Hatch, Ronald James (Oral history)

New Zealand NCO and officer served with 1st Ordnance Field Park Australian Imperial Force in Australia, Middle East and North Africa, 1940-1943; officer served with Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Wellington, New Zealand, and Australia, 1913- 1940: family including father's work as jockey; education and reasons for not entering horse racing; story of journey to Melbourne; gaining of place in cricket team; civilian work in clothing industry; reaction to outbreak of war; attempt to join army, 9/1939, and subsequent reprimand; second attempt to enlist; attitude to Britain; details of army cadet membership while at Scots College in Wellington; service of family members in First World War; knowledge of events in Germany, 1930s; opinion of navy; knowledge of First World War; opinion of preparedness for war. REEL 2 Continues: knowledge and discussion of events in Europe, late 1930s, including reaction to Munich Agreement; awareness of approaching war; outbreak of war and reactions; involvement in production of equipment for army including problems with getting buttons; process of joining army. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Ordnance Field Park Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 5/1940-12/1940: uniform issued; leave; sleeping arrangements; morning procedures; reactions to situation in Europe; process of joining army; details of pay; preparations for new intake of troops; formation and role of 1st Ordnance Field Park; own role in unit; pattern of training; background to posting in Tobruk. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of posting; equipment situation; further details of training and exercises; atmosphere during train journey to Sydney. Aspects of voyage from Sydney, Australia, to Egypt aboard RMS Queen Mary and the Lancashire, 12/1940-1/1941: boarding of RMS Queen Mary; accommodation and conditions onboard; promotions to sergeant; population of ship; items available onboard; activities during voyage including lifeboat drill; story of funeral; breakaway from convoy; details of stop at Perth; reactions to situation; leave in Colombo; boarding of Lancashire; medical inspection; conditions onboard Lancashire including rations; thoughts during voyage; smell in Suez Canal; Italian air activity; disembarkation and first impressions of Egypt; comradeship. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Ordnance Field Park Australian Imperial Force in Middle East and North Africa, 1/1941-3/1942: details of camp at Barbara; collection of vehicles from Port Said. REEL 4 Continues: news of posting to Greece; reunion with brother in Amiriyah; details of camp; weapons carried; posting to delivery of guns to Derna; knowledge of campaigns in North Africa and Greece; war service of brother including artillery training with cadets and meeting with brother in Egypt; story of journey toward Derna including scenes of withdrawing convoys en route; situation on arrival in Tobruk, 4/1941; visit to headquarters and orders given. REEL 5 Continues: transport and impressions of POWs; first experience of an air raid; atmosphere and sandstorm in Tobruk; knowledge of situation; preparations for transport of POWs to Alexandria including attack from Junkers Ju-87 Stukas; closure of road from Tobruk; reactions to air raids; knowledge of situation; duties in Tobruk; defences built in town during German advance; defeat of advance by artillery; details of German tanks and Allied anti-tank weapons; memories of Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead; fate of guns meant for Derna; duties and atmosphere on wharf including memories of Lieutenant Shaughnessy; accommodation; shelling received from Bardia; talk among troops; rations; water ration; climate and terrain; clothing worn. REEL 6 Continues: confidence gained from wearing tin helmet; haircut; cooking of meals; position occupied with Northumberland Fusiliers; contact with frontline troops; arrival of ship convoys; story of bombed hospital ship; story of wash in harbour during air raid; question of morale; news of war including Salvation Army presence in Tobruk and listening to Lord Haw Haw; effects of being separated from unit; discussion and knowledge of situation including patrols; details of landmines dropped in area; abandoned Italian equipment; events at start of siege; briefing about departure including air raid; state of Tobruk; locations of hospital and POW compound; boarding of HMAS Vendetta; details of voyage to Mersa Matruh. REEL 7 Continues: search for unit in Palestine; leave in Alexandria including attendance at race meeting; return to unit; duties undertaken in Egypt; reunion with brother in Heliopolis including brother's experiences as POW and later war service in North Africa; details of posting in Tel-el-Kebir including leave and visits to Cairo; entertainments on departure from Tel-el-Kebir; reactions to Russia and Japan entering war. REEL 8 Continues: knowledge of wider situation; reactions to fall of Singapore; later contact with and experiences of Far Eastern POWs; Australian involvement in war against Japan; details of voyage to Australia. Aspects of period as NCO and officer with 1st Ordnance Field Park in Australia, 1942-1943: make-up and role of unit; story of parade in Adelaide including accommodation; conditions during voyage aboard Queen Mary; details of ship for return voyage to Australia; supply of meals; activities onboard; climate in North Africa; relationship with Australian and South African nurses. REEL 9 Continues: making friends during initial period in army including accommodation; arrival in Adelaide and posting to Queensland; arrival of American troops in Australia; story of visit to General MacArthur's Headquarters in Brisbane; relationship with American troops; train journey to Ipswich; activities with unit preparing for New Guinea; story of interview with general and gaining of commission; train journey to Perth including buying of uniform; description of camp; interview with commanding officer; role and formation of III Corps including selection of sergeant major. REEL 10 Continues: fears of Japanese invasion; details of blackout; air force presence on Swan River in Perth; Japanese air raids and in Australia; activities during Japanese invasion scare including exercises; problems with anti-aircraft guns; further details of exercises; end to invasion scare; supply of meals during train journey to Victoria; disbandment of unit and posting to Charters Towers. Aspects of period as officer with Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 1943-1945: story of journey to Charters Towers; description of town and army presence; role in unit; departure of US Army from area and handover of workshops; problems with mounting guards; story of ban on officers driving vehicles and complaint made; impressions of American Army at Charters Towers; movement of goats in Charters Towers; entertainments including details of event put on at showground; morale. REEL 11 Continues: methods of maintaining morale including arrangements made for sports and rabbit shooting; duties including use of personal vehicle on leave; news of war's progress; details of Japanese POWs in Queensland; opinion of Japanese treatment of POWs; reflections on war service and opinion of luck experienced; mail received from brother; knowledge of war in North West Europe and Pacific; story of haircut received from American barber; reaction to atomic bombs. REEL 12 Continues: civilian reaction to end of war; attempts to leave army; demobilisation. Aspects of period as civilian in Australia from 1945: civilian work before service and decision to stay in Western Australia; story of clothing business including production of uniforms for Korean War; knowledge of and attitude to Korean War; membership of Rats of Tobruk Association.