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Description: | British NCO served with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn and 5th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in GB and on Western Front, 1914-1917; POW in Germany, 1917-1918
REEL 1 Introduction to tapes recorded in 1980. Background in New Bradwell, friendship with Sydney Carroll; apprenticeship as coach body builder at Wolverton Carriage Works. Recruitment and initial training with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Aylesbury, 8/1914. Aspects of period at Chelmsford, 8/1914-3/1915: billets; regimental number; morning visit to pub before training; story of morning inspection parades held by Captain Birchall; period confined to barracks. Journey out to Boulogne, France, 29/3/1915: send off; reception from French civilians. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Ploegsteert Wood, Ypres area, Belgium, 4/1915-5/1915: prior period in Armentieres sector; problems with German snipers; use of periscopes; situation; conversation with German soldiers across No Man's Land; conditions of service in trenches; absence of communication trenches and consequent difficulty in evacuation of casualties; use of braziers; effects of promotion to lance corporal and reaction of Syd Carroll; story of parcel from GB.
REEL 2 Continues: food rations; rest periods in Ploegsteert Wood including use of London street names to mark various localities, sleeping arrangements, collections and distribution of food rations for section and playing cards; view of unit cemetery during return to front line; parcel from GB; ban on wearing balaclavas; story of patrol to investigate false alarm of sighting German soldier in No Man's Land; German shell fire; use of rifle; question of use of Maxim machine gun; stand to and rum ration; night sentry duty; story of soldier's accident carrying latrine tub; story of friend awarded No 1 Field Punishment for breaking green envelope censorship rules.
REEL 3 Continues: question of 'Blighty' wounds and importance of leave; rest period at Romarin including question of German spies use of windmill to signal presence of troops, farm billets, songs, visits to estaminets, delousing and confirmation by padre; attitude to concepts of heroism and cowardice; question of executions; story of instinctive effort to save wounded Syd Carroll and subsequent threat of court martial for leaving section; subsequent evacuation of Syd Carroll; story of Captain Birchall being fatally wounded during attack and his officer servant's efforts to rescue him during attack in Somme area, 1916.
REEL 4 Continues: reward for servant from Birchall family; story of being wounded in leg during wiring party. Medical treatment during evacuation to GB, 5/1915: period at casualty clearing station; ambulance train; period in hospital at Boulogne; hospital ship; reception at Dover. Recollections of periods in hospitals at Chatham and Strood, 1915: story of visit of friend's mother; 'dum dum' bullet nature of wounds; operation and anaesthetics; excursions with civilians; attending medical board in London. Period on leave in Bradwell, 1915: story of receiving white feather; absence of young men; meeting Syd Carroll. Period with reserve battalion at High Wycombe, 1915: sponsorship of unit by local wealthy Jewish civilians; reinforcement role of unit; conditions of service; presence of Jim Sullivan and boxing activities.
REEL 5 Continues: Introduction to tape. Period with reserve battalion at High Wycombe, 1915: boxing activities including story of joining Sullivan's boxing team after bout with friend; posting to camp military police; free drinks from landlord for help in enforcing licensing laws; accepting bribes when checking leave passes; contacts with nearby artillery unit; story of visit to London with friend. Introduction to tape. Recollections of period based at Recruitment Offices at Newport Pagnell and Wolverton, 10/1915-12/1915: background to introduction of Derby Scheme; bicycle travel allowances.
REEL 6 Continues: initial enthusiastic response of workforce of Wolverton Carriage Works; profiting from control of recruits' allowances; stories illustrating activities pursuing men unwilling to sign up and occasional bribes. Introduction to tape. Period at High Wycombe, 12/1915: fate of special friends; implications of 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn territorial status; story of assisting in assignment of billets. Period at Burnham-on-Sea, 1/1916-2/1916.
