Glanfield, Arthur (Oral history)

British officer served with 549 Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1941-1943; served as radar officer with 159 Mobile Operations Room, 10 Anti-Aircraft Bde in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in Stockton-on-Tees, 1914-1932. Education at Pocklington Grammar School, 1926-1932: training activities with OTC; specialisation in chemistry. Periods at Stockton-on-Tees and Bradford, 1932-1940: work as bank clerk; interest in chemistry and cycling; holidays around Europe and question of approach of war; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; minimal impact of war, 9/1939-4/1940; call up, 7/1940. REEL 2 Recollections of basic training with Royal Artillery at Marske-on-Sea, 7/1940-8/1940: medical; kitting out; drill; relationship with recruits. Recollections of period with Clyde Heavy Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery at Gourock, 8/1940-10/1940: train journey and reception; duties as pay clerk; nickname; volunteering for commission and interview; posting to Toward Castle Point Battery, 10/1940; role of unit defending Clyde estuary; 4" guns; story of warning shots fired at Scandinavian merchants ship; 4" gun drill; hut accommodation; food rations. Recollections of period with Officers' Cadet Training Unit, Coastal Artillery, RA at Plymouth and Llandudno, 11/1940-4/1941: training attached to Royal Marines; lectures in mathematics and gunnery; German air raids and assisting ARP units; move to Llandudno, 12/1944; 6" gun drill. REEL 3 Continues: firing 6" guns and searchlight demonstration; training in behaviour expected of officers; hotel billets; commission and kitting out, 4/1941. Recollections of periods with 549 Coastal Regt, RA at North Foreland Battery, 4/1941-8/1941: reception and status as young officer; layout and composition of 4" gun battery; relationship with ORs and removal of inadequate soldiers; relationship with NCOs; billets; training gunner sin Spigot mortar; anti-aircraft Bren guns and German air raid, 5/1941; relationship with officers. Period at Knuckle bay Battery, Dover, 8/1941-11/1941: gun positions and accommodation on breakwater; lighthouse observation post and risk of German raid; convoy arrangements and shell fire from German coastal guns. REEL 4 Continues: problem with battery sergeant major's treatment of ORs; story of actor officer; duty officer; hospitalisation with glandular fever. Recollections of periods in Ramsgate and Pegswell Bay area, ca 11/1941-4/1943: billets; 6" gun battery on cliffs; relationship with battery commander; removal of older officers by Montgomery; infantry training courses; question of transfer to field artillery; move to harbour 6pdr gun battery; duty towing gunnery targets in HMS Humorist; German cross-Channel shell fire; move to Pegswell Bay, ca 7/1942; assisting ditched RAF pilot; background to volunteering for service mobile anti aircraft unit. Recollections of service with 159 Mobile Operations Room, 10 Anti-Aircraft Bde at Heathfield, GB, 4/1943-6/1945: role and composition of unit; 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 MOR to high command; RAF course in detecting wind speed at various altitudes using balloons and 'window'; exercises in establishing plotting room; training exercise in Yorkshire, 6/1944; move to Woking, 6/1944; role setting up Type 14 radar mobile unit to warn of German air and V1 attacks at Fairlight Head; move to camp in New Forest, 6/1944. Voyage with advance radar party aboard tank landing craft to Utah Beach, Normandy, France, 6/1944. Recollections of operations in France, Belgium and Netherlands, 6/1944-6/1945: reception; drive to Fort Querqueville; question of location of main unit; hotel accommodation. REEL 6 Continues: move to Tocqueville, 7/1944; move to Bayeux area; billets and relationship with French civilians during advance, ca 8/1944-9/1944; reception from Belgian civilians during advance to Brussels; billets; move to establish operational base near Headquarters, 21st Army Group; role of duty officer; visits to Brussels; move to establish Type 14 radar station to track V1s at Odeur, 10/1944; neighbouring Russian displaced persons camp; question of rations. REEL 7 question of supply of food rations and billets; role tracking V1s and informing relevant authorities; motorcycle rides; rejoining unit, 12/1944; liaison visit to RAF station in Louvain sector; German air raid, 1/1/1945; air operations during crossing of Rhine, 3/1945; move to Xanten, 3/1945l situation and reserve role of unit; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; role as president of officers' mess; moves prior to disbandment of unit, ca 6/1945. Recollections of period with Officer Holding Unit at Lierre, ca 6/1945-7/1945. REEL 8 Period with No 10 Holding and Selection Centre, Engien, 7/1945-10/1945: duties as imprest officer in charge of currency and payment of troops passing through camp; role of psychiatrists. Recollections of period at No 2 Release Embarkation Camp, Tournai, 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 career: return to work in banking; move to London; call up as reserve for refresher course in operations room; call up as reserve for training and posting with Army Pay Corps; story of encounter with MI5 officer acting as Pay Corps officer and monitoring currency dealings at No 2 Release Embarkation Camp, Tournai, 1945-1946.