Dray, John (Oral history)

British private served with 5th Bn, Northamptonshire Regt in Italy and Egypt, 1944; served with 2/7th Bn, Queens West Surrey Regt in Italy, 1944

REEL 1 Recollections of background in New Eltham, London and Lustleigh, 1926-1944: family background; review of father's military service and multiple wounds serving with 7th and 2nd Bns, Northamptonshire Regt on Western Front, 1915-1918; story of death of father through effect of war wounds, 24/12/1928; social circumstances; move to Lustleigh, 1931; education; interest in joining army and attending village Armistice Parades. REEL 2 Continues: interest in joining army and question of influence of father's military service and stories of Indian army veteran and recruitment drive of 5th Bn, Devonshire Regt; sporting activities; recreations; Boy Scouts activities; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; reactions to call up of brother; working as schoolboy on farms; effects of war and influx of refugee schoolchildren on school; rationing; visits to camp of searchlight battery. REEL 3 military convoys to artillery ranges; German air raids; story of Spitfire shooting down drifting barrage balloon; story of practical jokes and stealing Molotov cocktail from Lustleigh Home Guard; view of aerial dogfights while assisting in potato harvest; decision to leave school, 1940; return of brother from Dunkirk, 6/1940; work as office boy at concrete works, 1941; informal training with ARP; work as estate labourer, 1941-1942; training with Air Training Corps at Newton Abbot, 1942-1943, including drill and learning Morse code. REEL 4 Continues: training with Air Training Corps at Newton Abbot, 1942-1943, including aircraft recognition, view of captured ME 109, attending camp at Horrobridge airfield, distinctive sound of aircraft, duties, flight in Blenheim and question of joining RAF; military accidents; recruitment underage into Northamptonshire Regt at Exeter Castle, 1/1943; mother's reaction to enlistment. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 54th Primary Training Wing, Britannia Barracks, Norwich, 1/1943-2/1943: journey; reception and introduction to barrack room; bugle calls; question of shaving; food rations. REEL 5 Continues: food rations; PT, cross country runs and route marches; drill; attitude to army; rifle training and method of cleaning rifle; kitting out with uniform and equipment; vaccinations; dental treatment; hair cut. REEL 6 Continues: weapons training including bayonet, hand grenades, Thompson gun, Bren gun and 2" mortar; assault course; gas and gas mask training; kit inspections. REEL 7 Continues: pay; canteen and writing room; relationship including case of bullying and nature of two selected for officer training; relationship with instructors and officers; recreations; relationship with civilians; proficiency tests. Recollections of specialist training with Northamptonshire Regt at Nelson Barracks, Norwich, 2/1943-7/1943: driving training on pick-up truck; opinion of Bren carrier including method of steering, crew, purpose and track problems. REEL 8 Continues: maintenance routine; nature of former cavalry barracks; effects of German air raids including story of shooting down of barrage balloon, mass burials and anti-looting guard duty; rape investigation; case of soldier striking officer; pay parade; laundry; question of perks for NCOs and officers; fishing with hand grenades; Bren carrier driving test and qualification as driver. Recollections of service with D Coy, 4th Bn, NR at St John's Wood Camp, High Wycombe, 7/1943-10/1943: story of meeting recruits commissioned as officers; question of status as Bren carrier driver; story of using Bren carrier acting as German tank in exercises; story of being disciplined for being late back to camp and cancellation of punishment for brother's visit. REEL 9 Recollections of period at Hythe, 10/1943-12/1943: role manning pillboxes; hotel billets; nature of coastal defences; privileged status of soldiers with India service; training on Vickers machine gun; night alarm calls and occupying slit trenches; church parades. Period at Old Park Barracks, Dover, 12/1943-1/1944: nature of barracks; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1943; question of preparations for overseas draft; train journey to Liverpool; personal morale. Voyage aboard Cape Town Castle to Naples, Italy, 1/1944: messdeck conditions; guard duties on watertight doors and hold; escaped barrage balloon; deck activities; escorts. REEL 10 Continues: first impressions of Naples. Period with Holding Unit at Bene Vento, 1/1944. Recollections of initial period with C Coy, 5th Bn, NR in Italy, 1/1944-2/1944: first impression on joining unit at Casel Vecchio; relationship with officers and NCOs including importance of discipline and value of battle experience; movements and reorganisation. Recollections of conditions of service,lifestyle and daily routine at Point 593, Snakes Head Ridge, Monte Cassino area, 2/1944-: move forward through The Bowl; nature of sangars; food rations and cooking arrangements; special rations; stand to; Bren gun post; rations parties; use of well under German machine gun fire. REEL 11 Continues: situation and terrain; stand to; Bren gun position; German rifle grenade fire; question of latrine arrangements; corpses; food rations and cooking arrangements; NAAFI ration supply; letter and