Poultney, Charles (Oral history)

Sound: © IWM (34493)

1308416855
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630768230
Order this sound recording under fair dealing

All Rights Reserved except for Fair Dealing exceptions otherwise permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised.

Accepted Non-commercial Use

Permitted use for these purposes:
Personal use for non-commercial research and private study and other uses under the UK’s exceptions to copyright and those exceptions to copyright in place where the user is located.
Use on websites that are primarily information-led, research-oriented and not behind a paywall.
Use on personal social media accounts, provided the individuals are not promoting themselves commercially.
Non-Commercial educational use for the purpose of teaching and instruction, including internal training.
Downloading audio-visual for non-commercial offline listening or viewing.
Free exhibitions held in venues, which do not charge an entry fee.

If you would like to use IWM collections materials in a way that is not covered above, require a commercial licence, high-resolution copies, or have manipulation requests, please contact the Image and Film Licensing Team. Digital files of films and sound recordings are available at cost depending on intended use.

Description

Object description

British NCO served as medical orderly with HQ Coy, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade in Calais, France, 5/1940; POW in Germany, 5/1940-5/1945

Content description

REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, India and Sudan, 1910-1939: story of joining Army, 9/1928; civilian employment as French polisher; description of service with 2nd and 1st Bns in GB, India and Sudan; in camp at Tidworth on outbreak of war, 9/Sep/1939; description of voyage to Calais via Southampton and Dover, 5/1940. Aspects of operations with HQ Coy, 1st Bn Rifle Brigade in Calais, France and as POW in Germany, 5/1940-5/1945: bombed on arrival in Calais; duties as corporal at Regimental Aid Post aboard ship carrying out foot inspections; first impressions of situation in Calais; carried own medical kit; problem in unloading equipment and supplies from ship; story of setting up Regimental Aid Post in tunnel of abandoned fort; description of treating casualties in tunnel including amputation of arm; problem of evacuating wounded; story of carrying wounded stretcher bearer on three rifles; use of duckboard as stretcher; problem of having no maps or food; story of British tank taking wounded stretcher bearer to Dunkirk; story of being captured by Germans on beach and marched to church; opinion of operations at Calais; description of conditions in tunnel and number of wounded; opinion of treatment by Germans on march; opinion of German tanks and weapons; story of throwing weapons in sea following capture; reaction to being captured; story about naval boat attempting to land; description of march to POW camp in Trier and journey in cattle trucks to Stalag XX-A, Thorn, Germany; question of Germans not recognising Geneva Convention; role as medical orderly with working parties and in camp hospital; learned to speak German; opinion of Boys anti-tank rifle. REEL 2 Continues: further comments on Boys anti-tank rifle; opinion of 2-inch mortars and 'ack-ack' batteries; problem of lack of training and shortage of ammunition; story of working as medical orderly at Countess of Warwick's house in Bishop's Stortford, GB; various memories of other men in Bn; ranks and insignia; uniform; story of German medical orderly helping rifleman with badly wounded leg; food situation in Calais; sleeping arrangements; physical condition and morale; story about foot inspection aboard ship before embarkation; reflections on operations at Calais.

Object Details

Category: Sound
Related period: 1945-1989 (production), Second World War (content), Second World War (association)
Creator: Breyer, Fred (Production Company)
Breyer, Fred (Recorder)
Poultney, Charles (Interviewee/Speaker)
Production date: 1989-09-26
Dimensions: whole: Duration 46, Number Of Items 2
Catalogue number: 34493

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Poultney, Charles
Britsh Army, Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion
Associated places

Calais, Pas-de-Calais, France
Germany

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Poultney, Charles (Oral history)

Description

Object description

Content description

Object Details

Object associations

Associated people and organisations

Associated places

Our collections information

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