Interview with William Henry Partridge

British private served with Royal Ordnance Corps at Chilwell Supply Depot, GB, 1939-1940; cadet at No 165 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Dunbar, GB, 1/1940-5/1940; officer served with 13th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 213th Independent Infantry Bde in GB, 5/1940-5/1942; served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in North Africa, 7/1942-3/1943; served as instructor at Weapons Training Wing, Middle East School of Infantry, Beit Hanoun, Palestine, 1943-1946

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1919-1939: family; lack of interest in military; anticipations of war. Recollections of enlistment as militiaman and training with Royal Army Ordnance Corps in GB, 1939-1940: registering for militia, 4/1939; reaction to arrival at Royal Army Ordnance Corps Depot, Chilwell; pay and stoppages; accommodation; NCO's method of dealing with suspected homosexual; importance of sport to regimental sergeant-major; adjusting to military discipline; social origins of militiamen; volunteering for officer training and role in spotting likely candidates on arrival; role of second in command; his suitability for officer training; volunteering for additional training; daily routine; opinion of uniform; use of silk cummerbund; boots; emphasis on physical training. REEL 2 Continues: effects of physical training on recruits; character of physical training instructors; sporting activities; weapons training and introduction to Lee-Enfield Rifle; importance of zeroing weapon and ammunition supply; importance of personal connections; character of ammunition officers and NCOs; method of instruction; selection for officer training. Recollections of period of officer training at No 165 Officer Cadet Training Unit at Dunbar, GB, 1/1940-5/1940: lesson in relative motivation at platoon level; character of squad officer; opinion of officer training; regular army approach to chain of command. REEL 3 Continues: importance of team discipline and initiative; degree of tactical training; opinion of style of tactics; duration of course; method of assessment; degree of failure on course and relegation; choice of regiment; end of course at Dunbar; opinion of proposal to send unit would be sent to France. Recollections of period as officer with 13th Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt, 213th Independent Infantry Bde in GB, 5/1940-5/1942: joining unit at Hereford; attitude towards some of the returning troops from Dunkirk Evacuation; purchasing kit from regimental tailor; types of recruits in unit; character of his batman. REEL 4 Continues: memories of Private 'Nipper' Price his batman with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North Africa; establishing rapport with his platoon; troops' requirement of an officer; question of motivation of troops; memories of Bill Shakespeare and John Mitchell; role of second in command; reasons why battalion converted to 8th Bn Parachute Regt and his subsequent contact with them in Palestine, 1945; memories of commanding officers Lieutenant-Colonels William Ripon and Robert Lucas; visit to Derby for motor transport course; effect of establishment of No 1 Special Training Centre and School of Irregular Warfare; character of training course at No 1 Special Training Centre. REEL 5 Continues: issue of Fairburn and Sykes fighting knife; use of pistol and rifle in special shooting gallery; taking part in two raiding parties; question of method of interrogation; organisation of raids to snatch German prisoners of war including method of semi-immobilising a prisoner; return to unit on coastal defence duties; organisation of training; battalion's defensive positions; strength of battalion; fitting wireless set into Universal Carrier; communications at platoon level; availability of ammunition; story of unconventional firing of Ordnance ML 3 Mortar from Universal Carrier in North Africa; effects of lack of unit transport; headquarters in holiday camp at Gorleston-on-Sea; relations with civilians. REEL 6 Continues: motorcycle accident; assistance to Air Raid Precautions; arrest of suspected Fifth Columnist; sight of German Air Force aircraft shot down over sea; degree to which coastline was mined; reasons for volunteering for overseas service in Middle East. Aspects of period as officer on draft to Middle East, 1942: issue of kit; role in charge of draft; voyage from GB to Egypt via South Africa, 1942; initial impressions of Egypt; selection of officers by front line units. Recollections of operations as officer with B Coy, 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, 6/1942-11/1942: joining battalion, 6/7/1942; dress of troops on arrival; reception from Captain William Robinson, second in command; change of cap badge; dispersal of battalion headquarters on Ruweisat Ridge; terrain on Ruweisat Ridge; character of defensive positions on Ruweisat Ridge and it's importance; reception by platoon. REEL 7 Continues: use of two man slit trenches; deployment to provide mutual support and enfilade fire; opinion of box system employed during fighting on Gazala Line; contrast between real patrolling and patrol exercises; importance of compass and use of passwords; importance of bonding with platoon; amount of experience needed to acquire skills of desert warfare; character of slit trench; use of tracer to indicate target; number of Bren Guns in platoon; use of German MG42 Machine Gun; use of forward slopes; use of non-smokers on patrol; encounter with British Army patrol; method of selecting members of patrols; state of morale in unit on arrival; amount of divisional experience in Eighth Army; need to lead by example; meetings with commanding officer; nature of shots from German 88mm Gun. REEL 8 Continues: effects of artillery shelling and mortar fire; effects of German 88mm Gun airbursts; later loss of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Clarke and second in command Major William Robinson in Sicily, Italy, 23/7/1943; continual artillery and patrol activity; use of blankets as sleeping bags and casualty evacuation; incident of rescuing wounded under Italian Army fire; memories of medical officer Captain Edward Stone; post-war attempts to trace Captain Edward Stone's family; role of battalion Universal Carriers resupplying armoured forces during Battle of Alam Halfa, Egypt, 7/1942; character of first attack; importance of walking and not running; withdrawal of Axis forces; reasons why companies never attacked from straight line; use of Bofors Guns to indicate start line at beginning of Operation Supercharge; opinion