Mitchell, Bill (Oral history)

Australian private served with 2/43rd Bn Australian Imperial Force in Australia, Middle East and North Africa, 1940-1942; wounding and hospitalisation in Middle East, New Zealand and Australia, 1942-1943; private and NCO served with 2/43rd Bn Australian Imperial Force in Australia, New Guinea and Borneo, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Boulder, Australia, 1917-1940: family; details of Boulder; work of father including period of unemployment; memories of childhood including family home and family; education including description of game, High Cockalorum, and learning about Britain; knowledge of First World War and memories of ANZAC Day; details of national service system and attitude of those returning; civilian work including visits to hospital; further memories of childhood; knowledge of events in Europe; attempt to join RAAF. REEL 2 Continues: awareness of approaching war; opinion of Munich Agreement; life in Boulder, late 1930s; details of pay; outbreak of war; reactions to outbreak of war; story of 2/28th Battalion's departure from Northam; memories of Phoney War; joining of army; reasons for joining-up; attitude to Britain; war service of brother; reaction of mother to his joining-up; process of joining army in Kalgoorlie; opinion of reason for wait before call-up. Aspects of period as private with 2/43rd Bn Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 12/1940- 7/1941: pattern of training and movement between units; opinion of reason for transfer into 2/43rd Battalion; weapons trained with; commitment to army; opinion about length of war; attitude to war; reactions on being called-up; knowledge of embarkation; journeys home on leave from Northam; separation from friends; talk among troops; settling into army life; knowledge of war's progress; discipline; reactions to posting abroad; details of wounding at Ruweisat Ridge. REEL 3 Continues: train journey to Fremantle; boarding of ship. Aspects of voyage from Fremantle, Australia, to Port Tewfik, Egypt, aboard RMS Queen Mary, 7/1941: rations during first days; atmosphere on wharf; boarding of ship; population of ship; reactions on departure; troops disappearing en route to Fremantle; conditions onboard; sleeping arrangements; activities during voyage including description of games, Housey Housey and Tiller; cigarettes and smoking during service; reading onboard; availability of beer in canteen; drinking during army service; concert parties; stop at Trincomalee; morale among troops; blackout of ship; lifejackets and lifeboat drill; scenes on Red Sea; first impressions of Africa; news of war's progress during journey; story of shelling received during patrol at Tobruk. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period as private with 2/43rd Bn Australian Imperial Force in Middle East, 7/1941-7/1942: morale on arrival; details of train journey to Palestine; weapons in unit; relationship with brother; transfer of brother to 2/16th Battalion and reason for not joining him; story of unofficial truce at Tobruk; brothers serving together; knowledge of situation in North Africa and Mediterranean; news of posting to Tobruk; fitness training; description of exercises; details of officers; opinion of senior officers; opinion of training; proficiency with rifle. REEL 5 Continues: details of journey to Tobruk including voyage from Alexandria; scenes on arrival in harbour; disembarkation and journey to unit; knowledge of situation; posting to 8 Platoon; air activity; digging of positions; description of ex-Italian positions; machine guns in unit; leisure activities; swimming parties; Axis air activity; formation and movement of patrols; details of fighting patrols; scenes of German troops; listening to Lord Haw Haw; freedom of movement; morale and comradeship; opinion of German and Italian troops; importance of siege at Tobruk; knowledge of destination en route to Alamein Line; contact with other units at Tobruk including impressions of Polish troops; details of ammunition. REEL 6 Continues: Axis weapons used; rations; sandstorms in Middle East and Australia; cooking of meals and further details of rations; physical state; opinion of Winston Churchill; impressions of Gurkha troops; opinion of what made a good soldier; story of unofficial truce arranged by padre; accommodation in cave; departure from Tobruk, 17/10/1941; details of voyage to Alexandria aboard HMS Latona; conditions during train journey to Palestine; reactions to situation; leave taken; details of pay; role in Syria; reaction to fall of Tobruk; details of mail and censorship; rumours about American troops in Australia; desire of troops to return home; details of journey to Alamein Line including methods of hiding nationality. REEL 7 Continues: activities on arrival in Alamein Line, 5/7/1942; terrain; details of Alamein Line; description of position