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Description: | British civilian worked in cotton mill in Eccles, Manchester, 1912-1917; present during demonstrations against German owned businesses, 1914; served as private with 5th (Reserve) Bn, Manchester Regt in GB, 1917; served with 21st Bn, Manchester Regt on Western Front, 1917; served with 8th (Reserve) Bn, Manchester Regt in GB; served with 16th Bn, Manchester Regt on Western Front, 1918
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Eccles, 1898-1917: family circumstances; education; recreations; work as apprentice weaver making quilts at Eccles Industrial Manufacturing Society Cotton Mill, 1912-1914; recreations; reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; watching civilian attacks on German owned businesses, 8/1914; question of older brother's enlistment as regular, 1910, subsequent death in action, 1915 and consequent desire for revenge on Germans; second brother's avoidance of conscription, ca 1916; effects of recruitment on cotton mill and consequent promotion to weaver.
REEL 2 Continues: question of introduction of women workers in cotton mills; failed attempt to join Royal Navy to gain revenge for brother's death. Background to recruitment underage with friend into 5th (Reserve) Bn, Manchester Regt at Pendleton Town Hall, 1/1917. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during training at Ripon and Scarborough Camps, 1/1917-8/1917: prior kitting out at Wigan Barracks; advice from old soldier; hair cut; story of fighting on parade and punishment; relationship with ORs; hut accommodation and hut orderly duties at Ripon; kit inspections and question of stealing kit; issue of webbing and example of 'spit and polish'; food rations; stealing extra food; canteen; morning routine and PT.
REEL 3 Continues: drill; route marches; bayonet, rifle and hand grenade training; tactical exercises and introduction to trenches; gas mask training; visit to Ripon fair; lack of contact with local civilians; story of friend stealing meat from officers' mess and NCO's reaction; relationship with NCOs and officers; tent accommodation on move to Scarborough Racecourse Camp; route marches; question of adequacy of training.
REEL 4 Continues: guard duty and 'stick man'; desire for active service; draft procedure and embarkation leave. Recollections of period at Infantry Base Depot, Etaples, France, ca 8/1917-9/1917: journey out; nature of training in 'Bull Ring'; fusing practice jam tin hand grenades; strictness of instructors; hand grenade training; opinion of instructors; canteens; rumours of outbreak of mutiny. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine during period with D Coy, 21st Bn, MR in Ypres area, 9/1917-10/1917: reception and state of unit; story of avoiding training as Lewis gunner; training in rifle grenades; state of unit; subsequent postings.
REEL 5 Continues: approach to front line on duckboard track; nature of trenches; food rations; water supply; rum and cigarette rations; state of uniform; latrines; lice and rat problems; personal morale under German shellfire and question of value of religion; stand to; absence of use of rifle; German snipers; value of experience in judging German shellfire; German gas shells and opinion of gas masks.
REEL 6 Continues: conversations; sentry and listening post duty; story of soldier looting German corpses in No Mans Land; sleep; story of officer catching sentry asleep on duty; German trench raids; state of morale and question of self inflicted wounds; ration party duty when in support lines; rest periods including story of not taking shelter during German air raids, absence of 'spit and polish' and visits to canteens and estaminets; deterrent effect of soldier contracting VD in GB; letter and parcel contract with GB; relationship with ORs, NCOs and officers; initial quiet sectors. Account of attack on Passchendaele Ridge, 4/10/1917: prior briefing; problems during approach to line on duckboards and muddy ground conditions; shell hole nature of front line.
REEL 7 Continues: shell hole nature of front line; wet conditions and question of use of whale oil; ration party and food rations; question of rum ration; attack across No Mans Land and over German front line; taking cover and use of rifle grenade to clear German machine gun post; personal morale and question of impact of executions; advance to German second line; detachment to mop up German machine gun position in wood to right of advance; isolated position and withdrawal to join party from another unit, 5/11/1917; question of casualties; effect of rum ration; casualties; use of rifle against failed German counter-attack; views on war and religion; story of getting lost on relief and subsequent collapse with fatigue; evacuation to casualty clearing station at Poperinghe; evacuation to 1st South African Hospital at Abbeville.
REEL 8 Period at 1st South African Hospital, ca 10/1917: question of returning to GB; trench feet and fever. Period at Westminster Hospital, London and on leave in Eccles, ca 10/1917-1/1918: civilian visitors; trench feet; leave; starting to smoke cigarettes; meeting wounded friend in cinema; question of civilian awareness of conditions on Western Front. Period with 8th (Reserve) Bn, Manchester Regt at Filey and Scarborough, ca 1/1918-7/1918: story of soldier deliberately exacerbating wound to avoid active service; personal morale and attitude to return to active service; inclusion in draft despite foot injury during bayonet training. Aspects of period with 16th Bn, Manchester Regt on Western Front, ca 7/1918-11/1918: problems with foot during route march with draft; improved conditions of service in Ypres area; story of avoiding training as Lewis gunner and victimisation by officer during prior period with 21st Bn, MR; Lewis gun training and question of proficiency pay; REEL 9 Continues: Lewis gun training and role of team members; personal morale and case illustrating effects of shell shock; story of day patrol to locate German positions on canal, subsequent minor shoulder injury during failed attempt at night crossing and reporting situation to headquarters, ca 11/1918; story of behaviour of German POWs, 1917; question of German booby traps; personal morale; reactions to Armistice, 11/11/1918. Period in Lille, 11/1918-12/1918: billets; minimal duties. Demobilisation, 12/1918. Post-war career: background to refusal of disability pension after hospital treatment for knee and shoulder injuries; political perspective on war service; return to work at Eccles Industrial Manufacturing Society Cotton Mill; period of unemployment and consequent move to work in car manufacturing at Dagenham, ca 1924. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Hart, Peter M | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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