Description
Object description
British driver served with 386 Coy, 47th Searchlight Bn, Royal Engineers and 386 Bty, 47th Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1938-1940; served with 79th Anti-Aircraft Regt, RA in GB, North Africa and Italy, 1940-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Sunderland, 1919-1939: family background, death of father and social circumstances; recreations; education and hospitalisation with suspected tuberculosis attack; work as building labourer, 1933-1939; football activities; work as building labourer, 1933-1939.
REEL 2 Continues: work as apprentice bricklayer, 1933-1939; restricted employment opportunities; football activities; training as apprentice bricklayer, 1933-1939; boys' club activities; memories of grandparents. Various aspects of service with 386 Coy, 47th Searchlight Bn, Royal Engineers and 386 Bty, 47th Searchlight Regt, Royal Artillery at Dykelands Road Drill Hall, Sunderland, North Yorkshire and Durham, 1938-1940: realisation of approach of war and background to recruitment, 10/1938; question of family reaction; attending drill nights and weekend training camps; role driving generator lorry; role of aircraft spotter; drill nights; move to Thirsk and Ripon area, 8/1939; additional role providing searchlight beacon for damaged aircraft; role of searchlight crew; wartime dispositions, 9/1939; story of German bombing raid on Staindrop site, 1940; composition of unit.
REEL 3 Continues: background to recruitment, 10/1938; pay; nature of training on drill night and at weekend camps; role driving and operating generator lorry; aircraft recognition; role driving and operating generator lorry; role of aircraft spotter; mobilisation and deployment to Ripon area, 8/1939; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; operation of searchlight; movements and conditions of service; memories of various NCOs; support from employer; daily routine; move to Staindrop, 1940; disposition of searchlights units; volunteering for overseas service. Period at Deerbolt Camp, Barnard Castle, 1940: training as driver; story of going AWOL and punishment; nature of training.
REEL 4 Continues: review of movements with 386 Coy, 47th Searchlight Regt, RA, 1939-1940. Various aspect of service as driver with 79th Anti-Aircraft Regt <Hertfordshire Yeomanry>, RA in GB, North Africa and Italy, 1940-1945: joining unit in Neath; conversion to 3.7 anti-aircraft guns; prior role providing searchlight beacon for damaged aircraft in Thirsk area, 1940; composition of unit; role as gun team driver; movements; voyage in convoy out to Algeria, ca 11/1942; conditions following transfer onto ferry for voyage to Bone, ca 11/1942; expertise at winching; attitude to Arabs injured in road accidents; effect of storm on tented camp; reports of attack on ship carrying unit gun towers.
REEL 5 Continues: food carried on gun towers; sleeping in gun tower; move to Italy, 9/1943; stories illustrating role as driver detached to various units in North Africa, ca 1942-1943, including disciplinary charge and punishment fatigues; story of meeting brother during local leaves in Italy and Austria; various randomly ordered stories illustrating detachment to various units in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1944, including German bombing raids on Philipeville, landing at Anzio, 1944 and landing at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943.
REEL 6 Continues: review of movements and various randomly ordered stories illustrating detachment to various units in North Africa and Italy, 1940-1944, including landing at Anzio, 1944, situation on move to Trieste area, 1945; GB leave, 1945; return to Italy; journey back to GB for early demobilisation as builder, ca 1946; relationship with ORs. Post-war career: career as bricklayer; effects of war service; story of execution of black South African soldier for murder; stories of coming under German artillery fire.