Interview with James Gandy

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Use this audio under Non-Commercial licence

Embed this sound recording for online use under the IWM Non-Commercial Licence
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© IWM

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

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Description

Object description

British NCO served with 1/8th Bn Manchester Regt, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB and France, 9/1939-5/1940; served with 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 2nd Malta Infantry Bde and 232nd Infantry Bde on Malta, 7/1940-7/1943; served with 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 20th Indian Infantry Bde, 10th Indian Infantry Div in Middle East and Italy, 8/1943-8/1944

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Ardwick, Manchester, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; employment in factory; enlistment as bandsman with 1/8th Bn Manchester Regt, Territorial Army, 1937; training and musical activities; rifle drill; mobilisation on outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; pay. Aspects of period as NCO with 1/8th Bn Manchester Regt, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in GB, 9/1939-4/1940: posting to Matfen, 12/1939; medical training as stretcher-bearer; posting to Marlborough; medical duties during training exercises; story of soldier killed on exercise. Aspects of period as NCO with 1/8th Bn Manchester Regt, 127th Infantry Bde, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Div in France, 4/1940-5/1940: posting to France, 4/1940; movements in France; problem of having under strength battalion; voyage from Cherbourg to Gibraltar, 5/1940. Recollections of period as NCO with 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 2nd Malta Infantry Bde, and 232nd Infantry Bde on Malta, 1940-1943: issue of khaki uniform and equipment in Gibraltar; voyage from Gibraltar to Malta; posting to RAF Hal Far; attachment to Royal Air Force medical section; description of Axis air raid and treatment of casualties; story of badly burned Royal Air Force pilot; arrival of Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfish aircraft; leave. REEL 2 Continues: duties with Royal Air Force medical section; posting to RAF Ta Kali; story of delivery of Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire aircraft flown from USS Wasp, 95/1942; sick parades; story of death of friend Private William 'Bill' Spinks during German Air Force raid on RAF Ta Kali, 9/2/1942; incident of German Air Force bomb landing on church; daily life during siege; food supplies; relations with Maltese civilians; rest period in St Paul's Bay; training on Gozo Island; duties unloading convoy; memories of cook's biscuit duff; participation in show given for 51st (Highland) Infantry Div, 1943; preparations for possible invasion. Aspects of period as NCO with 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 20th Indian Infantry Bde, 10th Indian Infantry Div in Egypt, Palestine and French Syria, 8/1943-3/1944: voyage to Alexandria, Egypt; posting to camp in Gaza, Palestine; precautions to prevent theft of rifles; memories of Tel Aviv, Palestine; posting to camp in French Syria; issued with machine gun; returned to Port Said, Egypt; invasion barge training; night training in Jordan Valley, Palestine. Recollections of operations as NCO with 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 20th Indian Infantry Bde, 10th Indian Infantry Div in Italy, 3/1944-8/1944: posting to Italy, 3/1944. REEL 3 Continues: location of battalion near Lanciano; treatment of casualties; first aid equipment; story of giving morphine to wounded German Army soldier; story of wounded French Canadian Army soldier; purifying water for drinking; move to Perugia; positions in hills; story of treating wounded Bren Gun operator; opinion of chaplain; leave in Naples; move into Tuscany region; story of soldier wounded whilst defusing bomb; wounding by artillery fire, 8/1944; description of wounds and medical treatment received. Aspects of period of hospitalisation in GB, 1944-1945: voyage aboard hospital ship HMAHS Oranje from Italy to GB, disembarkation in Liverpool; attitude to wounding. REEL 4 Continues: further treatment at hospital in Manchester; posting to holding unit in Cartmel; reunion with family; medical board and discharge from military service, 1945. Post-war life and employment: problem of piece of shrapnel remaining in chest; nature of post-war life and employment in GB; effects of wartime injuries; pension and compensation.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
Baker, Lindsay (Recorder)
Gandy, James (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2003-10-01
Dimensions: whole: Duration 120, Number Of Items 4
Catalogue number: 25530

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Interview with James Gandy

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