Description
Object description
British officer served with 6th Bn Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regt), 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, Middle East, Cyprus and North Africa, 1940-1942; served as staff officer with 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa and Sicily, Italy, 1942-1943; student at Staff College, Haifa, Palestine, 1943-1944; served as staff officer with British Increment, United States Fifth Army and Rome Allied Area Command in Italy, 1/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Leeds, GB, 1918-1939: family; education; pacifist and active Communist activity; anticipation of war; effect of outbreak of Second World War on engagement, 9/1939; employment in family clothing firm. Aspects of enlistment and training with Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), Regimental Depot at Richmond Barracks, Richmond in GB, 1939-1940: call-up to regimental depot at Richmond; adjusting to military life; character of regimental depot; physical fitness and discipline; character of signals training at Aske Hall; field telephone system; attending No 165 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Dunbar. Recollections of period as signals officer with 6th Bn Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regt), 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 1940-1941: joining unit at Blanford Camp; opinion of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Cooke-Collis; opinion of NCOs; battalion transport; attending signals officers' course at Catterick Camp; role commanding signals platoon.
REEL 2 Continues: preference for field telephones and problems with wireless; use of despatch riders; embarkation for Middle East. Recollections of period as signals officer with 6th Bn Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regt), 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Egypt, Cyprus and Middle East, 6/1941-1/1942: voyage from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 5/1941-6/1941; importance of keeping troops physically fit and entertained; rapid move to Cyprus, 7/1941; effects of Keho alcoholic beverages; lack of contact with civilians; move to Iraq, 11/1941; convoy to Kirkuk, Iraq when motorcycle broke down; measures to collect convoy stragglers; opinion of service in Kirkuk, Iraq; reasons for being sacked from job as signals officer; problems with wireless sets; terrain around Kirkuk, Iraq; taking over command of rifle platoon; move to French Syria, 12/1942. Recollections of operations as officer with 6th Bn Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regt), 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa, 1942: move into Knightsbridge Box on Gazala Line, Libya, 2/1942; patrolling and navigating in desert; drills for rapid deployment from vehicles; depth of trenches.
REEL 3 Continues: defensive wire and minefields; occasion when attacked by Royal Air Force aircraft; attitude to serving in desert; rationing of water; development of Axis attack on Gazala Line; confused fighting around Knightsbridge Box on Gazala Line; background to becoming unit adjutant; duties as adjutant; character of headquarters company; role of commanding officer; equipment of battalion command post; opinion of maps; breakout from box; leading column out of Knightbridge Box in Universal Carrier; nature of breakout and reforming; outflanking and falling back on Mersa Matruh, Egypt; Royal Air Force attacks on retreat to Mersa Matruh, Egypt; dive-bombing of column by German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka aircraft; method of taking cover during air attacks; move to El Alamein Line, Egypt.
REEL 4 Continues: character of retreat to Mersa Matruh, Egypt; opinion of the El Alamein Line, egypt; loss of equipment during retreat. Recollections of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa, 7/1942-5/1943: background to becoming staff officer at brigade headquarters; duties as staff officer; communications with divisional headquarters and forward headquarters; reaction to removal to rear headquarters; impact of arrival of General Bernard Montgomery; attitude of 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div personnel to role given to 51st (Highland) Infantry Div; rapid advance during pursuit of Axis forces after Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 11/1942; obtaining souvenir weapon from Italian prisoner of war; physical condition and attitude of Italian prisoners of war; quality of rations and cook at brigade headquarters; rate of advance; evacuation to Palestine with jaundice; alcohol supplies.
REEL 5 Continues: rejoining brigade at Benghazi, Libya after medical treatment for jaundice; condition of brigade; functioning of 'old boy network' in staff work; role of division during Battle of Mareth, Tunisia; use of Benzedrine; clothing worn and use of helmets; deliveries of mail in field; terrain in Tunisia; return to Egypt; attitude to having never visited the Pyramids; preparations for invasion of Sicily, Italy degree of knowledge as staff officer about operational plans. Recollections of operations as staff officer with Headquarters, 69th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div on Sicily, Italy, 7/1943-8/1943: limited transport for first wave of landings; rations which troops landed with; nature of landings; role of officer's batman; organisation after initial landings; terrain.
REEL 6 Continues: reaction of Sicilian farmer to requisitioning of his car; nature of fighting in Sicily; ration supply; lack of contact with civilians; encounter with General Bernard Montgomery on beach at Taormina; role organising delivery of supplies. Aspects of period as student at Staff College, Haifa, Palestine, 9/1943-1/1944: character of students; sand table exercises; level of tactics simulated; character of instructors; importance of written work especially clarity of orders; value of training; initial posting to Cairo. Recollections of period as staff officer with British Increment, United States Fifth Army in Italy, 1/1944-8/1944: appointment as Deputy Assistant Adjutant General to headquarters at Caserta; living conditions; relations with American service personnel; duties; role of female clerical staff; recreational activities; effect of eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
REEL 7 Continues: visit to nephew serving with United States Army medical unit; visits to Anzio beachhead; conditions in Anzio beachhead; arrival in Rome. Aspects of period as staff officer as Rome Allied Area Command, 6/1944-8/1944: organising food supplies; character of command; offices in Excelsior Hotel; organisation of transit of British Army troops; attending private audience with Pope Pius in Sistine Chapel Vatican; degree to which command functioned. Aspects of period as staff officer with British Increment, United States Fifth Army Army in Italy, 9/1944-5/1945: return to unit; conditions in Florence; memories of Elwyn Jones and Alan Dortrey; organisation of firing squad; leave in GB, 5/1945; final return journey to GB aboard prison train, 1946; impact of death of President Frank D Roosevelt, 12/4/1945; duties in GB prior to demobilisation, including dealing with security papers relating to Communists serving in British Army.
REEL 8 Continues: demobilisation, 1946; attitude to having served in British Army during Second World War; story of writing his own citation for Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on instructions from his brigadier.
