Description
Object description
British gunner served with 196 Light Anti-Aircraft Bty Royal Artillery and private served with Royal Welch Fusiliers in GB, 1939-1943; NCO served as motorcycle dispatch rider and driver with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Italy and Austria, 1943-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of operations with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Italy and Austria, 1945: story of rounding up German prisoners; description of church service; role as motorcycle dispatch rider; weapons carried; amusing story about practising with .38 Smith and Wesson and German soldier surrendering; description of duties manning checkpoint on Austrian border; problem of large numbers of refugees on road; posted to Klagenfurt, Austria; guard duties; story about German officer surrendering with men but refusing to hand over Luger; amusing story about getting drunk on strong German alcohol; amusing story of officer in Volkswagen speeding past checkpoint on last night of war. Aspects of period with 196 Light Anti-Aircraft Bty Royal Artillery and Royal Welch Fusiliers in GB, 1939-1943: story of being called up and posted to camp near Tenby; opinion of accommodation in bell tents; formation of 195 and 196 Light Anti-Aircraft Btys; description of basic training; problem of horse flies; posted to Scotland for gunnery training; story of mistaking tree trunk for body in sea; reaction to Japan entering war; posted as gun layer to Plymouth during Blitz; pay; role as No. 1 on Bofors gun; description of 56 pdr gun; attitude to reading notices posted on board; story of receiving 7 days CB and having to pay for 9 rounds of ammunition after unauthorised firing of Bren gun at low flying German aircraft; story of watching Spitfire shooting down German fighters; duties manning anti-aircraft guns in Plymouth; story of making toys for children; description of bomb hitting jewellery shop; 196 Bty disbanded and transferred to infantry; description of training with Royal Welch Fusiliers in Brecon Beacons, Wales; story of gelignite exploding in camp; description of training in fire brigade tank; story of receiving 7 days CB for overstaying embarkation leave; posted to Liverpool and joined convoy; issued with tropical kit; description of voyage aboard RMS Empress of Australia to Naples, Italy. Aspects of operations as dispatch rider and driver with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Italy and Austria, 1943-1946: taken by lorry to Italian barracks; opinion of sanitary arrangements; posted to Caserta and attached to M Bde; role as driving instructor; assigned own motorcycle; description of camp outside Rome overlooking Route 6; duties as dispatch rider; story of riding into Rome and drinking in bar before arrival of main British forces.
REEL 2 Continues: posted to Udine; description of enthusiastic welcome from Italian civilians; story of guarding brothel in Verona; story of spending last Christmas of war in mountains and hearing music from German positions; story of being wounded by shrapnel in backside and medical treatment; acquired souvenirs including Lugers; story of delivering messages under German shellfire; description of accommodation at HQ; story of smoking under gas cape; story of driving US Naval officer in jeep to Trieste; story of local Italians beating up British solider and Italian girlfriend and reprisal beatings by soldiers; pay; story of selling army blankets and splitting proceeds with sergeant-major; moved into village of Villa Cassella near Florence; story of acquiring and repairing BSA motorcycle and subsequent requisitioning by sergeant-major; story of being welcomed into village with feast; story of obtaining eggs from farmer; amusing story of firing captured German rifle over head of friend Titch Ashcroft; story of incident while driving US soldiers and girlfriends in lorry; story of visiting watchmaker in Verona; posted to Alesso; story of sleeping through artillery barrage and gun wheels running over tent pegs.
REEL 3 Continues: posted on guard duties at gaol in Bolzano; story about pregnant girl; story about German POW escaping from gaol at night; received papers for demobilisation; story of taking civilian driving test and gaining license; posted to Verona on patrol and guard duty; story about Gunner Williams; amusing story about seeing friend Jack with Italian girlfriend in Florence; description of converting 25 pdr shell case into heater; method of making tea; story of exercise for dispatch riders with staff officer; duties as driver for officers in Verona and Rome; story of taking badly wounded teenage girl to aid post; story of contracting malaria and treatment; story of stealing turkeys for Christmas dinner; description of making drinking glasses out of bottles; duties as driver for officer and Italian girlfriend; collection of souvenirs; story of sergeant killing Hitler Youth soldier to take watch; description of gas training in Scotland.
REEL 4 Continues: father's army service in First and Second World Wars; story of receiving half a crown for taking part in tests of different gases; story of visit to the Eagle's Nest after war ended; story of making toys to sell with friend Norman Brooks; description of naval gunnery training and drilling in Pembroke Bay, GB; amusing story of soldier with lighted pipe in pocket; story of attempting to catch peacock for food; story of mistaking flask of olive oil for wine; story of crashing on motorcycle with friend Sandy; story of driving major to Div HQ in jeep; story of sleeping overnight in area of no man's land; story of finding buried box of crockery and using in mess; story of Italians picking all the grapes; amusing story about sergeant from England demonstrating 51 mine; story of accident with 'Big Mac' recovery vehicle and damage to motorcycle; story of being driven off the road into ditch near Verona and help from Polish camp; story about heavyweight boxing champion Primo Carnera in Bolzano.
REEL 5 Continues: amusing story about laying telephone landline with friend Titch Ashcroft; problem of losing control of lorry due to crash box gears; role as dispatch rider leading convoy; story of falling off motorcycle and burning leg on exhaust pipe; description of medical treatment at Red Cross tent; problem of Germans booby trapping fruit trees and tomato fields; story of driving officer and batman to Rome; description of hotel in Rome; story of chance meeting with wife's brother Fred; problem of overcoat being stolen; story of selling tins of Army food in café; story about staying at home of doctor's wife; story of acquiring horses in Austria and riding over camp into hills; amusing story of horse galloping past cookhouse; volunteered for pre-demobilization course in carpentry; story of skiing course at Cortina in Dolomites; use of chains on wheels to drive through deep snow; reflections on allowing German POW to escape; story of friend Bill Clapton arriving in German motorbike and sidecar.
