Eden, Ray (Oral history)

British officer served with 11th Hussars in North Africa, Italy, GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1921-1939: family background and social circumstances; education at Royal Grammar School, 1932-1937 including sporting activities and OTC training; work on various farms, 1937-1939. Recollections of recruitment and training with 124 Field Regt, Royal Artillery at Gallowgate Drill Hall, Newcastle, 1938-1939: kitting out; drill night training; 18pdr gun drill; driving gun tower; exercises on Moor; recall and mobilisation from annual camp at Whitby, 1/9/1939. Recollections of conditions of service as driver with 34 (Signal) Training Regt, RA at Dover, 9/1939-6/1941: detachment as draft from unit; initial billets and installing Anderson shelters; relationship with ORs; prior reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; signal training; daily routine; visits to pubs and dance halls; hut accommodation at North Falls Camp. REEL 2 Continues: mover into Dover Castle; role as garrison motorcycle despatch rider; arrival of troops evacuated form Dunkirk, 5/1940-6/1940; minefield laid by untrained troops; nature of headquarters in Dover cliffs. Period at Bamber Bridge, ca 940: role as driver; billets; acting as driving instructor. Period as driver with HQ, 510 Bty, 146 FR, (Yeomanry> RA at Piddlehinton, 1941: relationship with Welsh ORs, officers and NCOs; training exercises and acting as observation post party driver; training as OP assistant including firing orders, adjusting fire and drawing panoramas recording registered targets; promotion to lance bombardier; night to day exercise; acting as advance party at Salford docks. Voyage aboard Strathmore to Durban, South Africa, 7/1941-8/1941: route; messdeck conditions and food; period ashore at Durban. Voyage aboard Salween to Port Tewfik, Egypt, 9/1941: ship's rolling. REEL 3 Continues: story of seeing deserters jumping overboard in Red Sea; first impressions of Port Tewfik. Period of training and initial operations in Egypt in Cairo area, 1941-1942: acclimatisation at Kabrit Transit Camp; move to Cairo area; desert cooking methods; driving using sun compass and coping with sand; detachment of OP parties for training on Honey tanks with Royal Armoured Corps Depot, Abbassia, 1941; promotion to sergeant and question of commission in RAC; move into Western Desert; first action and personal morale. Recollections of attending OCTU course at RAC Depot, Abbassia, 1942: unarmed combat training; tank gunnery training; role as tank commander; mechanised training; training in behaviour expected of officer; commission. Recollections of operations with B Sqdn, 11th Hussars in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, ca 7/1942-9/1943: reception; equipment with Honey tanks; state of unit; REEL 4 Continues: move into Western Desert; preparations for El Alamein offensive; effect of mine during advance into No Mans Land, 20/10/1942; posting to White armoured cars on reconnaissance role; relationship with crew and NCOs; reconnaissance role during advance to El Agheila; slight leg wounds during ground strafing by Italian fighter; driving in desert conditions and mechanical reliability of White AC; food rations; desert sores; fly problems; khamsin wind and dust storms; hot conditions; diarrhoea and latrines; water supply. REEL 5 Continues: advance swinging to south during advance to take Tripoli; German counter-attack at Medanine, 6/3/1943; advance to Wadi Akarit, 4/1943; relationship with support troops; advance to Enfidaville; German shell fire; personal morale; temporary detachment to King's Dragoon Guards including opinion of their Dingo AC; move to meet First Army; minefield problems; exploitation role during attack on Tunis, 5/1943; reception on entry into Tunis; move back to Tripoli; story of preparations for inspection by George VI at Tripoli; opinion of Montgomery; move to Hons; recreations; opinion of Daimler AC; Landing Craft Tank (LST) training. Voyage in LCT to Salerno, Italy, 9/1943. REEL 6 Recollections of operations in Italy, 9/1943-12/1943: landing under heavy fire; temporary attachments to another unit within 8th Armoured Bde, 10/9/1943; situation; opinion of Humber AC; move into vineyard; situation; abortive reconnaissance patrols; support from RAF and Royal Navy; question of evacuation; breakout from beachhead; German 88mm fire; rejoining unit; advance to Naples; winter conditions and US food rations; reception from Italian civilians; nature of fighting and effects of terrain; advance to Garigliano; shoulder wound from 'S' mine at Zuni, ca 12/1943. Evacuation and hospitalisation, ca 12/1943-2/1944: additional complications of malaria and jaundice; period at 92nd General Hospital, Naples; voyage to Philppeville; period in 100th General Hospital, Pilippeville; presence of German POW patients. View of German glider bomb attacks during voyage back to Naples, ca 2/1943; rejoining 8th Armoured Bde at Zuni. Voyage aboard Almanzora to GB, ca 3/1944. Recollections of period with 8th AB I GB, 3/1944-6/1944: move to Hove; leave. REEL 7 Continues: attending various course on combined operations and new weapons; rejoining HQ Sqdn, 11th Hussars; exercises; re-equipment with Staghound and Humber AC; waterproofing vehicles; embarkation. Aspects of operations in France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, 6/1944-5/1945: Channel crossing and landing at Arromanches, ca 10/6/1944; move towards Bayeux; situation and Operation Goodwood, 7/1944; RN support bombardments; reconnaissance role and nature of terrain; panzerfaust problem; effects of RAF attempts to close Falaise gap, 8/1944; rapid advance, 8/1944; animal corpses and story of killing injured horse; advance into Belgium; role in support of Guards Armoured Div during Arnhem operations, 9/1944; advance into Netherlands; relationship with Dutch civilians; effects of Python leave on unit; crossing Rhine at Zanten, 3/1944; advance through Germany; reaction to German sniping; reactions to visit to Belsen Concentration Camp. REEL 8 Continues: opinion of German troops and SS; capture of Hamburg, 4/1945; advance to Lubeck. Periods with various units in Germany, 1945-1946: supervising movements of German POWs in Kiel area; posting to unit defending HQ, 21st Army Group at Ostenwald; contacts with Montgomery and story illustrating his character. Return to GB and demobilisation, 1946. Post-war career: mental stress related problems and psychiatric treatment; attending business training course; background to period in agricultural commerce in US, 1948-1950; return to GB, 1950; carer in agricultural cooperative; background to decision not to attend regimental reunions or join Territorial Army.