Crews, Denys Kingwell (Oral history)

British officer served as instructor with 164 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1940-1942; served with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in GB and North Africa, 1942-1943; served as instructor with 18th Battle School in North Africa, 1943; served with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in Italy and Greece, 1943-1945; served as instructor with School of Infantry at Acre, Palestine, 1945-1946; commanded OTC and Combined Cadet Force at St Peter's School, York and Scarborough College, Scarborough in GB, 1946-1957

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1914-1939: lack of military service in family; membership of Scouts; membership of OTC including tactical training, drill, shooting, the band and field days, opinion of practical training received in Scouts; recreational activities; reasons for going to Cambridge University; experiences of school at Worksop; degree of awareness of situation in Europe; visit of Hitler Youth to St Peter's School, York, 1938. REEL 2 Continues: impact of Munich Crisis, 1938; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939. Aspects of period as private with Home Guard in York, GB, 1940: duties with Home Guard; siting pillboxes; construction of pillboxes; OTC at St Peter's School; uniform worn; background to volunteering for army and assessment at 169 Officer Training Unit; running OTC; belief that Germans would invade; joining Local Defence Volunteers, 6/1940; role as biology teacher; learning how to construct defences. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period with regimental depot of Sherwood Foresters in Derby, 1940: reception on arrival at regimental depot at Derby; duties organising smokescreen around Rolls Royce works; small arms course. Recollections of period as instructor with 164 Officer Cadet Training Unit in GB, 1940-1942: syllabus; giving lectures based on pamplets; method of instruction; exercises; bicycle drill; tactical training; introduction to live firing on exercises; accidents; dealing with crashed aircraft; assessment of cadets; introduction of more realistic training; organising a fire drill; camouflage training; field exercises; tactics up to company level; use of unit as reserve for potential German landings in Wales. REEL 4 Continues: assessment of individuals; reaction of NCOs to loss of status; attitude to work with unit; entertainments; recreational activities; construction of fake German tank for use in exercise. Recollections of period as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in GB, 1942: return to unit at Derby; reverting from captain to lieutenant; status in an established territorial army battalion; allocation to B Coy; coastal defence duties at Dungeness; shortage of equipment; commanding officer's demand for proper church parade and subsequent disaster; story of being sent to battle school to instruct Americans in North Africa, 1943; description of crack and thump of rifle fire. REEL 5 Continues: origins of platoon members; means of getting to know other ranks and gaining their confidence; breaking down of social barriers once in action; initial lack of military skills amongst troops; distance between officers and other ranks; strengths and weaknesses of platoon; degree of preparation for overseas posting and review by King George VI. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in North Africa, 1942: embarking on board troop ship Derbyshire at Liverpool, 25/12/1942; conditions on board Derbyshire; initial impressions on landing in Algiers; billeting in brick works at Maison Carree; fight amongst Free French and Vichyites during trip to Algiers. REEL 6 Continues: train journey to Tunisia; reaction to sight of hospital train; question of personal morale; attitude of other ranks and comradeship; reaction to shelling and mortaring; shooting of wild boar to supplement rations; cooking in field; cases of dysentery and jaundice; preventions against malaria; importance of shaving; daily ablutions; mounting brothel guards. REEL 7 Continues: story of Private Lemon's visit to brothel; organisation of brothel and prices; drink; trouble in bars in Cairo, Egypt, 1944; discipline enforced by NCOs; lack of indiscipline in front line; hygiene in the field; water shortage; desirable items of German equipment; question of equipment and weapons issued to British troops; personal weapons; gas capes; impressions of Afrika Korps POWs; jettisoning of kit; move by trained manned by Royal Army Service Corps; hearing 25 Pounders firing from wadis during move into positions; reporting to commanding officer on arrival. REEL 8 Continues: deployment of platoon in Tunisia; irrelevance of training in GB; German positions; sight of ambush; inadequate map; night time re- supply and presence of dead cattle; platoon headquarters; strength of