Interview with Charles Farrell

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Description

Object description

British officer trained with Scots Guards at Guards Depot, Pirbright in GB, 1939-1940; served with 5th (Special Reserve) Bn Scots Guards in GB and France, 2/1940-3/1940; served with Holding Bn, Scots Guards at Tower of London in London, GB, 1940; served with 3rd Tank Bn Scots Guards, 6th Guards Armoured Bde, Guards Armoured Division in GB, 1941-1942; served with 3rd Tank Bn Scots Guards, 6th Guards Tank Bde in GB, 1942-1944; served as liaison officer with Headquarters, XXX Corps in Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944; served with 3rd Tank Bn Scots Guards, 6th Guards Tank Bde in GB and North West Europe, 7/1944-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1919-1939: family; initial interest in joining Royal Navy; origins of interest in joining Scots Guards and selection process, 1939; training with Officer Training Corps at Ampleforth School; becoming student with Christ Church College, University of Oxford, 1937; degree of awareness of political situation in Europe; visit to Germany, 1938; opinion of Officer Training Corps at University of Oxford; attachment to Scots Guards at Chelsea Barracks, summer 1938; attitude amongst friends; visit to Canada, summer 1939. Aspects of officer training with Scots Guards at Guards Depot, Pirbright in GB, 10/1939-2/1940: reporting for duty, 10/1939; purchase of uniform and kit; emphasis on drill; tactical training and digging entrenchments; reconnaissance patrols. REEL 2 Continues: character of instructors and guardsmen; discipline; stress on personal appearance; use of Lewis Gun; awareness of assessment process; off duty activities; living conditions; physical training; call for volunteers who could ski, 2/1940. Recollections of period as officer with 5th (Special Reserve) Bn Scots Guards in GB and France, 2/1940-3/1940: assembling of battalion at Bordon Camp; move to Chamonix, France; relations with French Army mountain troops; battalion strength; orders to assist the Finns and disbandment of battalion on Finnish capitulation, 3/1940. Recollections of period as officer with Holding Battalion, Scots Guards at Tower of London in London, GB, 1940: joining battalion at Tower of London; taking up positions on London Inner Defence Line; character of Assault Platoon; awareness of war situation; morale. REEL 3 Continues: expectation of German invasion; sight of German bombing of East End, London; fire fighting duties at St Katherine's Dock; German Air Force bombing of Tower of London; band marches through East End, London; accommodation and training in Tower of London; qualities of troops chosen; atmosphere in Holding Battalion; guard duties at Buckingham Palace and Bank of England. Recollections of period as officer with 3rd Bn Scots Guards in GB, 1940-1941: joining battalion; emphasis on training; character of guardsmen and NCOs; training and writing weekly tactical papers; character of commanding officer; taking command of Motorcycle Platoon; taking command of Carrier Platoon; opinion of Universal Carrier; training in Epping Forest area; attending bomb disposal course. REEL 4 Continues: attitude toward disposal training; reaction of battalion to news of conversion to armoured role, 9/1941. Recollections of period as officer with 3rd (Tank) Bn Scots Guards, 6th Guards Armoured Bde, Guards Armoured Division and 6th Guards Tank Bde in GB, 9/1941-6/1944: attending courses at Bovington and Lulworth Camps; driving and maintenance course; attitude towards courses; receiving gunnery training with battalion; move to Codford St Mary; reaction to slow arrival of tanks; comparison between Crusader and Valentine Tanks; re-organisation of battalion for armoured role; reaction of troops to role change; sense of frustration at not being involved on active service; receiving Churchill Tank, 1943; changes in formations; comparison between Churchill and Crusader Tanks; exercise in Yorkshire; role of squadron second in command; liaison with attached infantry battalion; wireless communication network and radios used. REEL 5 Continues: move to Kent, 1944; reasons for loss of battalion's Churchill Tanks. Recollections of period as liaison officer with Headquarters, XXX Corps in Normandy, France, 6/1944-7/1944: role as liaison officer; embarkation at Felixstowe, GB; landing in Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944; orders to join headquarters near Bayeux; voyage aboard Canadian manned Landing Ship Tank (LST); problems landing from Rhino Ferry at Arromanches-les-Bains; attack by German Air Force aircraft; under heavy artillery fire whilst observing armoured unit; conversation with Royal Engineers personnel. REEL 6 Continues: lessons learnt in Normandy; appreciation of value of Churchill Tank's cross-country capability; orders to report on 7th Armoured Div's advance towards Villers-Bocage; impressions of Lieutenant-General Gerard Bucknall; character of advanced headquarters; impressions of infantry and air support; carrying personal weapon; escorting Major-General Gordon MacMillan commanding officer of 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div from landing ship to headquarters; return to GB. Recollections of operations as officer with 3rd (Tank) Bn Scots Guards, 6th Tank Bde in GB and Normandy, France, 7/1944-8/1944: lecturing on lessons of Normandy Campaign on return to Ashford, GB; degree of knowledge of German armour; attitude towards being under