Interview with Ronald Smith

British trumpeter, gunner and NCO served with 4th Coastal Bty, 3rd Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery at Gibraltar, 1/1938-1/1942; NCO served with 145th Coastal Bty, 570th Coastal Regt, Western Command at Lavernock, GB, 2/1942-12/1943; served with 505th Bty, 141st (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 9th Armoured Div in GB, 2/1944-6/1944; served with 30th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 4th Infantry Div in Greece, 1945-1947; served with 124th Field Regt, Royal Artillery at School of Artillery, Larkhill, GB, 1947; served with K Bty, 5th Regt, Royal Horse Artillery in GB, 1947-1951; served with J and D Btys, 3rd Regt, Royal Horse Artillery in West Germany, Egypt, Libya and GB, 1951-1959; NCO and officer served with 307th (RHA) (South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry), Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1959-1966

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Monmouth, GB, 1922-1936: family and social circumstances; education. Recollections of enlistment and training with 1st Boys Bty, Royal Artillery at Royal Artillery Regimental Depot, Woolwich, London, GB, 10/1936-10/1937: enlistment as boy soldier with Royal Artillery at Newport, 9/1936; reception and kitting out; barrack accommodation; origins of boy recruits; physical training; ban on smoking; drill; bugle and trumpet training; musical band; education classes; lessons in history of Royal Artillery; relations with NCO instructors. REEL 2 Continues: relations with recruits; sporting activities; use of director and dial site; rations; canteen; pay; barrack room and kit inspections; restricted guard duties; recreational visits into Woolwich; passing out as trumpeter; choice of posting in Gibraltar. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Neuralia from GB to Gibraltar, 1/1938: prior leave; hammocks; conditions. Recollections of period as trumpeter, gunner and NCO with 4th Coastal Bty, 3rd Coastal Regt, Royal Artillery at Defensible Barracks, Europa Point, Gibraltar, 1/1938-1/1942: reception; barrack accommodation; monitoring by NCOs as boy; smoking cigarettes; relationship with officers. REEL 3 Continues: relations with officers and NCOs; characteristics of BL 9.2 Inch Guns Mks V and VII, including automated equipment and gun drill; role of gun position officer; training as battery commander's assistant; use of position finder and meteorological corrections; use of fire director; practice shoots at towed targets from war stations; role as trumpeter and guard duties; sporting activities; church parades; daily routine; role as assistant battery clerk; visits into Gibraltar and Tangiers, French Morocco; status as boy soldier; state of British Army; question of approach of war and reaction to a Winston Churchill speech, 1938; call-up of reservists, 9/1938. REEL 4 Continues: reaction to radio reports during Munich Crisis, 9/1938; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; observation post duty and personnel; move to war footing; acting as battery clerk; effects of attaining adult military status, 7/1940; gradual promotion to lance sergeant including role as NCO and relations with gunners; attacks by Vichy French Air Force and Italian Air Force aircraft; presence of Royal Navy's H Force; routine duties; Italian Navy midget submarine attacks; anti-aircraft guns; question of morale; working parties to assist in digging underground defences and facilities; receiving news of progress of war. Aspects of return to GB, 1/1942: treatment of German prisoners of war during voyage; train journey to Royal Artillery Depot, Woolwich; impressions of effects of war. Aspects of period as NCO with 145th Coastal Bty, 570th Coastal Regt, Western Command at Lavernock, GB, 2/1942-12/1943: situation; reversion to bombardier and instructional role; description of QF BL 6 Inch Naval Gun and direction and range finder equipment; searchlights; opinion of state of battery training; promotion to lance sergeant and role as No 1 on QF BL 6 Inch Naval Gun. REEL 5 Continues: QF BL 6 Inch Naval Gun drill; improvements made to gun site; status as regular and background to attempts to get another posting; attending ammunition course; attending field artillery conversion course at School of Artillery, Larkhill, 12/1943-2/1944. Aspects of period as NCO with 505th Bty, 141st (Queens Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 2/1944-6/1944: impressions of unit; reactions to unit being left behind during