Crouch, Gerald Edward 'Gerry (Oral history)

British marine served with Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation in GB, Egypt and Crete, 1940-1941; POW in Greece, Yugoslavia and Austria, 1941-1945

REEL 1 Background in Chard, GB, 1918-1940: family; education; employment. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Marines in GB, 1940: call up, 2/1940; training as range finder on anti-aircraft guns at Houndstone Camp, Yeovil; opinion of training; opinion of instructors; firing training at School of Gunnery, Towyn. Recollections of period as marine with Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation in GB and Egypt, 1940-1941: anti-aircraft role in Folkestone, 6/1940-10/1940; waiting for embarkation in Portsmouth area, late 1940; voyage aboard Rangitata from GB to South Africa, 1/1941; voyage from South Africa to Egypt. REEL 2 Continues: arrival at Port Tewfik; embarking for Crete. Recollections of operations as marine with Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation on Crete, 5/1940: Italian Air Force attack on ship during voyage from Egypt to Crete; arrival at Suda Bay and move into first positions; reasons for greater success with 3 inch guns than 3.7 inch guns; character of gun site; German Air Force attacks; unit officers; casualties; lack of awareness of evacuation; firing on German paratroopers; officer who came back to find men in house; shooting of German paratroopers on hillside near Suda Bay; conditions on march towards Sparkia; order of evacuation; contact with Australians in rearguard; arrival at Sparkia. REEL 3 Continues: volunteering to search for water in bowser; building roadblock using abandoned tank; orders to surrender. Aspects of period as POW in Greece, 1941:march across island to Suda Bay; POW work on German memorial on Crete; voyage to mainland Greece; transfer to camp in Salonika. Recollections of period as POW in Camp XVIII D, Maribor in Yugoslavia and in Austria, 1941-: background of transfer to camp; issue of clothing and footwear; working parties; bombing of factory by US Air Force; working hours; mass escape from camp and transfer to Austria; work on railway; physical condition. REEL 4 Continues: degree of contact with civilians in Yugoslavia; question of escaping to Switzerland; problems with POW's wife leaving him. Aspects of liberation and return to GB, 1945: drive westwards after liberation; return flight to GB; initial reception on arrival; liberation by US troops; move into barracks at Fort Cumberland; incident of being sent to guardroom for having bath in Fort Cumberland; move to Deal Barracks and period of being confined to barracks; forging travel warrants and subsequent period of detention; running rehabilitation office at Walmer; demobilisation. REEL 5 Continues: attitude to leaving Royal Marines and return to civilian life; attitude to treatment by Royal Marines on return to GB. Reflection on period as POW in Yugoslavia and Austria, 1941-1945: story of rescuing German guard from bottom of pool in Camp XVIII D, Maribor; presence of Russian civilian and military POWs; participation in burial parties for Russian POWs.