Seibert, Charles (Oral history)

British gunner served with Royal Artillery in GB, 1941; gunner served with 418 Anti-Aircraft Bty Royal Artillery in GB, 1941-1942; served with Rees Force in North Africa, 1942; served with Base Depot Royal Artillery in Egypt, 1942; served with Royall Artillery in North Africa and Syria, 1942-1943; served with Base Depot Royal Artillery in Egypt, 1943-1944; private served with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, Greece and Austria, 1944- 1946; served with 2nd Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt in Austria, 1946

REEL 1 Background in Camberwell and Chester, GB, 1921-1941: family; education; memories of childhood; details of various civilian jobs worked including details of pay; awareness of events in Germany; reason for not joining Territorial Army; working hours; outbreak of war; reaction to start of war; aftermath of First World War seen while growing up; movement of work to Chester; school trips to Epsom Downs; accommodation in Chester; leisure activities; arrival of call-up papers; formation and joining of Local Defence Volunteers; weapons in unit; rifle issued; duties; name of unit; training received; firing of rifle; parade at Chester Castle; background and opinion of troops and story of rifle accidentally fired in hut; exercises; guards and patrols; uniform issued. REEL 2 Continues: army medical; enlistment in army at Blackpool; posting in Blackpool. Aspects of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in GB, 1941: spread of unit and accommodation; training with and opinion of Lewis gun; pattern of training; advantage from Home Guard training; coping with drill and opinion of instructor Bombardier Miller; background of recruits; troops sent to Pioneer Platoon; memories of Captain Collins; length of basic training; guard duties; relationship with civilians; opinion of and problems with dinner in billets; NCOs upsetting civilians; posting in Weston-super- Mare. Aspects of period as gunner with 418 Anti-Aircraft Battery Royal Artillery in GB, 1941-1942: learning to fire guns; relative build of comrades; settling into unit including bullying; firing of guns including procedure; story of comrade wounded by shrapnel; posting to Tower Hill at Rochester; role in Rochester; First World War gun in operation; duties in control room; process of return from hospital; posting in draft for Middle East; background of and relationship with troops on draft; story of parade and breaking of Woolwich Barracks on last night; train journey to Greenock; stories from time at Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. REEL 3 Continues: opinion of permanent staff's role at depots; further stories from Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. Aspects of journey from Greenock, GB, to Port Tewfik, Egypt, aboard the Queen Elizabeth, 1942: conditions in accommodation; rations; duties on guns; advice from old soldiers; death of cabin mate; boat drill; story of tipping in Freetown harbour; story of soldier dying in sun; conditions for officers and women; stop in Simonstown; story of air raid scare; Stand To of ship; climate in Red Sea; opinion of voyage; arrival in Port Tewfik; march to Cairo; arrival at Base Depot Royal Artillery. Aspects of operations as gunner with Rees Force in North Africa, 1942: posting in and composition of Rees Force; description of defences built; trips to ammunition dumps and description of the Dead City; length of time in unit; health of troops; rations including contact with Bedouins and farting contests; transport in unit; precautions taken against theft of rifles during night; impressions of civilians; treatment of civilians by troops. REEL 4 Continues: state of troops; disbandment of unit; return to Base Depot Royal Artillery. Aspects of period as gunner at Base Depot Royal Artillery in Egypt, 1942: activities at base depot; reception on arrival; opinion of treatment; contraction of typhoid; memories of doctor Captain Weir; collapse during gas training and evacuation to 5th South African Hospital. Aspects of hospitalisation in Egypt, 1942: diagnosis; physical state; story of rations being stolen by an officer and his punishment; time in isolation ward; reason for not being sent home; convalescence at Agami Point in Alexandria; treatment. Aspects of period as gunner at Base Depot Royal Artillery in Egypt, 1942: return to Base Depot Royal Artillery and reception from medical officer; month on light duties; posting to unit on Red Sea; learning to drive; escorting of homosexual soldier to Port Said. Aspects of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in North Africa, 1942: role of unit; posting near Moses Wells and defences from First World War; health; physical state during hospitalisation; reason for posting with unit; posting at Benghazi air base; scenes from 5th US Air Force posted there; details of guns on site; posting to Syria and reason for posting. Aspects of period as gunner with Royal Artillery in Syria, 1942-1943: winter on Turkish border; journey to Syria; camp accommodated at; conditions during winter; blankets issued before being given to black troops; accommodation and method of keeping warm; break-up of unit; reaction to joining infantry; health. Aspects of period as gunner at Base Depot Royal Artillery in Egypt, 1943-1944: invasion training; knowledge of infantry weapons; opinion of spigot mortars; opinion of role of infantry training; story of accident during training and refusal of Captain Weir to treat patient. REEL 5 Continues: visits to canteen; entertainments including opinion that the base entertainers were depressed; sand carving by Czech soldiers; riot squad duties; smoothing of sand; story of charge given; knowledge of posting and Italy. Aspects of period as private in Italy, 1944: journey to and time in Taranto including story of fight between French and Italian sailors; train journey to Infantry Base Depot at Naples; training received; contact with civilians; joining of 2/5th Sherwood Foresters; story of sergeant who later died in a well. Aspects of operations as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 1944: size of draft; posted at Gothic Line; impressions of unit; opinion of Sergeant Herring; posting in C Company; NCOs in company; memories of Major Tulloch; scenes in front