of use of arrowhead formation in desert; use of barrage prior to attack; behaviour of troops based on individual motivation. REEL 9 Continues: opinion of reasons for defeat at Battle of Gazala, Libya, 4/1942; defensive positions on Ruweisat Ridge; limited artillery support available; troops insistence on being fully informed; troops encouraged to ask questions and offer comments; method of delivering orders; dissemination of information in battalion; availability of newspapers; German forces' need for access to Ruwaisat Ridge; tactics employed by German forces; problem of warning against Axis attacks; use of listening posts and mines in front of positions; size of night-time security patrols; development of German forces' attacks and tactics employed; siting of anti-tank in enfilade positions; response to German tank attacks; effectiveness of minefields on blunting Deutsches Afrika Korps armoured attacks; Deutsches Afrika Korps use of captured mines; duration and intention of Deutsches Afrika Korps artillery bombardments. REEL 10 Continues: contrast in German and British forces' use of mortars; use of two and three inch mortars; support provided by 1st (Machine Gun) Bn Cheshire Regt with medium machine guns; opinion of German MG42 Machine Gun; opinion of Italian Army weapons and troops; artillery support; Deutsches Afrika Korps artillery support; opinion of German 88mm Gun; use of whistle; indication of targets by use of tracer; pre-arranged whistle signals at platoon level; obtaining fighting efficiency; number of regular soldiers in unit; memories of Company Sergeant-Major 'Dodger' Green. REEL 11 Continues: Recollections of preparations for and operations as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942-11/1942: leading unit by map and compass; overhearing amusing story between Company Sergeant-Major 'Dodger' Green and his driver; degrees of motivation amongst troops; loss of intelligent soldiers from rifle companies to signals and intelligence sections; notice given to move to assembly area prior to Battle of El Alamein; issue of airmail cards; replacement of missing equipment; method of briefing unit at different levels; arrival of supporting armour of Warwickshire Yeomanry; question of importance of chaplain and medical officer; importance of thorough preparation for forthcoming operations; state of health and physical condition; importance of team spirit; General Bernard Montgomery's selection of units for attack; ability to sleep prior to battle. REEL 12 Continues: daily requirement for sleep; lack of night-time activity in desert; improvised lights at night; sharing command with platoon sergeant at night; importance of use of slit trenches in assembly area; living conditions out of line; dealing with rations; issue of camel meat; items left of out of battle kit; inspection of sections; weapons and ammunition carried; grenades carried; attitudes towards grenades; preference for four second fuse on grenades; facilities on start line; deployment of battalions and companies; platoons in lines; Deutsches Afrika Korps machine guns firing in enfilade; need to attack quickly once operation began; threat of anti-personnel mines. REEL 13 Continues: advance to contact during Operation Supercharge; deployment and pace; character of 'The Devil's Garden' minefield; training in mine clearance techniques; casualties; comparison between British and German grenades; orders not to assist casualties; taking of objective and securing exits for armoured forces; siting of battalion's Ordnance QF 2 Pounder Anti-Tank guns; distance advanced through minefield; nature of Deutsches Afrika Korps positions; sending German Deutsches Afrika Korps prisoners of war back through cleared lanes in minefields; speed with which tanks followed up; duration of tank battle; walking back through minefield; depth of Deutsches Afrika Korps defensive positions; reaction to order to follow up German forces in retreat; background to the sacking of Brigadier Joscelyn Percy. REEL 14 Continues: pace of pursuit; lack of encounter with Axis rearguard; strength of platoon during pursuit; delay through weather; use of divisional transport to ferry supplies; character of Axis resistance during pursuit across Libya, 11/1942-1/1943; organisation of motorised supply; effects of wet weather; attitude towards propaganda of victory parade in Tripoli, Libya, 23/1/1943. Aspects of operations as officer with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry, 151st Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Tunisia, 2/1943-3/1943: character of defences of Mareth Line; accidental bombing of United States Army Air Force; nature of assault on wadi on Mareth Line. REEL 15 Continues: damage to battalion's sole Ordnance QF 6 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun to get across wadi; role as liaison officer for commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Clarke; wounding by artillery fire; lack of expectation of breaking through Mareth Line. Aspects of hospitalisation for wounds in North Africa, 1943: evacuation for treatment of wounds; treatment received in United States Army Medical Corps hospital; opinion of American ambulances; dealing with blood poisoning in leg with maggots; problems with ants inside plaster; encounter with friendly nurse; reaction to diversion of ship to Egypt; how he was declared unfit for active service. Recollections of period as instructor with Weapon Training Wing, Middle East School of Infantry at Beit Hanoun, Palestine, 1943-1946: organisation of school; students of school; initial examination and assessment; training tailored to individual needs; standards of weapons use in general; giving lecture on principles of instruction; emphasis on use of five senses; demonstration of all infantry weapons. REEL 16 Continues: night demonstration; visit by Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Bernard Paget; use of booby trap house; incident with mortar on demonstration by Gurkhas; amusing story of nurses attending dinner cooked by Gurkhas; recruitment as expert witness by Palestine Police Force; case of Pole who shot Jewish taxi driver; Jewish female personal driver; incident of accidental explosion of mortar bomb in Arab village; opinion of Palestine Police Force; views on political situation in Palestine; effects of Jewish migrants purchasing land and controlling water supply; security of arms at school; question of Jews being best students on weapons training course; numbers on course; amusing story of visit from members of Small Arms School; declining offer of regular commission; readjustment to civilian life.