Bartram, Kit (Oral history)

British officer served with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry in Greece, 1947-1948; served with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1948-1964

REEL 1 Recollections of background in Sunderland, Old Shotton and Satley, GB, 1927-1945: family background and social circumstances; preparatory education at Aygarth, Bedlae, 1938-1941; effects of war, 1939-1945, including review of father's war service, problems in family shipbuilding firm caused by uncle's pacifism and requisition of family home of Shotton Hall; education at Rugby, 1941-1945, including German air raids, air raid shelter, training with OTC, story of evacuation disrupted by army medical, background to volunteering for Royal Armoured Corps and VE Day celebration in London, 8/5/1945. Period at Primary Training Centre, Bodmin Barracks, 9/1945-11/1945: train journey and reception; relationship with recruits and instructors; hut accommodation; value of OTC experience; rejection on height grounds from RAC; contacts with officers; march through Penzance. REEL 2 Period at Infantry Training Centre, Blackdown Camp, GB, 11/1945-4/1946: status as potential officer and relationship with recruits; nature of training; preparing for room and kit inspections; tests on attending War Office Selection Board. Attending pre-OCTU training course at Wrotham Camp, 4/1946-7/1946: relationship with instructor; nature of training; driving course. Attending OCTU at Trentham Park, Stoke on Trent, 8/1946-11/1946: relationship with platoon commander; drill; tactical training; training in behaviour as officer; social background of cadets; assessment; passing out parade and commission into Durham Light Infantry. Period at Light Infantry Training Centre, Cove, GB, 11/1946-1/1947: role of unit; story of problems over movement order whilst acting as orderly officer; draft to Middle East; embarkation leave and story of nearly being snowed in. Journey out to Port Said, Egypt, 1/1947-2/1947. REEL 3 Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine with 1st Bn Durham Light Infantry, Karabunaki Barracks, Salonika, Greece, 2/1947-6/1948: journey from Egypt; opinion of Regimental Sergeant Major Thompson; state of unit; opinion of Colonel John Kirby; nature of barracks and officers' hut accommodation; role guarding stores; training cadre for newly commissioned officers and introduction to weapons of Support Coy; role commanding Demonstration Platoon at Bde Battle School; hill exercise; role looking after horses in barracks and recreational riding; story of paperchase; nature of officers' mess including question of mess etiquette, guest nights and role as mess secretary; internal security situation and restrictions on movements; relationship with Greek civilians. REEL 4 Continues: visits to officers' club in Salonica; roles as assistant adjutant and intelligence officer; opinion of various officers and NCOs; period commanding C Coy owing to shortage of officers; story of visit by education officer illustrating shortage of men; relationship with NCOs and ORs; shooting game; story of route march in Salonika; improved state of unit and morale. REEL 5 Continues: improved state of unit and morale; memories of Major Tony Gibson' Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1947; question of Bulgarian raids over border; role guarding former corps stores; battalion night attack exercise. Voyage back to GB, 6/1948. Demobilisation, 7/1948: demob suit; question of taking regular commission. Post-service career; work learning basics of family shipyard business; studying economics at Cambridge University, 1949-1952; carer as executive in steel industry, 1963-1971; work as chief executive of housing association, 1971-1992. Recollections of service with 6th Bn Durham Light Infantry in GB, 1948-1964: recruitment and interview with Colonel William Watson; posting to 'C' Coy, Spennymoor Drill Hall; relationship with other ranks; nature of drill night training; drinking in bar. REEL 6 Continues: weekend training camps; platoon training and officers' mess dinner nights at annual camp, 1949; move to 'D' Coy, Crook Drill Hall, 1950; role as company second in command; opinion of Major Donald Scotson; question of quality of officers; opinion of Colonel George Lyster-Todd; successful recall of 'Y' reservists for annual summer camp at Stanford, 1951; reactions to arrival of national servicemen completing reserve service and question of retention; annual summer camp at Barnard Castle, 1952; annual summer camp with 50th Div on Salisbury Plain, 1953; role as company commander of Support Coy at Barnard Castle and Bishop Auckland Drill Halls; composition of Support Coy; opinion of Sergeant George Iceton commanding Machine Gun Platoon and their success in Vickers machine gun competitions; opinion of Company Sergeant Major Bill Joyce; role of permanent staff instructors; story of problem with PSI. REEL 7 Continues: question of impact of increased workload; opinion of various regular colonels; effect of end of national service and reduction in level of training; question of recruitment; role on promotion to battalion second in command at Headquarters Coy, Bishop Auckland, ca 1960; relationship with Colonel Sean Kelly; visits to drill halls; role running cadre of potential officers; question of promotion to command unit; opinion of Colonel Bob Scott; background to leaving unit and thereby losing opportunity to command unit, 1964; period as trustee of DLI Charities and Museum; role as Honorary Colonel of 7th Bn, Light Infantry, Durham, ca 1990-1995; membership of DLI Assoc.