REEL 7 Continues: Journey out with draft to rejoin 1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in Somme area, France, 3/1916: story of drinking during Channel crossing; submarine alarm and return to Southampton; visit to brothel in Rouen; tea from Salvation Army; reception. Recollections of period at Hebuterne, 3/1916: previous quiet reputation of sector; nature of trench system; short tours of duty in front line; situation; cold and wet conditions; treatment for suspected frostbite in feet; unusual German night barrages using railway guns; story of being wounded in arm and taking message back to signals headquarters during German attack, 19/3/1916; taking message back to signals headquarters; German gas shells and warning; initial medical treatment at regimental aid post and casualty clearing station.
REEL 8 Continues: reflections on view of unit cemetery; view of gas casualties; evacuation on ambulance train and hospital ship to GB; question of being sent to hospitals away from home area; view of Mauretania in English Channel. Period at Wharncliffe War Hospital, Sheffield, 3/1916-4/1916: food; story of getting drunk during visit to pub; story of getting pen-pal and visit from woman as 'lonely soldier'; story of being late back to hospital after night out with nurse. Period at Sutton Park Convalescent Camp, Sutton Coldfield, 4/1916-5/1916: reaction to being classified as unfit for further active service; story of developing friendship with women munitions workers.
REEL 9 Continues: story of visit to family of woman munitions worker; volunteering as farm labourer despite lack of experience. Recollections of period working as farm labourer in Bredon, 5/1916-6/1916: reception from woman who had recently lost her son in action; exposure of lack of farming experience; return to Sutton Coldfield. Period with reservist unit on East Mersea Island, 1916: reservists; refusal to act as unpaid lance corporal; duties in charge of stores; relaxed lifestyle and parcels from woman friend; story of putting guard on Zeppelin forced down, 20/9/1916. Period at Catterick Camp, 1916: hut accommodation; story of boxing sparring with Tom Sullivan; reaction to refusal of leave to visit family on enlistment of brother.
REEL 10 Continues: story of forging officer's signature on leave pass and subsequent arrest on train; reception at police station and collection by military police; conditions during period in guardroom cell; failure of defence offered by defending officer at court martial; sentence of reduction to private and posting on next draft overseas; story of deliberately failing firing course; embarkation leave and background to decision to take extra days. Comment concluding tapes recorded in 1980.
REEL 11 Continues: Introduction to tape including review of personal circumstances and lifestyle, 1977. Opinion of Red Cross. Background in New Bradwell, 1914: interest in sports; popular enthusiasm for recruitment on outbreak of war, 4/8/1914. Review of service with 2/1st and 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn 1914-1917: background to recruitment into 2/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Aylesbury, 9/8/1914; organisation of 48th Div; period at Aylesbury; journey out with draft to join to 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn on Western Front, 3/1915; acclimatisation to trench warfare at Armentieres, 3/1915; wound during period at Ploegsteert Wood, 4/1915-5/1915; wound during period at Hebuterne, Somme area, 3/1916.
REEL 12 Continues: conditions of service at Catterick Camp and background to court martial, 1916; Channel crossing to Le Havre and aspect of prior return crossings on hospital ship. Period at Infantry Base Depot, Harfleur, France, 1917: unnecessary nature of training; dispute with instructor and consequent punishment; question of return to unit; work in docks when confined to barracks; draft system and posting to 5th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 4/1917. Recollections of attack in Arras area, 3/5/1917: prior briefing and training; signs of preparations; prior speech from colonel, 2/5/1917; battle kit; move into front line; atmosphere prior to attack; assignment to carry machine gun ammunition.
REEL 13 Continues: situation; German counter-barrage; casualties during attack across No Man's Land; abandoning machine gun ammunition; personal morale; isolation; story of mother hearing rumours of Mundy's; advance to German second line; story of shooting German soldier at second attempt; view of battlefield from shell hole beyond German second line; sniping activities and reaction to shooting German stretcher bearers; use of British corpse to improve cover in shell hole; retirement to German second line on German counter-attack; situation; question of surrender; opening fire on German troops; situation; attempt to attract attention of British reconnaissance aircraft; view of German reserves approaching without disruption from British artillery and absence of British reserves.
