Description
Object description
British gunner served with 50th Anti-tank Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940; served with 304 Bty, 26 Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, Egypt and Crete, 1940-1941; POW in Greece and Germany, 1941-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Stanway and London, GB, 1915-1940: family; education; employment in Stanway and London; joining Metropolitan Police reserve and duties, 1939-1940. Aspects of enlistment and training with 50th Anti-tank Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940: call up to unit at Aldershot, 4/1940; pattern of training; coping with military discipline; training on 2 Pounder anti-tank guns; duties dealing with troops evacuated from Dunkirk at Aldershot Station; dealing with German incendiary bombs on Hogs Back. Aspects of period as clerk with 304 Bty, 26 Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery in GB and Egypt, 1940-1941: attachment to unit near Wendover.
REEL 2 Continues: requesting posting to unit; equipment of unit; voyage from GB to Egypt, 12/1940; accommodation in Egypt, 1941. Recollections of operations as gunner with 304 Bty, 26 Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery on Crete, 1941: voyage from Egypt to Suda Bay aboard Ulster Prince; accommodation at Canea; sanitation duties; supplying batteries with water; sight of German paratroopers and gliders landing; watching Junkers Ju 52 delivering supplies; move to Spahkia for evacuation; surrender to German forces in Canea.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as POW on Crete and Greece, 1941: treatment by German captors; work parties in Canea; removal to Pireaus; conditions in camp at Salonika. Recollections of period as POW in Germany, 1941-1945: train journey from Greece to Germany; arrival at Stalag IV B; first Red Cross parcel; joining working party from Stalag IV C; conditions on working party; medical problem with foot and subsequent hospitalisation; allocation to railway repair yard at Ttshen; accommodation at Ttshen; POW relations; cigarette ration; work in railway repair yard.
REEL 4 Continues: sources of reading material; work of night shift; incident of guards shooting POW; vegetables grown and cooking potatoes; making miniature Christmas trees for tables; contact with home and hearing of progress of war; bartering with Germans; reaction to hearing of end of Second World War. Aspects of return to GB, 1945: march away from camp; obtaining lorry to drive to Prague; reaching American lines at Pilsen; flight to Brussels, Belgium and onto GB; physical condition on arrival in GB; processing on arrival in GB; arrival at family home.
REEL 5 Continues: arrangements for marriage, 6/6/1945; receiving medical discharge, 1945; return to civilian life; lessons learnt from military and POW experience; medical problems with legs; pattern of civilian career; question of treatment of veterans and war widows.