Dobbs, John (Oral history)

British private served with South Wales Borderers Depot in GB, 1940; private and NCO served with Brecknockshire Bn South Wales Borderers in GB, 1940-1944; NCO served with 10th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 1944; served with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe and Germany, 1944-1946

REEL 1 Background in Beaufort and Southend-on-Sea, GB, 1916-1940: family including death of parents; community grew up in; memories of childhood; education; civilian work including details of pay and working week; work of sister and family home; attendance at chapel; leisure activities; pocket money; average wage; ownership of house; further details of work; details of work in Southend-on-Sea; accommodation; reason for trying Southend-on-Sea; money sent home; problems with working outside; relationship with landlady; leisure activities; awareness of approaching war; sandbagging work in Southend-on-Sea; conscription into army; medical in Newport; request to join Welch Guards; posting to South Wales Borderers. Aspects of private with South Wales Borderers Depot in GB, 3/1940- 6/1944: return of troops from Dunkirk; morale following Dunkirk; reception on arrival at Brecon; signing on; medical; issue of uniform and uniform issued; rifle issued; cleaning of rifle; equipment issued including description of housewife; description of barrack room including sleeping arrangements; storage of kit; kit inspections. REEL 2 Continues: replacement of lost items; population of room; cleaning of barrack room; NCOs in room; opinion of Drill Sergeant Hall and NCO instructors; ablutions; platoon posted in; morning procedures; breakfast including supply of meals; washing of utensils; roll call; learning of drill; pace of drill; length of basic training; later story of soldier refusing orders; details of route marches including foot inspections; physical training; NAAFI break; lectures; lunch; anti-gas training; problems with gas mask; firing weapons on range; story of sergeant killed during grenade training; opinion of bren gun; description of Boys anti-tank gun; mortar training; bayonet training; end of working day; tea; leisure activities; relationship with civilians; cleaning of equipment; inspection before leaving camp; story of officer finding fault in fingernails; inspection of guard; guard duties. REEL 3 Continues: fire piquets; regularity of guard duties; memories of Sergeant Hall; turnover of officers; reason for move to Derring Lines camp; description of camp; story of lifts from Lieutenant Johns and his later arrest as spy; posting at Buckland Hall; story of guard at Talybont reservoir; story of seeing soldier on pack drill; other punishments given; journey to Blundell Sands. Aspects of period as private and NCO with Brecknockshire Bn South Wales Borderers in GB, 1940-1944: details of battalion; route march to Bootle Golf Course; setting up of camp; bombing of a munitions factory in Liverpool; story of events during an air raid; reaction to air raids; cover taken in camp; sleeping arrangements; training and duties; posting to Ascot Racecourse; VIP guard duties; impressions of VIPs; duties and events at Ascot; training received; length of posting; supply and opinion of rations; Christmas 1940; posting in Aldershot; collection of tents from Brighton; camp in Petworth Park. REEL 4 Continues: accommodation; junior NCOs courses attended; promotion to corporal; posting in Broadmayne; accommodation; story of escorting AWOL soldier from Liverpool; opinion of training; relationship with civilians; length of postings; contact with other units inside and outside battalion; memories of Colonel Welsh and night into day training exercise; accommodation in Bradford Down Camp; visits into Weymouth; house fighting training in Weymouth; make-up of company; weapons in company; carrying of bren ammunition; posting in Littlebredy; leisure activities in Weymouth including contact with and opinion of American troops; story of collecting an AWOL soldier; problems with troops overstaying leave; details of mail; memories of Exercise Spartan; story of visit to pub during exercise and fire on airfield; knowledge of coming invasion; posting in Lyme Regis; accommodation; drilling in street; learning to swim in dining hall. REEL 5 Continues: story of soldier shot dead in accommodation; visits from padre; church services; coastal defence duties; posting in West Wittering; accommodation; local dummy aerodrome; story of trick played on an officer; officer killed in minefield; posting in Rye; description of Camber Sands; visits to canteen in Royal William pub; help given in kitchen with Dick Fox; postings before move to Northumberland; Battle School Course attended; story of accident during river crossing; fitness; opinion of training; accommodation in Alnwick; meeting of future wife; marriage; story of a night exercise; route march to Morpeth; length of posting; posting on Isle of Wight; role of battalion; scenes on journey through London; scenes from Isle of Wight; rear party duties during next move; story of giving diesel to local farmer; memories of D-Day; disbandment of battalion; request for volunteers. Aspects of period as NCO with Reinforcement Holding Unit in GB and France, 6/1944: mystery of location; issue of French money; story of letter written during train journey; reactions to posting abroad. REEL 6 Continues: arrival in Newhaven docks; boarding of LCI; conditions onboard; embarkation; size of draft; voyage to France; arrival