platoon and positions; cactus; loss of padre to shellfire and first casualties; taking up positions on hills at Sedjenane; unit padres; arrival of new commanding officer and his attempt to raise morale; building sangars on Green Hill; improvements to positions and view forward; receiving news at night; use of two men slit trenches. REEL 9 Continues: use of listening posts and standing patrols; degree of patrolling taking place; conduct of patrols; problems encountered whilst leading fighting patrol; range of reconnaissance patrols; artillery support available; sleeping in daylight; German shelling; bartering with Arabs; sickness amongst troops; situation for unit in Tunisia. REEL 10 Continues: personal chronology in Tunisia, 1943; attending mines and booby trap course; daily routine on Green Hill; importance of mail and keeping fit; conversations with troops; sense of security at night; positions and terrain at Sedjenane; use of sangars; view forward from positions at Sedjenane; open flanks; deployment on ridge; sight of German advancing; opening fire on German attack; withdrawal to reverse slope of ridge after being outflanked by Germans; confusion during German attack. REEL 11 Continues: fear of encirclement; found stragglers on road and led platoon to B Echelon; rumours of capture of rest of battalion; lack of detailed orders and intelligence of size of Axis force; orders to withdraw; move to Jebel Abiard with Free French forces; chaotic action at Jebel Abiard. Aspects of period as instructor with 18th Army Group Battle School in Algeria, 1943: teaching battle drill from pamphlets; duration of course; demonstration platoon; syllabus of course; relations with Americans; question of favouring First World War tactics; promotion and visit by General Harold Alexander; move of battle school to Tunis area; limitations on use of armour. REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of period as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in North Africa, 1943: commanding officer's measures to reform battalion; state of unit morale after Battle of Sedjenane; reaction to his promotion; difficulties with reinforcements; company training; fitness training and effect on morale; 'Tich' Verity's determination to get best out of A Coy; dysentery and malaria problems; story of 'Tich' Verity breaking out of hospital in Italy; rapid turnover of junior officers; opinion of NCOs; importance of B Echelon; senior NCOs; arrival of Terry Lord. REEL 13 Continues: story of attending court martials in Italy, 12/1943; attitude towards offenders; morale effects of shelling; effects of lack of sleep, weather, shelling and mines and booby traps; turnover of junior officers; periods out of line; memories of Sergeant Littlewood; isolation as company commander; survival instincts; visits by General Hawkesworth; lack of contact with brigadier; tasks at different levels of command. REEL 14 Continues: value of collective training; batmen; time required to establish leadership and control at company level. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in Italy, 1943-1944: voyage from North Africa to Italy in US LCI, 9/1943; anticipation of unopposed landing at Salerno; role of beach master; contrast between Italian and German POWs in North Africa; reaction to presence of Germans at Salerno; landing at dawn; rapid move off beach and initial advance inland; orders to hold bridge; loss of forward platoon; quality of maps; travelling on back of motorcycle. REEL 15 Continues: rescue of wounded man; lack of unit anti-tank weapons; orders to advance into hills; 'O' group dispersed by fire at Salerno; greeting from nuns at Pregiata; incident of dropped grenade; descent from hills via Peccarini; defensive positions in buildings; lack of contact with Italian civilians at Salerno; treatment in field dental surgery; move in vehicles through Naples to south bank of River Volturno; assault across River Volturno; positions on north bank of River Volturno and hearing approach of German tanks. REEL 16 Continues: wounding by grenade during German attack on positions in house; retreat stopped by commanding officer; evacuation across river; hospitalisation for wounds; convalescence in Sorrento; unit casualties; arrangements for artillery support on River Volturno; commanding officers' style of command; artillery used in anti-tank role; naval gunfire support in hills around Salerno; German defence tactics; souvenirs for sale in Sorrento; return to battalion, 12/1943. REEL 17 Continues: absorbing of new reinforcements; terrain; hearing news of landings at Anzio, 1/1944; patrolling in Liri Valley; crossing of River Garigliano; recovery of wounded man from minefield; opinion of behaviour of front-line troops; sight of Allied air raid on Monte Cassino; taking up positions in mountains; lack of mountain warfare equipment; casualties to trench foot; effect on