canea area. REEL 3 Continues: sight of dead German airborne troops and crashed glider; gaining intelligence from Greek civilian; success of Germans airborne troops in destroying land lines; accidental shooting of Greek civilian; Captain Laxton's retaking of Royal Artillery position from Germans; orders to evacuate to Spharkia; break down of discipline on way to Spharkia; lack of food and drink on trek; waiting in Spharkia evacuation area; sight of Major Ralph Garrett party's escape to Gavdos Island. REEL 4 Continues: Recollections of period as prisoner of war on Crete and Dulag 183, Salonika, Greece, 5/1941-7/1941: arrival of first German forces; theft of iron rations; character of march northwards; support given to prisoners of war by Cretan civilians; conditions in prisoner of war enclosures in north Crete; job he was given carrying German Army medical officer's bags; obtaining German rations; attempt to batter with Italian Army troops; arrival at Piraeus on mainland Greece; hearing of German invasion on Soviet Union in Athens, 22/6/1941; aid received from Greek civilians; story of Royal Navy seaman's refusal to take lift from German vehicle; conditions in Dulag 185 at Salonika. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg and Stalag XVIII-C, Sankt Johann im Pongau, Austria, 8/1941-5/1945: nature of train journey from Greece to Austria via Yugoslavia, 8/1941; arrival at Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg in Austria; behaviour of Nazi farmer and his family during period on working party; weather conditions in Graz area; character of farmers he worked for and treatment received; move from Graz area; German treatment of Polish forced labourers; march westwards, 3/1945. REEL 5 Continues: arrival in Stalag XVIII-C, Sankt Johann im Pongau area; behaviour of East Europeans after German guards disappeared from Stalag XVIII-C, Sankt Johann im Pongau; arrival of United States Army; problems encountered on journey from Austria to GB via Brussels, Belgium; reaction to sight of GB; reception in Winchester, GB; attitude to having served with Royal Marines in Second World War; after-effects of having served in Second World War.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Wood, Conrad (Recorder)
Sollars, Ernest Arthur (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2002-06-04
Dimensions: whole: Duration 175, Number Of Items 6
Catalogue number: 23139

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Interview with Ernest Arthur Sollars

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