Description
Object description
British private served as medical orderly with 8th Casualty Clearing Station Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 10/1939-1/1940; private and NCO served as medical orderly with 15th Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, North Africa and Sicily, Italy, 1/1940-7/1943; NCO served with 13th British General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps in Egypt, 9/1943-3/1945; served with 8th Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps in Germany, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Scarborough, GB, 1939: registration for military service; civilian pay; delivery made to barracks; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; arrival of call-up papers. Aspects of period as private with 8th Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 10/1939-1/1940: arrival at Newcastle upon Tyne; sorting out at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne; posting at Neville's Cross College, University of Durham; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; kitchen and opinion of cooks; basic training; issue of uniforms and boots; subsequent commanding officer's parade; posting to Hermitage at Chester-le-Street; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; kitchen and opinion of cooks; washing facilities; background of troops; rations and evening activities; tea and supper; morning parades; Lieutenant-Colonel J R McDonald's speech about stolen rations; arrival and habits of NCO cook, including particularly nasty meals; Christmas leave; winter conditions; embarkation leave; story of accident with ammonia.
REEL 2 Continues: return to unit and subsequent medical treatment; removal from draft to France. Recollections of period as private and NCO with 15th Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB, 1/1940-7/1940: formation of unit, including composition of original cadre; arrival of drafts; basic training and duties in hospital; move to Redcar; arrival of regular army troops; accommodation and activities of unit; story of inspection; promotion to lance corporal; sandbagging of hospital; Easter leave, 3/1940-4/1940; commentary for photographs taken in Redcar, 1940, including memories of troops and hospital sisters and promotion to corporal.
REEL 3 Continues: further commentary for photographs taken in Redcar, 1940, including troops and details of hospital marquee extending tent; details of posting to Heighington; accommodation and facilities; commentary for photographs taken in Heighington, 1940; story of mess swear box; pay and nursing orderly examinations; duties in Heighington; arrival of stores; embarkation leave; start of move; train journey to Gourock; period at Gourock. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Franconia from Gourock, GB, to Port Tewfik, Egypt, 7/1940-9/1940: embarkation; accommodation of different ranks; rations and mess decks; nature of conversion of ship at troopship; latrines; reason for not taking many photographs during voyage; duties during voyage, including daily routine.
REEL 4 Continues: route taken with stopover in Lagos, Nigeria; activities during periods ashore at Cape Town and Durban, South Africa; arrival in Port Tewfik, Egypt, 9/1940. Recollections of period as NCO with 15th Casualty Clearing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps in North Africa, 9/1940-1943: commentary on photographs taken during voyage and at Geneifa Camp, Egypt; relationship with civilians; comedy act in unit; visit to Bitter Lakes, Egypt; sleeping arrangements at Geneifa Camp, Egypt; nature of Operation Compass in Western Desert, Egypt; story of sailing on Bitter Lakes and charge received on return to camp.
REEL 5 Continues: dismissal of charge; train journey to Alexandria, Egypt; posting to No 8 British General Hospital; accommodation; start of duties; rations; arrival and memories of Sergeant Tom King; duties in hospital; commentary for photographs taken in Alexandria, Egypt; posting to Italian tented hospital at Bardia, Libya; story of NCO and motorcycle; troops cared for following wrecking of 2/9th Australian General Hospital; problems with fleas; further details of comedy act in unit; use of captured equipment; posting to Derna, Libya; commentary for photographs taken in Derna, Libya, 1941; handing in of film taken in Derna, Libya for development; start of retreat, 2/1941; arrival of new commanding officer.
REEL 6 Continues: build-up to evacuation from Derna, Libya; nature of journey to Tobruk, Libya; welcome on arrival at 2/4th Australian General Hospital in Tobruk, Libya; duties in hospital extension; nature of Axis air raids; treatment of German Air Force Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber pilot; voyage from Tobruk, Libya to Alexandria, Egypt; period in transit camp at Alexandria, Egypt; capture of Lieutenant-Colonel Dolan and Captain Todd; memories of Lieutenant-Colonel Weight; posting to Ikingi Maryut; duties and improvements in conditions; memories of new cook sergeant.
REEL 7 Continues: volunteers for cookhouse fatigues; details of concert parties; conversion to mobile unit; transport in unit; delivery of stores; experimentation with setting-up of mobile hospital at El Dabaa, Egypt; trail runs and conferences in relation to hospital layout; proficiency in setting up hospital; movement to and wait at Gap 72 on Egypt-Libya border; start of advance during Operation Crusader, 18/11/1941; story of first casualty treated; visit from brigadier and subsequent events; rations; advance into Libya; climate; return to Derna, Libya; Christmas at Derna, Libya, 25/12/1941; collection of developed film left at Derna, Libya.
