Woodgate, John Thornicraft (Oral history)

British officer served with 10th Bn Essex Regt and 9th Bn Parachute Regt in GB, 1940-1943; served as staff officer with 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945; served as staff officer with 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1945-1946

REEL 1 Background in Battersea, London, 1917-1939: family; education including membership of OTU; anticipation of Second World War; question of overemphasis on air power and French Army. Aspects of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in GB, 4/1940-6/1940: call up to searchlight unit; medical grading due to short sight; duties guarding airfield at Hatfield. Recollections of period as officer cadet at 168 OCTU at Aldershot, 1940: selection for officer training; syllabus at OCTU; problems learning to ride bicycles and motorbikes; tactics learned and deployment for invasion scare; character of training; accommodation; instruction at OCTU; sporting activities; attitude to weapons training. REEL 2 Continues: attitude to range work; lack of parade at end of OCTU. Recollections of period as officer with 7 Platoon, A Coy, 10th Bn Essex Regt in GB, 1940-1942: reasons for choosing regiment; joining unit at Dovercourt; character of his platoon sergeant; inspections from Brigadier Alexander Stanier; all ranks dances at Dovercourt; accommodation; coastal defence duties; manning of pillboxes; increase in training on move to Colchester; occasion when he commanded brigade headquarters; character of brigade headquarters; guarding airfields. Recollections of period as officer with 9th Bn Parachute Regt in GB, 1942-1943: conversion of 10th Bn Essex Regt to 9th Bn Parachute Regt, 12/1942; attending battle course at Aldeborough. REEL 3 Continues: problems carrying Boyes anti-tank rifle; instructing on street fighting course; accident with bakelite grenade during street fighting course; use of live firing during street fighting course; address by General Browning at St Albans on conversion to parachute role; effect of arrival of Colonel James Hill; parachute training at Ringway; reaction to jumping from static balloon and aircraft. Recollections of period as staff officer with 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in GB, 1943-1944: role as staff captain; training and exercises; story of being sole member of brigade headquarters in Normandy; amount of wastage from 10th Bn Essex Regt on conversion to parachute role; planning for D-Day operations; reasons for joining 9th Bn Parachute Regt for Normandy drop; exercises for D-Day. REEL 4 Continues: role as umpire during Exercise Dryshod; briefing procedure in sealed camp; character of brigade transport and field ambulance; preparations for D-Day operation. Recollections of operations as staff captain with 3rd Parachute Bde, 6th Airborne Div in Normandy, D-Day 6/6/1944: emplaning and flight to drop zone; meeting up with Terence Otway; use of bird sound recognition sounds; arrival at chateau; move to crossroads at Le Mesnil; setting up headquarters at Le Mesnil crossroads; arrival of Brigadier James Hill; problems with having only one wireless set; equipment and maps carried on operation. Recollections of operations as staff captain with 3rd Airborne Bde in Normandy, 1944: loss of intelligence officer; James Hill's visits to units; situation on 9/6/1944; question of location of headquarters; supply of rations and ammunition; divisional maintenance area. REEL 5 Continues: jeeps delivered by glider; role in distribution of supplies; source of water; use of clerks; role of brigade at Ranville; armoured division passing through airborne forces; preparation of newspaper 'Pegasus'; question of armoured units not used to close fighting in Normandy; incident of having to drive through German lines on ridge; subsequent advance to Troarn; lack of contact with brigadier; arrival of battalion quartermaster; supposed duration of operation; advance to River Seine; importance of paperwork; keeping of war diary; return to GB. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with 3rd Parachute Bde in North West Europe, 1944-1945: degree of contact with American and Polish paratroopers; move to Ardennes; character of time in Ardennes; move to River Maas; acquiring YMCA van for brigade transport; return to GB, 1945. Period as staff officer with 3rd Airborne Bde in GB, 1945: divisional exercise in preparation for Rhine Crossing; memories of James Hill; opinion of airborne bicycles, Welbikes and use of kitbags; measures to secure spectacles when jumping. Recollections of operations as staff officer with 3rd Parachute Bde during Rhine Crossing in Germany, 3/1945: American system of navigation; landing on drop zone; move to farm buildings and night time bombardment; role as divisional DAAF; attitude to prospect of parachuting; contents of divisional headquarters caravan. Aspects of operations as staff officer with 3rd Airborne Div in Germany, 1945: dealing with discipline and civil affairs in Wismar; number of court martials; VE day celebrations; question of deterioration of discipline after VE Day. REEL 7 Continues: masses of Germans surrendering on route to Wismar; reasons for court martials; return to GB and disposal of captured weapons; further details of court martials. Recollections of operations as staff officer with 6th Airborne Div in Palestine, 1945-1946: background to posting to Palestine; reaction to potential posting to Far East; keenness to return to civilian occupation; voyage to Palestine; visit to 1st Airborne Div in Norway prior to posting to Palestine; value of his civil affairs officer; usefulness of goat skin coat; character of briefing on Palestine Police; hospitalisation for over fatigue; degree of overworking since 1943; proposed role of division; problems of obtaining reinforcements and turnover of personnel. REEL 8 Continues: his replacement on staff duties; decision to set up of joint headquarters with RAF; visit to Cyprus; accommodation at Sarafand; YMCA lady based in cantonement; contrast between divisional and brigade headquarters; organisation of movement of headquarters; no operational role, only reactive one as Imperial Strategic Reserve; attitude towards parachuting; character of General Bowles work; visits to Headquarters Palestine; memories of civil affairs officer Fred Adams; visits to Syria, Lebanon and Egypt; lecturing on law at Staff College in Haifa; entertainment available in Palestine. REEL 9 Continues: visits to Trans-Jordan; relations with civilians in Palestine and Jordan; expectation that British could contain trouble in Palestine, 1946; character of division; background to leaving division and return to GB; prior recollection of embarking from Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches; process of demobilisation after service in Palestine; story of meeting Huw Weldon. Readjusting to civil life. Attitude to having served in British Army during Second World War.