Whitbread, Alfred (Oral history)

British soldier served with 70th <Young Soldiers> Bn, Royal West Kent Regt in GB, 1940-1942; served with 2nd Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in GB and North West Europe, 1942-1945. Present at capture of Horsa and Pegasus Bridges, 6/6/1944

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Isleworth and Garston, Watford, 1922-1940: family background and social circumstances; education; work as machinist at paper mill, 1936-1940; football activities; Air Cadet activities; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; Anderson shelter; food rations supplemented by garden produce; reactions to women workers; background to volunteering to join army, 6/1940. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 70th (Young Soldier) Bn, Royal West Kent Regt based at Maidstone Barracks and in Northern Ireland, 6/1940-10/1942: reception; straw palliasse; kitting out; barrack room accommodation and cleaning; morning routine; food rations; drill; rifle training. REEL 2 Continues: bayonet, hand grenades and Vickers machine gun training; tactical exercises; PT and boxing activities; preparing for kit inspections; relationship with recruits, instructors and officers; recreational visits to Maidstone; detachment on duties guarding airfields including opinion of Bren gun, German bombing raids and pill box defences; role guarding crashed Spitfire; move to Northern Ireland, 1941; role guarding bridge; relationship with Irish civilians; food rations; background to volunteering for service with 6th Airborne Div. REEL 3 Recollections of period with 17 Platoon, B Coy, 2nd Bn, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Bulford Camp and Tarot Rushton airfield, 10/1942-6/1944: light infantry drill; lectures inculcating pride in unit; opinion of Lieutenant Dennis Fox and Sergeant Thornton; nature of training; training flights in Horsa glider including prior view of Hostspur glider crashing and quality of pilots; parachute training including jumps from balloon and aircraft; qualification as glider trained; opinion of Sten gun; street fighting training; question of sniper training; opinion of Bren gun; recreational visits to Salisbury; reaction to higher pay of US soldiers. REEL 4 Continues: mock glider landings and night attacks on bridges, ca 5/1944; attachment of 17 Platoon to D Coy; opinion of Major John Howard; importance of foot care and effects of dehydration on long route march; question of promotion; opinion of Private Jack Summersby; background to marriage, 4/1944; move to Taro Rushton, ca 5/1944; sand table briefings for glider attack on Horsa Bridge and subsequent role to assist in attack on Pegasus Bridge; personal morale; loading glider prior to postponement of mission, 4/6/1944; special food rations; rum ration; flying smocks. REEL 5 Recollections of Operations Coup de Main at Horsa and Pegasus Bridge, River Orme, Normandy, France, 6/6/1944: loading glider; take off towed by Halifax and personal morale; flight across Channel; landing by Horsa Bridge; deplaning; success in taking bridge; arrival of Lieutenant Sweeney; taking up defensive positions; move to Pegasus Bridge; situation; move to take up defensive positions towards Benouville; Sergeant's Thornton's successful use of PIAT against German tank; reconnaissance patrol into Benouville; arrival of parachutist reinforcements; German shell fire; retirement into pillbox positions on bridge in preparation for German counter-attacks; arrival of Commandos; German sniping and failed attempt to use German gun; casualties; move into Ranville. Period in Breville and Le Mesnil sectors, 6/1944-8/1944: occupying defensive positions at St Conn Chateau; German shelling; food rations; improvements to trenches; question of sniping; German shell fire from Le Havre battery. REEL 6 Continues: rest period on beaches. Aspects of breakout and advance, 8/1944: story of over-running German machine gun post; nature of advance; story of hand-to-hand fight with German soldier crossing river; resulting injuries and medical treatment; minimal resistance during advance to River Seine; return to GB, 8/1944. Period at Bulford Camp, 8/1944-3/1945: scale of casualties; leave; training. Recollections of Operation Varsity at Hamminkeln railway station, Germany, 24/3/1945: prior briefing; late change in glider; flight out; story of being hit by anti-aircraft fire and crash landing; partial evacuation as slight casualty; transfer to 18 Platoon; situation and speed of advance into Germany; return to GB, ca 4/1945.Period of convalescence at Clacton on Sea, ca 5/1945-10/1945: physical down grading due to back injuries; medical treatment; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945. REEL 7 Continues: attitude to possible Far East posting. Early demobilisation, 10/1945. Post-war career: work as mechanic in bus arage; physical and mental effects of war service; membership of Coup de Main Assoc; question of importance of Pegasus Bridge operation and return visit.