Description
Object description
British officer commanded B Coy, 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North West Europe, 1944
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer with 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North West Europe, 1944: pattern of military service prior to posting to unit, 1931-1944; story of glider crash and injuries, 3/1944; reaction to posting to unit; character of unit; character and importance of Hill 112; casualties during attack on Hill 112; joining unit near Tilly; advance to contact on Tiger Hill near Jurqres; effects of being given wrong map reference; formation of company in advance; attack on German tank; withdrawal of British tanks; reasons for failure of attack; importance of battalion training; changing nature of battalions; attempts to train company.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of commanding officer; question of time spent by commanding officer in issuing orders; plan to attack German headquarters in farm; Germans never put fighting positions in buildings; story of Bren Gun Carrier blown up on mine; opinion of Germans troops; proportions of good soldiers in unit; promotion of NCOs; question of troops lacking necessary training; effect of troops reading of Daily Mirror; importance of Aunay sur Odon; crossing River Odon on wrecked bridge; German positions near Aunay sur Odon; advance obstructed by Germans in hedgerows; German tactics; timing of German shellfire; opinion of German mortar fire; opinion of 25 Pounders; reasons for not having artillery support at Aunay sur Odon.
REEL 3 Continues: loss of armoured support; crossing River Seine and advance to Presagny Orgueilleuse; entering Presagny Orgueilleuse on top of Bren Gun Carrier; reaction of French civilians; discovery of German battalion in next village; German attack on Presagny Orgueilleuse.
REEL 4 Continues: results of German attack on unit positions at Presagny Orgueilleuse; use of artillery to break up German attack; effects on morale on friendly fire; main cause of unit casualties; problems of defending Presagny Orgueilleuse; reasons for not deploying into buildings; observation post on feather bed; question of post war studies of battles; importance of leadership; consequences of not using artillery on village; devastation on road through Falaise pocket; reaction to German attack at Presagny Orgueilleuse; attack on German held village and exposure to own artillery; approach to clearing village and reaction from battalion headquarters; reiteration of story of reaction of tank crews to approach of Tiger tank; strength and behaviour of German opposition in village; reasons for artillery fire falling short.
REEL 5 Continues: lull in fighting and French hospitality; evidence of German propaganda from French civilians; German treatment of French civilians; reaction of French civilian to arrival of British Army and failure of German troops; contact with French Resistance. Recollections of operations as officer with 5th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Netherlands, 1944: move forward through Belgium; amusing story of conversation with Belgian estaminet owner; terrain during advance northwards on Arnhem corridor during Operation Market Garden; movement confined to roads; capture of Slijkervijke; his commanding officer's decision to attack Driel; return to Slijkervijke after attack by German armoured force; positions in Driel area; opinion of Polish paratroopers attempts to reinforce Oosterbeek; view across river.
REEL 6 Continues: use of jeeps to evacuate airborne troops after evacuation of Oosterbeek; tactics employed in occupying farms; use of 17 Pounder anti- tank guns against sniper hidden under train and effects of explosion; behaviour of soldier on standing patrol; reasons why anti-tank gunner refused to fire; question of reinforcing Arnhem bridgehead; attack by Allied attack; move to positions north of Nijmegen; value of overhead cover in slit trenches; move to Ophousden to relieve 82nd Airborne Div; character of Hitler Youth opposition; wounding by mortar bomb, 6/10/1944; calling off of attack; terrain towards German positions; evacuation to Amiens, then onto GB; duties after downgrading to category B; psychological and medical assessments.