Interview with Arthur Glanfield

British officer served with 549th Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1941-1943; served as radar officer with No 159 Mobile Operations Room, Royal Artillery, 101st Anti-Aircraft Bde, 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 4/1943-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in Stockton-on-Tees and Bradford, GB, 1914-1940; family; education at Pocklington School, 1926-1932; training activities with Officer Training Corps; employment as bank clerk in Bradford; interest in chemistry and cycling; holidays around Europe and question of approach of war; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; experiencing minimal impact of Second World War, 9/1939-4/1940; call-up for military service, 7/1940. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of basic training as gunner with Royal Artillery at Marske-by-the-Sea, GB, 7/1940-8/1940: medical; kitting out; drill; relations with fellow recruits. Aspects of period as gunner with Clyde Heavy Regt, Royal Artillery at Gourock, GB, 8/1940-10/1940: train journey and reception at Gourock; duties as pay clerk; receiving nickname; volunteering for commission and interview; posting to Toward Point Battery, 10/1940; role of unit defending River Clyde; use of QF 4 Inch Naval Gun; story of warning shots fired at Scandinavian merchants ship; QF 4 Inch Naval Gun drill; hutted accommodation; rations. Recollections of period with officer cadet at School of Coast Artillery, Royal Artillery at Plymouth and Llandudno, GB, 11/1940-4/1941: training with Royal Marines; lectures in mathematics and gunnery; German Air Force raids and assisting Air Raid Precautions personnel; move to Llandudno, 12/1940; QF 6 Inch Naval Gun drill. REEL 3 Continues: firing QF 6 Inch Naval Gun and searchlight demonstration; training in behaviour expected of officers; hotel billets; commission and kitting out, 4/1941. Recollections of period as officer with 549th Coast Regt, Royal Artillery at North Foreland Battery, GB, 4/1941-8/1941: reception and status as young officer; layout and composition of QF 4 Inch Naval Gun battery; relations with gunners and removal of inadequate ones; relations with NCOs; accommodation; training gunners in use of Spigot Mortar; use of Bren Guns in anti-aircraft role and German Air Force raid, 5/1941; relations with officers. Aspects of period as officer with 549th Coast Regt, Royal Artillery, Royal Artillery at Knuckle Battery, Dover, GB, 8/1941-11/1941: gun positions and accommodation on breakwater; lighthouse observation post and risk of German attack; convoy arrangements and artillery fire from German coastal guns. REEL 4 Continues: problem with battery sergeant-major's treatment of gunners; story of actor officer; duty officer; hospitalisation with glandular fever. Recollections of period as officer with 549th Coast Regt, Royal Artillery in Ramsgate and Pegswell Bay, GB, 11/1941-4/1943: accommodation; QF 6 Inch Naval Gun battery on cliffs; relations with battery commander; removal of older officers by Major-General Bernard Montgomery; infantry training courses; question of transfer to field artillery; move to harbour gun battery at Ramsgate; duties towing gunnery targets in HMS Humorist; German artillery fire across English Channel; move to Pegswell Bay, 7/1942; assisting ditched Royal Air Force pilot; background to volunteering for service mobile anti aircraft unit. Recollections of period as officer with No 159 Mobile Operations Room, Royal Artillery, 101st Anti-Aircraft Bde, 21st Army Group in GB, 4/1943-6/1944: role and composition of unit at Heathfield; importance of signallers' communications role; question of radar training; role of radar operators; role siting radar sets. REEL 5 Continues: nature of unit; training exercises establishing smoke screen over sea at Scarborough; demonstrations of mobile operations room to high command; attending Royal Air Force course in detecting wind speed at various altitudes using balloons and 'window'; exercises in establishing plotting room; training exercise in North Yorkshire, 6/1944; move to Woking, 6/1944; role setting up mobile radar unit to warn of German Air Force and V1 Flying Bomb attacks at Fairlight Head; move to camp in New Forest, 6/1944. Recollections of period as officer with No 159 Mobile Operations Room, Royal Artillery, 101st Anti-Aircraft Bde, 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: voyage from GB to Utah Beach, Normandy, France, 6/1944; reception in Normandy, France; drive to Fort Querqueville, Normandy, France; question of location of main unit; hotel accommodation. REEL 6 Continues: move to Turqueville, Normandy, France, 7/1944; move to Bayeux, Normandy, France; accommodation and relations with French civilians during advance into Belgium, 8/1944-9/1944; reception from Belgian civilians during advance to Brussels, Belgium; accommodation; move to establish operational base near Headquarters, 21st Army Group; role of duty officer; visits to Brussels, Belgium; move to establish mobile radar station to track German V1 Flying Bombs at Odeur, Belgium, 10/1944; neighbouring Soviet Displaced Persons camp; question of rations. REEL 7 Continues: question of supply of rations and accommodation; role tracking German V1 Flying Bomb and informing relevant authorities; motorcycle rides; rejoining main unit, 12/1944; liaison visit to Royal Air Force ground station at Louvain, Belgium; German Air Force attack, 1/1/1945; air operations during crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; move to Xanten, Germany, 3/1945; situation and reserve role of unit; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; role as president of officers' mess; moves prior to disbandment of unit, 6/1945. Aspects of period as officer with No 10 Holding and Selection Centre, Enghien, Belgium, 7/1945-10/1945: initial period with Officer Holding Unit at Lierre, Belgium, 6/1945-7/1945. REEL 8 Continues: duties as impress officer in charge of currency and payment of troops passing through camp; role of psychiatrists. Aspects of period as officer at No 2 Release Embarkation Centre, Tournai, Belgium, 10/1945-6/1946: role as administrative officer; assisting in resolution of problems of officers possessing irregular amounts of currency; cases of stealing; marriage to Belgian woman; demobilisation, 6/1946. Post-war life and employment: return to employment in banking; move to London; call-up as reservist for refresher course in operations room; call-up as reservist for training and posting with Royal Army Pay Corps; prior recollection of encounter with MI5 officer acting as Royal Army Pay Corps officer and monitoring currency dealings at No 2 Release Embarkation Camp, Tournai, Belgium, 10/1945-6/1946.