Description
Object description
South African driver served with Natal Mounted Rifles in South Africa, 1940; served with 4th Motor Transport Coy, 2nd South African Bde, 1st South African Div, in North Africa, 1940; served with 3rd Transvaal Scottish Regt, 5th Bde, 1st South African Div, 1940-1941served as NCO with Transport Coy, Native Military Corps in Egypt and Palestine, 1942-1943; served as instructor in South Africa, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Durban, Natal, 1920-1940: family background and father's service, 1914-1918; social circumstances; education and sporting activities; studying architecture at Natal University, Durban, 1937-1940; question of awareness of approach of war; reactions to outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; part-time work in architect's office; background to joining Natal Mounted Rifles, 6/1940; question of compulsory military training deferred as student. Recollections of training with Natal Mounted Rifles at Ladysmith Barracks, 6/1940-9/1940: barrack accommodation; daily routine and training; presence of Special Service Brigades; pipe band; relationships with recruits; relationship with Afrikaner community and attitude to apartheid system; relationship with Afrikaner NCOs. Train journey to Broken Hills, Northern Rhodesia, 9/1940. Lorry journey to Nairobi, Kenya, 9/1940. Periods at Nairobi and Gilail, Kenya, 9/1940: hospitality of British Kenyan civilians; training; composition of unit; prior success in passing driving licence and posting to motor Transport Section; opinion of Ford lorry.
REEL 2 Recollections of period with 4th Motor Transport Coy, 2nd South African Bde, 1st South African Div, 9/1940-10/1940: reactions to transfer; supply role; move into Abyssinia; problems bogging down in absence of roads; situation; move to Mombasa, Kenya. Voyage to Port Suez, 10/1940. Period at Mersa Matruh, 10/1940: supply role; desert driving conditions; food rations and water supply; using explosives to fish in sea; training; brandy ration; story of dispute with cook NCO during kitchen fatigues; break up of unit. Recollections of period as driver with 3rd Transvaal Scottish Regt, 5th Bde, 1st South African Div, 10/1940-11/1941: opinion of Bedford lorry; opinion of unit; supply role; move to Sidi Rezaig airfield; Recollections of Battle of Sidi Rezaig, 11/1941: confused situation; role picking up wounded using lorry and transport to field hospital.
REEL 3 Continues: anti-tank shells; failures of organisation; collecting casualties and state of wounded and personal morale; situation; advance of German tank to over-run positions; opinion of German tanks; situation, 23/11/1941; absence of slit trenches; encirclement of field hospital; reactions to being taken prisoner, 23/11/1941; story of escape at night; prior Stuka attacks; walking across desert; German star shells; fatigue; driving abandoned vehicle; resuming walking; rescue by patrol from 6th Indian Div; treatment and debriefing; transfer to New Zealand Bde; opinion of New Zealand troops; question of reports to parents; driving lorry to collect wounded; relationship with New Zealand officer; state of wounded; problem with tourniquets.
REEL 4 Continues: Red Cross markings to identify field ambulance; leaving personal weapons outside field ambulance area; story of capture by German unit; shell fire from South African artillery landing in field ambulance sector and close escapes; digging slit trenches for wounded; German medical personnel and question of their treatment of British wounded; rescue by Long Range Desert Patrol Group patrol; journey back and debriefing; return to Mersa Matruh. Period with Transport Coy, Native Military Corps, in Egypt and Palestine, 1942-1943: promotion to sergeant; supply role to El Alamein; role on move to Palestine; lorry convoys to Turkish border carrying supplies for transfer to Soviet Union; relationship with African drivers; opinion of Jewish and Arab civilians; threat of stealing form lorries; leave in South Africa. Period as instructor training African soldiers for coastal defence duties in Natal, 1943-1946: relationship with and opinion of African soldiers; relationship with anti-British African civilians and story of being attacked; demobilisation, 1946. Post-war career: reaction to casualties amongst friends; relationship with old comrades; return to university; career as architect.
