Williams, George Torquil Gage (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in India, Iraq and North Africa, 1939-1942

REEL 1 Aspects of period as cadet at Royal Military College Sandhurst, GB, 1938-1939: background to joining army; pattern of training; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 3/9/1939; degree of tactical training. Recollections of period as officer with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in India, 1939-1941: weapons training; choice of unit; joining with group of friends; amusing story of embarkation leave prior to posting to India; character of voyage aboard Duchess of Bedford from GB to India; arrival in Bombay and contact with hereditary bearer; social transport; internal security duties in Lahore; brigade manoeuvres and route marches; animal transport. REEL 2 Continues: problems of marching behind camels; use of mules; tactical schemes; layout of defensive positions; financial hardship for Territorial Army reinforcements; training with NCO cadre; attitude of recalled reservists; section commanders in his first platoon; hard cases in platoon; tactical training exercises; other British battalions in brigade; deployment of unit for internal security duties; anti-riot drill; social contact with Indian civilians; sense of isolation; duties as intelligence officer; intelligence section and maps. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, 10th Indian Div in Iraq, 1941-1942: move to Iraq, 11/1941; treatment of Axis diplomats; role as company commander; problems during journey from India to Iraq; weather conditions at Hindiya Barrage, 12/1941; move to Taji to construct brigade box; weather conditions in Taji, 5/1942; training in desert; fight at Faluja Bridge; question of degree of threat from Germans; use of oil drums to mark tracks; troops recreation; availability of wire; health and clothing; performance of unit vehicles; use of pipeline track during move to Haifa; recreation in Mount Carmel; character of journey from Iraq to Palestine. REEL 4 Continues: signals used to move across Sinai Desert. Recollections of operations as officer with 1st Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in North Africa, 1942: move into Egypt; commanding officers in brigade; collection of 2 Pounder Anti-Tank guns on portees at Buq Buq; frequent changes in orders; character of Axis positions; move into Tobruk then El Adem; reconnaissance prior to German attack; German use of Bren Gun carriers to drive through minefield gap and capture positions, 6/1942; wounded remove by ambulance; lack of information about minefield; loss of unit vehicles; scale of German attack; shelling of POWs and Germans by British tanks; further details of German attack that overran unit positions; removal of POWs to Benghazi; flight to Italy; segregation of officers and other ranks in Italy; treatment by Italians.