Description
Object description
Australian gunner served with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Second Australian Imperial Force in Australia, GB, North Africa, Greece and Middle East, 4/1940-2/1942; served with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 5th Australian Infantry Div in Australia, 3/1942-6/1943; served with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div in Australia and Papua New Guinea, 6/1943-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Sydney and Wentworth, Australia, 1921-1940: childhood and education; employment; attitude towards GB; degree of knowledge of First World War; reasons for joining Citizens Military Forces; effects of the Depression, including attitude of employers to his Citizens Military Forces commitment; attitude to and knowledge of events in Germany, 1933-1939; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; activities with 18th Field Artillery Bty, Citizen Military Forces, 1937-1940. Aspects of period as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Second Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 4/1940-5/1940: background to enlistment in Australian Imperial Force; opinion of prior service with Citizen Military Forces; civilian attitude to war; call-up to Royal Australian Artillery, 19/4/1940; embarkation leave; background of troops in unit; preparations for embarkation; train journey to Sydney Harbour. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Queen Mary from Sydney, Australia to GB, 5/1940-6/1940: accommodation; knowledge of destination; composition of convoy; attitude to racial segregation witnessed in Cape Town, South Africa.
REEL 2 Continues: duties on board troopship; recreational activities; morale; lectures on tactics and subsequent irrelevance; contest with Royal Artillery at Larkhill. Aspects of period as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Second Australian Imperial Force in GB, 6/1940-11/1940: contest with Royal Artillery at Larkhill; reaction on arrival during Dunkirk Evacuation, 6/1940; subsequent attitude to war; opinion of British civilians; impressions of GB; posting to Tidworth Camp; equipment shortage; attitude to possibility of not returning home and to possibility of killing; attitude to prospect of being captured; pattern of training; sources of war news; hearing of posting to Middle East. Aspects of operations as gunner with 2nd/3rd Field Regiment Royal Australian Artillery, Second Australian Expeditionary Force in North Africa, 11/1940-3/1941: voyage aboard HMT Empress of Canada from GB to Egypt, 11/1940; impressions of Egypt and relations with civilians; terrain; details of camp in Egypt; problems with sand; recreational activities in Egypt and GB; prior recollection of joining of British Legion in Tidworth; presence of Italian prisoners of war and their treatment on arrival in Tobruk, Libya; impressions of Tobruk, Libya; Italian defences and sight of Italian forces' casualties; first contact with Deutsches Afrika Korps troops.
REEL 3 Continues: degree of knowledge of Axis opposition in North Africa; damage to truck; impressions of desert environment; reaction prior to and and during action; motivation for fighting; reaction to taking life and sight of dead; preparation for and capture of Tobruk, Libya, 1/1941; reaction to sight of first casualty and first action; defence of gun site; later use of artillery on Crete, Greece; process of firing guns and artillery barrage fired during capture of Tobruk, Libya, 1/1941; near miss from artillery shell; activities during period at Tobruk, Libya; problems during advance to Derna, Libya; attitude to Italian prisoners of war; acquiring Italian rations and drink in Tobruk, Libya; character of Italian forces' transport; morale and opinion of defences around Tobruk; discussion of Anzac and British Army troops; memories of officers and troops; activities in Benghazi, Libya; reaction to sight of dead; reflections on Second World War and it's causes.
REEL 4 Continues: degree of knowledge of German Army; first contact with Deutsches Afrika Korps troops; withdrawal to Alexandria, Egypt, 3/1941; leave; morale; unit casualties in Libya; Axis air raid; opinion of and relations with officers; Australian soldiers opinion of himself; opinion of Prime Minister Winston Churchill; opinion of British and Australian command. Recollections of operations as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Second Australian Imperial Force in Greece, 3/1941-4/1941: opinion of move to Greece; voyage from Egypt to Piraeus, Greece; reception from Greek civilians; presence of German consul; out of bounds areas; visits to ancient historical monuments; nature of camp; nature of rations obtained from Greek civilians.
REEL 5 Continues: situation in Northern Greece; journey to Veri Pass; care taken in keeping positions secret; problems with Greek refugees on road during journey north; German Air Force attacks, including first experience of a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombing; reaction to German Air Fore activity and situation; action against German forces at Veria Pass; experiencing earthquake; opinion of German forces and Australian superiority; destruction of Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Guns; orders to withdraw; reflections on campaign in Greece; reception from Greek civilians and nature of withdrawal to Athens; journey through mountains; German Air Force attacks on Allied forces and refugees on road; change in German tactics during withdrawal; discussion of artillery fire, including near miss during air raid and comparison with bombing.
