Interview with John Edward Almonds

1951512673
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
388873625
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
1560188838
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
286332185
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.
738080658
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British NCO served with No 8 (Guards) Commando in North Africa, 1941; NCO served with L Detachment Special Air Service Bde in North Africa, 9/1941-9/1942; prisoner of war in Campo PG 51, Bari and Campo PG 70, Monteurano, Italy, 10/1942-9/1943; NCO and officer served with D Sqdn, 1st Special Air Service, Special Air Service Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945

Content description

REEL 1 Aspects of period with No 8 (Guards) Commando in GB and North Africa, 1940-1941: previous military service with Coldstream Guards in GB, 1932-1936; civilian employment as policeman with Bristol City Police, 1936-1939; call-up on Army Reserve, 1939; joining No 8 (Guards) Commandos after period as instructor; pattern of training including examples of own ill discipline; voyage from GB to Egypt; participation in commando raids along coast of North Africa; meeting Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes; description of raid made at Tobruk. Libya, 17/7/1941-18/7/1941. Recollections of operations as NCO with L Detachment Special Air Service Bde in North Africa, 1941-1942: background to joining L Detachment at Kabrit, Egypt, 9/1941; arrival at and setting-up of camp at Kabrit, Egypt; jumping from vehicles to simulate parachute drops and subsequent accidents; reason for missing unit's first operation; parachute training; memories of Lieutenant John Jock' Lewes as training officer; lectures on methods of derailing trains and destroying aircraft; description of Lewes Bomb; use of Long Range Desert Group; nature of desert raids; move to Jalo Oasis, Libya; use of Italian manufactured Lancia lorries; attacks on Deutsches Afrika Corps lorry park and telegraph lines; description of attack on airfield; attack from German Air Force Messerschmitt Bf 110 aircraft on leaving airfield including death of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes at El Gaus, Libya, 30/12/1941. REEL 2 Continues: dive-bombing attack German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft; scattering of force and cover taken; realisation of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes's death; gathering together of force and evacuation; burial of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes; journey back to camp; reaction of David Stirling to death of Lieutenant John 'Jock' Lewes; return to Kabrit; need for Special Air Service to remain vital; later journey during Operation Bigamy to Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942; journey to north of Axis lines at El Alamein, Egypt; nature of raids on Axis airfields including practice beforehand; story of capture of German Air Force pilot; role during Operation Bigamy, the raid on Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942; approach to and arrival in Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942; nature of Axis counter-attack and escape; nature of situation and discussions over next move; surrender to Italian Army troops, 14/9/1942. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Benghazi, Libya, 9/1942: Italian captors' parading of prisoners of war around Benghazi; pattern of interrogation; voyage from Benghazi to Italy. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 51, Bari and Campo PG 70, Monteurano, Italy, 10/1942-9/1943: arrival and stay in Taranto; arrival at Campo PG 51, Bari; processing; use of Italian language; employment obtained from senior NCO; story of escape from camp, 4/2/1943 including march south, splitting up of group; cover taken during day, encounter with sentry during walk along beach, decision to give up, rations and help received from Italian civilians. REEL 3 Continues: train journey back to Camp PG 51, Bari; reception on return and Italian captors' plan for court martial; move to Campo PG 70, Monteurano; Italian capitulation, 3/9/1942; reconnaissance made around camp. Aspects of escape and period of evasion in Italy, 9/1943-10/1943: start of journey south; progress; distraction of rock formations; encounters with German forces and Italian Partisans; shelter obtained from Italian civilians and meeting of former American prisoner of war; movement along stream and passing through German lines; arrival in United States Army lines, 14/10/1943. Aspects of period as NCO with British Army in GB, 1943-1944: return journey to GB; rehabilitation in Croydon; posting at Prime Minister's Official Residence at Chequers; contact with Special Air Service officers; posting to Scotland; climbing of wire fence; memories of Robert 'Paddy' Mayne. Recollections of operations as NCO and officer with D Sqdn, 1st Special Air Service, Special Air Service Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945: attending parachute course; posting in D Sqdn; journey to Swindon; briefings; parachute drop in France, 6/1944; problems with landing; help from local French farmer and medical treatment received; arrival at headquarters; organisation of force. REEL 4 Continues: blowing of railway line; contacts made in area; characteristics of armoured jeeps; raids on German forces; blowing of railway lines; story of German Army troops in woods and subsequent car chase; German Air Force attack on unit; story of Sergeant William Duffy and his escape from German captivity; construction of cabin in woods; loss of squadron signallers; contact with United States Army; arrival of Major Robert 'Paddy' Mayne; loss of camp; reunion with unit; return to GB; promotion to lieutenant; preparations for next operational deployment; move to Belgium; nature of advance into Germany; use of mine detectors; events at Oldenburg, Germany; VE Day, 8/5/1945; period in Norway; reaction to disbandment of Special Air Service; successes of Special Air Service; preparations for posting in Far East; prior recollection of clothing worn and water in desert. REEL 5 Continues: memories of Corporal Thomas 'Ginger' Jones.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: TVS (Production company)
Stevens, Gordon (Recorder)
Almonds, John Edward (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1987
Dimensions: whole: Duration 122, Number Of Items 5
Catalogue number: 18044

Object associations

Our collections information

We have over 1.7 million object records online, and we are adding to this all the time. Our records are never finished. Sometimes we discover new information that changes what we know about an object, such as who made it or used it. Sometimes we change how an object is interpreted. We sometimes make mistakes in our spelling, transcription or categorisation, or miss information out of our records.

Read more about our collections and the information we hold. Developing our collections information

If you have concerns about the language in this record, or you have information to improve it, please share your feedback.

We receive a lot of comments and can't respond to each one, but we do read them all and will respond where we can.

Interview with John Edward Almonds

Description

Object description

Content description

Object Details

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Associated places

Associated themes

Our collections information

Related content

How Britain Celebrated Christmas During The Second World War