Description
Object description
British officer served with 9th Bn East Surrey Regt on Western Front, 1916 and with D Bn Tank Corps on Western Front, 1916-1917.
Content description
REEL 1: Aspects of period in GB, 1914: at school when war broke out, 4/Aug/1914; awarded scholarship to Oxford University to begin 10/1914; served with OTC at school and held commission in Special Reserve; commissioned early 1915 and sent to Cambridge for intensive 3 week officers' training course; posted to 3rd Bn East Surrey Regt in Dover, Apr/1915; drafted to France, 5/1916. Aspects of operations with 9th Bn East Surrey Regt on Western Front, 1916: joined Bn in quiet sector of line; moved to Somme area, Aug/1916; into action; conditions on Somme and role of Bn in operations; casualties; moved to Loos area to hold line; daily routine and duties; trench raids; nature of terrain; story of using deep abandoned German dugout in church yard and problem of civilian bodies; story of volunteering for service with Tank Corps, 11/1916. Aspects of operations with D Bn, Tank Corps on Western Front, 1916-1917: all training completed in France; promoted to captain in command of section of 4 tanks; role in operations during the Battle of Arras, 4-5/1917; problem of heavy snow; tanks cut through German lines; transferred to Ypres salient; problem of ground not being suitable for tanks; description of salient and terrain; problem of heavy Mk IV tanks becoming stuck in mud; opinion of high casualties; reason for offensive; role of tanks; attitude to use of tanks during Third Battle of Ypres, 7-10/1917; role in operations during Battle of Cambrai, 11-12/1917; opinion of initial successes due to use of large numbers of tanks; story of being badly wounded by shrapnel near Bourlon Wood, 23/Nov/1917; tank hit by armour piercing bullets; D Bn attached to 51st Highland Div during battle; opinion of 51st Div; story of lone German gunner continuing to fire on tanks; reason for Bourlon Wood not being taken; description of wounds and damage to right lung; medical treatment at Base Hospital; further comments on gains and losses during Battle of Cambrai; returned to GB for further medical treatment and convalescence for 8 months; posted to Dover until end of war; description of male and female Mk IV tanks; badges and rank insignia used in Tank Corps.
REEL 2 Continues: tanks carried 2 carrier pigeons to send messages to Bde HQ; story of keeping message cylinder from pigeon as souvenir. Further aspects of operations with 9th Bn East Surrey Regt on Western Front, 1916: story of sharing dugout with R.C Sherriff and receiving signed copy of 'Journey's End' after the war; question of characters in 'Journey's End' being modelled on officers in 9th Bn; problem of trench feet; reflections on First World War.