on mulberry harbour and disembarkation; journey to 34th Reinforcement Holding Unit at Thury-Harcourt; scenes on beaches; visit to Bayeux; notebook bought for diary; reception from civilians; further details of scenes on beaches; importance of mulberry harbour; signs of battle inland; news of posting to Durham Light Infantry and reaction. Aspects of operations as NCO with 10th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 6/1944-8/1944: posting in C Company; terrain and scenes in Bocage country; reception on arrival in unit including advice given to avoid sniper fire; proximity of opposition; description of passing fire; help from section placed in charge of; memories of Lieutenant Morgan including attack and withdrawal at Mezidon; memories of attack on chateau in Mezidon; news of battalion's disbandment; casualties in section; reactions following and during battle; leaving behind of wounded; weapon carried in attack; sounds of battle; attitude of troops; case of corporal refusing to go on patrol; opposition seen and unseen; length of battle; fire faced during withdrawal; artillery barrage and later taking of Mezidon; casualties in battalion; reactions following battle; news of posting to 9th Battalion; following behind battalion's advance and joining of battalion at Doullens. Aspects of operations as NCO with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in North West Europe, 9/1944-5/1945: posting to C Company; action during advance; advance into Gondecourt; reception from civilians; formation of advance; memories of officers; relationship with troops; morale; action during advance through Brussels and reception from civilians; arrival on Albert Canal; positions taken; briefing from Major Hudson; crossing of canal; crossing of Escaut Canal. REEL 7 Continues: advance to Eindhoven and start of Operation Market Garden; periods in Nijmegen; advance to Elst; positions dug and conditions; story of two listening patrols; clothing worn on patrols; role of listening patrols; opinion of Colonel John Mogg; story of charge received and transfer to A Company; transfer of 9th Battalion to 7th Armoured Division; role within division; posting to assist Americans during Battle of the Bulge; reception from American troops; description of deserted positions; rest period in Geleen including accommodation; return to line; opposition faced; mines and booby traps on road; withdrawal of tanks at night; story of action against Tiger tanks. REEL 8 Continues: role as corporal; story of a self-inflicted wound; collection of wounded and dead; reaction of troops to minenwerfer fire; story of action against farmhouse in Sint Joost; reaction to troops to being wounded; haversack rations; procedure of dealing with POWs; German booby trapping and mining; anti-personnel mines; surrender and treatment of snipers; rest period before action at Sint Joost including accommodation; reiteration of charge story and transfer to A Company; story of being trapped in houses at Sint Joost and escape; hospitalisation in Eindhoven; story of German subterfuge during listening patrol; crossing of Rhine; advance on Weseke behind creeping barrage; ambush of German motorcycle team; reiteration of action against Tiger tanks story; anti-tank guns in unit. REEL 9 Continues: journey to Stadtlohn; description of house clearance duties; story of attack on German troops with bazookas; dressings carried; proximity of stretcher- bearers; casualties in Stadtlohn; role given to battalion in Ibbenbüren; memories of advance; halt of advance and casualties; surrender of German troops; organisation of POWs and evacuation of wounded; casualties discovered on return to section; request for support; arrival of and evacuation on tanks; casualties from sniper fire during withdrawal; reaction following incident; promotion to sergeant; rest period including interview with reporter; details of snipers and German POWs; contact with German civilians including story of woman met during house search in Maschen; looting including army attitude to it; civilian attitude; news of Hitler's death and Italy's surrender including reactions; news of leave due; German officers arriving to discuss peace and plans for attack on Hamburg; advance into Hamburg; state of city; reception from civilians; request of Major Terrell; journey home for leave; VE Day celebrations; return journey via Osnabrück. Aspects of period as NCO with 9th Bn Durham Light Infantry in Germany, 5/1945-3/1946: return to battalion; postings and activities in North Germany; duties escorting colours from Bad Oeynhausen; journey to Berlin including stop in Brunswick. REEL 10 Continues: situation in Berlin; halt by Russian troops before eventual arrival; black market; visits to theatre; state of and relationship with civilians; female fear of Russian troops; safety of movement about Berlin; Russian intrusions into British zone; story of Russians escorted back to Russian zone; relationships between troops and German girls; accommodation; canteen; visit of Colonel Mogg to canteen; memories of Major Terrell and Captain Thompson; details of Spandau Prison; activities in Berlin; contact with American and French troops; length of period in Berlin; posting in Langschede; flooding of factory; duties; story of joining officer on a shoot; accommodation in Hamm; story of soldier refusing to take part in parade; charge and punishment received by soldier; demobilisation in York; leave; best and worst moments in army; reading of poem written about life.