Description
Object description
British civilian in Leyton, London, 1939-1941; fusilier served as Bren gun carrier driver with 16th Bn Royal Fusiliers in GB, 1942-1943; gunner served as driver with 84 Bty, 10th (Royal Fusilier) Medium Regt Royal Artillery in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in Leyton, London, 1922-1941: family and childhood; education; sporting activities; reaction to Munich Crisis, 1938 and outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; employment with tool firm; effects of war on daily life; story of bomb destroying family home; description of Anderson shelter; dismissed from employment after bomb damage to works premises, 12/1940; employment as stores clerk; awareness of progress of war; opinion of Churchill's speech after Dunkirk, 5/1940; called up for military service, 11/Sep/1941. Aspects of training with Royal Fusiliers at Warley Barracks, Essex, 11/Sep/1941-23/Feb/1942: induction process; issued with uniform and kit; problem of size; accommodation; kit inspections; opinion of food; attitude to army life and discipline; punishments; guard duties; description of basic training; off-duty activities; pay; physical training and route marches; weapons training on firing range; problem of blisters and corns on feet.
REEL 2 Continues: further description of weapons training including cleaning rifle, firing Bren gun, bayonet drill, use of grenades and 2-inch mortar; anti-gas training; gas masks; volunteered for training as Bren gun carrier driver; description of Bren gun carrier and team; passed driving test; passing out parade; brothers' service during war; posted to 16th Bn Royal Fusiliers, Chilbolton, Hants., 23/Feb/1942. Aspects of training with 16th Bn Royal Fusiliers in GB, 23/Feb/1942-13/Mar/1943: opinion of camp and accommodation; role of Bren gun carrier platoon; problems of mud and shortage of petrol; number of men in platoon; posted to Citadel barracks, Dover, 9/1942; opinion of accommodation; further training as Bren gun carrier in St Margaret's Bay; attended driver mechanic course, Bournemouth, 6/1942; billets; maintenance of Bren gun carrier; passed trade test on 15cwt, Portsmouth, 9/1942; coastal defence duties in Dover; converted to artillery at Spennymoor, Co. Durham, 11/Dec/1942; billets in church hall; problem of impetigo and medical treatment; posted to 10th (Royal Fusilier) Medium Regt Royal Artillery, Carlton, Yorkshire, 13/Mar/1943.
REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of training with 84 Bty, 10th (Royal Fusilier) Medium Regt Royal Artillery in GB, 13/Mar/1943-9/Jul/1944: description of battery training and driving Bren gun carrier; story of being reprimanded by CO for not writing accident report; tactical exercises with troops; composition and role of 10th Medium Regt; story of lance-sergeant killed in accident during training; casualties caused by premature firing of guns; description of four-day exercise in Wales; story of Bren gun carrier running out of petrol on bridge during exercise; posted to camp in Burleigh, Hants., 5/Jun/1944; duties waterproofing vehicles for Normandy landings; description of training as driver in half-track and Sherman tank; story of losing control of Sherman tank during training exercise; description of half-track; fuel supplies and miles per gallon; changing tracks; crew; opinion of Sten gun; problem of being unable to cross Channel from Southampton; description of loading vehicles and guns at London Docks.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of operations with 84 Bty, 10th (Royal Fusilier) Medium Regt Royal Artillery in North West Europe, 11/Jul/1944-4/Nov/1945: landed at Arromanches, France; description of marshalling area; de-waterproofed vehicles; role of Regt in support of US 12th Army Group; story of being accidentally bombed by own aircraft; description of attack in support of Northumbrian Div at Montpinchon; story of Hawker Typhoons blowing turrets of two Tiger tanks; moved into Bn HQ in farm house; story of moving damaged command vehicle under fire and injuring arm; slept under vehicle; moved to Onderfontaine, 2/Aug/1944; story of setting up observation post in church tower; opinion of rations; delivery of supplies; supplemented rations with food from local farms; moved along coast to Breskens, Holland; duties in observation post with forward infantry; description of liberating villages in Holland; memories of Christmas at Nijmegen with Canadian forces, 12/1944; description of crossing River Rhine, 24/Mar/1945.
REEL 5 Continues: returned from Heidelberg, Germany to Holland following German surrender, May/1945; attitude to half-track being replaced with Foxhound armoured car; patrol duties along River Elbe; opinion of Russian troops; exchange of POWs; drafted to India, 11/1945. Aspects of period at Royal Artillery Depot, Deolali, India, 11/1945-6/1946: story of meeting brother Edwin; billets; duties as lorry driver collecting stores and delivering water; description of flight back to GB, 6/1946. Aspects of period in GB, 6-10/1946: story of wife dying following birth of first child, Jul/1946; duties at camp in Aldershot until demobilised, 10/1946; civilian employment with Post Office; effects of war service on health and problem of adjustment to civilian life. Story of accident with Sten gun.
