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 and 232nd Infantry Bdes 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 and 232nd Infantry Bdes on Malta, 1940-1943: issue of khaki uniform and equipment in Gibraltar; voyage from Gibraltar to Malta; posting to RAF Hal Far; attached to RAF medical section; description of air raid and treatment of casualties; story of badly burned RAF pilot; arrival of Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfish aircraft; leave.
REEL 2 Continues: duties with RAF medical section; posting to RAF Ta Kali; story of delivery of Supermarine Spitfires by USS Wasp, 95/1942; sick parades; story of death of friend Bill Spinks; incident of bomb landing on church; daily life during siege; food supplies; relations with Maltese civilians; rest period in St Paul's Bay; training on island of Gozo; duties unloading convoy; memories of cook's biscuit duff; participation in show 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 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 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 German soldier; story of wounded French-Canadian soldier; purifying water for drinking; move to Perugia; positions in hills; story of treating wounded Bren gunner; opinion of chaplain; leave in Naples; move into Tuscany region; story of soldier wounded while defusing bomb; wounding by shell fire, 8/1944; description of injuries and medical treatment recieved. Aspects of period in GB, 1944-1945: voyage aboard hosptial ship MS 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 discharged from military service, 1945; problem of piece of shrapnel remaining in chest; post-war life and employment in GB; effects of wartime injuries; pension and compensation.