Interview with Michael Walter Holme

British officer served with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 25th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Motor Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 3/1940-6/1940; served with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 25th Infantry Bde, 47th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 7/1940-2/1944; served with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Div, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB and Normandy, France, 2/1944-8/1944; served with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945; served with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Egypt and Palestine, 1945-1946; served with 4th Bn Essex Regt in Ilford, GB, 1947; student at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1948; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 26th Gurkha Bde in Hong Kong and Federation of Malaya, 1949-1952; served as instructor on directing staff of Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1952-1955; served with 1st Bn Essex Regt in Hong Kong and Germany, 1955-1957; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Bde in GB and Cyprus, 1958-1959; commanded 3rd Bn East Anglian Regt in Federation of Malaya, 1960-1962; commanded All Arms Tactics Wing at School of Infantry, Warminster, GB, 1962-1963; commanded Headquarters British Forces Persian Gulf in Bahrain, 1963-1966; served as Chief of Staff of Headquarters, Western Command, Chester, GB, 1966-1968; served as Divisional Brigadier with Headquarters, Queens Division at Colchester Garrison, GB, 1968-1969; commanded Headquarters, Near East Land Forces in Republic of Cyprus, 1969-1972

REEL 1 Aspects of period as cadet at No 161 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Royal Military College Sandhurst, Camberley, GB, 9/1939-2/1940: prior membership of Officer Training Corps at Winchester College, Winchester; anticipation of Second World War; civil employment prior to call-up for military service; call-up to No 161 Officer Cadet Training Unit, 9/1939; character of intake; opinion of staff sergeant-majors. Aspects of period as officer with Essex Regiment at Essex Regiment Regimental Depot, Warley Barracks, Warley, Brentwood, GB, 2/1940-3/1940: posting to regimental depot at Warley, 2/1940; character of recruits; weapons training; relations with company commander. Recollections of operations as officer with 2nd Bn Essex Regiment, 25th Infantry Div, 50th (Northumbrian) Motor Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 3/1940-6/1940: posting to battalion; billeting with French civilians; taking command of mortar platoon; atmosphere in battalion; orders to move into Belgium on German invasion, 10/5/1940; movements during campaign. REEL 2 Continues: move to Louvain, Belgium; psychological effects of German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber attack on village; sight of civilian refugees; platoon located near battalion headquarters; attachment as liaison officer with divisional headquarters; motorcycle accident at night; meeting with divisional commander Major-General Sir Gifford Martel; rejoining unit; role in charge of battalion transport column; abandoning unit vehicles; retreat to beaches at Dunkirk, France; evacuation on fishing boat to Ramsgate, GB; reception in Ramsgate, GB. Recollections of period as officer with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 25th Infantry Bde, 47th (London) Infantry Div in GB, 7/1940-2/1944: reformation of battalion at Keele Hall Camp; loss of battalion mortars; move into tented camp; tactical training; move to Worthing for coastal defence duties, 4/1941; invasion scare, 9/1940; characteristics of Ordnance ML 3 Inch Mortar; duties as adjutant from 1941-1943; opinion of commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Marriott; opinion of training. REEL 3 Continues: drafts sent to Middle East. Aspects of period as officer with 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, 2/1944-6/1944: creation of 56th Infantry Bde and attachment to 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div; amphibious operations training at Inverarary; organisation of Support Coy; taking command of A Coy, 1/1944-2/1944; briefings for Operation Overlord; use of aerial photographs of Normandy, France. Recollections of operations commanding A Coy, 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944: crossing English Channel in landing craft infantry; disembarking in chest high water; reasons for not using issued bicycles; advance to Bayeux; composition of tactical headquarters; digging in in front of Bayeux; threat of mines; night-time activities, 6/6/1944-7/6/1944; rations. Recollections of operations commanding A Coy, 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div and 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: move southwards towards Tilly-sur-Seulles; preparations for attack at Tilly-sur-Seulles, 10/6/1944; description of attack and German opposition, 10/6/1944. REEL 4 Continues: German armoured counter-attack; unit losses; German forces use of flamethrower; use of artillery to stop night-time infiltration by German forces; removal of commanding officer; withdrawal from positions; question of British tactics employed in bocage terrain; deployment on right flank of British forces; nature of attack at Bois de Saint-Germain, including armoured support; dealing with German Mk IV Tanks; contact with American forces; nature of attack on Launay Ridge using supporting arms. REEL 5 Continues: problems on start line; proximity to artillery barrage; tank support; capture of Launay Ridge; nature of advance after Launay Ridge; briefings; move to Le Havre; effects of manpower crisis; artillery bombardment of Le Havre. Recollections of operations commanding A Coy, 2nd Bn Essex Regt, 56th Infantry Bde, 49th (West Riding) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 