REEL 14 Continues: description of effects of British artillery barrage on isolated position; casualties from shell burst; dispute with officers over question of surrendering to get German medical help; attempts to give first aid; minor ankle wound; renewed British barrage; renewal of German counter-attack in early evening and consequent surrender. Recollections of initial period as POW, 5/1917: view of Hindenburg Line defensive arrangements; interrogation by German officers in headquarters dugout; impact of view of No Man's Land at night; escort behind lines; fear of summary execution.
REEL 15 Continues: escort behind lines; column of horse drawn German artillery; party of British POWs; treatment by German soldiers; further interrogation by German officer; food; treatment by German front line soldiers; journey escorted by Uhlan to join party of British POWs at Douai. Period in barracks at Douai, 5/1917: search; working parties including work preparing of detonation charge in railway goods yard; British long range shellfire; train journey to Lille. Period in fort at Lille, 5/1917-6/1917: nature of fort; warning from 'Canadian soldier' of harsh treatment in response to alleged poor treatment of German POWs in Africa; minimal food; stories illustrating behaviour of German guards; latrine tub; treatment of collapsed POWs.
REEL 16 Continues: discovery that 'Canadian soldier' was German guard stories of scavenging for food and British POW killed by German guard for straggling during march have shower in Lille; train journey to Dulman, Westphalia. Recollections of period at Dulman POW Camp, 6/1917: reception; registration as POW and issue of Red Cross cards; segregation of officers, NCOs and other ranks; food; sabotage activities whilst planting bulbs on working party; story of exchanging boots with German guard; stories illustrating starvation and consequent deaths amongst POWs; story of German guard's attempts to extract intelligence from POW; story of POW over-eating on arrival of parcel.
REEL 17 Journey by train to Hielsburg, East Prussia, 6/1917: stop in Berlin railway station; food; parade in front of German civilians; disappearance of POWs suffering from dysentery; story of deliberate humiliation of British POWs in front of German officers and civilians during meal; view of treatment of Russian POWs; story of British POW bartering for food; reading book; arrival at Hielsburg POW Camp; shave from Russian POW; dispersal with working parties around Hielsburg area. Recollections of conditions, lifestyle and daily routine during period with working party in Domnau POW Camp, 6/1917-11/1918: cellar block accommodation; German guards; mixed nationality of POWs; effects of Russian advance in East Prussia, 1914.
REEL 18 Continues: destruction during Russian occupation and subsequent reconstruction; nature of cellar accommodation; opinion of various prominent German civilians and guards; food and distribution; camp pay; system of hiring out POW working parties; state of uniform; photograph taken by German civilian illustrating loss of weight collection to pay for British soldier's gravestone; reprimand for failing to salute German NCO; duties cleaning village prior to visit by Kaiser Wilhelm II; Rumanian POW's reaction to German capture of Bucharest.
REEL 19 Continues: German civilians response to death of British POW in neighbouring village; learning German; illustrations of bullying treatment from German guard; arrival of Red Cross parcels and letters including distribution, bread parcels, private parcels, situation of non-British POWs, new uniform and story illustrating change in German attitude following arrival of parcels; kilted Scottish POW; contents of Red Cross food parcels; story of successful ruse to prevent German guard stealing Red Cross parcels.
REEL 20 Continues: contents of Red Cross food parcels; Red Cross parcel distribution system and German security checks; story illustrating importance of cigarettes; efforts to prevent other nationality POWs stealing from Red Cross parcels and consequent negotiation of move into upper rooms of block; cooking arrangements; importance of letters from GB; effects of winter weather conditions; story of giving extra coal ration to German civilian couple; story of dispute with Romanian POWs over cooking arrangements illustrating status of British POWs; relationship with Serbian POWs; fight between Russian POWs.
