Description
Object description
British rifleman served with C Coy, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade in GB and France, 1939-1940; captured at Calais, 5/1940 and POW in Germany, 5/1940-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1935-1939: story of enlisting with Rifle Brigade in London, 1935; employment as salesman; reason for joining army; posted to Winchester; training; joined 1st Bn in Portsmouth; duties as officer's batman for three years; returned to Coy on outbreak of war, 9/1939; description of voyage to Calais via Southampton and Dover, 5/1940. Aspects of operations with C Coy, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade in Calais, France and as POW in Germany, 5/1940-5/1945: disembarked Calais, 23/May/1940; story about dispatch rider being fired on; unloaded equipment from ship; use of smoke bombs to supplement shortage of mortar shells; amusing story of British and German patrols passing each other in town centre; description of being captured in tunnel to fort; story of Germans threatening to fire on wounded in tunnel unless surrendered; description of march to Luxemburg; rations; number on march; story of French POWs looting ration trucks at Calais; slept in fields; further comments on being captured; reason for surrendering; story of Rifleman Cross committing suicide with revolver on bridge; opinion of treatment by Germans; taken to Stalag XXB, Marienburg; story of POW held in same camp at Marienburg during First World War; opinion of operations at Calais; story about CSM working out company pay in francs prior to departure for France; story of staying as batman at Countess of Warwick's house in Dunmow, GB; amusing story of soldier mistaking cliffs of Dover for French coast; description of being bombed during Channel crossing; story of ration convoy for Dunkirk being stopped by German tanks; amusing story of French civilians digging allotments; further comments on capture; story of CO Maj. 'Maudie' Allan shooting German officer and driver; opinion of Maj. Allen; reason for surrendering; opinion of treatment by Germans; story of being addressed by German officer after capture; story about French artillery horses being machine gunned; reaction to being captured; comparison of German Army and equipment with British; opinion of organisation and training for operation in Calais; story of German guard asking for name and address in GB.
REEL 2 Continues: learned Russian before war; story of working with Russian POWs on farm; description of camp and inmates; opinion of French Army and civilians; relations with Polish POWs; reason for Maj. Allan's nickname 'Maudie'; attitude to survival; question of food being main priority; attitude to role of tanks; problem of frostbite and exhaustion during march; story of driving wagon for French refugee family; amusing story of trying to find candle after capture by SS; mobile nature of fighting; problem of lack of air cover; story of Allied daylight bombing raid on aircraft factory at Konigsberg; opinion of Russian bombers and fighters; story of being caught by SS; relations with White Russian POWs; worked in timber yard; story of helping wounded Bessarabian POWs in camp; opinion of Russians; attitude to French dock workers refusing to unload equipment at Calais; reflections on Calais campaign.