Interview with John Willins Brown

British fusilier served with 4th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, France and Belgium, 9/1939-6/1940; served with 4th (Motorcycle) Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 6/1940-4/1941; trooper served with 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in GB, Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon and Palestine, 4/1941-2/1942; served with 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps, 22nd Armoured Bde in North Africa, 2/1942-6/1942; prisoner of war in Libya, Campo PG 53, Sforzacosta, Italy, Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg, Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf and Arbeitskommando E3, Blechammer, Germany, 6/1942-4/1945

REEL 1 Background in Walbottle, GB, 1912-1939: family; education; father's military service during First World War; leisure activities; employment at Coronation Colliery; reasons for leaving coal mining; employment as bus conductor; degree of knowledge of events in Europe. Aspects of period as fusilier with 4th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in GB, 1939-1940: reasons for joining Territorial Army; learning to drive; joining battalion in Newburn; training received on drill nights; summer camp at Glaisdale; posting in Headquarters Coy; mobilisation at Fenham Barracks, Newcastle upon Tyne; conversion Daimler Dingo Scout Car; description, characteristics and use of Daimler Dingo Scout Car. Aspects of period as fusilier with 4th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in France, 1/1940-5/1940: postings at Le Mans and La Bassée; relations with civilians. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as fusilier with 4th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, 50th (Northumbrian) Motor Infantry Div in France and Belgium, 5/1940-6/1940: reconnaissance role in Belgium; advance to meet Germans at Arras, France; position taken on crossroads; arrival of British tank; changing of position with corporal; approach of German tank and destruction of corporal's Daimler Dingo Scout Car; withdrawal from position and retreat to coast; presence of refugees on road; air activity; loss of armoured car; scenes on beach at Dunkirk, France; taking cover in cellars; organisation of evacuation; morale; scrounging of rations; movement along and state of East Mole, Dunkirk; voyage to Dover, GB. Aspects of period as fusilier with 4th Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and trooper with 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps in GB, 6/1940-6/1941: reception on arrival; reunion with battalion at Newburn; renaming of unit at 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps; opinion of new scout cars; posting to and accommodation at Shepton Mallet; overseas posting; coastal defence duties. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Arundel Castle from Newport, GB, to Port Tewfik, Egypt via Durban, South Africa, 6/1941-7/1941: details of troopship; reason for stopping at Durban, South Africa; relations with civilians in Durban South Africa; coping with climate. Aspects of period as trooper with 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Div in Egypt, Cyprus, Lebanon and Palestine, 7/1941-2/1942: initial impressions of Egypt, 7/1941. REEL 3 Continues: activities in Egypt; arrival at Famagusta, Cyprus, 7/1941; work undertaken by battalion; journey to Lebanon and posting in Baalbek; move to Haifa, Palestine. Aspects of operations as trooper with 50th Bn Reconnaissance Corps, 22nd Armoured Bde in Libya, 2/1942-6/1942: journey to and move into Knightbridge Box; description of Knightsbridge Box; positions taken in and defences of Gazala Box; memories of and role with commanding officer; Axis breakthrough and attack; anti-tank activities of Northumberland Hussars; activities with medical officer; combining of boxes and surrender of last box, 6/1942. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Libya, 6/1942-10/1942: initial treatment from Germans and Italians; water ration; trading ring for water; physical state; details of journey along coast, including rations and morale; description of and routine at Camp Benito; voyage from Libya to Naples, Italy. Aspects of period as prisoner of war in Campo PG 53, Sforzacosta, Italy, 10/1942-9/1943: description of PG 53; sleeping arrangements; cookhouse duties; treatment from Italians; activities in camp; disappearance of guards; prisoners of war attempts to escape and arrival of Germans, 9/1943. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Stalag IV-B. Mühlberg, Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf and Arbeitskommando E3, Blechammer, Germany, 9/1943-3/1945: conditions on journey to and arrival at Stalag IV-B, Mühlberg; contents of Red Cross parcels; bartering with cigarettes. REEL 4 Continues: organisation of Stalag VIII-B, Lamsdorf; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; rations; ranks having to work; details of working party at oil refinery; organisation of working parties at Arbeitskommando E3, Blechammer; working day; further details of work; relations with German civilian colleague; overcoming language barrier; entertainments; Red Cross parcels; discussion on escapes; Allied air raids; work on roads with Jewish prisoners; activities on free Sundays; opinion of time as prisoner of war; Soviet Army artillery shelling of camp; preparations to leave camp; United States Army Air Force bombing of neighbouring camp. Aspects of prisoner of war trek in Germany, 3/1945-4/1945: sledge built for journey; details of march; breaks during day; story of prisoner of war shot by guard; cover taken at nights and physical state; rations; period doing salvage work; liberation by United States Army; selection for journey to GB. REEL 5 Continues: reaction to liberation; activities following liberation; rations during march; state of airfield taken to; accommodation; flight from Germany to GB via Brussels, Belgium; reaction to VE Day celebrations, 8/5/1945; leave; demobilisation; return to civilian employment; effects of wartime experience.