artillery fire; move to Portsmouth, GB for embarkation to Normandy, France; role. REEL 7 Continues: assembly area near Bayeux; plan for operation at Caumont-sur-Aure; advance to objective on ridge; loss of tanks to German Jagdpanthers; squadron formation during advance; nature of advance; use of infantry to deal with German anti-tank infantry weapons; provision for artillery support; reconnaissance on foot to find German Jagdpanthers; meeting survivors of action; deployment of squadron on ridge; technique of moving in bounds; range of tanks' main armament. REEL 8 Continues: opinion of training received to operate as battle group; destruction of second in command's tank by German Jagdpanther; promotion to command S Squadron; need to reconstruct squadron; squadron morale; previous experience with squadron; lack of opportunity to practise live firing; attack at Le Haut Perrier; splitting squadron in tow to support infantry companies; reconnaissance of start line prior to attack; terrain at Le Haut Perrier; start of attack; squadron tank spotting of German Panther tanks; difficulties of infantry communicating with tanks; flanking German positions at Le Haut Perrier; success of attack at Le Haut Perrier. REEL 9 Continues: problems of communication between tanks and infantry. Recollections of operations as officer with 3rd (Tank) Bn Scots Guards, 6th Guards Tank Bde in North West Europe, 1944-1945: formation of battle groups; training with 3rd Infantry Div; infantry's realisation of advantages of armoured support; deployment pattern for advance to contact and attack; move to Netherlands; expectation of involvement in Operation Market Garden; emergency action to support American forces; nature of attack and terrain at Tilburg, Netherlands; ability to operate off roads in Netherlands; reception from civilians in Tilburg, Netherlands; use of 'O' groups; artillery support available; use of maps and aerial photographs; accidental attacks on unit from American aircraft; supporting American forces. REEL 10 Continues: leave in Paris, France; conditions in Netherlands, winter 1944; problems of withdrawing during counter-attack by German airborne troops; use of open hatches during action; field modification to protect tank commander in action; chain of command in event of casualties; position of troop and squadron commanders in battle; use of Daimler Scout Car; use of staff car; degree of awareness of German forces; opinion of conditions in Netherlands; move south to River Meuse, Belgium to counter German Ardennes Offensive, 12/1944; accommodation at Helmond, Netherlands; bombarding Geilenkirchen, Germany; terrain around Geilenkirchen, Germany. REEL 11 Continues: use of smoke and effect of using dischargers when stationary; character of his gunner; prior recollection of tank commander's failure of nerve in Normandy Campaign; move to northern Netherlands for Operation Veritable; terrain; deployment of squadron for action; advance impeded by minefield; discovery of abandoned German positions; bogging down of some tanks; spending night at railway station next to corpse of German Army officer; taking high ground above Cleve, Germany; nature of advance towards River Rhine, Germany; supporting Canadian Army troops; driving onto objective and initial reluctance of infantry to disembark from Kangeroo Armoured Personnel Carriers. REEL 12 Continues: firing on German self-propelled gun; unusual sight of German Army infantry; liaison with airborne forces for crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; crossing River Rhine by ferry; question of how Guards viewed; embarkation on ferries; reconnaissance of objectives; transporting American airborne troops in advance from River Rhine, Germany; use of German farmhouses for night stops during advance to Münster, Germany; encounter with German Panzer IV; capture of Münster, Germany; leave in GB; acting under command of United States Army. REEL 13 Continues: advantages of American system of command; opinion of qualities of American airborne troops; comparison between United States Army airborne troops and British Army infantry; motivation towards end of war; destruction of German motorised column; organisation of column during advance; role of reconnaissance troop; encounter with Special Air Service during advance; German opposition before Münster, Germany; tactical drill for dealing with German 88mm Guns; use of artillery support and lack of close air support; attachment to 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div; crossing River Elbe, Germany; arrival at castle south of Lübeck. REEL 14 Continues: discovery of camp of forced labourers; taking surrender of local district commander; compassionate leave in Canada, 5/1945. Aspects of period as officer with 3rd Bn Scots Guards in Germany, 1945: return to battalion; commanding camp of Displaced Persons; Soviet commissar's advice to shoot escaping Displaced Persons; how Soviet Displaced Persons resisted repatriation to Soviet Union; story of how NCOs refused to go on drill course; return to GB to stand as Member of Parliament; reasons for not continuing with military career.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
de Lee, Nigel (Recorder)
Farrell, Charles (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1998-02-02
Dimensions: whole: Duration 410, Number Of Items 14
Catalogue number: 17835

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Interview with Charles Farrell

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