Description
Object description
British officer cadet served with Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1943; officer served with Divisional Headquarters 53rd Welsh Division in GB, 1943-1944; served with 2LFC Signals 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945; Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Knutsford in GB, 1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in London and Welwyn Garden City, GB, 1923- : family; education; sports; reason for joining Officers Training Corps; organisation of OTC; activities in OTC as private and NCO; army education; family involvement with Co-Op; move of parents to Manchester; outbreak of war; first bombs dropped on Germany; accidental firing of gun during a Home Guard parade; decision to not move to Manchester; reaction of hosts to OTC involvement; division of time between St Albans and Manchester; reasons for start of involvement with Labour Party and its organisation in Altrincham; opinion on Labour and Conservative involvement in war; opinion of political sympathies among teachers; air raid shelter built; cover taken from air raids; father's work during air raids; involvement with school magazine; war work with OTC; description of Churchill's announcement of loss of HMS Hood and HMS Repulse in House of Commons; reflections of events in Europe from 1938 and takeover of Winston Churchill.
REEL 2 Continues: entrance into Cambridge University; life at university including involvement with Labour Party and signals training from OTC. Aspects of period as officer cadet with Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, c1943: period at Wrotham pre-OCTU and signals training in Catterick; drill; wireless theory; story of accident with cable layer; story from battle school exercise; memories of Sergeant King; visits to House of Commons; lecture given on Beveridge Report at OCTU and later edict; details of and involvement with Fabian Society; attendance and debates at Labour Conferences; discussion on Communist and Labour parties; optimism following Beveridge report including exaggeration of some parties; atmosphere at Labour conferences.
REEL 3 Continues: story of speech made by Herbert Morrison at Cambridge Corn Exchange; fringe bodies at Labour Conference including hopes for colonies; location within conference; involvement with Army Bureau of Current Affairs at OCTU; memories of drill and Regiment Sergeant Major Brittain; commission in Royal Corps of Signals and posting to Divisional Headquarters in 53rd Welsh Division in Harrietsham. Aspects of period as officer with Divisional Headquarters 53rd Welsh Division in GB, 1943- 1944: role of signals unit; make-up of Divisional Headquarters; details of 12 set wirelesses; exercises in South Wales; situation for laying telephone lines; call signs and codes; own responsibilities in unit; aircraft recognition course attended and information relayed to troops; continuation of political activity; problems with liver; visit of General Montgomery; posting to 21st Army Group. Aspects of period as officer with 2LFC Signals 21st Army Group in GB, 4/1944-6/1944: role and activities of unit; communications; posting in Wimbledon; improvement in exercises; reactions to organisation when in France.
REEL 4 Continues: details of voyage to France from London including writing of will; scenes off coast on arrival; boarding of landing craft; air activity; length of wait for embarkation. Aspects of operations as officer with 2LFC Signals 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: problems with motorcycle; journey to Bayeux; make-up of signals office; sending of press reports of Battle of Caen; reactions to Pluto terminal; absence of German air activity; impressions of campaign including morale boost from bombing raids; scenes of previous fighting during advance; reception from civilians; contact with troops of other armies; speed of advance; reports sent home and mail; request to be Parliamentary candidate for Altrincham and Sale; company magazine; reason for wanting to stand for Parliament; Labour's gathering of candidates; refusal of leave in autumn 1944 and appeal; process of becoming a Parliamentary candidate; opinion of reasons for failure in Altrincham and Sale and success in Knutsford; speech made to Altrincham and Sale delegates; initial involvement in campaign; reaction of unit to his candidacy; arrival in Brussels and takeover of telephone system; symphony concert attended; passing over of gliders for Arnhem; V1 and V2 attacks; need to move on and destroy landing platforms.
REEL 5 Continues: memories of the Battle of the Bulge and crossing of Rhine; posting in Osnabruck; impressions of Germany; VE Day celebrations; disbanding of Coalition Government; Class B release system; return to GB. Aspects of campaign as Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Knutsford in GB, 5/1945- 7/1945: memories of election agent Harold Hobson; details of constituency; opposition candidates; organisation of Knutsford Labour Party; organisation and details of campaign; Churchill's Gestapo allegation and Clement Attlee's response; reactions to Churchill's Gestapo remark; opinion of advantages Labour had from being in war cabinet; Harold Laskey affair; canvassing; details of public meetings including names used in life; concerns from voters about campaign; memories of Conservative candidate Colonel Bromley-Davenport.
REEL 6 Continues: story of address at old folk's home; visit to a polling station on Election Day; objects of campaign; object of smaller public meetings; debating and coverage in local newspapers; support from Cambridge Labour Club and members of campaign team; opinion of chances and aims in constituency; opinion of Labour's chances in country; activities on polling day; reasons for delay before count; story of meeting in Warrington; return of votes from overseas; count in Knutsford; news from around country; post-election meeting at Westminster; reactions to results; posting in Huddersfield transit camp; reactions to posting in Burma; reaction to and knowledge of atomic bombs. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1945: return to university and demobilisation; decision to change to law degree; return to and involvement with Labour Club; opinions of 1945-1951 Labour Government; selection as Parliamentary Candidate for Woodford; reasons for not fighting another election; civilian work and political involvement.