Operation Overlord, D-Day, 6/6/1944; move to administer 'S' Camps in Hornchurch area for troops en route to North West Europe, 6/1944; reaction to non-combatant role; movements in GB, 1944-1945. Recollections of period as NCO with 30th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 4th Infantry Div in Greece, 1945-1947: journey from GB to Greece via Italy to join regiment in Athens area; situation; duties; effects of German occupation, political situation and relations with Greek civilians; currency inflation; move to Salonika; accommodation; firing exercises in hills; role on promotion to troop sergeant-major; state of roads; attack of diphtheria during voyage back to GB on leave; consequent retention in GB and intelligence test during period at Royal Artillery Depot, Woolwich. Aspects of period as NCO with 124th Field Regt, Royal Artillery and 5th Regt, Royal Horse Artillery at School of Artillery, Larkhill, GB, 1947: 124th Field Regt's role as training unit at School of Artillery, Larkhill. REEL 6 Continues: nature of duties, Aspects of period as NCO with K Bty, 5th Regt, Royal Horse Artillery in GB, 1947-1951: reaction to posting to regiment; mixed armaments of unit; problems with replacements for Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Guns fitted in Sexton Self-Propelled Gun; duties acting as gun position officer during exercises due to shortage of officers; cases of artillery shells falling in safety zones and problems faced by safety officer; firing with air observation from Taylorcraft Auster aircraft; ability to act as gun position officer and question of commission; opinion of National Service conscripts and effect on regiment's training. Recollections of period as NCO with J and D Btys, 3rd Regt, Royal Horse Artillery, British Army of the Rhine in West Germany, 1951-1954: state of regiment and shortage of NCOs; question of improving quality of troop and role of Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Baker; limited field firing exercises; opinion of Sexton Self-Propelled Gun. REEL 7 Continues: review of annual training programme from troop training to army manoeuvres; question damage caused to property of farmers; relationship with German civilians; attitude to question of threat from Soviet Union; alarm exercise in taking up designated war positions; role on promotion to battery sergeant-major of D Bty; relations with battery commander; problems with National Service conscripts going Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL) during leave periods; comparison of National Service conscripts and Regular Army personnel. Aspects of period as NCO with D Bty, 3rd Regt, Royal Horse Artillery in Egypt, 3/1954-9/1955: initial impressions of Egypt; tented accommodation at Waterloo Camp, Fâyid in Canal Zone; guard duties at water filtration plant on Sweetwater Canal; curfew; relations with Egyptian civilians; question of exercises; problems with Sexton Self-Propelled Gun in desert conditions; role on promotion to technical regimental quartermaster sergeant-major including problems with radio batteries and problems of Egyptians stealing. REEL 8 Continues: Recollections of period as as NCO with 3rd Regt, Royal Horse Artillery at Homs, Libya, 9/1955-3/1957: background to move following policy change initiated by President Gamal Nasser of Egypt; situation; barrack accommodation; problem of Libyans stealing; role on promotion to regimental sergeant-major; initial problem in relationship with NCOs, nature of relations with junior officers, battery commanders and commanding officer; importance of discipline including role of drill, voice of command and swearing; composition and role of regimental office including story illustrating importance of secrecy and role of Part 1 and 2 Orders; importance of sergeants' mess including question of rations, facilities and drinking habits. REEL 9 Continues: case of desertion of National Service gunner; recall from practice camp and outbreak of Suez Crisis, 1956; introduction of curfew for British military personnel; preparations for invasion of Egypt and review of changing nature of plans due to attitude of King Idris; issue of new vehicles and radios; destruction of equipment prior to return to GB, 3/1957. Recollections of period as NCO with 3rd Regt, Royal Horse Artillery at Bulford and Tidworth Camps, GB, 3/1957-7/1959: re-equipping with Ordnance BL 5.5 Inch Medium Gun and vehicles; method of calibrating guns; nature of barrack accommodation and married quarters; exercises and firing