Description
Object description
British trooper served with 54th (Training) Regt in GB, 1942-1943; served with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in GB, North West Europe, Germany and Palestine, 1943-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Eastbourne and Bedford, GB, 1923-1942: family; return visits to Eastbourne and move to Bedford, 1940; education; desire to become librarian and interview; awareness of events in Europe; contact with German civilians before war; concerns about possibility of war; preparations for war on south coast; father's service in First World War; work of father including service during war; outbreak of war including receiving of evacuees; preparations for war including anti-gas precautions; opinions about war at its start; question of changes to life; end of education; service of brother in army including capture and escape; fears of German invasion and two moves to Bedford; civilian work; air raids; presence of BBC Symphony Orchestra in Bedford; visits of other famous people; medicals; call-up papers and posting to Bodmin. Aspects of period as private with No 11 Infantry Training Centre in GB, 1940: problems with boots; interview and selection as potential officer; details of Bodmin Camp; settling into army including opinion of proficiency as soldier.
REEL 2 Continues: pattern of training; opinion of reason for posting to Royal Armoured Corps. Aspects of period as trooper with 54th (Training) Regt Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 8/1942-1/1943: posting in Barnard Castle; pattern of training; wireless training; gunnery and weapons training; leave; leisure activities; relationship with civilians; rations; wait for posting; departure from Barnard Castle. Aspects of period as trooper with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in GB, 1/1943-6/1944: posting in Keighley and C Squadron; reception on arrival; memories of artist Ted Payne and Sergeant Major Tommy Knox; pattern of training; leisure activities in Keighley and Hevingham including opinion of posting in Heveningham; pattern of training; relationship with troop sergeant; role in unit; postings in Scotland and invasion training; issue of Duplex Drive tanks; details of Davis escape apparatus; details of posting to armoured recovery crew at Fawley; knowledge of plans for D-Day including assistance given to Major Davenport Goldsmith; details of uniform and equipment; atmosphere before D-Day; final camp posted in before departure; method of landing on D-Day; delay of D-Day.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of voyage from Southampton, GB, to Gold Beach, France, 6/6/1944: scenes on Solent; briefing on landing craft from Major Barker; description of landing craft; memories of intelligence officer Robert Ford; story of passing HMS Belfast; firing of rockets; shelling from beach. Aspects of operations as trooper with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in North West Europe, 6/1944-5/1945: explosion of mine and injury received; drive onto beach and inland including mistake made en route to rendezvous; first meal; opposition faced on beach; first Germans seen; role in unit including problems with Sherman tank; organisation of landing on Gold Beach; role adding armour to tanks; transfer to Sherman tank crew and reaction; opinion of luck through remainder of war; role in tank crew; details of gunner Trooper Bill Dawson; layout of Sherman interior including communications; first day of Operation Epsom, 26/6/1944; exits from tank; thoughts during action; scenes of tanks brewing up close by; incidents of firing at opposition; withdrawal; problems with weather.
REEL 4 Continues: organisation of unit in battle including contact with infantry; flanking units; discussion of accounts of war; advance to Rauray; scene of dead German sniper; commandeering of tank by Squadron Leader Major Bell; scenes of action from rear; collection of tank from Major Bell and problems with it; discussion of advance including advantages of Sherman tanks and work of Royal Air Force; reception from civilians; action seen in Normandy including death of Major Bell; advance through Beauvais to Lille including action against Tiger tanks in Beauvais; advance north to Nijmegen; description of and activity at Nijmegen bridge; shelling of tank and death of crew members; contact maintained with colleagues and their families; problems with hearing; aftermath of shelling; allocation of new tank; period on The Island at Nijmegen; supply of meals and sleeping arrangements in Normandy; story of sleeping beside tank; stand-by during Battle of the Bulge; period with 1st Canadian Army; British units broken up; problems with tank and missing of attack on Geilenkirchen.
REEL 5 Continues: relationship with civilians in Netherlands; activities during winter; issue of Zoot suits and problems with diarrhoea; details of barrage at start of Operation Veritable in Reichswald forest including injury to finger; story of wounding to face; further detail of barrage; stories of being fired at including by Nebelwerfer; state of towns passed through; rations including extras gained; relationship with civilians; leave in Brussels; home leave; troops in transit camp; mail including censorship; instructions for behaviour and discipline in Brussels; items available in Brussels; tipping of tank and recovery in Reichswald; crossing of Rhine; naming of tank; movement of advance beyond Rhine; opposition faced at Sinderen.
REEL 6 Continues: precautions taken; shelling of and evacuation from tank; shelter taken; continued attack on tank; period sheltering with infantry; attempt to recover tea equipment from tank; withdrawal from area; further details of attack on tank including later contact with infantry; morale and reactions in action; Christmas 1944; contact with American troops; arrival in Bremen; story of hitting mine; details of tanks occupied; looting; reactions to VE Day. Aspects of period as trooper with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in Germany, 5/1945-1/1946: posting in Minden; story of trooper getting married; state of Hamburg; attitude to Germans; reflections on North West Europe campaign; memories and background of Royal Dragoon officers.
REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as trooper with 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards in Palestine, 1946-1947: situation in Palestine; story of Jewish civilian riot in Haifa docks; involvement with Palestine police; attitude to Jewish civilians; return to Britain; contact with civilians in Palestine; problems with bread; conditions en route to Palestine; charge received in Port Said; leisure activities in Haifa; reaction to demobilisation; process of demobilisation at Guildford. Aspects of period as civilian in GB from 1947: civilian work; atmosphere in GB following war; 1945 General Election; call-up for Z Reserve training; forms filled in and results; contact with comrades; reflections on war; problems with hand suffered since war; discussion of mental effects of war; interest in music during service.