REEL 21 Continues: comparison of situation of British POWs and German civilians following arrival of Red Cross parcels; recreations including improvised billiards games, card gambling and singing; use of new status to end bullying from German guard; securing daytime freedom of movement in village; Christmas celebration with German civilians and stories of Russian occupation, 1914; stories illustrating misunderstandings over language on working parties; friendship with Russian POW and stories of conditions in Siberia, pre-1914.
REEL 22 Continues: illustration of black market; ignorance of Russian revolution; assistance from Russian and French POWs and Polish civilian in planning and preparing for escape attempt; story of attending Russian POWs' Easter party on neighbouring farm; stories of working on farm including driving German farmer to pub, stealing German officer's belt buckle and giving handkerchief to German woman; detachment on work repairing German Army boots for German cobbler; friendship with German woman.
REEL 23 Continues: sleeping arrangements in German cobbler's shed; friendship with German woman and risks involved; Easter celebrations; friendship with German woman discussions with German cobbler over progress of war; relationship with Russian POWs working at German cobblers; news of German breakthrough, 3/1918; story of German guard; use of increased freedom of movement to explore forest as part of escape preparations.
REEL 24 Continues: account of visit with German cobbler to Konigsberg tannery including stories illustrating improved status following arrival of Red Cross parcels, lack of goods in shops, dock area, visit to German businessmen and club and story of meeting possible British agent and helping in selection of leather; friendship with German woman and risks involved; work at sawmill including relationship with son of German employer, role sharpening saws in fitting shop, Russian POW workers and treatment of minor eye injury.
REEL 25 Continues: work at sawmill including visit to German civilian doctor for treatment of minor eye injury, conversations with son of German employer and accommodation, story of close escape from discovery whilst consorting with German woman friend; question of news of progress of war and German revolution; conversations with son of German employer; first news of end of war; celebrations in pub after official notification of end of war, 11/1918; refusal of job offer from son of German employer.
REEL 26 Continues: Opinions of nature of personal morale based on active service on Western Front, 1915-1917: nature of trench warfare in Ploegsteert Wood, 3/1915; question of distribution of medals; story of soldier accidentally winning DCM for firing Maxim machine gun at random target; possible execution for falling asleep on sentry duty or dereliction of duty; padded cells fitted on ambulance trains for treatment of shell shock patients; local newspaper reports and their role in disguising executions; story of friend awarded No 1 Field Punishment for breaking green envelope censorship rules and his subsequent award of Military Medal; varying reaction to German shellfire; story of instinctive effort to save wounded friend and subsequent threat of court martial; reactions to post-war attendance at Remembrance Ceremony. Period at Hielsburg POW Camp, 11/1918: organisation of transport of British POWs' personal possessions from Domnau; condition and situation of British POWs.
REEL 27 Continues: conditions and situation of British POWs; visit to pub in Hielsburg; reaction to discovery of items stolen by German guards from Red Cross parcels; kitbag stolen from German guard by Serbian POW; visit to British POWs in camp hospital; visit to mortuary and burial party for British corpses; recreations. Train journey to Danzig, 11/1918: inclusion in first batch of British POWs to be sent back to GB; making tea; story of feeding starving Germans and refusal of one British POW as protest against earlier treatment.
REEL 28 Voyage back to Leith, GB, 1/12/1918-6/12/1918: poor health of unregistered late captured POWs; conditions; reflections on POW experiences; seasickness; burial at sea at Copenhagen harbour; notification of parents; reception on arrival at Leith; attempts by relatives to locate missing POWs. Period at POW Dispersal Camp, Ripon, 12/1918: train journey; reporting instances of cruelty by German guards during period as POW in Germany; kitting out; acceptance of grant rather than making application for medical pension and subsequent regrets; question of subsequent role of British Legion in supporting pension applications.
REEL 29 Continues: Demobilisation, 12/1918: leave and special payment arrangements; drinking with Syd Carroll and reception on return home; receipt of back pay; return to work at Wolverton Carriage Works; marriage, 1919; death of wife, 1973; comments on question of future publication of tapes.