9/1944-5/1945: advance into Belgium; armoured support during German attack at Rijkevorsel, Belgium, 9/1944; repulsing second attack on Rijkevorsel, Belgium, 9/1944; advance into Netherlands; ferrying unit across river; deploying on The Island; German flooding of positions on The Island, Netherlands; wounding during attack on Zetten, Netherlands, 1/1945; hospitialisation in Ostend, Belgium; return to battalion on The Island, Netherlands, 3/1945. REEL 6 Continues: advance into Germany. Aspects of period as officer with 1st Bn South Lancashire Regt (Prince of Wales's Own), 8th Infantry Bde, 3rd Infantry Div in Egypt and Palestine, 1945-1946: background to joining battalion; move to Haifa in Palestine via Egypt; role supporting Palestine Police Force; attitude of troops to service in Palestine; sight of refugee ship carrying Jewish emigrants; move to Egypt; brief posting to 9th Parachute Regt. Aspects of period as officer with 4th Bn Essex Regt in Ilford, GB, 1947: posting to battalion; decision to continue service with British Army; commanding officer's rebuilding of battalion. Aspects of period as student at Staff College, Camberley, GB, 1948: syllabus of instruction; written work; assessment; lectures on Soviet Army; battlefield tours. Aspects of period as brigade major with Headquarters, 26th Gurkha Bde in Hong Kong, 1949-1950: posting to brigade; deploying to counter Communist threat to colony; terrain in New Territories. REEL 7 Continues: degree of threat from People's Republic of China. Aspects of operations of as brigade major with Headquarters, 26th Gurkha Bde in Federation of Malaya, 1950-1952: move to Johore; aim of Briggs Plan; deployment and size of brigade; change in tactics; Malayan National Liberation Army insurgent activity, including ambushes; visit to planter for lunch; visits to divisional headquarters at Kuala Lumpur. Aspects of period as instructor on directing staff at Staff College, Camberley, 1952-1955: introduction of nuclear tactics; exercises based on British Army of the Rhine; lecture by Anthony Farrar-Hockley; foreign students; battlefield tour to Normandy, France; syllabus including aiding civil power. REEL 8 Continues: Aspects of period as commanding A Coy, 1st Bn Essex Regt, Hong Kong Garrison in Hong Kong and 5th Infantry Bde in West Germany, 1955-1957: joining unit in Hong Kong; situation in Hong Kong; effects of National Service on unit; regional origins of recruits; troopship voyage from GB to Hong Kong; move to Dortmund, West Germany, 8/1956; relations with West German civilians; manpower problems. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 3rd Infantry Bde in GB and Cyprus, 1958-1959: organisation of staff at Colchester Garrison; memories of Major-General Gordon Lennox; reasons for move of divisional headquarters to Cyprus; reconnaissance to Jordan; internal security duties; return to GB and move to Bulford Camp; exercise on Salisbury Plain using helicopters. REEL 9 Continues: proposed role of brigade; joint study period with 16th Parachute Bde Group; Welsh Guards flown in on exercise on Salisbury Plain. Recollections of operations as commanding officer of 3rd Bn East Anglian Regt in Federation of Malaya, 1960-1962: taking command after amalgamation of Essex and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiments; basing of unit at Ipoh; troops recreational activities and question of putting areas out of bounds; dealing with trouble between British Army and Australian Army troops; liaison with Federation of Malaya Police; terrain; use of helicopters; attending victory parade in Kuala Lumpur; command structure; move to new camp at Malacca; problems with boredom; giving up command, 5/1962. REEL 10 Continues: entertainment and sport; attitude to commanding battalion; running battalion; role of adjutant; company commanders; influence over appointment of officers; role of regimental sergeant-major; qualities of good company commander. Aspects of period commanding All Arms Tactics Wing at School of Infantry, Warminster, GB, 1962-1963: nature of courses; duties as commandant; instructors gave presentation to other training establishment; lack of change in tactics. Recollections of period commanding Headquarters British Forces Persian Gulf in Bahrain, 1963-1966: posting to Bahrain; chain of command; the Kuwait Liaison Team. REEL 11 Continues: deployment of Trucial Oman Scouts; role advising Sultan of Abu Dhabi; organisation of Trucial Oman Scouts; liaison with headquarters of Sultan of Oman's Armed Forces; deployment of Parachute Regiment to Radfan, Federation of South Arabia; liaison with Foreign Office Resident; incident of having to protect airfield; threats to Kuwait. Aspects of period as Chief of Staff at Headquarters, Western Command, Chester, GB, 1966-1968: running down of command structure; question of need to run down command structure; prior recollection of command structure in Persian Gulf. Aspects of period as Divisional Brigadier of Headquarters, Queen's Division at Colchester Garrison, GB, 1968-1969: sources of friction with colonels of regiments; role of Colonel Commandant Michael Forrester; administrative role of division; training of recruits. REEL 12 Continues: question of colonels being concerned with minor regimental matters. Recollections of period commanding Near East Land Forces in Republic of Cyprus, 1969-1972: posting and composition of command; Gaddafi Coup and his asking British forces to leave Libya; story of deployment of armoured car force to Northern Ireland; degree of Cypriot hostility towards British presence; lack of serious trouble; relations with Turkish population; intelligence threat to Akrotiri; value of Akrotiri as staging post; training of troops in Republic of Cyprus; liaison with Cypriot population; retirement from British Army after end of posting. REEL 13 Continues: return to civilian life, 1972; advantages of military service and regimental system.