Description
Object description
British cadet at Royal Military College, Sandhurst, GB, 1937-1939; officer served with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in GB, France and Belgium, 1/1939-6/1940; served with Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Victoria Barracks, 6th and 4th Bns Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in GB, 8/1940-11/1942; served with 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde in Egypt and Sicily, Italy, 5/1943-7/1943; served with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in Italy, 2/1944-9/1944; prisoner of war in Stalag VII-A, Moosburg, Germany, 10/1944-4/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Lucknow, India and GB, 1918-1937: family's civil service and medical background in India; family; reasons for removal from India to GB; education and retirement of father to GB, 1929; sporting interests; decision of his father that he should join army; family circumstances; degree of political awareness. Recollections of period as cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 1937-1939: arrival at Royal Military College Sandhurst; sergeant instructors; syllabus.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of tactical training received; physical training; facilities at college; expectations of conduct of future war; opinion of French Army; reasons for not joining Gurkha regiment and choosing Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; formal dinner at regiment; duration of course and passing out. Recollections of period as second lieutenant with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in GB, 1/1939- 8/1939: joining unit at Shorncliffe Camp, 1/1939; taking charge of cross country running; messing arrangements; orderly officer duties; depletion of unit with drafts to India; move to London, 4/1939.
REEL 3 Continues: reception on arrival at unit; impressions of his batman; induction period; relations between officers and other ranks; role of company sergeant-major; origins and characteristics of platoon; support for running team and training; move to Tower of London for ceremonial duties; emphasis on drill; accommodation in Tower of London; arrival of new officers; move to Chelsea Barracks; first guard duties at Buckingham Palace; guard duties at Bank of England; degree of threat to Bank of England. Recollections of period as officer with 2nd Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in GB and France, 8/1939-5/1940: mobilisation, 8/1939; training dockers in use of gas masks.
REEL 4 Continues: appointment as battalion intelligence officer; concern over field security; sketching; chain of command; concentration of 4th Infantry Div at Aldershot Garrison, 9/1939; use of motorcycle as personnel transport; introduction of battledress; arrival in Cherbourg; arrival in French village.
REEL 5 Continues: unit move to French/Belgian border; short tour in Maginot Line in Metz area; patrolling activity; brigading of battle patrols and intelligence sections in Halstroff; opinion of deployment of unit; German Army raid on isolated platoon of C company; adjacent platoon unable to respond and discrediting of concept of platoon sergeant-major; character of former French positions; French Army artillery support; positions on French/Belgium border; visits to Vimy Ridge; field security duties; French Army liaison officer; relations with French civilians; leave to see parents in Paris, 10/5/1940.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde in France and Belgian, 5/1940-6/1940: 3rd Infantry Div passing through division into Belgium; advance into Belgium; German pilot killed by Belgian civilians; contact with German forces on Escaut Canal; transporting intelligence officer of Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) to Major-General Bernard Montgomery's headquarters; impressions of Major-General Bernard Montgomery; behaviour of commanding officer and role of adjutant; role finding brigade to get leave for battalion to withdraw; wounding crossing open ground to unit headquarters; rescue by Major Geoffrey Pine-Coffin of carrier platoon; evacuation to La Panne, Belgium; evacuation from Dunkirk, France to Dover, GB, 1/6/1940.
REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Victoria Barracks and 6th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in GB, 8/1940-10/1940: posting to Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regimental Depot, Victoria Barracks, Bodmin after hospitalisation; coastal defence duties in Cornwall; story of paddling out to challenge Admiralty coastal patrol; cleaning up after sapper stepped on mine; billeting in farmhouse with London evacuees; transfer to 6th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry; mortar positions on cliffs. Aspects of period as adjutant with 4th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in GB, 10/1940-11/1942: posting to battalion at Selby; character of battalion; behaviour of Regular Army reservists; relations with civilians; mobile exercises; attitude to move to coastal defence duties; role as adjutant.
REEL 8 Continues: character of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Max Haring; volunteering for overseas service and voyage from GB to Egypt via South Africa. Recollections of operations as captain with 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt, 231st Independent Infantry Bde in Egypt and Sicily, Italy, 5/1943-7/1943: posting to battalion in Egypt; trained for 'scramble landing' and scaling sea wall.
REEL 9 Continues: opinion of training for invasion of Sicily; relationship with his platoon; rehearsal landing over beaches at Aquaba; embarkation at Alexandria, Egypt; voyage from Alexandria, Egypt to Sicily, Italy, 7/1943; equipment carried and use of plimsolls; nature of landings during Operation Husky; battalion objectives; wounding in leg in alleyway; evacuation to landing craft. Aspects of hospitalisation on Malta, 8/1943-9/1943: nature of wound.
REEL 10 Continues: complications with wound and surgeon's article in The Lancet; witnessing last German Air Force raid on Malta; presence of burnt Canadian Army officer of 14th Armoured Regt (Calgary Regt) in ward; return to 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Bougie, French Algeria. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Infantry Bde, 4th Infantry Div in Italy, 2/1944-9/1944: night march and artillery shelling during deployment in bridgehead on River Garigliano bridgehead, 2/1944; Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Musson's style of command; resupply and patrol activity; handling of casualties; use of mules for hayboxes.
REEL 11 Continues: quarters on Monte Ornito; artillery support; deployment in Monte Cassino area, 3/1944; crossing River Rapido on M4 Sherman Tanks; impressions of German prisoners of war; Officer 'O' Group for attack on Incontro Monastery, 8/1944; character of attack on Incontio Monastery, 8/1944; situation inside Incontro Monastery; terrain behind the Incontro Monastery.
REEL 12 Continues: taking command of A Coy for River Ronco action; approach march to Bertinoro; nature of attack on Bertinoro; plans for night attack over River Ronco; nature of night attack over River Ronco; exchange of fire with German forces from riverbank; crossing River Ronco and loss of Projector Infantry Anti-Tank; collecting 11 Platoon from riverbank; attacking building on ridge; fate of platoon officers; German armoured counter-attack on bridgehead on River Ronco; capture by German forces and move through own defensive fire.
REEL 13 Continues: meeting with German divisional commander and move to Dulag 339 in Mantua. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Stalag VII-A, Moosburg in Germany, 10/1944-4/1945: reaction to being made prisoner of war; train journey to camp and circumstances of Captain Anthony Spencer's escape; rations and improvised cookers; German guards' morale; generosity of American prisoners of war; arrival of Soviet prisoners of war; question of escape; use of camp library; liberation by United States Third Army and General George S Patton; return flight to GB; rehabilitation leave; sight of German Air Force jet aircraft in camp; eventual posting to Greece.