REEL 30 Continues: Recollections of conditions, lifestyle and daily routine during period with working party in Domnau POW Camp, 6/1917-11/1918: food and distribution; camp pay; system of hiring out POW working parties; state of uniform; photograph taken by German civilian illustrating loss of weight; collection to pay for British soldier's gravestone; reprimand for failing to salute German NCO; duties cleaning village prior to visit by Kaiser Wilhelm II; Rumanian POW's reaction to German capture of Bucharest; learning German; illustrations of bullying treatment from German guard; arrival and distribution of Red Cross parcels and letters.
REEL 31 Continues: Red Cross parcels including bread parcels; private parcels, situation of non-British POWs, new uniform and story illustrating change in German attitude following arrival of parcels; kilted Scottish POW; story of successful ruse to prevent German guard stealing Red Cross parcels; contents of Red Cross food parcels; Red Cross parcel distribution system and German security checks; story illustrating importance of cigarettes; efforts to prevent other nationality POWs stealing from Red Cross parcels and consequent negotiation of move into upper rooms of cellar block; story of giving extra coal ration to German civilian couple.
REEL 32 Continues: story of dispute with Rumanian POWs over cooking arrangements illustrating status of British POWs; relationship with Serbian POWs; comparison of situation of British POWs and German civilians following arrival of Red Cross parcels; recreations including improvised billiards games, card gambling and singing; use of new status to end bullying from German guard; securing daytime freedom of movement in village; Christmas celebration with German civilians and stories of Russian occupation, 1914; illustration of black market; ignorance of Russian revolution; question of escape.
REEL 33 Continues: assistance from Russian and French POWs and Polish civilian in planning and preparing for escape attempt; story of attending Russian POWs' Easter party on neighbouring farm; stories of working on farm including driving German farmer to pub, stealing German officer's belt buckle and giving handkerchief to German woman; detachment on work repairing German Army boots for German cobbler; friendship with German woman; sleeping arrangements in German cobbler's shed; friendship with German woman and risks involved.
REEL 34 Continues: Easter celebrations; friendship with German woman discussions with cobbler over progress of war; conversations with son of German employer in saw mill; question of news of progress of war and German revolution; conversations with son of German employer; first news of end of war; celebrations in pub after official notification of end of war, 11/1918; refusal of job offer from son of German employer. Opinions of nature of personal morale based on active service on Western Front, 1915-1917: nature of trench warfare in Ploegsteert Wood, 4/1915; question of distribution of medals; story of soldier accidentally winning DCM for firing Maxim machine gun at random target; possible execution for falling asleep on sentry duty or dereliction of duty.
REEL 35 Continues: possible execution for dereliction of duty on sentry duty; padded cells fitted on ambulance trains for treatment of shell shock patients; local newspaper reports and their role in disguising executions; story of friend awarded No 1 Field Punishment for breaking green envelope censorship rules and his subsequent award of Military Medal; varying reaction to German shellfire; story of instinctive effort to save wounded friend and subsequent threat of court martial; post-war attendance at Remembrance Ceremony. Period at Hielsburg POW Camp, 11/1918: organisation of transport of British POWs' personal possessions from Domnau; condition and situation of British POWs; visit to pub in Hielsburg; reaction to discovery of items stolen by German guards from Red Cross parcels; kitbag stolen from German guard by Serbian POW; visit to British POWs in camp hospital; visit to mortuary.
REEL 36 Continues: visit to mortuary and burial party for British corpses. Train journey to Danzig, 11/1918: inclusion in first batch of British POWs to be sent back to GB; making tea; story of feeding starving Germans. Demobilisation, 12/1918: special payment arrangements; drinking with Syd Carroll and reception on return home; receipt of back pay; return to work at Wolverton Carriage Works; death of wife, 1973; comments on question of future publication of tapes. Journey out with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry to Boulogne, France, 25/3/1915: reaction to posting to Western Front; send-off from Chelmsford; reception from French civilians; state of morale; first impressions. Period in Armentieres sector, Bethune area, 3/1915-4/1915: march from Boulogne; state of morale; policy of acclimatisation to trench warfare; reaction to first casualty from German shellfire moving into reserve line.
