Berwick, Victor (Oral history)

British NCO served with 306th Bty, 75th Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1938-1939; 1940; served as officer with 221 Bty, 91st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Italy, 1942-1944; served as instructor at Middle East Infantry Training Depot, Egypt, 1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Ashford, Kent, 1911-1939: family background; education; work as cashier for estate agents, 1926-1939; attending night school; interest in wireless and friend's interception of coded German message; Boy Scouts and swimming activities. Recollections of period as NCO with A Troop, 306th Bty, 75th Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery, North Street, Ashford, 1938-1939: background to volunteering and prior failed attempt to join Royal Navy as wireless operator; medical; denim uniform; posting to Vickers Predictor team; drill; 3-inch anti-aircraft (AA) guns; composition of command post team; operation of Predictor providing data to guns. REEL 2 Continues: operation of Predictor including use of data from height finder, aiming point, clockwork mechanism and role as No. 1; weekend training at Great Chart; aircraft identification; relationship with ORs, NCOs and officers; story of bus hitting railway bridge during weekend training; reactions to call up, 8/1939; kitting out; training whilst living at home; detachment to dig trenches around radar stations. Recollections of period at Horton Kirby, 10/1939-1/1940: equipment with 3.7" AA gun and comparison of loading methods with 3" AA gun; layout o gun positions. REEL 3 Continues: command post layout; morning routine; maintenance of guns and predictor; PT and route marches; night guard duty and command post duty; recreations; promotion to bombardier. Period commanding Lewis gun AA post at Waterworks Lane, Dartford, 1/1940-2/1940: role defending against German low-level attacks; composition of sections; view of Hudson shot down in error by Hurricanes and subsequent rumours of crew being dressed in German uniforms; hut accommodation. Period at Iwade covering Chatham dockyard, 2/1940-4/1940: taking over 4.5" AA guns including loading method and defensive shield for gun crew; automatic fuse settings placed on shells by Predictor; story of identification parade in front of pregnant woman; night false alarms; leave in Ashford. Period in Guston covering Dover port and radar station, rejoining main body of regiment; equipment with 3" AA guns; story of accidentally firing at Hurricane. REEL 4 Continues: promotion to sergeant and role as Gun Position Officer assistant; false alarm of German parachutists. Recollections of period at RAF Manston, 5/1940-10/1940: troop positions; tent accommodation; rifle training; German raids on London; view of fighter actions; story of ME109 landing and surrendering; story of bailed out German air crew; nature of German high level air raids including prior radar warnings, inability to hit high flying aircraft, success in shooting down two German bombers, noise of guns and question of ear defenders; story of shooting down low flying Heinkel and ME110; IFF radar identification system for British aircraft; story of searchlight failing to pick up German aircraft and attempted bombing of gun position; Swordfish casualties during Dunkirk operations; story of being issued with pikes; reconditioning rifles for use; earwig problem in dugout; duties as GPO assistant. REEL 5 Continues: operation of Predictor and Barr and Stroud height finder; meteorological collections; close escape from German bomb during weekend leave at Ashford; issue of anti-tank shells; move into hut accommodation; sergeants' mess. Recollections of period covering Rolls Royce factory, Derby, 10/1940-12/1940: 3.7" AA gun positions; flooding; barrage firing during night raids; radar system to predict raids and false alarms; move of gun positions; oil pipe and smoke pot systems to create false impression of burning targets. Taking over 4.7" gun position at Rotherham, 12/1940-4/1941. Period as cadet at Officers Cadet Training Unit, Shrivenham, 4/1941-9/1941: prior failed interview; successful interview; brief period at another OCTU; organisation of unit; preparing for room inspection; nature of training in AA gunnery; minimal infantry training; night exercises and story of getting lost driving in convoy.> REEL 6 Continues: presence of Cadet Hammond Innes. Recollections of period as officer with 221 Bty, 91st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regt, RA at Henling, Scunthorpe and Leeds, 9/1941-5/1942: nature of unit; introduction of PT; officers' tent accommodation; drinking habits and story of drunken officer; rum ration; night barrages and standing to; handing over controlled stores and discovery of loss of run in move to Scunthorpe; improved radar sets to judge aircraft altitude; role defending steel works; move to Leeds; preparations for overseas service and effect of vaccinations and issue of tropical kit. Voyage aboard Orcades to Durban, South Africa, 5/1942: conditions; role censoring mail; convoy escort and U-Boat threat; route; enteritis outbreak; subsequent sinking of ship. Period ashore at Durban 5/1942-6/1942: termite problem; recreations; question of South African attitude to black American soldiers. REEL 7 Continues: meeting officers from 306 Bty; hospitality of South African civilians. Voyage aboard Viceroy of India to Port Suez, Egypt, 6/1942: role as messing officer; route; use of barrage room passing through Red Sea; initial period in Transit Camp at Tel el Kebir. Recollections of operations in Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Italy, 1942-1944: contacts with 75th AA Regt; train journey to Tripoli, Lebanon; taking over 3.7" AA guns; role guarding port and oil terminal; German high flying reconnaissance aircraft; conditions of service; bed bug problem; new radar sets; relationship with Lebanese civilians; move to Beirut; role occupying ORs; training ins use of AA guns in coastal defence role; Matador gun towers; move to Haifa, Palestine; story of Matador accident; relationship with Jewish and Arab civilians; draft of Besutoland gunners to replace gunners drafted into infantry units; detachment to train Besutoland gunners in Cairo area, Egypt; Besutoland interpreters. REEL 8 Continues: training Besutoland gunners in gun drill; food rations issued to Besutoland gunners; cases of sunburn amongst Besutoland gunners; rejoining unit; successful assimilation of Besutoland gunners into unit; move to Alexandria, Egypt, 1944; contacts with Egyptian coastal defence unit; move to Taranto, Italy, 1944state of harbour; relationship with Italian civilians; background to disbandment of unit, ca 9/1944. Period on course at Infantry Training School, Sydney Smith Barracks, Acre, Palestine, 1944: nature of course; grenade training and story of accident; thorn problem. Period as instructor in Middle East Infantry Training Depot, Canal Zone, 1945: role converting gunners into infantry; nature of exercises and use of thunder flashes; Bren gun carrier; question of posting. Period as Training Officer with Jewish Bde Group Depot, Canal Zone, 1945: origin of Jewish recruits; basic infantry training; arrest of British NCOs and Jewish officers involved in drug smuggling; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; story of caricatures drawn satirising officers after cancellation of leave; story of receiving news of birth of twin daughters, ca 1943. REEL 9 Journey back to GB and demobilisation, 10/1945. Post-war career: qualification as accountant while working as cashier; development of relationship with twin daughters; career as accountant; effects of war service,