morale of poor weather; attending concert party; reasons for issue of new kit and withdrawal of division; ease with which troops became lost in mountains; supply of rations. REEL 18 Continues: relief and withdrawal. Aspects of period as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in Middle East, 1944: voyage from Italy to Egypt, 2/1944; leave in Cairo; question of pay and plight of other ranks; discipline; journey from Egypt to Palestine; absorption of reinforcements; establishing cadre of officers and NCOs in company; internal security duties in Haifa; chain of command; how duties formed basis of good training; lack of fraternisation with civilians; use of pamphlets to describe political situation; introduction of company messes. REEL 19 Continues: attempts to establish company and battalion spirit; importance of social life and visits; contrasts in other ranks and officers' interests; on the move in Syria and Lebanon; exercised battalion in advance to contact; consequences of malaria in Syria; character of Exercise Tame at Tulkarm; exercised movement with artillery in Lebanese mountains; in Damacus; terrain in Lebanon; lecture from divisional commander; return to Egypt. Recollections of operations as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in Italy, 1944: voyage to Italy; disappointment of troops who wanted to return to GB; condition of company; royal visit to unit. REEL 20 Continues: refresher course on street fighting; degree of information available prior to attack on Monteveccio; reaction to being left out of battle; maps provided of German positions; in reserve; attack on Monteveccio; behaviour of second in command during action; character of German defences; problems with communications; degree to which unit received armoured support; character of attack at Germano, 9/1944; orders for second attack. REEL 21 Continues: character of second attack at Germano, 9/1944; casualties; discovery of dug-out full of Italian civilians; clearing high ground and request for aid from B Coy; German counter attack on positions; giving permission to Germans to collect casualties; commanding officer's orders to advance into Taverna; intelligence gained from Partisans; shelling by Germans at Taverna; German defences on Gothic Line and opinion of German opposition. REEL 22 Continues: casualties during attacks on Gothic Line; siting of German machine guns and method of attacking them; nature of tank support received; degree of artillery support received; contact with Partisans; advance to San Marino; attitude of Italians to war; action at Poggiberni; leave in Rome; concern for responsibility for casualties; opinion of German tactics being effective but predictable. REEL 23 Continues: Aspects of operations as officer with 2/5th Bn Sherwood Foresters in Greece, 1944-1945: move from Italy to Greece, 12/1944; character of flight in US aircraft to Salonika; situation in Salonika; rescue of drowning seamen; orders to Sikhs to hand over uniforms to Russians POWs. Recollections of period as instructor with School of Infantry in Palestine, 1945-1946: background to posting, 1/1945; voyage from Greece to Palestine; sense of tension in Palestine; proposed active service role as mobile column; duties running model department; relations with Egyptian and Turkish students. Recollections of period as officer with OTC and Combined Cadet Force at St Peter's School in York and Scarborough College, Scarborough in GB, 1946-1957: demobilisation and return to school as teacher. REEL 24 Continues: experiences of other members of teaching staff; taking over OTC; new approaches taken to training; setting up Basic Section; alternatives to OTC; introduction of outward bound training; support from Northern Command; basing exercises on wartime experiences; contrast between pre-war and post-war OTC camps; glider training with Air Section; opposed exercises at Otley; Artillery Section equipment; how York was an inconvenient location for military training; change from OTC to Combined Cadet Force; reasons for regarding Naval Section as important. REEL 25 Continues: fatal incidents during training; limitations of Air Section; naval training; support received from armed forces; benefits of National Service; recall of officer during Korean War; own liability for service; lack of expectation of another war, 1946; move to Scarborough College as headmaster; reform of school; setting up Combined Cadet Force and unsuitability of commanding officer; introduction of co-education; use of moors for training; adventure training; time taken in assembly of full staff; importance of physical robustness; school rescue service. REEL 26 Continues: performance of rescue service in fire at school; opposition by governors; development of Combined Cadet Force; making remarks to school on Remembrance Sunday; reflections on military service; value of National Service.