REEL 8 Continues: commentary for photographs taken at Ikingi Maryut, Egypt en route to and at Gap 72 and in Derna, Libya, 1941, including memories of troops and erection of hospital, story of wounding of Sergeant Tom King and Harry Wilkman; rations and details of areas visited; treating casualties from 5th South African Infantry Bde; commentary for photographs taken during Operation Crusader, 11/1941-12/1941.
REEL 9 Continues: failure of Operation Crusader and subsequent evacuation; presence in Free French Forces at Bir Hakeim, Libya; Allied losses in North Africa, 6/1942; organisation of evacuation from Bir Hakeim, Libya; story of talk with senior officers; formation at El Alamein Line in Egypt; return to Cairo for re-equipping via Qattara Depression, Egypt; visit to Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) on Alexandria-Cairo Road, Egypt; period in Cairo, Egypt; wait for advance during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942-11/1942; complaints about lack of leave; mail; attachment to 2nd New Zealand Infantry Div and opinion of New Zealand Army troops; uses of Royal Air Force Bristol Bombay aircraft; story of attempt to evacuate wounded in Royal Air Force Bristol Bombay aircraft; commentary for photographs taken summer 1942, including description of captured Deutsche Afrika Korps mobile cookhouse; nature of British forces' subterfuge used on El Alamein Line, Egypt; description of a sandstorm.
REEL 10 Continues: transfer to X Corps; start of Battle of Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942; advance of British armoured forces; use of tracer; own advance through minefield; Axis pockets of resistance; setting up of hospital; journey to Tobruk, Libya, 11/1942; setting up of hospital; state of Tobruk Harbour, Libya; commentary for photographs taken in and after Tobruk, Libya, 1942-1943, including details of paperwork and sandstorms; decision to renew unit; arrival of new commanding officer; attachment of female nurses to unit and subsequent problems; story of pet dog, Marco; advance into Tunisia and events in Sfax; period in Tripoli. Libya, 5/1943-6/1943.
REEL 11 Continues: assault course training in Egypt; mountain warfare training. Aspects of operations as NCO with 15th Casualty Clearing Station Royal Medical Corps in Sicily, Italy, 7/1943: briefing for Operation Husky; voyage from Egypt to Sicily; landing at Avola; advance to Syracuse; takeover of former German Army hospital; arrival of rest of unit; problems with rheumatism and need for evacuation to Tripoli, Libya; commentary on photographs taken during earlier leave in Egypt, 1942 embarkation aboard hospital ship HMHS Llandovery Castle at Syracuse and night spent on board in bay during German Air Force raids. Aspects of hospitalisation in Libya and Egypt, 7/1943-9/1943: period at No 2 General Hospital in Tripoli, Libya; journey to Suez Canal, Egypt; posting to Royal Army Medical Corps Base Depot at Cairo, Egypt; prior recollection of staff on board HMHS Llandovery Castle; commentary on photographs taken in Egypt, 1941-1942, including details of Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, road signs at Halfaya Pass and movement up escarpment at Sollum, Egypt; medical downgrading and posting to Cairo, Egypt. Aspects of period as NCO with Royal Army Medical Corps at 13th British General Hospital in Egypt, 9/1943-3/1945: loss of kit in Sicily; posting to 13th British General Hospital; opinion of posting; staff at hospital.
REEL 12 Continues: commentary for photographs taken at 13th British General Hospital; recreational activities and sergeants' mess; date for demobilisation; further details for photographs at 13th British General Hospital, including leave at Christmas 1944; mail; opinion of African staff; medical upgrading; opinions of 13th British General Hospital; posting to section dealing with Yugoslav refugees; journey to and leave in GB, 1945; marriage and temporary posting in Strensall Barracks, York, GB; journey to Germany; initial posting with Guards Armoured Div. Aspects of period as NCO with No 8 Field Dressing Station Royal Army Medical Corps in Germany, 1945-1946: arrival at and character of unit.
REEL 13 Continues: accommodation; compassionate leave; posting to Bad Godesberg; building occupied by unit; accommodation; commentary for photographs taken in Bad Godesberg; reasons for becoming teetotal; story of New Year's celebrations, 31/1/1945-1/1/1946; further commentary for photographs taken in Bad Godesberg; demobilisation at Strensall Barracks, York; medals issued; problems with arthritis; story of obtaining German field glasses and Leica camera.
REEL 14 Continues: comment about slide projector.
