Mitchell, Norman Stanley (Oral history)

British recruit trained with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 1942; trooper and NCO with 59th Training Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1942-1943; NCO served with 169 Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1943; NCO served with 53rd Reconnaissance Regt in GB, North West Europe and Germany, 1943-1946; NCO served with 10th Royal Hussars (The Prince of Wales's Own) in Germany, 1946-1947

REEL 1 Background in Bristol, GB, 1924-1942: army number; family; education; leisure activities; reactions to call-up; reaction of parents to call- up; journey to Bury St Edmunds. Aspects of period in training with Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regt in GB, 10/1942-11/1942: uniform worn on arrival; background of fellow recruits; first night in army; NCO instructors; opinion of what was to come; rations and kit issued; cleaning of kit and inspections; initial reactions to army life; troops in squad and treatment from NCOs; accommodation; guard duties; leisure activities; background of fellow recruits; lectures on current affairs; opinion and memories of General Montgomery; drill training; cleaning of rifles; weapons and bayonet training; grenade practice; gas training; field training; training to dig trenches and opinion of entrenching tool; interview at end of basic training and posting with Royal Armoured Corps; reaction to posting. Aspects of period as trooper and NCO with 59th Training Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 11/1942-3/1943: posting in Barnard Castle; atmosphere and changes in new unit; memories of Major Quail; accommodation; reason for promotion to Lance Corporal; tests and interview with War Office Selection Board at Catterick; results of selection board. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 169 Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 3/1943-6/1943: description of unit at Pontefract Racecourse; accommodation; effects of and reactions to race meetings; duties; reason for transfer and vehicles in units. Aspects of period as NCO and trooper with 53rd Reconnaissance Regt in GB, 6/1943-7/1944: posting in C Squadron in Maidstone; opinion of organisation at Pontefract; duties; formation of Reconnaissance Corps; memories of Captain Sir Henry Goldsmith; posting to water truck duties; water purification course at Aldershot; description of water truck; purification of water; collection of water truck; relationship with motor transport officer; duties on exercises; knowledge of and reactions to future invasion; period outside Bury St Edmunds; accommodation at Otham; women in Otham being trained for work in France; memories of commanding officer Colonel Leo Williams including standard of troops turnout and daily routine; memories of Peter Cobra; memories of Frank Long and other officers; organisation of unit; signs of approaching invasion; driver mechanics course in Maidstone and story of unofficial Christmas leave. REEL 3 Continues: details of training; duties during exercises; attitudes of armoured car towards carrier troops; period as jeep driver; opinions of Philip Coburn; duties of Coburn during exercises; posting at Ashford; make-up of squadron; accommodation at Brabourne Lees; contact with home; relationship with woman in Brabourne Lees; memories of John Lowe; demotion from Corporal; reactions to demotion; later refusal of promotion and opinion of Sergeant Major Davies; arrival of Sergeant Major Mackie; 53rd Division's landing in Normandy; preparations for invasion in Mote Park including opinion of heaters issued; journey to East India Docks and earlier departure of B Squadron for France; landing of doodlebugs; state of East India Docks; contact with civilians; length of time and sleeping arrangements in docks. Aspects of journey from London, GB, to France, 7/1944: loading of vehicles onto ship; children waving them off; rations during voyage to France; length of voyage; boarding of landing craft; contact with minesweeper; scenes on coast; landing and disembarkation; removal of waterproofing and arrival in assembly area. Aspects of operations as NCO with 53rd Reconnaissance Regt in North West Europe, 7/1944-5/1945: state of area; accommodation at Carpiquet; relief of infantry at Hill 112; duties with water truck; knowledge of situation. REEL 4 Continues: situation and activities at Hill 112; delivery of water to front; weather and need for care driving on dusty roads; signs erected by Military Police; casualties; memories of padre Harry Smith; services; length of time with water carriers; reason for transfer to armoured car troop; make-up and background of armoured car crew; reinforcements; advance from Falaise; organisation and movement of armoured car troop; story of POWs taken at Cramant; approach of Germans; fire power in armoured car; positions taken in village; state of Cramant and relationship with civilians; evacuation of POWs; German roadblocks and stragglers; use of firearms; help given to Royal Engineers against snipers; knowledge of units either side; rest periods; guard duties at night; advance to Lille and contact with French resistance on arrival; opinion of resistance troops; reception from civilians in Lille; relationship with civilians in Normandy; reaction to liberation of Lille; resistance met and reconnaissance work in Belgium. REEL 5 Continues: visit to Menin Gate; nature of fighting in an armoured car; colour codings for movement; battle in Moruseal; knowledge of activities in Arnhem; opinion of tactics in Holland; action around Eindhoven; actions of Captain Goldsmith at Hoogaloom; description of armoured car; sighting and firing of guns; attachment to 101st American Airborne Division at Nijmegen; American and British rations; attitude of American troops; air activity and description of Nijmegen bridge; opinion of American troops; duties during attack on Reichwald forest; accommodation; story of placing Military Police frontline positions; advance following Reichwald and link-up with American troops; cleaning and maintenance of car and weapons; conditions of roads; crossing of Rhine; accommodation; rest in Brussels; training at Turnhout; journey to Namur; scenes on arrival; activities of unit. REEL 6 Continues: story of night in Roman Catholic Church; ration packs; communications; story of bank in Bochult; luger sold to American troops; crossing of River Aller; story of attack on billets in farmyard including own actions during attack; relief from infantry and aftermath of attack; advance to Hamburg; VE Day celebrations; outlook on chances in war; symptoms of battle exhaustion and cases in division; treatment of troops with battle exhaustion; memories of Harry Goldsmith and his treatment of German POWs. Aspects of period as NCO with 53rd Reconnaissance Regt in Germany, 5/1945-6/1946: guard duties at divisional headquarters in Hamburg; postings including Hilden; posting as squadron clerk and duties; common charges; enjoyment of new post; disbandment of unit; short posting with North Irish Horse in Wuppertal. Aspects of period as NCO with 10th Royal Hussars in Germany, 6/1946-7/1947: posted in Lübeck; duties; frontier duties at Ratsenburg and relationship with Russian troops; Salvation Army canteen in Mohn; discussion of duties taking displaced Poles to Stettin. REEL 7 Continues: opinion of displaced persons; relationship with civilians; change in attitude after starting office work; earlier liberation of 's-Hertogenbosch; opinion of Military Police; opinion of conscientious objectors; black market; cigarette ration and reason for not smoking; foreign troops in unit; opinion of Polish troops; casualties in squadron; death and burial of Bill Pope; memories of officers; story of visit from Frank Long's wife; memories of medical officer Nobby Clark; evacuation of wounded; opinion of medical staff; marking for posting in Far East; reactions to atomic bombs; duties putting demobilisation book together; journey to York; process of demobilisation; marriage. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: civilian work; gratuity; offers to stay in army and reason for not doing so; call-up and period with anti-tank battery at Stepford; reaction to call-up. REEL 8 Continues: return to civilian work; salary; adjusting to civilian life; opinion of attitude towards veterans; treatment given in 's-Hertogenbosch; effects of war; life before call-up and opinion of what life would have been like without war; problems with pension fund; payment for damage to ear; nightmares about war; story of Captain Black; separation of troops and officers; memories of officers; spoken German course; skills learned in army; civilian work; opinions of time in army; opinion of reinforcements late in war.