Interview with John Harnett

British private served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 2/1940-5/1940; private served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB and North Africa, 6/1940-8/1941; private served with Headquarters, X Corps in French Syria and Egypt, 8/1941-9/1942; private served with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa, 9/1942-5/1943; private served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 12/1943-10/1944; private served with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Germany, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Background in Sunderland and Oakham, GB, 1916-1939: family; father's military service in First World War; education; employment; death of father and story of his losing army pension; employment in Oakham. Aspects of enlistment in Durham Light Infantry in Sunderland, GB, 1939: return home to Sunderland in order to enlist, 9/1939; reaction of mother to his enlistment; reason for wanting to join British Army; process of enlistment and choice of regiment; medical examination. Aspects of training as private with Durham Light Infantry in GB, 11/1939-2/1940: reception at Durham Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Brancepeth Castle; move to Willington; accommodation; issue of uniform; memories of Adam Wakenshaw and Tacker Lynn; learning of drill; church parades; relations with civilians; light infantry pace; NCO instructors; sleeping arrangements; rations; morning procedures; breakfast and mess hall; settling in to military life; polishing of boots; method for putting crease into trousers; lunch and afternoon routine; leisure activities; details of pay; relations with civilians; route march. REEL 2 Continues: move to New Brancepth; live firing at Whitburn; issue of rifle and bayonet; opinion of Lee-Enfield Rifle; bayonet training; rifle drill and pace; later story of march to train siding at Rouen, France, 2/1940; accommodation in New Brancepeth; wait on draft in Ushaw Moor. Recollections of period as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in France, 2/1940-5/1940: journey to France and reiteration of story of march to train siding at Rouen, 2/1940; journey to Amiens and Ferrières; arrival with battalion; accommodation; incident of soldier with pubic lice; living conditions; accommodation in Lens; posting in C Company; digging anti-tank ditches near Lillers. Aspects of operations as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940: move into Belgium, 10/5/1940; presence of refugees on road; positions taken on canal; rumours of Fifth Column; retreat from Belgium; wait on Vimy Ridge, France; wounding by shrapnel. Aspects of medical evacuation from France to GB, 1940: sights on beaches at Dunkirk, France; fire in ambulance on journey to Dunkirk, France; taking cover artillery fire; obtaining lift to Dunkirk, France; orders received by Corps of Military Police; receiving food on boat; arrival in Folkestone, GB; hospitalisation in Queen Mary's Military Hospital, Blackburn; sick leave. Aspects of period as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 6/1940-5/1941: duties in Weymouth; accommodation; coastal defence duties and transfer to battalion; air activity; German Air Force bombing in Honiton; posting in A Coy; memories of Captain Bell Turnbull; learning to ride a motorcycle. REEL 3 Continues: posting in Honiton; reduction of fuse time in hand grenades; manoeuvres on Exmoor; German Air Force bombing in Honiton; journey to Glasgow. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Duchess of Richmond from Glasgow, GB to Suez, Egypt via South Africa, 5/1941-6/1941: disappearance of convoy escort to engage German battleship Bismarck; sleeping arrangements; arrival at Suez, Egypt; stopover in Freetown, Sierra Leone; reaction to overseas posting; parade in Durban, South Africa; contact with civilians; journey up Red Sea. Aspects of period as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Egypt, 1941: story of navigation exercise in Egypt; patrolling on Suez Canal; posting to Headquarters, X Corps. Aspects of period as private with Headquarters, X Corps in French Syria, 8/1941-9/1942: work as despatch rider; offer of job as batman to Lieutenant Hugh Bailey; move to Nile Delta, Egypt and transfer of Lieutenant Hugh Bailey; transfer back to 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry. Aspects of operations as private with 8th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa, 10/1942-5/1943: taken out of line and accommodation given; visit by General Bernard Montgomery; reason for being taken out of line; role during Battle of El Alamein, 10/1942-11/1942; burial of dead after Battle of El Alamein; loss of Captain Bell Turnbull prior to battle of El Alamein; reunion with battalion; arrival in Benghazi, Libya; exercises; action at El Agheila, Libya; visit to Tripoli, Libya; casualties at Mareth, Tunisia; advance through gully; medical treatment given to Harry Peatham; removal of pack during battle and its return to battalion; hospitalisation with tonsillitis; return to GB. Aspects of period as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 12/1943-6/1944: leave; character of battalion; battalion move to Romsey with United States Army troops; training at Southampton; sight of recognition markings on aircraft. Aspects of operations as private with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 6/1944-11/1944: landing on Gold Beach and move through minefield, Arromanches-les-Bains, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944 including sight of wounded soldier by seafront houses at Arromanches-les-Bains; march away from Gold Beach, Normandy, France, 6/6/1944. REEL 4 Continues: march towards Tilly-sur-Seulles, Normandy, France, 6/1944; sleeping in trench; preparations for action; advance across field and success; relief by another unit; withdrawal of Germans and chase into Belgium, 9/1944; break-up of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div and transfer to Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 10/1944. Aspects of period as private with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in Germany, 1945-1946: guard duties; curfew in Germany; story of rabbits discovered in garden; state of Hamburg; relations with German civilians; journey to and demobilisation in York, GB; leave; return to civilian employment; gratuity pay.