Interview with William Cunningham

British officer served with with 80th (Holding and Training) Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps at Morecambe, GB, 4/1944-10/1944; served with 61st Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Netherlands, 10/1944-11/1944; served with 15th Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 12/1944-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Singapore, Malaya, Egypt and GB, 1934-1943: father's military service; Boy Scouts activities and education in Cairo; education at boarding school in Staffordshire, GB; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; problem with mathematics; training with 8th (Burton and Tutbury) Bn Staffordshire Home Guard, 1940-1942; question of enlistment in Royal Air Force. Aspects of enlistment and training with 57th Primary Training Wing, Sobraon Barracks, Lincoln, GB, 2/1943-3/1943: enlistment in British Army, 2/1943; relations with fellow recruits and instructors; memories of crashed Royal Air Force Avro Manchester bomber aircraft. Aspects of training as gunner with 6th Training Regt, Royal Artillery at Dalry, 4/1943-9/1943: selection for training as observation post assistant. REEL 2 Continues: question of drawing panoramas; story of officers at observation post; background to application to join Royal Armoured Corps; driving training. Aspects of period as NCO at No 1 Pre-Officers' Cadet Training Unit, Royal Armoured Corps at Pirbright and officer cadet at No 100 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 9/1943-4/1944: incident of agnostic refusing to attend church parade; sporting activities; stories illustrating relations with fellow officer cadets and instructors; examinations and passing out. Aspects of period as officer with 80th (Holding and Training) Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps at Morecambe, GB, 4/1944-10/1944: composition and role of regiment; story of accidental shooting down of Royal Air Force aircraft towing target drogue; story of rowing boat straying into target range; use of Humber Armoured Car and Light Reconnaissance Vehicle; live firing demonstration; No 19 Wireless Set; relation with troopers, NCOs and officers. REEL 3 Continues: move on Reconnaissance Corps draft to Bayeux, Normandy, France, 10/1944, including crossing English Channel crossing, playing poker and eating horse meat. Recollections of operations as officer with 61st Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Netherlands, 10/1944-11/1944: reception on joining regiment on The Island, Netherlands, 10/1944; move forward to Elst, Netherlands; carrying airborne troops of 101st Airborne Div, United States Army into forward position at Driel, Netherlands, 10/1944; story of wounded American airborne soldier; narrow escape from being shot by American airborne soldier; eating flapjacks; incident of armoured car machine gun opening fire; daytime visit to American manned forward observation post and their passive posture; story of clearing bodies prior to service at Elst, Netherlands; acting as rearguard during retreat from flooding on The Island, Netherlands; question of disbandment of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div, 11/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 15th Reconnaissance Regt, Reconnaissance Corps, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 12/1944-5/1945: move into Belgium; move to guard ridges at Dinant, Belgium and Givet, France during German Ardennes Offensive, 12/1944-1/1945. REEL 4 Continues: performing reconnaissance role for 2nd Fife Forfar Yeomanry; story of capture and loss of church required as observation post at Bure, Belgium, 1/1944; relations with 2nd Fife Forfar Yeomanry; wearing camouflaged white uniform and tanks suits; icy road conditions; story of knocked out Universal Carrier; attached troop of Belgian Special Air Service; story of searching farmhouse; period detached as radio officer with 5th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) during crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; nature of advance into Germany, 4/1945-5/1945; VE Day, 8/5/1945; training on M4 Sherman Tank; acting as assistant town major in German town; visit to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp; military service, 1945-1946.