Description
Object description
British driver served with 900 Coy, Royal Army Service Corps in GB, 1937-1940; served with RASC, 29th Armoured Bde in GB, 1940-1942; served with 101 General Transport Coy, RASC in GB and North West Europe, 1942-1945; served with 714 General Transport Coy, RASC in Germany, 1945-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Putney, London, 1920-1939: father's Billingsgate delivery business; social circumstances; education; work as van boy for father's delivery business, 1934-1939; study of mechanical engineering at night school. Recollections of service as driver with 900 Coy, Royal Army Service Corps at Garrett Lane Drill Hall, Wandsworth, London, 10/1937-8/1939: background to enlistment; lorry driving test and selection as driving instructor; uniforms.
REEL 2 Continues: role as acting lance corporal driving instructor testing driving skills of recruits; drill; rifle, bayonet and Lewis gun training; summer camps in Aldershot area; call up for Munich crisis, 9/1938, including question of reserved occupation status and role distributing searchlights and anti-aircraft guns around London; call up, 24/8/1939.
REEL 3 Period at Highwood Barracks, Dulwich, London, 1939-1940: barrack accommodation; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; role moving supplies of fuel, food and ammunition around London area; story of damage to barracks in German air raid; question of theft of fuel from depots; cancellation due to appendicitis of posting to newly formed 903 Coy, RASC. Period with RASC, 29th Armoured Bde in GB, 1940: reception and loss of stripe on joining unit at Northampton; posting to drive company commander Major Nicholson in Humber Snipe.
REEL 4 Continues: nature of duties driving company commander Major Nicholson in Humber Snip; problems with drivers falling asleep during night convoys; promotion back to lance corporal; weapons training including PIAT, hand grenades, Lewis gun and Bren gun; firing exercises on ranges; period based in St Neots; living in lorries and Humber Snipe; story of picking up VIP politician at Newmarket conference.
REEL 5 Release on 3-month leave following death of father, 1942: loss of rank; question of prior reserved occupation status; background to sale of family business; work as driver; reporting back to Aldershot. Recollections of period with 101 General Transport Coy, RASC in GB, 1942-1944: reception and status as senior driver on joining unit at Wormlea; stories of role driving coaches carrying troops on exercises; relationship with drivers; story of getting lost on night convoy; question of foreign service; re-equipment with Bedford QL lorries.
REEL 6 Continues: drive to Strathaven; routine duties; story of confusion over disciplinary charges over not writing to mother; punishment drill and problems with dirty rifle; opinion of re-equipment with Commers lorries; move to Craig Park, Adair; method of waterproofing lories; testing waterproofing on landings in loch; move to Towyn; learning to drive DUKW on land; naval signal training.
REEL 7 Continues: training on knots and splices; move to Aberdovey; practice at getting DUKWs off sand dunes using winch and sand anchor; tidal characteristics; question of relevance of signals and compass training; success in tests; role teaching offices to drive DUKWs from LST in Swansea Bay; opinion of Company Commander Major Armstrong.
REEL 6 Continues: move to Fort Rose; story of crossing Firth to Fort Grange; first view of DD tanks; move to Emsworth Camp, 1944; training in beach landings with Royal Navy; story of assisting in refloatingof beached Landing Craft Tank.
REEL 8 Continues: story of assisting in getting beached landing LCT refloated; story of being nearly drowned during night exercise at Banff, 12/1943; story of breaking out of camp and catching train to London; story of demotion to driver over accusation of theft of rope for use as DUKW fender.
REEL 9 Continues: collecting ammunition and stores and preparations for D Day; move to Botley, 3/6/1944; story of visit to uncle's pub; embarkation on LST at Portsmouth, 4/6/1944. Recollections of operations in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: waiting in Solent, 4/6/1944-6/6/1944; personal morale; Channel crossing; launch of DUKW from LST and running ashore at Queen Sector, Sword Beach; orders to assist by towing broken down DUKW drifting towards German held Quistreham sector; landing at Queen sector.
REEL 10 Continues: situation on landing at Queen sector; special arrangement for unloading suspected gas shells; move to Hermanville Park; preparing DUKW for carrying stores; digging slit trenches; food rations; role taking stores from ships to shore; German shell fire on beach; question of attitude of French civilians and question of espionage activities; taking wounded out to hospital ships, ca 10/6/1944; story of coming under German sniper fire during night run carrying Bofors gun ammunition; story of coming under German shell fire whilst landing petrol cans ashore at Arromanches; story of accidental shooting with Sten gun.
REEL 11 C^ntinues: story of post-war meeting with victim of accidental shooting with Sten gun; move to Luc-St-Mer; subsequent German shelling of Hermanville Park; role of DULWs; role of Major Armstrong in blocking promotion to lance bombardier; effects of arrival of Mulberry harbours; move to assist US forces at Omaha Beach; story of taking over replacement DUKW after breakdown; question of problems on Pomaha Beach, 6/6/1944; effect of collision with US corvette; situation, 8/1944. Recollections of advance through France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, 8/1944-5/1945: transfer to GMC lorries; role carrying shells and food to US front line; German shell fire; recall to British sector.
REEL 12 Continues: use of DUKWs in lorry role during advance into Belgium; re-equipment with Conner lorries; story of carrying airborne troops forward during German Ardennes offensive, 12/1944; attachment to Guards Division; local leave in Brussels; story of mission carrying shells including mechanical breakdown, makeshift repairs, minor damage running over mine, dive bomb attack and getting lost in front line sector.
REEL 13 Continues: story of mission carrying shells including close escape from tank on getting lost in front line sector and reception on rejoining unit; duties driving nurses and supplies to Sandbostel and Belsen Concentration Camps; advance to Hanover; VE Day, 8/5/1944; playing drums in dance band; return to Belgium; disbandment of unit. Period with 714 General Transport Coy, RASC in Germany, 1945-1946: driving Foden lorries and problems with diesel fuel; role delivering supplies; relationship with German civilians; story of black market activities; duties moving displaced persons; taking food to Berlin and view of effects of bombing; move to Aachen.
REEL 14 Continues: minimal nature of duties. Return to GB and demobilisation, 3/1946. Post-war career: initial work as trainee mechanic and driver; work in building trade; question of reserved occupation status during war.