parcel contact with GB; Eighth Army newspaper; relief by 2nd Bn, East Surrey Regt; cigarette ration; recreations during rest period in The Bowl; German raids; corpses; evacuation of wounded; relationship with Platoon Sergeant Saggs, Lance Corporal Jacobs and Major Cook; story of relief by Polish unit, 4/1944, including threat of German flares, German shell fire, accidentally drinking rum and marching out through valley. REEL 12 Continues: story of relief by Polish unit, 4/1944, including marching out through valley and journey by lorry to Capua. Period at Capua, 4/1944-5.1944: bivouac tents; latrines; ENSA concert party; open air cinema; canteens; drinking wine; green envelopes and airgraphs; river crossing training; re-equipment with khaki drill uniform. Recollections of operations on crossing Amazon Bailey bridge over River Rapido, 16/5/1944-18/5/1944: situation; briefing; advance in sections; crossing bridge and advance to take farm buildings on ridge; taking German POWs; sunken road on ridge; establishing defensive positions; German corpses squashed by tanks; tactical situation and importance of Route 6; sniping activities; temporary capture of patrol; situation. Recollections of advance, 5/1944-6/1944: skirmishes during advance on Aquino; story of slight leg wound, ca 26/5/1944; situation and withdrawal of German forces from Adolf Hitler Line, ca 27/5/1944; German minefields; nature of German minefields. REEL 13 Continues: question of status and medical attention of wound; advance beyond Rome; reception from Italian civilians. Recollections of attack on Monte Gabbione, 6/1944: prior transfer to Bren Carrier Platoon, Support Coy; situation; order to reinforce advance company; German sniper victim; situation on entering village; acting as rearguard and evacuating wounded whilst withdrawing from positions in house; story of visit to village, 5/2004; tactical significance of village. Aspects of advance to Lake Trasmini, 6/1944: situation; story of coming under German machine gun fire during Bren Carrier patrol; role reinforcing and re-supplying advanced companies; washing in lake. Journey back to Tivoli and leave in Rome, 6/1944-7/1944: pay; recreations; audience with Pope. Train journey to Taranto, 7/1944. REEL 14 Mine explosion and casualties during train journey to Taranto, 7/1944. Conditions during voyage aboard Britannic to Port Said, Egypt, 7/1944. Periods at Ismailia and Bene Yusef Camps, 7/1944-8/1944: conditions of service; reinforcement drafts from anti-aircraft units; visiting brothels during leave in Cairo; question of sending gifts back to GB; relationship with Egyptians including background to riot; cinema; British soldiers treatment of Egyptian civilians; visit to Pyramids. Voyage back to Taranto, Italy, 8/1944. Recollections of initial period with C Coy, 2/7th Bn, Queens West Surrey Regt in Italy, 9/1944-11/1944: background to draft as reinforcement; movements and joining unit in front lien at Forli; pride in 56th Div; story of underestimating abilities of corporal during reconnaissance patrol to check farm buildings; withdrawal to Mazoraka; barrack accommodation; model horse race. REEL 15 night patrol exercises; story of near accident during mortar firing exercises; opinion of 38 and 18 wireless sets; sniper targeting system; opinion of Thompson sub-machine gun; question of use of bayonet; issue with Thompson sub-machine gun; attitude to desertion and treatment of captured deserters; colonel's announcement of return to front line and necessity of singing warning order; cases of desertion; move into line in Faenza sector, 11/1944. situation. Recollections of attack on Faenza, 7/12/1944: attending 'O' group as officer's runner; crossing Lamone River and role creating 'Chinese' diversionary attack during main attack; follow up attack passing through minefield; German shell fire; story of triggering German 'S' mine tripwire and resulting ankle and leg wounds; collection by stretcher bearers; nervous state of officer; evacuation by jeep passing through German held sector to church; evacuation in ambulance driven by US conscientious objector across Lamone River. REEL 16 Continues: initial treatment at advance field hospital; state of ankle wounds. Recollections of period at 93rd General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps at Bari, 12/1944-3/1945: Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944; personal morale; question of prior application to join British South African Police; Russian servants. Period at 103 General Hospital, Naples, 3/1945-4/1945. Evacuation aboard El Nil to GB, 4/1945-5/1945: leg iron; special beds; severely wounded cases; reception on arrival. Period at East Kilbride Hospital, 5/1945: treatment by medical orderlies; tests before being allowed home on leave; story of difficult journey back to Lustleigh; reporting for assessment of ankle wound; discharge from army as severely disabled, 7/1945. Post-war career: period at Atlantic Hotel Hospital, Newquay, including operations on ankle, haemorrhage complications and consequent blood transfusions; period at Musgrave Hospital, Taunton including state of ankle and relationship with civilians; return home, 12/1946; question of disability pension and initial difficult in finding work; marriage, 1949; move to London; career in production control; return to Lustleigh, 1981; question of adequacy of disability pension, 2004.