REEL 37 Continues: move into front line; problems with German snipers; nature of trenches; use of sandbags in repairing trenches and constructing dugouts. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Ploegsteert Wood, Ypres area, Belgium, 4/1915-5/1915: situation; promotion to lance corporal; tours of duty; rest periods including use of London street names to mark various localities in Ploegsteert Wood, visits to estaminets, question of brothels and songs sung; unit graveyard; reaction to casualties. Recruitment and initial training with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Aylesbury, 8/1914: billets; reasons; personal morale; preconceptions of nature of war; parents' reactions; training; varying origins of recruits; special friends.
REEL 38 Continues: Recollections of training during period at Chelmsford, 8/1914-3/1915: billets; playing cards; nature of discipline; story of practical jokes played on Tommy Barton on route march; drill; pack drill when confined to barracks; question of making will; embarkation leave; question of reserved occupations; story of receiving white feather after return wounded, 7/1915; review of formation of Western Front, 1914; state of morale; preparations for overseas posting. Introduction to tapes recorded in 1980. Background in New Bradwell, 1914: friendship with Sydney Carroll; apprenticeship as coach body builder at Wolverton Carriage Works. Recruitment and initial training with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Aylesbury, 8/1914. Aspects of period at Chelmsford, 8/1914-3/1915: billets; regimental number; morning visit to pub before training; story of morning inspection parades held by Captain Birchall.
REEL 39 Continues: story of morning inspection parades held by Captain Birchall; period confined to barracks. Journey out to Boulogne, France, 29/3/1915: send-off; reception from French civilians. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine at Ploegsteert Wood, Ypres area, Belgium, 4/1915-5/1915: prior period in Armentieres sector; problems with German snipers; use of periscopes; situation; conversation with German soldiers across No Man's Land; conditions of service in trenches; absence of communication trenches and consequent difficulty in evacuation of casualties; use of braziers; effects of promotion to lance corporal and reaction of Syd Carroll; parcels from GB; food rations; rest periods in Ploegsteert Wood including use of London street names to mark various localities, sleeping arrangements, collections and distribution of food rations for section and playing cards; view of unit cemetery during return to front line.
REEL 40 Continues: story of parcel from GB; ban on wearing balaclavas; story of false alarm of sighting German soldier in No Man's Land; German shell fire; use of rifle; question of use of Maxim machine gun; stand to and rum ration; night sentry duty; story of soldier's accident carrying latrine tub; story of friend awarded No 1 Field Punishment for breaking green envelope censorship rules; question of 'Blighty wounds' and importance of leave; rest period at Romarin including question of German spies use of windmill to signal presence of troops, farm billets, songs, visits to estaminets, delousing and confirmation by padre; attitude to concepts of heroism and cowardice.
REEL 41 Continues: attitude to concepts of heroism and cowardice; ; question of executions; story of instinctive effort to save wounded Syd Carroll and subsequent threat of court martial for leaving section; subsequent evacuation of Syd Carroll; story of Captain Birchall being fatally wounded during attack and his officer servant's efforts to rescue him during attack in Somme area, 1916; reward for servant from Birchall family; story of being wounded in leg during wiring party. Medical treatment during evacuation to GB, 5/1915: period at casualty clearing station; ambulance train; period in hospital at Boulogne; hospital ship; reception at Dover.
REEL 42 Continues: Recollections of periods in hospitals at Chatham and Strood, 1915: story of visit of friend's mother; 'dum dum' bullet nature of wounds; operation and anaesthetics; excursions with civilians; attending medical board in London. Period on leave in Bradwell, 1915: story of receiving white feather; absence of young men; meeting Syd Carroll. Period with reserve battalion at High Wycombe, 1915: sponsorship of unit by local wealthy Jewish civilians; reinforcement role of unit; conditions of service; presence of Jim Sullivan and boxing activities; story of joining Sullivan's boxing team after bout with friend; duties on posting to camp military police.
