Description
Object description
British NCO served with 11th Bn Worcestershire Regt in GB, 1940-1943; served with 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 43rd Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Birmingham, 1919-1939: family; education; employment; registering for militia, 1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Enlistment and training with Worcestershire Regt in GB, 1939-1940: call up to Norton Barracks, Worcester, 10/1939; basic and signals training; reasons for not going on draft to France, 1940; role monitoring German air activity. Recollections of period as private with 11th Bn Worcestershire Regt in GB, 1940-1943: character of unit; state of equipment; effect of transfer of unit to Guards Armoured Div; his attitude towards promotion; rifleman who shot himself over kit inspection; degree of confidence over outcome of war; effect of transfer of unit to 43rd Div, c1943. Recollections of operations as NCO with Signals Platoon, 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 43rd Div in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: embarking aboard SS Canterbury.
REEL 2 Continues: transfer to assault landing craft and landing on Mulberry Harbour; reasons for being held out of battle; composition of signals platoon; digging in at Cheux; heavy casualties after shelling of O group; effect of action on lay preacher; dealing with cases of shell shock; fate of five soldiers with shell shock; type of soldier who performed well in action; background to his promotion; ease with which he assumed command of his men; contact with civilians at Muon; importance of Hill 112; problems with signals equipment.
REEL 3 Continues: use of captured German signal equipment; reasons why buildings were used as headquarters; concussion he received from flying brick; problems of attack on Hill 112; reasons for crossing River Seine at Vernon; dealing with German machine gun nest; German counter attack with tanks at Vernon. Recollections of operations as NCO with Signals Platoon, 1st Bn Worcestershire Regt, 43rd Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: in reserve after crossing River Seine including visit to Paris; impressions of Siegfried Line; in action at Tripsrath, 11/1944.
REEL 4 Continues: shooting German soldier during attack on battalion headquarters at Tripsrath; character of jeep journey to Tripsrath; role of unit during Operation Market Garden, 9/1944; behaviour of Dutch civilians; advance to Elst, 9/1944; coping with winter conditions, winter 1944-1945; disruption of Christmas celebrations by Ardennes offensive; leave in Birmingham, 3/1945; living off land in Germany; use of German telephone lines, 1945; lack of hostility from German populace; capture of Bremen; problems controlling Displaced Persons; liberation of Mercedes-Benz cars; avoiding undue risks, 5/1945.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of Occupation of Germany, 1945-1946: move to Lüneberg area, 5/1945; arrest of unit members by Russians; rescue by German barge on River Elbe; move to Goslar area; continuing education at Gottingen University; demobilisation in GB, 4/1946. Period as civilian living in GB after 1945: bread rationing; efforts to get into personnel management. Reasons for receiving Military Medal and other medal recommendations. Attitude to having served with Worcestershire Regt in Second World War. Memories of post war career in personnel management.
REEL 6 Continues: Effects of service in Second World War. Attitude towards Germans in Second World War. Relations with French, Belgian and Dutch civilians.