Description
Object description
British gunner served as driver/mechanic with 140th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in GB and France, 1937-1940, including evacuation from Dunkirk, 6/1940 and Iceland, 1941-1942; served with 22nd Field Regt, Royal Artillery in Egypt, Italy and Greece, 1942-1945
Content description
REEL 1: Background in London, GB, 1919-1937: family and childhood in Kentish Town area; education; swimming awards; interest in motor vehicles; joined Sea Cadets; left school at 14; employment with LMS Railway. Aspects of period in GB, 1937-1939: joined 140th Field Regt, Territorial Army, 1937; training on 18-pounder guns; role in gun team; training on Salisbury Plain, 8/1939; mobilized on outbreak of war, 9/1939; posted to Barnet; further training and exercises; billets in carpet warehouse; description of gun tractor; sailed from Southampton to Boulogne, 10/1939. Aspects of operations with 140th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in France, 1939-1940: story of celebrating 20th birthday in Amiens; advanced towards Brussels; role of gun team; retreated to French coast and ordered to destroy guns and vehicles; travelled to Dunkirk on top of army truck; dug in on beach; attacked by Stukas; story of swimming out to fishing trawler and hanging on to rope across Channel; landed at Folkestone and travelled by sealed train to Salisbury; issued with new uniforms and equipment; story of meeting elder brother.
REEL 2 Continues: posted to Bournemouth; issued with new 25-pounder guns and vehicles; role as driver/mechanic; sailed from Scotland to Iceland. Aspects of operations with 140th Field Regt, Royal Artillery in Iceland, 1941-1942: issued with tropical kit while aboard ship then replaced with winter clothing; disembarked at Reykjavik; collected vehicles; arrived at camp; 24 hour daylight; accommodation in tents; reason for deployment to Iceland; detailed to drive snow tractor to keep roads clear to RAF base; story of visit from Churchill; relieved by Americans and returned to GB, 1942; posted on reinforcement transport. Aspects of voyage to Algiers, 1942: duties manning anti-aircraft gun aboard troopship; story of coming under fire in Straits of Gibraltar; disembarked in Algiers and posted to transfer camp. Aspects of operations with E Troop, 22nd Field Regt, Royal Artillery in Egypt, Italy and Greece, 1942-1945: story of swimming in Mediterranean; sailed to Port Said, Egypt; learned to drive Honey tank in Cairo; problem of getting into tank driving seat; landed at Salerno, Italy; duties guarding senior officers during strategic conference in Naples; advanced with 4th Indian Div to Monte Cassino; captured railway station; fired on by Germans hiding in caves; advance towards Florence.
REEL 3 Continues: description of conditions at Monte Cassino; duties collecting rations; opinion of rations; moved to Adriatic coast to support infantry attack on airfield at Foglia; role in operations in Po Valley; location of guns; description of attacking German Tiger tanks with armour-piercing shells; duties driving ammunition truck to collect armour-piercing shells; front of truck armour-plated; description of shell hitting ammunition truck and ammunition exploding; blown out of truck into field; received severe shrapnel wounds in back; description of medical treatment and operations at hospitals in Naples and Sorrento; period at rehabilitation camp; returned to 22nd Field Regt and posted to Greece; role in operations against EOKA in Athens and assisting Royal Engineers building pontoon bridges; returned to GB, 1945; posted to Heavy Artillery Regt on Clapham Common; demobilized in Hounslow, 1947.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of post-war life in GB: further medical treatment to remove shrapnel from back; awarded 20% disability pension later increased to 40%. Story of accident with gun tractors during training with Royal Artillery in GB.
