Description
Object description
British private served with 1st (Machine Gun) Bn Manchester Regt, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 11/1944-2/1945; private and NCO served with Royal Army Service Corps in Belgium, GB and Germany, 1945-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Gloucester, GB, 1925-1943: family; hospitalisation as child; education; employment; military service of brothers during Second World War; service in No 5 (Gloucester) Bn Gloucestershire Home Guard. Aspects of period as private with No 72 Primary Training Wing, General Service Corps, Budbrooke Barracks, Budbrooke, GB, 11/1943-3/1944: mother's reaction to his enlistment in British Army; journey to Warwick; reception from NCO; accommodation in Budbrooke Barracks; background of recruits; idea of what experience of war would be like; talking about war experiences; leadership of squad; processing on arrival, including inoculations; treatment received from NCOs; move to Hereford; physical training course attended; Christmas leave, 12/1943; completion of basic training at Budbrooke Barracks; opinion of reason for posting to Manchester Regiment in Chester and selection tests given; obstacle courses; size of course and accommodation at Hereford; background of troops; hardness of training; schemes; weapons training. Aspects of period as private with Manchester Regiment in GB, 1944: need to be infantry trained; firing of Vickers Machine Gun over heads; use of machine gun in First World War; sighting and positioning of guns; description of anti-tank gun; opinion of Sten Gun; gas training; gas shells in Forest of Dean.
REEL 2 Continues: responsibilities of British soldier; field training. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Manchester Regiment at No 44 Reinforcement Holding Unit in GB, 1944: changes after move to Holyhead; memories of Captain John Bromley-Davenport; accommodation; nature of training with Universal Carrier; protection provided by Universal Carrier; opinion of training; obstacle course built for Universal Carrier; size of draft; knowledge of destination and story of postcards sent home; train journey to Southampton; period in camp; voyage from Southampton to Ostend, Belgium. Aspects of period as private with Manchester Regiment at No 34 Reinforcement Holding Unit in Belgium, 1944: impressions of Ostend; relations with Belgian civilians; reason for giving up lance corporal stripe; journey to and stay in Tournai; situation in North West Europe; formation of drafts; problems with drill; Recollections of operations as private with 1st (Machine Gun) Bn Manchester Regt, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 11/1944-2/1945: processing at headquarters; joining of platoon at Weert, Netherlands; composition of Vickers Machine Gun crew; situation at front and supporting 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div; memories of radio operator; opinion of British Army troops; role and rotation of duties; accommodation; plan for corps assault; reconnaissance on farm and presence of rabbits during night; role of battalion; story of first time he fired Vickers Machine Gun; plan for attack; story of rocket attack on platoon; burial of casualties.
REEL 3 Continues: memories of chaplain; rest period following attack; quality of reinforcements; opinion of United States Army troops; in action at Venlo, Netherlands, including German forces' disguising of troops as medical staff; patrolling; reason for wanting to leave British Army; situation in Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944; composition of battalion; orders for attack against German forces; living conditions during advance and abandonment of vehicles; reason for advance; terrain and conditions in Ardennes, Belgium; proximity to German forces; problems firing Vickers Machine Gun; coping with cold; sleeping arrangements; period with listening post; contact with and impressions of German forces; opinion of what he was fighting for; opinion of how close German forces came to victory in Ardennes, Belgium, 12/1944-1/1945; withdrawal to and amphibious warfare training in Netherlands; composition of XXX Corps; move into positions in Reichswald Forest, Germany, 2/1945; plan for five hour artillery barrage; collection of ammunition; number of rounds fired in artillery barrage; role and atmosphere during artillery barrage; silence and appearance of prisoners of war following artillery barrage; German defensive lines in forest; wounding, 2/1945.
REEL 4 Continues: initial medical treatment and evacuation. Aspects of hospitalisation in Belgium, 1945: regaining consciousness in hospital; start and opinion of psychiatric treatment; mystery in cause of wounding; psychiatric treatment; medical regarding and awaiting posting; atmosphere and staff in hospital. Aspects of period as private with Royal Army Service Corps in Belgium, 1945: posting with Royal Army Service Corps at Ostend; accommodation; Belgian Army soldier with epilepsy; recreational activities, including visits to Bruges; Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) concerts; news of posting and journey to GB. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Royal Army Service Corps in GB and Germany, 1945-1947: arrival in Sunningdale, GB; granting of leave; welcome home; reaction to posting to Byfleet, GB; fitness training; effects of war on nerves; story of visit to girlfriend at Reading, GB; accommodation; clerk training course; spat with cook; leave; postings and end of war; situation and duties at Sennelager, Germany; sporting activities; demobilisation medical; demobilisation group; journey to York, GB; process of demobilisation; army number; welcome home from brother; reaction on leaving British Army; promotion to sergeant; opinions of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and General Omar Bradley.
REEL 5 Continues: opinion of American tactics and equipment; contact with troops of other nationalities; presence of Yugoslav troops in unit; story of stopping troops from leaving camp at Sennelager, Germany; recreational activities; story of NCO throwing an item Chester, GB; bullying in British Army; contact with and opinion of officers; memories of John Weaver; identification with unit; contact and problems with Displaced Persons in Germany; state of civilians in Netherlands; firing squad photographs; evidence of German mistreatment of civilians; religion in military and attending German civilian wedding; opinion of Royal Army Medical Corps; different branches of Corps of Military Police; story of punishment for late return to camp; general opinion of Corps of Military Police.
REEL 6 Continues: opinion of conscientious objectors; news from home; mail; listening to radio; labelling of troops with shell shock; attempts to gain more information on accident; opinion of dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; reaction to preparations of Manchester Regiment for deployment in Far East; lasting psychological effects of war and treatment; effect of war on family; marriage and family.