camps; opinion of Lieutenant-Colonel Philip Tower; problems with gunners going Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL); reaction to end of term as regimental sergeant-major. Recollections of period as NCO with Headquarters Bty, 307th (RHA) (South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry), Field Regt, Royal Artillery at Bulwell Drill Hall, Nottingham, GB, 7/1959-5/1961: composition of Headquarters Bty; reception; problem with low turnout for junior NCOs' course; opinion of various officers including Colonel Thomas Forman Hardy and Major James Gunn. REEL 10 Continues: opinion of various officers including Major Peter Featherby, Major D Black, Captain Norman Phillips and Quartermaster R G S Macpherson; question of prior briefing from Regimental Sergeant-Major Pontin; difference between Regular Army and Territorial Army approach and role as regimental sergeant-major including menial tasks and responsibility for improving standards; state of unit training; weekend firing camp at Larkhill Ranges and story of Colonel Thomas Forman Hardy using personal caravan; annual camp at Millom, 1960 including role running junior NCOs' course, attitude to civil defence role, question of drinking habits in sergeants' mess and nature of command exercise; married quarters and problem with neighbours. REEL 11 Continues: role and routine duties as regimental sergeant-major; question of career progress and objection to reports from officers; effects of poor rate of attendance on training programme; opinion of officers; opinion of various NCOs including Regimental Sergeant-Major George White, Battery Sergeant-Major Jack Dennis, Troop Sergeant-Major Norman Tebbett, Battery Sergeant-Major Norman Brettle and Troop Sergeant-Major R Evans; opinion of Major Paul Pollitt and Major John Robinson; question of next posting, taking commission and decision to leave British Army; absence of competent careers advice. Aspects o civilian and employment: securing work as clerk in printing works; settling in Nottingham; qualification as accountant and promotion; acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle. Recollections of period as NCO and officer with 307th (RHA)(South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry), Field Regt, Royal Artillery at Bulwell Drill Hall, Nottingham, GB, 1961-1966: background to decision to rejoin as survey sergeant; formation of survey party. REEL 12 Continues: question of previous absence of survey party; training and methods employed by survey party in placing batteries on regimental grid; use of logarithms; annual camp at Sennybridge; opinion of Colonel James Gunn and his attempts to improve gunnery standards including problems caused by his insistence on qualifications and question of his use of business efficiency methods; opinion of Officers' Cadet Scheme; opinion of Major Roland Bream; question of competence of battery sergeant-major; recruitment activities; links with 1st Regt, Royal Horse Artillery; question of training in effects of nuclear warfare; opinion of Regimental Sergeant-Major Blake; case of NCO disciplined for leaving camp without permission during annual camp at Westdown, 1962; commission as survey lieutenant; officers' mess; role on promotion to battery captain of 520 Bty; opinion of Lieutenant Tony Haines; observation party role. REEL 13 Continues: including observation party role including composition of team, selection of target, defended zones and nature of fire orders related to artillery board; question of succession of Major Peter Featherby or Major Paul Pollitt as colonel; opinion of Major Alan Bexon; opinion of role of Territorial Army and reaction to British Government cuts including redesignation of regiment into AVR III status; annual camp at Devizes, 1966; attitude towards Queen's Cup competition; decision to leave unit due to smoking related illness, 1966; leaving party. Aspects of period as officer with Army Cadet Force in Nottingham, GB, 1972-1978: role as training major; organisation and role of Army Cadet Force; role of Colonel James Gunn as Commandant, Army Cadet Force; role of Army Cadet Force; training of instructors. REEL 14 Continues: nature of Army Cadet Force commitment; nature of training camps; role on promotion to deputy commandant; role as president of Army Cadet Force mess committee; question of possible promotion to Army Cadet Force Commandant; retirement, 1978; membership of South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry Association and Royal Horse Artillery Association.