Description
Object description
British fitter served with Workshop Platoon, 71st General Transport Coy, Royal Army Service Corps in GB and North Africa, 1941-1944; served as NCO with Workshop Unit, 1004 Italian Transport Coy in Italy, 1944-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Jarrow, 1918-1941: social circumstances; education; work as butcher's errand boy, 1932-1934; attending junior instruction centre, 1934-1936; work on spindle and radial drills in light engineering factory, 1936-1941; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; compulsory overtime, war work and reserved occupation status; Anderson and works air raid shelters; German air raids; call up, 1/1941. Recollections of period as driver with Training Bn, Royal Army Service Corps, Darley Dale, 1/1941-2/1941: kitting out; billets, drill; importance of comradeship; weapons training; PT; snowball fight; driving course and map reading. Period with Holding Bn, RASC at Bulford Barracks, 1941: acting as runner; guard duty and patrols.
REEL 2 Period studying as fitter and turner at Southampton Technical College, 1941: close escape from land mine during German air raids; billets; nature of training; story of making technical part for invention of Professor Leach; trade test and value of previous experience. Period with Holding Bn, RASC, Glasgow, 1941. Period as turner with Workshop Platoon, 71st General Transport Coy, RASC, Darlington, 12/1941-11/1942: nature of technical wagon; working as motor mechanic; billets. Voyage aboard Duchess of York to Algiers, Algeria, 11/1942: advantages of volunteering on Bren gun anti-aircraft armament; route and news of invasion of North Africa; German bombing of Algiers docks; absence of RAF. Initial period in North Africa, 1942-1943: passing through zoo; conditions of service; train journey; brick kilns; setting up mobile workshop; shortages of nuts and bolts; repairing pipes and cigarette lighters; role repairing MT and recharging batteries.
REEL 3 Continues: repairing cooking equipment; making and repairing tools; variety of work; move to Tunis; billets recreation and rest camp; attack of dermatitis and hospitalisation with diphtheria, 1942-1943. Period with Holding Bn, Algiers, 1943: duties in stores; nature of unit. Period in Holding Bn, Naples Barracks, Italy, 1943-1944. Period attached to Workshop Unit, 1004 Italian Transport Coy, 1944-1946: reception on joining unit at Osimo; unofficial rank as corporal role supervising Italians; repairing motorcycles and acting as despatch rider; move to Naples Barracks and story illustrating unreliability of MT; movements; assisting Italian refugees.
REEL 4 Continues: checking guards; story of assisting British soldier threatened by Italian civilians; stories illustrating responsibilities as lance corporal on detached work collecting spares; story of damaged power station turbine; learning Italian; move to Genoa docks; question of saluting officers; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; status of unit attached to Allied Military Government, 1945-1946. Return to GB and demobilisation, 7/1946. Post-war career: leave; work as ambulance driver; story of rescuing injured man from ship's engine room; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; question of contacts with old comrades.