Description
Object description
British private served with 7th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) on Western Front, 1914-1916 and with 6th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) in Mesopotamia, 1917-1918; survived sinking of SS Cameronia in Mediterranean, 15/Apr/1917.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1914: story of joining up in Manchester age 14½, 21/Aug/1914; reaction of grandmother to enlistment. Aspects of period with 7th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster ) Regt in GB, 8/1914-7/1915: posted to Depot in Lancaster; opinion of accommodation and food; story about losing mattress and having to sleep in yard; story about help from older solider in getting breakfast; posted to Tidworth Camp for training; accommodation in tents; problem of still wearing civilian clothes; description of makeshift uniform and Kitchener blue uniform; summary of training and billets at Tidworth, Clevedon and Andover; marched to Tidworth station accompanied by 9th Lancers Band playing 'Keep the Home Fires Burning'; story of receiving medical treatment for swollen gland in throat; description of voyage aboard 'Queen of the North' from Folkestone to Le Havre, 7/1915. Aspects of operations with 7th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) on Western Front, 7/1915-1916: relieved Connaught Rangers in line at Neuve Chapelle; story about sergeant captured during night patrol; description of duties at listening post in no man's land; story of seeing first casualties at Givenchy; attitude to comradeship; various memories of friend Tommy Rogers; story of being offered discharge by CO due to age; opinion of CO; average age of soldiers in platoon; attitude to wearing uniform on home leave; story about living with grandmother following death of parents; education and pre-war employment ; joined 1st Bn Manchester Cadet Regt age 12; story of showing platoon how to fold greatcoats correctly; advantage of previous military training; reasons for joining the Army, 8/1914; amusing story of buying grandmother porter.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction of grandmother to enlistment; various memories of living with grandmother in Miles Platting, Manchester; attitude to not receiving letters from family while at front; problem of being granted home leave; opinion of treatment by older soldiers; story of being sent home after suffering from shell shock on Somme, 1916. Aspects of period in GB, 1916-1917: description of convalescence at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, and Admiral Johnson's Estate, Wigtownshire, Scotland; story of being given silver cigarette case by Matron as Christmas present; posted to Tregantle Fort, Plymouth; issued with tropical uniform and kit. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Cameronia from Marseilles to Alexandria, Egypt, including sinking in Mediterranean, 15/Apr/1917: account of ship being torpedoed and sunk; description of rescue and voyage aboard destroyer to Malta; admitted to St. George's Hospital. Aspects of period in Egypt, 1917: posted to Mustapha Camp and issued with new uniform and kit; description of journey from Port Suez to Basra, Mesopotamia. Aspects of operations with 6th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) in Mesopotamia, 1917-1918: description of journey to Baghdad via Amara; marched to Kirkuk; story of bridge being blown up; description of fighting retreat to village.
REEL 3 Continues: story of being in Baghdad when Turks surrendered, 1/Oct/1918. Aspects of period in Mesopotamia and India, 1918-1919: description of duties as turner and fitter at ordnance depot in Baghdad; attitude to being transferred to Army Service Corps; story of applying for job as turner and fitter with oil company in Persian Gulf prior to demobilization; posted to India; story of CO arranging home leave. Further aspects of operations with 7th Bn King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regt) on Western Front, 7/1915-1916: religious beliefs and attitude to death; problem with nerves caused by shell shock; story about carrying badly wounded soldier on stretcher to dressing station; duties as company observer; description of digging dugout for captain; wounded during bombardment and taken to Casualty Clearing Station; story about Pte. Miller volunteering to take over as observer and winning posthumous VC, Jul/1916; opinion of Transport Officer Cpt. Hoyle; attitude to military life and discipline; reflections on war; problem of wearing waders in mud at Givenchy; description of bombardment and attacking German trenches during Battle of Loos, 9/1915; story of bullet passing through soldier's helmet; attitude to use of gas; description of pre-war training with Cadets in Blackpool and Manchester; story of being filmed while carrying boxes of ammunition during Battle of the Somme, 1916; description of walking over dead bodies.