Description
Object description
British schoolchild in West Wickham, Kent and Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, 1939-1945; NCO served with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Egypt, Cyprus and Libya, 11/1954-4/1956
Content description
REEL 1: Background in GB, 1932-1939: family; father's service in First World War; childhood in West Wickham; education. Aspects of period in West Wickham, Kent, 1939-1946: air raid shelter at school; aircraft recognition; awareness of progress of war; story of seeing crashed Dornier at Biggin Hill; story of Spitfire crashing onto house; attitude to death of family members during war.
REEL 2 Continues: story about Canadian soldiers; construction of air raid shelter in garden; story of firebomb landing; description of salvage activities with Cog in the Wheel organisation; bomb damage and casualties; smell of explosives; story of seeing V1 being shot down.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction to V2 explosion; various memories of period in Ross-on-Wye, 7-9/1941; rationing; children's games; sporting activities; education; exams; effect of war on education; ; memories of father.
REEL 4 Continues: observation of aircraft during war; opinion of Canadian soldiers; preparations for Normandy landings, 1944; bomb damage in London; VE Day celebrations, 5/1945. left school, 1946. Aspects of period in GB, 1946-1954: reason for choosing career as engineer; apprenticeship and night classes; educational qualifications.
REEL 5 Continues: Aspects of training with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in GB, 3-10/1954: called up for National Service, 3/1954; 4 weeks basic training at Barton Stacey; accommodation; posted to A Coy, No 4 Bn on instrument makers course, Bordon; physical training; opinion of sergeant-major; tactical scheme; illness and opinion of medical treatment; volunteered for service in Egypt; description of flight to Egypt. Aspects of operations with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Egypt, 11/1954-3/1955: posted to No 1 Surgical Equipment Repair Workshop, Suez; accommodation in tents; daily routine and duties; climate; memories of swimming and climbing in mountains; story of firing Sten gun.
REEL 6 Continues: amusing story of camera; duties repairing hospital equipment; contracted dysentery; medical treatment; opinion of living conditions; problem of scorpions; washing facilities; latrines; water supplies; opinion of food; leisure activities including photography; Christmas celebrations, 1954; posted to Cyprus, 3/1955; closure of camp; memories of Suez; description of journey to Cyprus; disembarked Famagusta. Aspects of operations with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Cyprus, 1955: first impressions of Cyprus; posted to Cyprus District Workshop, Dhekelia; relations with local civilians; opinion of accommodation and food; guard duty; manned roadblocks.
REEL 7 Continues: problem of ethnic divisions; duties at Nicosia Hospital; posted to Libya, summer 1955; description of flight to Aden airport. Aspects of operations with Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Libya, 1955-1956: description of Tripoli; duties in hospital; duties with dental unit and at hospital in Benghazi; description of city and terrain; opinion of food and water; problem of flies; description of journey by lorry to British Station Hospital, Derna; returned to Benghazi hospital; flew back to Cyprus, 1/1956; inspections of hospital equipment.
REEL 8 Continues: further memories of Tripoli; question of leave; attitude to army life; pay; returned to Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers depot, GB, 4/1956; demobilized and transferred to Army Reserve; returned to civilian employment as engineer.