Description
Object description
British gunner served with Royal Artillery in GB, 1939; gunner and NCO served with 132 Field Regt Royal Artillery in GB, North Africa, Italy and Austria, 1939-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Kettering, GB, 1921-1939: family and education; work of father and family home; learning to drive; desire to join army; joining of Royal Artillery as driver; knowledge of approaching war; mother's reaction to his joining-up. Aspects of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in GB, 1939: posting to Woolwich; accommodation; uniform issued; visit from mother; changes to stature; pattern of training; vehicles worked on; story of teaching officer to drive; discipline; guard duties; memories of Lance Sergeant Hardy; comradeship; evening activities; rations; punishment received at Deepcut; guard duties; learning to ride motorcycle; outbreak of war; details of period with 10th Field Regiment; accommodation; weapons training; posting to 132 Field Regiment at Usk. Aspects of period as gunner and NCO with 132 Field Regt Royal Artillery in GB, 1939-1942: details of unit including vehicles; conditions on road during winter; later news of 10th Field Regiment from in France; transport of troops evacuated from France and reactions to situation; details of 75mm guns issued in unit including role of regiment and tyres fitted in Liverpool; vehicles in unit.
REEL 2 Continues: leisure activities; turnover of troops including memories of Harry Secombe; supplements to rations; Christmas 1939; postings and duties in southern England; story of escorting prisoner to Nottingham; hospitalisation and convalescence; return to unit at Dunblane; exercise for loading LST; details of vehicles in unit; promotions gained including celebrations on becoming bombardier and subsequent punishment; activities in Dunblane; hospitalisation with food poisoning; details of voyage to Algiers; story of later voyage across Mediterranean. Aspects of operations as NCO with 132 Field Regt Royal Artillery in North Africa, 12/1942-7/1943: disembarkation; reunion with unit; promotion to lance sergeant and memories of Peter Wood; rest period in Italy; duties; story of walking into gun; proximity to opposition; opinion of work; position taken on plains; story of accident with mines and repairs made to Bren carrier; activities of German artillery; details of breakout and advance.
REEL 3 Continues: hospitalisation with malaria; details of victory parade; contact with German POWs; rate of fire of guns; duties during and other details of artillery barrages; examination of shrapnel from premature bursts; casualties; dealing with casualties including mental effects of service and medical services; preparations for Sicily in Sousse; voyage to Sicily. Aspects of operations as gunner with 132 Field Regt Royal Artillery in Italy and North Africa, 7/1943-5/1945: landing and scenes on beaches; effects of and climbing Mount Etna; voyage to mainland Italy; scenes on arrival in Taranto; voyage to Port Said; activities in Ismailia; leave in Alexandria and Cairo; problems with civilians; reasons for not going to France; standard of turnout; coping with climate in North Africa; proofing of vehicles against sand and water; cooking of meals and brewing tea; latrines; opinion of German weapons; opinion of Italian troops; contact with German POWs and displaced persons in Italy; story of contact with female SS; return to Italy; journey north including visit to Vatican City; details of activities during action at Cassino.
REEL 4 Continues: supplements to rations; relationship with American troops including collection of Jeep; opinion of Jeep; problems with Dodge truck and visit to American mechanics; captured Axis vehicles driven including transport on snow in Austria; casualties at Cassino; burial of casualties. Aspects of period as gunner with 132 Field Regt Royal Artillery in Austria, 5/1945- : arrival in Austria; involvement in athletics; journey into Austria; story of flowers thrown at car; VE Day celebrations; alcohol intake; posting on border with Yugoslavia; accommodation; relationship with civilians; journey to GB; demobilisation at Aldershot; period on reserve; reasons for not staying in army. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1946: civilian work including meeting of wife and marriage, 1946.