Featherby, Peter (Oral history)

British gunner served with officer served with 35th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1948; served as officer with 45th Field Regt, RA in GB, 1948-1949; served with 307 Field Regt, (South Notts Hussars), RA in GB, 1949-1969

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Nottingham, 1929-1947: family circumstances; education at Nottingham High School, 1939-1947; OTC and Air Cadet training; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; effects of war; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; failure to qualify for chemistry degree; call up, 11/1947. Recollections of training at Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt Depot, Normanton Barracks, Derby, 11/1947-1/1948: initial feet problems; application to join Royal Artillery; accommodation; relationship with recruits and NCOs; drill; rifle training; PT; food rations; bayonet training; kit inspections; VD precautions; visits to Derby and Nottingham; attitude to National Service. Recollections of period with 17th Training Bty, Royal Artillery at Larkhill and Park Hall Camp, Oswestry, ca 1/1948-3/1948: nature of training; gun drill on 25pdr' opinion of 25pdr and Ford Quads; theoretical gunnery training including artillery board, zero line, dial sight, clinometer and range tables; driving training. REEL 2 Continues: move to Park Hall Camp. Recollections of period with 35th Field Regt at Brecon, 3/1948-6/1948: duties as Quartermaster's assistant shovelling coal; disbandment of unit; decision to apply for commission and procedure; assessment at War Office Selection Board. Recollections of period at Officers Cadet School, Aldershot, 6/1948-8/1948: question of origins of cadets; organisation of course; question of level of technical gunnery taught; question of being returned to unit; drinking habits; commission and selection of regiment. Recollections of period with 70th Bty, 45th Field Regt at Brancepeth Castle, 8/1948-10/1949: joining unit at Otterburn Range; lack of sleeping bag; composition of unit; position of war emergency conscripts; nature of officers' mess; gaining gunnery skills through role providing assistance to Territorial Army units as depot battery at Otterburn Range; glandular fever attack; relationship with NCOs and ORs; question of attitude of National Servicemen; unnecessary degree of vehicle maintenance required; state of equipment; inspecting vehicles; gun maintenance; question of frequency of firing and gunnery standards. REEL 3 Continues: effects of impermanent state of unit; question of service in Korean War; question taking regular commission; demobilisation, 10/1949. Recollections of service with 307 Regt <South Notts Hussars>, Royal Artillery at Bulwell Drill Hall, Nottingham, 1949-1958: background to recruitment to 426 Bty after meeting SNH at Otterburn Camp; opinion of Major Neville Turner and attitude to war service officers; opinion of Colonel William Barber; lack of firing opportunities; opinion of Colonel Peter Birkin and his recruitment activities with Nottingham Rugby Club; officers' drinking habits at summer camps; role of mess sergeants; question of hangovers; policy of drinking with ORs on drill nights; opinion of Major Ivor Birkin; opinion of regular attached personnel; opinion of Sexton self propelled 25pdr guns and problems driving them on road; role of Gun Position Officer and organisation of battery. REEL 4 Continues: Command Post lorry; Observation Post training on range including establishing angles from zero line, ranging and correcting fall of shot; drill night training in specialisations; origins of ORs; opinion of Colonel Arthur Warburton; liaison role of gunner colonels; Royal salutes; career as chartered surveyor, 1949-1994; support of employers for TA activities; question of varying backgrounds of officers; assessment of summer camps at Larkhill and Otterburn Ranges; divisional all arms Exercise Marengo; question of unit efficiency; recall of Z Reservist to attend summer camp. 1952. REEL 5 Continues: background to 350 Regt, <SNH> RA and their subsequent conversion to Royal Engineers; role of Light Aid Detachment; role of doctor, padre and paymaster; attached staff; importance of SNH band; cancellation of summer camp, 1955; reactions to replacement of Sextons with 25pdrs and illustrations of cavalry traditions remaining within unit; mobilisation exercise, 12/1955; move of Regimental Headquarters office from Derby Road Drill Hall to Bulwell; TA officers' club at Derby Road Drill Hall; recruitment methods. Recollections of service commanding 425 Bty, 307 Regt <SNH>, RA, 1958-1963: importance of recruitment; methods of retaining recruits; tactical gunnery role; role of Battery Sergeant Major Jack Dennis and Troop Sergeant Major Chalky White; problems in replacing lost key personnel; opinion of Colonel Tom Foreman Hardy; opinion of Major James Gunn and opinion of his employment of civilian management techniques. REEL 6 Continues: opinion of Major David Low; civil defence training at Millom Civil Defence Camp, 1960; question of adequate firing practice without summer camp; Wives' Club; stand down after summer camps; relationship with 49th Div including difficulty in arranging all arms exercises, inspections and importance of annual reports; practical jokes in officers' mess during summer camps; links with 1st Regt, Royal Horse Artillery and question of recruitment; Exercise Rough Rider I, 3/1961; summer camp with 51st Div at Sennybridge Camp; lack of importance attached to TA and consequent effects on recruitment; role of Territorial Army Association; question of adequacy of facilities at