line; reactions to approaching action; morale of troops; advance towards Germans; start of action at Montevecchio and rota for leading unit; story of ammunition run to A Company; method of finding way back to own lines; disappearance of tank support during advance to Montevecchio; opening up and description of spandau fire including breaking down of final tank; actions of tank; position of infantry troops and orders given; advance through gates of Montevecchio including earlier action against gates; description of events beyond gates in Montevecchio. REEL 6 Continues: arrival at church and treatment given to French soldier; story of Sergeant Ploughright in church and shelling of town; meeting with Tom Reynolds and journey to collect wounded from a house; scenes in house; evacuation of wounded including story of young man with wounded arm; night in shop; methods of travelling around Montevecchio out of sight; cooking of chicken; visits to evacuated wounded with Jimmy Black; memories of Tom Reynolds; Jimmy Black and religious convictions; memories of a padre in the Middle East; memories of Corporal "Smudger" Smith; memories of "Doc" Venables and description of slit trenches dug together; promises of the plains before crossing each river; river crossed twelve times; story of patrol with Sergeant Herring. REEL 7 Continues: story of guard duty outside a farmhouse including German use of tracer and wooden bullets among spandau ammunition; noise made by troops; treatment of captured civilian and own reaction; withdrawal for rest period; handing over of captured civilian to "Bang Bang" Williams; selection of troops for night patrol; types and details of patrol; fire faced during patrols; story of minenwerfer fire near Rimini; cover taken from mortar fire; details of compo rations; British army biscuits; supply of hot water; scenes and events at Fiery Farm including weapons in a platoon; withdrawal from farm; story of Harry Coate's run-in with a German officer at Fiery Farm. REEL 8 Continues: withdrawal from Fiery Farm; light from fires; artificial moonlight; confusion over crossing of River Marecchia; situation and scenes beyond river; story of Captain Verity joining platoon; clearance of house; destruction of a Tiger tank; action in village; counter attack and withdrawal from village including help give to wounded and arrival of Sherman tanks; German artillery barrage; story of soldier with shell between legs; tank support; minenwerfer fire and withdrawal across river; opinion of tank support; deaths of "Jock" Stewart; story of Jimmy Blackadder. REEL 9 Continues: Joe Ackling's premonition of death; effect of seeing white crosses on trucks; scenes after Gemmano including descriptions of German positions; story of cooks exhuming bodies for souvenirs; use of camera; Turkmenistan soldiers in German Army; march to Verucchio; scenes on arrival; POWs wounded by shelling; events during crossing of River Cesano; cover taken in farmhouse; dead British soldier found in farmhouse; arrival of troops in farmhouse and German positions; contact with headquarters. REEL 10 Continues: orders given by colonel; memories of Lieutenant Lawrence; story of Tom Reynolds's search for Major Tulloch; activity of a half-buried tank; firing of tank's gun and damage to farmhouse; casualties in platoon; withdrawal from line; reaction to being out of line; story of damp night in San Marino; story of reconnaissance unit close by; state of battalion and reinforcements; journey to Greece and story of ex-prisoner in battalion. Aspects of period as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Greece, 1944-1945: situation in Greece; earlier involvement in mutiny of Greek Navy; attitude toward situation; role in Salonica; situation in Athens. REEL 11 Continues: guard duties; policing of demonstrations; story of accident while cleaning grenades; leisure activities during month without charges including opinions of local alcohol; journey to Piraeus; accommodation; activities and reinforcements; memories of Battalion Sports Day; visits into Athens; return journey to Italy. Aspects of operations as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Italy, 1945: journey to front; story of a church service and attitude towards religion; end of war and celebrations; crossing of River Po; surrender of German Army; journey into Austria. REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of operations as private with 2/5th Bn Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regt (Sherwood Foresters) in Austria, 1945-1946: reconnaissance patrols; earlier posting as sniper; posting in meeting with Russians in Judenburg; discoveries in SS occupied building; posting in Wietersdorf; story of Russian pistol; fishing; relationship with civilians; start of LIAP and Python; leaves; return to battalion at Ladenitz; details of horse patrols including learning to ride and contact with Cossacks in Austria; return of refugees to their homes; forces in Austria and initial risk of dealing with Cossacks; activities of troops; relationship between troops and local women; POWs working on farms; story of Mercedes found by Tom Reynolds; relationship with Cossacks; breakdown of non- fraternisation rules; attitude of troops toward Cossacks; orders from Lieutenant Green. REEL 13 Continues: handover of Cossacks to Russian Army; tree felling; rations; details of ski patrols including story of Major Tulloch's skiing accident; story of corporal who punched a mirror; adaptations to .303 rifle ammunition to shoot pheasants; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; drunken activities of Privates Pink and Flad including revenge taken by Corporal Lambert; troops doing guard duties in Vienna; guard duties on Yugoslav border including German-speaking deportees from Yugoslavia. REEL 14 Continues: incidents on Yugoslav border; battalion's disbandment and news of posting with Loyals. Aspects of period as private with 2nd Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt in Austria, 1946: relationship between Sherwood Forester and Loyals troops; health while in army; memories of Private Hawthorn; time in transit camp in GB; posting in POW Camp near Chesterfield; duties; demobilisation; illness with tuberculosis; details of pension and civilian work; lasting effects of war; discussion of trust in comrades.