Description
Object description
British gunner served with 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North-West Europe and India, 1944-1947
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Poplar, London, 1923-1939: family; problem of stammer and treatment; sporting activities; education; evacuated to Englefield Green, Surrey, 9/1939; opinion of foster homes; hop picking; memories of father; childhood in Poplar; awareness of rise of Hitler; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939. Aspects of period in London, 1939-1942: description of first air raid; damage to house; moved to Dagenham; duties with Home Guard, 2/1941-7/1942; weapons; morale; opinion of Churchill; rationing,
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training in GB, 1942-1944: called up, 7/1942; basic training on Isle of Wight; attitude to military life and discipline; posted to Royal Artillery; training in Wales as gun layer on 25-pounders; posted to 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery; description of guns; period in Northern Ireland. Aspects of operations with 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in North-West Europe, 1944-1945: landed on Gold Beach, Normandy, France, 7/1944; attached to Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders; story of punishment for losing bonnet; first impressions of Normandy; opinion of 17-pounder gun; story of shrapnel shell exploding; description of German artillery salvoes; posted to India for airborne training.
REEL 3 Continues: description of personal weapons; opinion of Americans; relations with French civilians; nature of operations in Holland; reaction to being under fire; German obscenity; amusing story of password; number of parachute jumps; role of anti-tank artillery with infantry; story of removing body from tank.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of operations with 66th Anti-Tank Regt, Royal Artillery in India, 5/1945-5/1947: parachute jumping training; gunnery practice with 25-pounders; attitude to use of prostitutes; effects of climate; contracted dysentery; description of latrines; opinion of May and Bakers pills for dysentery; monsoons; problem of insects; anti-mosquito cream; jackals in camp; attitude to treatment of Indian civilians; returned to GB, 5/1947. Post-war life and employment: demobilisation in London; issued with civilian clothes; further education and training as accountant; employment with General Electric; living conditions in GB.
REEL 5 Continues: memories of 1945 General Election; political beliefs; various memories of wartime duties in Northern Ireland; role of 66th Anti-Tank Regt in North-West Europe; opinion of Germans.