Description
Object description
British boy musician and private served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, China, North Africa and Syria, 1932-1941; POW in Syria, 1941; NCO served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, Malta and Greece, 1941-1943; NCO served with 30th Training Battalion in GB, 1944-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London, GB, 1918-1932: family; reason for being put into a home; visit of Charlie Chaplin; age when put into home; relationship with grandparents; description of Fenham Barracks; story of parade at Fenham; memories of childhood and education; reasons for joining army; visit to school of bandmaster; story of offer to work at The Oval. Aspects of period as boy musician and private with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1932-1938: arrival at Catterick; height on joining army; Christmas 1932; work with horse transport; learned instrument after joining; uniform issued; arrival of "Crackers" May; accommodation including population of barrack room; morning procedures; breakfast; army education; band practice; memories of Bandmaster Ripon; proficiency on instrument; evening activities; care from army as boys; memories of E Thomasson; details of pay; items bought with pay; protection from alcohol; relationship with Hugh Vaux; leisure activities; comradeship among boys; start of drill training and parades; weekend leave and memories of brother in law Porter; death of grandmother.
REEL 2 Continues: transfer in Fenham Barracks for training; playing cricket in army; posting in Blackdown; visits to London; troops posted to 2nd Battalion; rotation of battalions between home and abroad and length of overseas service; role of bandsmen in action; plotting of minefields at Mersa Matruh; emergency rations and field dressing carried; training given as stretcher bearer; work of stretcher bearer; length of time at Blackdown; posting at Fenham Barracks; summary of training; cleaning of kit and kit inspections; pace of drill; route marches and schemes; opinion of rifle and Lewis gun; proficiency with weapon; accommodation; discipline in barracks and hospital; treatment in hospital; relationship with civilians in GB and abroad; length of time at Fenham; return to Blackdown Camp; parades attended with band; Inkerman Day and learning of regimental history; instruments played and calls played on bugle; shifts of duty bugler; standard of turnout; uniform of bandsmen; concerts played including role in journeys; King George VI's Coronation; reactions to posting abroad. Aspects of journey from Southampton, GB, to Shanghai, China, aboard the Dilwara in 1938: band playing on embarkation; typhoon in China Sea; sleeping arrangements and mess decks; rations; ports of call; draft picked up in Sudan; stops in Bombay and Singapore; time in Hong Kong; arrival in Shanghai; coping with changes in climate.
REEL 3 Continues: conditions onboard; gambling and bingo; boxing competitions; situation in China; families in Tientsin. Aspects of period as private with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in China, 1937-1939: first impressions of Shanghai and activities in dancehalls; cricket matches with Shanghai Select Forces Team; accommodation; contact with Italians; other British units in China; proximity to Japanese troops; treatment of Chinese by Japanese troops; reaction to cruelty seen; relationship with Italian and American troops; duties; relationship with Chinese civilians; uniform worn; starching of uniforms; health of battalion and inoculations; death and funeral of Lewin; length of time in Shanghai; posting to Tientsin; floods in Tientsin; duties with band in Peking; rations; VD precautions; army attitude to VD; treatment for and symptoms of VD; outbreak of war; journey to Hong Kong and Christmas dinner; reactions to situation; length of time in Hong Kong; voyage to Port Said. Aspects of operations as private and NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1940-1941: posting at Moascar and Kantara; posting to Mersa Matruh after Italian declaration of war; activities at Mersa Matruh; action against Italians; departure of Indian and arrival of Australian troops; push to Sidi Birani; German counter attack; action near Sollum; news of push to Tobruk; attacks made on Sollum and Fort Capuzzo; work on battlefield as stretcher bearer and process of burying dead.
REEL 4 Continues: evacuation of wounded; role in Syria; troops lost in Egypt; reinforcements from Essex Regiment; coping with sights on battlefield; leave in Tel Aviv. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Syria, 1941: situation in Syria; make-up of brigade; promotion to Lance Corporal and posting in C Company; orders given for patrol and introduction to new officer called Seedright; story of patrol; capture by Sengalese troops. Aspects of period as POW in Syria, 1941: initial treatment; weapons carried by section leaders while covering for Scots Commandos; prisons held in around Beirut; fellow prisoners; disappearance of Seedright during patrol; rations and description of camp held in; interview with commanding officer on return; treatment and guards; Australian POWs; supply of rations and coffee; organisation of camp and futility of escape; release after cessation of hostilities; leave; voyage into Tobruk. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa, 1941: disembarkation and posting in advance party; comparison of comforts enjoyed by Australian and British troops; scenes in harbour on arrival; arrival in line with Australians and story of fighting patrol including Ghurkhas met after scattering from fire; description of communication trenches; story of refusing Richard Dimbleby's offer to write a letter home; units either side; description of defensive positions; effects of German breakthrough; role of patrols and proximity of German troops; wire in front of positions; depth of positions; rations; water rations and soap issued; death of platoon commander Atkinson; collection of rations.
REEL 5 Continues: period before arrival of battalion; reiteration of story of patrol with Australians and Ghurkhas met after scattering from fire; accommodation and conditions; shelling from Axis troops; patrols with Durham Light Infantry; wounding of section leader from a hand grenade; relationship with Lance Corporal Hawksworth; water rations; rations; stockpile of captured weapons; situation in Tobruk and departure; field dressings and emergency rations issued; repelling of a German attack; story of a soldier receiving a Dear John letter; option for troops from reserved occupations to return home; reinforcements from Essex Regiment; collection of supplies; fires in front line; mail; news of attack on Pearl Harbour; breakout from Tobruk lines; occupation of aerodrome and bombing from Americans; comedians in line; leave in Cairo and journey to Malta. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Malta, 1942-1943: quiet period in Malta; reasons for not getting reinforcements at this time; date of arrival in Malta; role and accommodation at Monastery; attitude of Maltese civilians; talk from brigadier and role in schemes.
REEL 6 Continues: activities during quiet period; brothers on Malta in Dorsetshire Regiment; work on Tikali aerodrome; start of and duties during air raids; arrival of Supermarine Spitfires; attacks from stuka bombers and defence against them; memories of a Canadian pilot Wilburn; description of air raids; opinion that should have been awarded medals for Tobruk and Malta; fruit available on island; visits to Valetta; attack on German submarine and Stand To; reiteration of work on aerodrome; accommodation in Dingley; patrols on coast; length of time on Malta; training in Haifa; flight to Kos. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Greece, 7/1943: situation in Greek Islands and brigade headquarters on Leros; German POW taken to Leros; accommodation on Kos; role in Kos; warning from Lord Haw Haw; German invasion and defence of Kos; casualties; memories of Platoon Commander Smith; order to capitulate or go to hills; decision to head for hills; time in farmhouse; drink made from emergency rations; rota for keeping watch through night; troops on farm; arrival of an RAF officer; description of raft built for escape; story of voyage to Turkey; arrest on arrival in Turkey.
REEL 7 Continues: transfer to different prisons; journey to Famagusta; treatment from Turkish authorities; reunion with remnants1st Battalion; news of return to GB; journey to Glasgow; reactions on return to GB; leave; posting in Inverness. Aspects of period as NCO with 30th Training Bn in GB, 1944-1946: role in battalion; description of recruits; length of time in battalion; details of regular army service; relationship with civilians; relationship with recruits; story of using live ammunition in training; fitness of recruits; background of battalion NCOs; process of demobilisation in York; reasons for not staying on in army; gratuity payment. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1946: settling into civilian life; membership of Old Comrades Association; best and worst moments in army; story of reunion with John Hawksworth; contact with mother after war; children.
