Interview with Frederick Tyler

British officer served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to Headquarters, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB, 1943-1944; served with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 21st Army Group in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945; Parliamentary Candidate for Labour Party at Knutsford, GB, 5/1945-/7/1945

REEL 1 Background in London, Welwyn Garden City, St Albans and Manchester, GB, 1923-1943 : family; education; sporting activities; membership of Officer Training Corps, including reason for joining, organisation and activities; education; family involvement with Co-Operative Society; parents move to Manchester; declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; accidental firing of gun during a Home Guard parade; decision to not move to Manchester; reaction of hosts to his involvement with Officer Training Corps; division of time between St Albans and Manchester; reasons for involvement with Labour Party in Altrincham; opinion on Labour and Conservative Parties involvement in war; opinion of political sympathies amongst teachers; construction of air raid shelter and cover taken during German Air Force raids; father's work during German Air Force raids; involvement with school magazine; war work with Officer Training Corps; Prime Minister Winston Churchill's announcement of loss of HMS Hood and HMS Repulse in House of Commons at Houses of Parliament in Westminster, 12/1941; reflections of events in Europe from 1938 and Winston Churchill becoming prime minster, 1940. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as student at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, GB, 1941-1942: university life, including involvement with Labour Party and signals training from Officer Training Corps. Aspects of period as officer cadet with Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1943: attending No 148 Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit at Wrotham; signals training in Catterick Camp; drill; wireless theory; story of accident with cable layer; nature of battle school exercise; memories of Sergeant King; visits to House of Commons; lecture given on Beveridge Report at Officer Cadet Training Unit and later edict; involvement with Fabian Society; attendance and debates at Labour Party Conferences; discussion on Communist Party of Great Britain and Labour Party; optimism following Beveridge report, including exaggeration of some parties; atmosphere at Labour Party conferences. REEL 3 Continues: story of speech made by Herbert Morrison at Cambridge Corn Exchange; nature of fringe bodies at Labour Conference; involvement with Army Bureau of Current Affairs; drill and memories of Regimental Sergeant-Major Ronald Brittain; commissioning into Royal Corps of Signals and posting to Divisional Headquarters in 53rd Welsh Division in Harrietsham. Aspects of period as officer with Headquarters, 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Div in GB, 1943- 1944: posting to headquarters at Harrietsham; role of signals unit at headquarters; composition of headquarters; characteristics of No 12 Wireless Set; exercises in South Wales; laying telephone lines; call signs and codes; own responsibilities in signals unit; attending aircraft recognition course and information relayed to troops; continuation of political activity; medical problem; visit by General Bernard Montgomery; posting to 21st Army Group. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 21st Army Group in GB, 4/1944-6/1944: role and activities of signals unit; communications; posting to Wimbledon; improvement in exercises. REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of voyage from London, GB to Normandy, France, 6/1944: writing of will; sight of invasion armada off coast on arrival off Normandy, France; boarding landing craft; aerial activity; length of wait for embarkation. Recollections of operations as officer with Royal Corps of Signals attached to 21st Army Group in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: problems with motorcycle; journey to Bayeux, Normandy, France; composition of signals office; sending of press reports of Battle of Caen; reaction to sight to PLUTO (Pipe Line Under The Ocean) terminal; absence of German Air Force activity; impressions of Normandy Campaign; 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 Party gathering of candidates; refusal of leave, 10/1944; second 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 general election campaign; reaction of unit to his candidacy; takeover of telephone system arrival in Brussels, Belgium, 9/1944; attending symphony concert in Brussels, Belgium; passing over of gliders for Operation Market Garden; German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 attacks; 21st Army Group's need to move on and destroy German V1 Flying Bomb and V2 Rocket platforms. REEL 5 Continues: memories of the Battle of the Bulge, 12/1944-1/1945 and crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; posting in Osnabrück, Germany; impressions of Germany; VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; disbanding of Coalition Government; Class B release system; return to GB, 5/1945. Recollections 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 Labour Party in Knutsford; organisation and details of campaign; Prime Minister Winston Churchill's Gestapo allegation and Clement Attlee's response; opinion of advantages Labour Party had from being in war cabinet; nature of Harold Laski affair during campaign; canvassing; details of public meetings including names used in life; concerns from voters about campaign; memories of Conservative candidate Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Walter 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 Party'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; reaction to results; posting to transit camp in Huddersfield; reaction to posting in Burma; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945. Aspects of period as civilian in GB, 1945-1951: return to University of Cambridge and demobilisation, 1945; 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 employment and political involvement.