dug; scenes of a naval attack and events leading up to attack, 22/7/1942; details of artillery barrage and advance; opinion of training; dealing with wounded; own involvement in battle; casualties; details of German 88mm gun; reactions to situation and memory afterward including story of wounding; position in advance; casualties; scenes of surrendering German troops; details of wounds; events following wounding and German treatment of POWs; evacuation from battlefield including details of German descendants in unit. REEL 8 Continues: journey in ambulance to hospital; length of battle; problems with memory. Aspects of hospitalisation in Middle East, New Zealand and Australia, 1942-1943: medical treatment received in Alexandria; details of hospital; memories of period at hospital on Suez Canal; rations; problems with wounds and jaundice after return to unit in Palestine; treatment of arm; ongoing problems from wounds; knowledge of war including first 2/43rd Battalion involvement at Alamein; daily routine; entertainments; help given to fellow patients; morale among patients and news of return to Australia; details of nurses; relationship with fellow patients; desire to return to Australia; mail; journey to Suez Canal; details of MS Oranje; accommodation; details of voyage including reason for going to Wellington; details of period in Wellington including relationship with civilians; relationship with American troops. REEL 9 Continues: voyage to and arrival in Adelaide; period in hospital including visits into Adelaide; details of conditions during voyage to Fremantle; reactions on return to Australia; relationship with civilians in Adelaide; details of voyage to Fremantle including rations; comparison of Antipodean and Middle Eastern cities; reception on arrival; details of hospital; home leave including family's knowledge of his being wounded; civilian reaction to wounded; defence against Japanese attack; rationing; details of brother's war service including story of reunion with brother and punishment following late return to unit; return to unit and medical board. Aspects of period as private with 2/43rd Bn Australian Imperial Force in Australia and New Guinea, 1943-1945: problems from wounds; missing of training; initial duties in New Guinea at Buna; desire to stay in army despite wounds; attitude to Japanese including contact with Japanese POWs; voyage to New Guinea, 9/1943; impressions of New Guinea; story of air raid. REEL 10 Continues: description of camp including problems with rats and trap made; leisure activities; relationship with American troops; opinions of American strategy; Japanese survival on Borneo; air activity at Buna including listening to USAAF transmissions; opinion of posting; wildlife in water; packing up of camp; contact with civilians including story of disturbing ants nest; cinema; story of air raid; arrival at Scarlet Beach; state of Finschhafen; details of campaign and commanding officers; period at Scarlet Beach; health of troops; symptoms and treatment of dengue fever; knowledge of wider war; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; climate; Christmas 1943; details of return voyage to Australia, 1/1944. REEL 11 Continues: reactions on return to Australia; further details of voyage; knowledge and stories of conflict on New Guinea involving the 2/43rd Battalion; details of camp at Ravenshoe; conditions and activities during train journeys between Queensland and Western Australia; frequency of mail; leave including beer drunk in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and morale; posting to and role of pioneers; digging of latrines on Morotai Island; pattern of training in Australia; news of posting to Borneo and reactions; story of voyage to Borneo. Aspects of period as NCO with 2/43rd Battalion Australian Imperial Force in Borneo, 1945: opposition faced on landing. REEL 12 Continues: opinions of General MacArthur; story of transporting supplies Beaufort on DUKW including attitude to Japanese and reception from civilians; details of railway at Beaufort; conversion of Jeeps for use on railway tracks; story of clearing railway tracks; details of patrol led and its attack on Japanese troops; news of atomic bombs; story of civilian who survived Japanese execution attempt; contact with Allied POWs; treatment of Japanese POWs; own attitude to Japanese; application for posting to Japan. REEL 13 Continues: activities during wait for repatriation; PBY Catalina flight to Australia; reaction to situation; final period in army. Aspects of period as civilian in Australia from 1945: story of hospitalisation after drinking gin; reactions at end of service; events following gin hospitalisation; leave; background to move to Perth area; details of civilian work undertaken; talking about experiences; question of joining army again; reflections on army service; contact with comrades since war.