Description
Object description
British private served with 2/6th Bn Queen's Royal Regt in Iraq, North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Background in London, GB, 1923-1939: family; childhood in Stepney; state of health; employment. Aspects of training with 45th ITC in Chichester and Long Melford, GB, 2-6/1942: story of playing football; sporting activities; attitude to military life and discipline; basic training; embarked aboard SS Franconia, Liverpool, 6/1942; opinion of accommodation; description of voyage to Suez, Egypt. Aspects of operations with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt in Iraq, 6/1942-6/1943: duties with Persia and Iraq (PAI) Force guarding oil pipeline at Kirkuk; story of applying for commission; appointed corporal; duties as tent commander; further comments on commission. Aspects of operations as private with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt in Tripoli, 7-9/1943: story of learning to swim; description of training for Salerno landings. Aspects of operations with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt at Salerno, Italy, 9/1943: description of landings and capture of Monte Corvino airfield; story of captured documents; story of American bomber; description of capture of Hill 210, 11/Sep/1943; casualties; friendly fire incident involving 2/5th Queen's; description of capture of Monte Stella. Aspects of operations with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt at Anzio, Italy, 10/1943: description of landings and role in operations.
REEL 2 Continues: duties as guide; role leading two companies on plateau; question of maintaining silence; ordered to lead 2/6th Bn out of Anzio; planning of route and use of aerial photographs; returned to Anzio beachhead; sailed to island of Vis, Adriatic; duties guarding air strip for RAF bombers; amusing story of being trapped in fighter plane; German air raids; returned to Italy and role in operations in Gothic Line including Monte Gemano; story of being wounded by grenade; description of injuries and treatment; story of volunteering for SAS; posted back to 2/6th Bn Queen's Royal Regt; seconded to intelligence section; description of duties; use of observation posts; location and destruction of German SP guns; story of post-war visit to Monte Gemano; issued with motorcycle; posted to Venice.
REEL 3 Continues: story of sailing vaporreto up Grand Canal; reception from Venetian civilians; leave; transferred to Military Police, Trieste; duties as photographic instructor with Army Welfare camera club; memories of Calais; returned to GB for demobilisation, 2/1947; use of camera during war; work in Italian film studio. Further aspects of pre-war life in London, 1923-1939: memories of daily life including Mosley's Blackshirts and Jewish community; education; story of career as medical photographer.
REEL 4 Continues: description of casualties at Monte Gemano; photographic equipment; various memories of career as freelance civilian photographer in GB including photographing Queen Mother.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of period as civilian in London, 1939-1942: memories of outbreak of war, 9/1939; air raids; fire-watching duties; story of incendiary bomb landing in garden; attitude to possible German invasion; rationing; story of period in Scotland; employment; reason for not joining RAF. Further aspects of training with 45th ITC in Chichester and Long Melford, GB, 2-6/1942: description of basic training; rifle training; marksman qualification; weapons used; attitude to being sniper; induction into Queen's Royal Regt; issued with uniform and kit. Aspects of voyage aboard SS Franconia to Egypt, 6/1942: recreational activities; boat drill. Further aspects of operations with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt in Iraq, 6/1942-6/1943: living conditions; attitude to Arabs; story of Arab boy.
REEL 6 Continues: Further aspects of operations with 2/6th Queen's Royal Regt in Italy, 1943-1945: story of surrender of German soldiers; story of interrogating Swiss girl; description of crossing River Po; capture of German soldiers; story of riding over minefield on motorcycle; description of motorcycle; description of training for amphibious landings; memories of CO Colonel Renshaw; opinion of Americans; story of American patrol; mortar teams; story of American bomber crashing.
REEL 7 Continues: relations with Italian civilians; opinion of Germans; opinion of Italian liaison officer; memories of Naples; opinion of Italians; further memories of period on island of Vis, Adriatic; relations with Tito's partisans; communication with family; memories of VE Day, 5/1945; further memories of period as photographic instructor in Trieste; returned to GB, 2/1947. Aspects of post-war life and employment: daily life; employment as photographer; attitude to politics; recreational activities including dancing; state of health.
REEL 8 Continues: Reflections on period of military service: attitude to Germans; story of German command post in Italy.