Bulwell; question of importance of RHA status. REEL 7 Continues: question of importance of RHA status and disputes with Sherwood Rangers; award of TA Decoration after 12 years service; beginning of Cadet Officer Scheme, 1962; question of influence of background in selection of potential officers; question of gunnery standards attained at Exercise Rough Rider II, 3/1962; appointment as SNH bad president; appointment as second in command on succession of Colonel James Gunn, 8/1962; tactical gunnery role in deploying three batteries; organisation and role of social events including cocktail parties, Knightsbridge Dinner, Armistice Dinner and Officers' Balls; relationship with SNH Regimental Assoc; methods employed by Gunn in improving efficiency and supportive role as second in command; importance of Queen's Cup awarded by National Artillery Association for TA field and medium artillery units; visits to nuclear power station and steel works during summer camps. REEL 8 Continues: recruitment activities; question of effects of loss of Second World War veterans; Queen's Cup finals at Larkhill; background to succession as colonel including question of appropriate background and gunnery exercise in competition with Major Paul Porritt organised by Gunn at Westdown Camp, 1966; qualification and success of 425 Bty in winning Queen's Cup in finals at Larkhill, 1966. Recollections of period commanding 307 Regt, <SNH>, RA, 1966-1969: effect of designation of SNH as infantry AVR III unit with home defence role during reorganisation of TA, 1966; success in recruitment; continued battery structure of unit; inadequacy of home defence role; efforts to maintain enthusiasm in unit; training exercises; administrative officer; infantry training at Warcop Camp; role of Honorary Colonel Arthur Warburton; question of importance of survival of SNH as unit. REEL 9 Continues: review of post-war role of TA; problem of limited circumstances of mobilisation; question of reduction in size; attitude of Conservative and Labour Governments; question of providing elements to be attached to regular units; diminishing likelihood of nuclear war and irrelevant nature of civil defence measures; requirement of providing individual trained recruits for Regular Army; reaction to TA cuts, 1967-1968; attitude to question of threat from Soviet Union; organisation of unit; role of East Midlands Territorial Association; discussions and subsequent decision to switch in role provide OP groups for regular units with Lieutenant General Walter Wilson and Brigadier Peter Foster at Walcop Camp, 1968; reformation of unit as 307 Bty, <SNH> RA; letter written to Eastern District Headquarters, Colchester reviewing possible roles, 8/1968; role of EDHQ and Director of Royal Artillery. REEL 10 Continues: reorganisation of command structure; support for SNH from DRA; effects of conversion of AVR III units into cadre status, 1968; varying reaction of personnel to loss of pay and allowances and efforts as Colonel to maintain unit; formation and role of SNH Welfare Fund aided by donation from Colonel Tom Foreman Hardy; voluntary unpaid summer camp at Warcop Camp, 1968; question of importance of voluntary unpaid camp as public relations exercises; concentration on recruitment; opinion of various officers and NCOs including Major John Keayes, BSM Jack Dennis, Major John Robinson, BSM George White, Major Alan Bexon and BSM Norman Tebbett; efforts to strengthen links with 1st Regt, RHA; implications of role as Colonel; period as cadre prior to formation of 307 OP Bty, <SNH> RHA under Major Alan Bexon; transfer to TA retired list, 3/1969. REEL 11 Continues: status of TA retired list. Period as TA Colonel with East Midlands District, Woodborough and Eastern District at Colchester, 1969-1974: advisory role on TA matters; civil defence role during nuclear warfare civil defence exercises in nuclear bunker at RAF Base, Cranwell including opinion of unrealistic nature of exercises, nature of bunker and personnel present; nuclear bunker in Nottingham; opinion of Major General Gordon Finlayson; disbandment of EMD and formation of ED, 1970; lack of contact with SNH; problems with SNH role as OP Bty supplying OP teams to regular units. Honorific nature of period as ADC to Queen, 1974-1979. Period as Honorary Colonel of Army Cadet Force, Nottinghamshire, 1982-1988: nature of ACF; question recruitment from ACF into Regular Army or TA; nature of role. Period as Honorary Colonel of SNH, 1989-1994: succession; nature of role; question of reorganisation of unit under 'Options for Change' review; background to securing position replacing Sussex Yeomanry within 100 Regt, RA; question of role of committee of former SNH senior officers in influencing decision in conjunction with General Martin Farndale, Master Gunner, RA. REEL 12 meetings of senior officers of SNH and arguments put forward to justify SNH inclusion in 100 Regt, RA; reorganisation as 307 Bty, <SNH>, 100 Regt, RA; equipment with 155mm guns and consequent retraining and rebuilding programme required at Bulwell Drill Hall; relationship with other elements of 100 Regt and command structure; conversion to 105mm gun and role providing reinforcements to Regular Army units; reaction to recruitment of female personnel as AVR III unit, 1967 and in contemporary unit, 2000; drinking habits; relationship with SNH Regimental Assoc; end of qualification for Honorary Colonels and succession of Colonel Tim Richmond as Senior Officer; question of reinforcement role and problems in maintaining size of unit; background to problem in retaining SNH band; enjoyment of TA service and question of desire for active service.