Interview with Kenneth Banks Ohlson

Sound: © IWM (33890)

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Description

Object description

British officer cadet trained with No 123 (Royal Artillery) Officer Cadet Training Unit at Catterick, GB, 1943; officer served with 531st Bty, 190th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in GB and North West Europe, 1/1944-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1 Background in Streatham, London and Cheam, GB, 1924-1942: family; education; joining university short course; degree of anticipation of Second World War; membership of school Officer Training Corps; levels of fitness; activities with Officer Training Corps. Aspects of training as gunner on university short course at University of Newcastle, GB, 1942: technique for laying gun; opinion of training; instructor; attending officer selection course; character of selection tests. REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as private with Durham Light Infantry Regimental Depot at Brancespeth Castle, Durham, GB, 1943: memories of Captain Richard Annand VC; sergeant-major's method of instruction; shooting and reassembly of Bren Gun; route marches; guard duties and inspections; theft of recruits' items by lance corporal; origins of recruits. Aspects of period as officer with G12 Squad, No 123 Officer Cadet Training Unit, Royal Artillery at Catterick Garrison, GB, 1943: gunnery instruction; amusing story of stopping for tea during exercise; giving lectures; threat of being back squaded; pattern of syllabus; directing artillery fire; use of sand table; communication and driver training; directing bombardments. REEL 3 Continues: method of registering targets; contrast in firing artillery barrages in training and in action; description of Ordnance QF 25 Pounder Field Gun; method of sighting guns; gun pits and camouflage; method of winching guns; composition of gun crew; unit gun drill; grading and commissioning, 12/1943; amusing story of passing out parade, 12/1943. Recollections of period as officer with 531st Bty, 190th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in GB, 1/1944-6/1944: background to posting to regiment at Bradford; reasons why regiment wore blue berets; character of regiment; lecture by adjutant on arrival. REEL 4 Continues: divisional exercise with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in Yorkshire; role of battery in supporting 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 46th (Highland) Infantry Bde; benefits of regimental and divisional exercises; importance of getting to know men in troop; age of troop officers, NCOs and other ranks; later story of troop sergeant-major who took him to see casualties in Normandy, France; supervising daily maintenance of guns; vehicles used; incident of becoming lost during regimental move; move to Brighton; billeting; practising with landing craft; sight of Allied gliders over Brighton, 6/6/1944; waterproofing of vehicles; move to Dartford; move into sealed camp; problems with American manned Landing Ship Tank (LST) during crossing of English Channel, 6/1944. Recollections of operations as officer with 531st Bty, 190th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 15th (Scottish) Div in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: beach landing. REEL 5 Continues: move inland; initial briefing for operation to cross River Orne; firing first artillery barrage; move to Le Mesnil-Patry; firing in support of 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 46th (Highland) Infantry Bde; work of Forward Observation Officer; use of regimental wireless net; occasions when whole regiment would fire on a target; moving guns to new location; registering targets; support from naval guns; problems with visibility in Normandy; loss of battery Forward Observation Officer; German forces' use of defensive features. REEL 6 Continues: having a shower in the field; nature of war in Normandy; amusing story of battery guns not being parallel; problems of digging in during Normandy campaign; lack of German shelling on positions; nature of second set piece battle during Battle of Mont Pincon, 30/7/1944-7/8/1944; visit to mobile bath unit; field rations; latrines; state of health; lack of sleep; rest periods in reserve on River Seine. Recollections of operations as officer with 531st Bty, 190th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: rapid advance through northern France and use of motorcycle. REEL 7 Continues: leave in Brussels, Belgium, 9/1944; reaction of civilian population to liberation; living day to day existence; opinion of General Bernard Montgomery's assessment of the Normandy campaign; Forward Observation Officer work; use of tanks for forward observation; use of Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carrier for forward observation work; use of Universal Carrier for forward observation work; prior recollection of forward observation carried out on foot in Normandy, France; terrain in Netherlands; question of operating with tanks. REEL 8 Continues: carrying infantry on tanks; use of smoke screens; reaction to threat of firing on own troops; buildings used by Forward Observation Officers in Normandy, France and Netherlands; in static positions on River Maas, Netherlands, winter 1944-1945; description of gun pits; coping with mud and cold; use of beret; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1944; loss of Forward Observation Officer during advance towards Xanten, Germany during Operation Blockbuster, 2/1942; problems with tanks advancing during advance to Xanten, Germany, 2/1942; award of Military Cross (MC) for rescue of isolated platoon of 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 46th (Highland) Infantry Bde during Operation Blockbuster in Netherlands, 12/2/1945. REEL 9 Continues: training with Buffalo Amphibious Vehicles; problems with smoke screen during crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 24/3/1945; story of clash with George Cole; crossing River Rhine, Germany with correspondent Wynford Vaughan Thomas, 24/3/1945; linking up with American airborne forces; breakout from bridgehead; nature of campaign in Germany; sight of Wasp Flamethrower of 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders in action; attempt to hit single German in trench during advance to River Elbe; how George Cole panicked on River Elbe, Germany; crossing of River Elbe, Germany; sight of 7th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, 46th (Highland) Infantry Bde passing through gun lines, 5/1945; reaction to end of Second World War, 5/1945. REEL 10 Continues: celebrations at end of Second World War. Aspects of period with 190th Field Regt, Royal Artillery, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Div in Germany, 1945: orders to take over former Neugamme Concentration Camp; removal of former inmates from camp; arrival of SS prisoners; dealing with German who claimed he had machine gun up his trousers; processing of SS POWs; visit into Hamburg to obtain soap; handing in regimental guns. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Artillery in Germany and GB, 1945-1947: background to transfer to Hertfordshire Yeomanry, summer 1945; short period as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to General Sir Brian Horrocks; transfer to 3rd Royal Horse Artillery. REEL 11 Continues: memories of Major Jack Tirrell; formation of demonstration battery; return to Warminster, GB with demonstration battery; further memories of Major Jack Tirrell; visit with Major Jack Tirrell to Ghent, Belgium; question of continuing military career; attitude to service with Royal Artillery in Second World War.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1990 to the present day (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: IWM (Production company)
McDonough, Richard (Recorder)
Ohlson, Kenneth Banks (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 2013-05-07
Dimensions: whole: Duration 330, Number Of Items 11
Catalogue number: 33890

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Interview with Kenneth Banks Ohlson

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