Description
Object description
British trooper and NCO served with 47th Royal Tank Regt in GB and North Africa, 1939-1942; NCO served with 1st Bn Royal Tank Regt in North Africa, Italy, GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as trooper and NCO with 47th (Oldham) Royal Tank Regiment in GB, 1939-1942: knowledge of approaching war; drafting into 47th Royal Tank Regiment; posting to camp at Farnley Park in Otley; problem with initial tank training; arrival and description of Valentine tanks; outbreak of war and evacuation of family; arrival of parents and reason for stopping smoking; procedure of joining army; journey to Farnley Park; further details of family's evacuation; medical on joining army; arrival at camp; accommodation; upheaval of army life; air activity; details of early army life; units at Farnley Park; posting near Boroughbridge; accommodation; supply of meals; problems from winter conditions; further discussion of the upheaval caused by army life; posting in Shoreham and training on South Downs; posting to Lake District; pattern of basic training; tank roles; training as tank driver; story of getting drunk in Brighton.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of training. Aspects of journey from Liverpool, GB, to Port Suez, Egypt, aboard the HMT Scythia and New Amsterdam, 5/1942-7/1942: details of convoy and ship; problems with ship; return to smoking; period in Cape Town; story of meal eaten in town; storm at Cape of Good Hope; shore leave in Port Elizabeth and reunion with Gordon Young; continuation of journey on New Amsterdam; sleeping arrangements; accommodation; hospitalisation with heat stroke; disembarkation. Aspects of period as NCO with 47th (Oldham) Royal Tank Regiment in Egypt, 7/1942-10/1942: period in camp; loss of original tanks; issue of Sherman tanks; training with American Sherman instructors; arrival of Montgomery and morale in 8th Army; visit of Winston Churchill. Aspects of operations as trooper with 47th (Oldham) Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa, 10/1942: arrival in Alamein Line; description of barrage; marking of lines through minefield; stress and problems of passing through minefield; attack of squadron; withdrawal to Sidi Bish; disbandment of 47th and posting to 1st Royal Tank Regiment C Squadron; journey to join regiment; story of Free French Infantry's arrival during journey; relationship with Free French. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa, 1943: description of a wadi; description of German POWs leaving Tunis and reaction to event; return to Homs. Aspects of hospitalisation in North Africa, 1943: hospitalisation with malaria; journey to Tripoli; boarding of Talemba; staff and impressions of ship; voyage to Alexandria; hospitalisation in ship. Aspects thoughts on return to regiment; posting to tank; voyage to and location of Salerno. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in Italy, 1943: role of 1st Army in Italy; eruption of Vesuvius; crossing of Volturno; later discovery that friends of his had been in same places during war; story of a church parade; memories of 3 Squadron members; relief from Canadian and return to GB. Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in GB, 1/1944-6/1944: journey from Glasgow to Swaffham; issue of Cromwell tanks; invasion training in Felixstowe; period on LCTs before crossing to France; scenes of dead cows at Hottot.
REEL 3 Continues: opinion of Cromwell tanks; make- up and roles of tank crew; conditions in tank. Aspects of operations as NCO with 1st Royal Tank Regiment in North West Europe, 6/1944-9/1944: arrival in Arromanches; stories of contact with civilians in Caen and elsewhere; problems with hearing; story of evacuation to GB via Belgium; story of 2nd Lieutenant Richard Ley's death on his birthday; stories of other close shaves; attempt to cross a canal and meeting with French Resistance; shelter taken in house and action against Germans in morning; story of attack on a farm; problem with mines and evacuation of driver; story of German shelling and casualties; arrival of replacement tank.
REEL 4 Continues: story of children in a Belgian town. Aspects of period as NCO in GB, 1944-1945: hospitalisation in Catterick; duties with paymaster section in Warwick; duties at rehabilitation centre; cycling between home and work; hospitalisation; discharge; civilian work; problems settling into civilian life; interview about medical classification; reflections on civilian work; pension; gratuity and demobilisation suit.
