Warburton, Arthur A (Oral history)

British officer served with 147 Field Regt <Essex Yeomanry>, Royal Artillery in GB and North West Europe, 1939-1946; served with 307 Field Regt, (South Notts Hussars), RA in GB, 1948-1958

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Worksop, 1913-1939: family circumstances; education; work for family business; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; recruitment as gunner at recruitment office at Sheffield and question of commission. Recollections of training with Potential Officers' Platoon with Training Regt, Royal Artillery at Harrogate, ca 9/1939-1/1940: hut accommodation; relationship with ORs and NCOs; drill; 18pdr gun drill; food rations; story of saluting cinema commissioner in error. Recollections of period training with 125 Officers Cadet Training Unit at Ilkley and Filey, ca 1/1940-6/1940: nature of training regime; technical gunnery training including meteorological corrections, use of artillery board and observation post training on miniature range; wireless signal training; map reading; question of man management; interviews prior to commission into Essex Yeomanry. Recollections of periods in various postings with 147 Field Regt, (EY) Royal Horse Artillery in GB, ca 7/1940-6/1944: initial detachment with A Troop, 511 Bty at Felixstowe; reception and relationship with officers; role guarding estuary. REEL 2 Continues: training with 4.2" howitzers; nature of gun positions; story of firing reduced charge rounds from drill purpose guns; move to Norwich, 12/1940; move to West Runton; posting to A Troop, 413 Bty; temporary re-equipment with 75mm and 18/25pdr guns; re-equipment with self propelled Priest 25pdr guns at Nottingham; mobile role and liaison as forward observation officer with tanks; duties on detachment to organise firing range; rejoining unit in Glasgow; problems during combined operations landing exercise at Rothesey; move to Bournemouth, 3/1944; waterproofing Priest; role commanding A Troop; question of readiness for active service. REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of landing as FOO with 50th Div at Gold Beach, Le Hamel, France, 6/6/1944: prior landing exercise; prior briefing and role of Priests; origin of name 'Priest'; prior period in sealed camp; personal morale; embarkation on Landing Ship Tank at Southampton; use as FOO of adapted Sherman tank and attachment to Sherwood Rangers; Channel crossing; approach to beach and landing; presence of German infantry in sand dunes; story of bailing out after Sherman hit by German pillbox gun; directing fire onto pillbox; use of spare FOO Sherman and rejoining unit in overnight lager; story of explosion of self heating soup can. Aspects of operations in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: initial static situation in Caen area; opinion of SR and relationship with officers; question of separation from troop as FOO; incident of German shellfire on gun positions; nature of advance, 8/1944-9/1944. REEL 4 Continues: story of coming under mortar fire in St Pierre sector, ca 6/1944; relationship with General Thomas of 43rd Div; hit by German shell and damage to dummy gun; maps; work as FOO including liaison with SR to overcome restricted observation in bocage country and fire orders; organising massed artillery shoot; relationship with Sherman crew; overnight sleeping arrangements; compo food rations; brewing tea; effects of fatigue; position during advance near squadron leader; story of advance under fire from 88mm guns and Typhoons in Cleeve sector, Netherlands; state of morale; reception from Belgian civilians in Brussels, 9/1944; GB leave; story of escorting supply lorries into Njmagen. REEL 5 Continues: opinion of troops of 82nd US Airborne Div; quiet period, 12/1944; move into Germany; success in bringing shell fire down onto German attack; crossing Rhine towed on raft, ca 3/1945; reclaiming Dutch furniture from Germans; move to Ardennes and wireless deception, 12/1944; nature of fighting in Ardennes, 112/1944-1/1945; advance into Germany, 4/1945; move into Bremen after Allied bombing attack, ca 4/1945; story of tank blown up on mine of VE Day, 8/5/1945; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. Recollections of period in Kiel, 5/1945-12/1945: billets at Kiel Yacht Club; visit to U Boat pens; stores of period in charge of German naval POW camp; recreations; relationship with German civilians; displaced persons problem; question of black market; visit from Montgomery and question of wearing berets. Demobilisation, 12/1945. Post-war career: work with engineering firm; question of effects of war service. REEL 6 Background to period as commanding officer of 425 Bty, 307 Regt <South Nottinghamshire Hussars>, Royal Artillery, 1948-1953: reasons for recruitment and role of Colonel William Barber; informal recruitment procedure; recruitment problems; equipment with Sexton Self propelled gun; lectures on SP guns; role of Nottinghamshire Territorial Assoc in recruitment schemes; fitting recruits to roles in unit; recruitment of NCOs; recruitment of officers and question of standard of SNH wartime officers; opinion of pre-war territorial officers; opinion of Colonel Peter Birkin; contrasts in regular and territorial approaches; question of role of Colonel Barber; opinion of Major Ivor Birkin; question of succession as colonel; role of adjutants; role of Quartermaster Harold Rice. REEL 7 Continues: role of Medical Officer Captain Ian Macleod; role of regimental sergeant major; opinion of Majors Turner and Derbyshire; summer camps at Otterburn and Salisbury Plain; taking up gun positions at night; visits from senior officers; question of time off work and employers' support for territorial activities; drill nights at Bulwell Drill Hall, Nottingham; weekend training; question of stores and vehicles; lack of second line unit; changes in unit name; opinion of national service reserves; regimental competitions; period with Ivor Birkin as temporary colonel; attendance of 'Z' reservists at Westdown Camp, Salisbury Plain, 6/1952; question of sporting activities; opinion of Captain Tom Foreman-Hardy; 21 gun salute at Nottingham Castle on coronation, 2/6/1952. Recollections of period commanding SNH, 1953-1958: reactions to promotion. REEL 8 changes in approach to recruitment of officers; recruitment drives; opinion of Major Charles Westlake and Major James Gunn; role in formation of regimental band; story of bandmaster illustrating his lack of military training and discipline; history of band; attempts to improve training on Sexton SP guns; role of permanent staff; cancellation of camp and replacement after collection amongst officer to pay expenses, 1968; story of ruse to secure inspection of unit by Queen Elizabeth and firing royal salute. REEL 9 Continues: relationship with 49th Div and CRA; acting as CRA during exercise on Salisbury Plain; problems with officers' mess food during summer camp; affiliations with 1st Regt, Royal Horse Artillery and their role in providing permanent staff for SNH; Territorial Army Jubilee Parades in London and Nottingham, 1958; question of unit relationship with Nottigham; story of practical joke during summer camp at Otterburn; question of contact with ORs; annual officers' ball; attitude to Cold War; question of nuclear war and anti-radiation drills; question of succession by Colonel Foreman Hardy, 1958; reaction to leaving unit. Subsequent involvement with SNH, 1958-12000: role as deputy CRA, 49th Div, 1958-1960; developing role on Nottingham and East Midland Territorial Associations, 1953-1997; selection and role as Honorary Colonel of SNH; opinion of Colonels Tom Foreman-Hardy and James Gunn; opinion of civil defence role; effects of defence cuts; opinion of Colonel Peter Featherby and story of dispute with Sherwood Rangers over place in line as RHA during territorial review parades; loss of direct contact with unit; reaction to reduction in unit size to single battery; reaction to introduction of women personnel; changing nature of officers; membership of regimental associations.