Description
Object description
British private served with General Service Corps in GB, 11/1942-1/1943; craftsman and NCO with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to 146th Brigade Workshops, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 1/1943-8/1945; craftsman served with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer attached to 3rd King's Own Hussars in Palestine, 1945-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Salford, GB, 1924-1942: family; father's employment on Salford Docks; childhood; nature of religious divisions in Salford; education; civilian employment including changes due to conditions and contracts, 1938; story of trial blackout in Salford, 1938; knowledge of First World War and attitude to prospect of military service; attempts to join Royal Air Force, Merchant Navy and Royal Navy; friend Freddie Roger's service in Royal Navy; waiting for call-up papers; reaction to call-up for military service; brothers' war service; memories of Freddie Rogers; duties with Air Raid Precautions; description of flare baskets; story of removing parachute from chimney.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as private with General Service Corps in GB, 11/1942-1/1943: pattern of training and aptitude tests at Carlisle; posting to Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; journey to and reception on arrival at Carlisle; nature of Durranhill Camp, Carlisle; settling into military life; background of and relations with fellow recruits; issue of kit; weapons training; drill; morning procedures; rations; story of soldier going Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL); treatment received from NCOs; fitness training; attitude to promotion. Recollections of period as craftsman and NCO with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to 146th Infantry Bde Workshops, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in GB, 1/1943-6/1944: initial posting to anti-aircraft unit in Salford; accommodation; duties; attending course in Birmingham; role of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers; posting to 146th Infantry Bde Workshops, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div at Malvern; nature of rumours; memories of officers including washing facilities and dentist drill motor devised by one.
REEL 3 Continues: contrast in service in infantry; duties; details of workshops; role as driver/mechanic; description of workshop; duties; posting to Crieff; opinion of posting; accommodation; exercises; attitude to service; opinion of reasons for changes to signals section; volunteering for and training in signals and instruction; training of signallers at Great Yarmouth including method talking in Morse Code; German Air Force raids in Salford; role during run up to D-Day landings; mail; leave including meeting of future wife; waterproofing of vehicles; nature of journey to Tilbury Docks; embarkation; further details of signals training and signals section.
REEL 4 Continues: story of loss of vehicle during course and subsequent charge. Aspects of voyage from GB to Normandy, France, 6/1944: reaction to situation; boarding of landing craft; prior invasion training; fitness. Recollections of operations as NCO and craftsman with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to 146th Infantry Bde Workshops, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: vehicle used; landing and movement up beach, Normandy, France, 6/1944; naval support; reaction to arrival in Normandy, France; period in workshops at Carcagny, Normandy, France; description of armour added to Universal Carrier and testing of armour; story of Universal Carrier driver; other work undertaken in workshops; nature of 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div memorial; advance towards River Seine and reaction to sights witnessed in Falaise Gap, Normandy, France; relief of 6th Airborne Div, 9/1944; problems with M4 Sherman Tank; nature of problems with vehicles and communications; communications; nature of recovery trips.
REEL 5 Continues: crossing of River Seine, France; Allied bombing and subsequent devastated state of Le Havre, France, 9/1944; rations found in warehouse; advance into Netherlands; sleeping arrangements; rest period including use of abandoned horses in France; mail; leave in Brussels, Belgium; degree of knowledge of Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; nature of move to area north of Nijmegen, Netherlands; reason for demotion to craftsman and reaction; German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 Rocket attacks; role around Nijmegen, Netherlands area including use as infantry; capture of Arnhem, Netherlands, 4/1945; communications including method of coding; advance through northern Netherlands, 4/1945-5/1945.
REEL 6 Continues: state of Dutch civilians; supply of rations to Utrecht, Netherlands beyond German lines during truce; Dutch treatment of collaborators; later visits to northern Netherlands; crossing of River Rhine, Germany; VE Day, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as craftsman with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Germany, 5/1945-8/1945: disarmament of German Army; story of accident with Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon; nature of relations with German civilians; further details of disarmament of German Army including attitude of German troops and use of German prisoners of war; recovery of German vehicles; reaction to news of posting to Far East; end of Second World War during embarkation leave, 15/8/1945. Recollections of period as craftsman with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Egypt and Palestine, 1945-1947: posting to Middle East; period at Tel-el-Kebir Camp, Egypt; attachment in Palestine to 3rd King's Own Hussars.
REEL 7 Continues: duties; situation in Palestine and role of British forces; problems faced by military; attitude of 3rd King's Own Hussars personnel to service in Palestine and relations with them; opinion of posting; waiting for demobilisation; attachment to 6th Airborne Div; influx of Jewish immigrants; organisation of visits to GB; background to demobilisation and marriage. Post-war life and employment: family; civilian employment. Reflections on military service: question of contact with chaplains; religion; question of tiredness and fatigue during campaign in North West Europe; state of infantry; story of bombed stores; contact with troops suffering from psychological stress; opinion of United States Army and Canadian Army troops; opinion of German opposition during Second World War.
REEL 8 Continues: wartime problems with ears and subsequent post-war problems; pension; psychologcial effects of war; question of continuing service with British Army; reason for not going to Korean War; comradeship in British Army; opinion of treatment received from British Army; health problems; relations with officers; alcohol consumption during military service; opinion of German Army troops; opinion of attachment to 6th Airborne Div in Palestine.