REEL 6 Continues: preparations and wait for final stand; methods of disabling artillery and transport; weapons left with; transport of ammunition; carrying Boys Anti-Tank Rifle; nature of journey through Athens to coast; embarkation on board HMS Ajax; morale; voyage aboard HMS Ajax from Greece to Crete; discipline and rations during withdrawal; knowledge of destination and reaction to arrival at Suda Bay; problems with artillery pieces issued; degree of knowledge of General Erwin Rommel; story of being left behind in mountains on Crete; details of positions; latrines; awareness of German invasion; training undertaken and artillery pieces issued; German casualties during invasion of Crete.
REEL 7 Continues: camouflaging of positions; physical training; rations; swimming in stream; opinion of physical training; discussion of personal morale and question of fighting to the last man; relations amongst troops; opinion of need for Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Guns on Crete; reaction to possibility of wounding; fate of former Citizen Military Forces colleagues; prior recollection of Italian Army artillery weapons found in North Africa; opinion of leadership prior to German invasion; sight of German airborne invasion of Crete, 20/5/1941; problems with ammunition; location of gun site; action against German forces on Crete; opinion of German invasion; sight of German paratroopers and equipment dropping; attacks made against German paratroopers.
REEL 8 Continues: nature of German airborne drops and activities of paratroopers on landing; story of mission to obtain information and subsequent search for unit; reaction to evacuation; sources of water; stories of surrendering troops; organisation of evacuation to HMS Phoebe; German Air Force attacks on Royal Navy ships; reception on boarding HMS Phoebe; reaction to situation before leaving Crete and on arrival in Alexandria, Egypt; reunion with former Citizen Military Forces colleagues; reaction to losing troops during campaign in Greece. Aspects of period as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Second Australian Imperial Force in Middle East, 6/1941-2/1942: leave in Palestine; reinforcements and training undertaken; awaiting posting and knowledge of war situation; preparations for journey to French Syria; unit presence in French Syria; discussion of Germany's invasion of Soviet Union, 6/1941; opinion of commanding officer and unit organisation.
REEL 9 Continues: period spent in Palestine. Aspects of period as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 5th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 3/1942-6/1943: voyage from Egypt to Adelaide; arrival at Stirling; accommodation; opinion of and contact with American service personnel; reaction to posting back to Australia; unit activities and morale; leave and marriage; change in morale; opinion of campaign against Japanese and Imperial Japanese Army troops; attitude to Brisbane Line plan; respect gained from wearing Africa Star ribbon; awareness of troops taken prisoner of war on Crete; Japanese treatment of prisoners of war; attitude of Imperial Japanese Army troops; nature of warfare in Pacific Campaign. Aspects of period as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Australia, 6/1943-12/1944: jungle training in Atherton Tableland area of Queensland; night-time in jungle and washing facilities.
REEL 10 Continues: relations with United States Army personnel; opinion of General Douglas MacArthur and American military organisation; preparations for posting to Papua New Guinea; journey from Australia to Papua New Guinea; reaction to prospect of return to active service; pay received from civilian work. Recollections of operations as gunner with 2/3rd Field Regt, Royal Australian Artillery, 6th Australian Infantry Div, Australian Imperial Force in Papua New Guinea, 12/1944-8/1945: Imperial Japanese Army attack on forward observation post; Imperial Japanese Army rations; boarding of barges off coast; staggered arrival of 6th Australian Infantry Div; situation in Papua New Guinea; impressions of Papua New Guinea and jungle; description of camp; malaria precautions taken; problems faced by artillery; earlier activities of United States Army; involvement in action against Imperial Japanese Army; firing of Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun with shortened barrel in jungle; morale.
REEL 11 Continues: methods of coping with terrain; details of attack on Imperial Japanese Army artillery piece in railway tunnel; Imperial Japanese Army night-time activity; attitude of Japanese prisoners of war after surrender, 15/8/1945; nature of campaign in Papua New Guinea; conditions underfoot; living conditions; reaction to Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945; Imperial Japanese Army personnel's cutting down of coconut palms; nature of roads; crossing of rivers; morale; nature of and reflections on campaign in Papua New Guinea; news of VE Day, 8/5/1945; Japanese forces' surrender on Papua New Guinea, 15/8/1945; rationing of ammunition; VJ Day celebrations, 15/8/1945; opinion of dropping of atomic bombs on Japan, 8/1945; relations with civilians; transport of equipment; reaction to end of Second World War, 15/8/1945. Reflections on military service: settling into civilian life; break up of 6th Australian Infantry Div; discussion of military service; discussion of war and human society.
REEL 12 Continues: reflections on war service; reads poems, including 'Thunder of the Guns and Silence of the Guns'; hopes for younger generations.