REEL 43 Continues: role as MP including free drinks from landlord for help in enforcing licensing laws; accepting bribes when checking leave passes. Recollections of period based at Recruitment Offices at Newport Pagnell and Wolverton, 10/1915-12/1915: profiting from control of recruits' allowances; stories illustrating activities pursuing men unwilling to sign up; question of underage recruits. Periods at High Wycombe and Burnham on Sea, 12/1915-2/1916: lack of contact with new recruits; question of return to active service. Period with 1/1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in Hebuterne sector, Somme area, France, 3/1916: journey out; tea from Salvation Army; route marches; situation; story of being wounded in arm and taking message back to signals headquarters during German attack, 19/3/1916.
REEL 44 Continues: reception from friend at signals headquarters; German gas shells and casualties; estaminets; story of visit to brothel in Rouen; conversations on situation in GB; personal morale; tours of duty; wet conditions and question of trench feet; evacuation on ambulance train and hospital ship to GB; view of Mauretania in English Channel; question of speed of evacuation. Period at Wharncliffe War Hospital, Sheffield, 3/1916-4/1916: food; story of getting drunk during visit to pub; VAD nurses; discipline. Period at Catterick Camp, 1916: status as unfit for further active service; boxing activities; refusal of leave to visit family on enlistment of brother.
REEL 45 Continues: reactions to refusal of leave to visit family on enlistment of brother; story of forging officer's signature on leave pass and subsequent arrest on train; conditions in guardroom cells; church parade; court martial and punishment; role of camp; deliberately failing firing course; embarkation leave and background to decision to take extra days; letters and parcels from family; attitude to return to active service and importance of friends. Period at Infantry Base Depot, Harfleur, France, 1917: journey out with draft; question of subsequent mutiny at Infantry Base Depot, Etaples; opinion of instructors and unnecessary nature of training.
REEL 46 Continues: dispute with instructor and consequent punishment; question of return to unit, draft to 5th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 4/1917. Recollections of attack in Arras area, 3/5/1917: prior training; recreations including gambling on cards; personal morale; move into front line; jumping off trenches; rum ration; assignment to carry machine gun ammunition; attack across No Man's Land and abandoning machine gun ammunition; width of No Man's Land; German machine gun fire.
REEL 47 Continues: casualties; passing through destroyed German barbed wire; crossing German front line and advance to second line; British barrage; story of shooting German soldier at second attempt; dawn; view of battlefield from shell hole beyond German second line; sniping activities and reaction to shooting German stretcher bearers; use of British corpse to improve cover in shell hole; retirement to German second line on German counter-attack; question of surrender; opening fire on German troops; situation. Recollections of background in New Bradwell, 1913-1914: send off given 1/1st (Buckinghampshire) Bn Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on move to Chelmsford, 8/1914; question of recruitment; interest in Army Manoeuvres, 1913; recreations; attending athletics meetings and membership of Wolverton Athletic Club; interest in exhibitions during Army Manoeuvres, 1913; relationship of civilians with soldiers; question of reasons for recruitment.
REEL 48 Continues: question of pre-war quality of soldiers; effects of Army manoeuvres,1913, including question of entertainment offered to soldiers, army columns blocking roads near Wolverton Carriage Works entrance and story of drunken soldiers accident on tram. Various aspects of service on Western Front, 1915-1917: preparations for attack, in Arras area, 3/5/1917; letter contact with GB; rum ration; question of superstitions and personal morale; story of parcel from GB and ban on wearing balaclavas, 1915; opinion of Captain Birchall; role of bandsmen as stretcher bearers and officers servants; question of assisting wounded in action; story of Birchall being fatally wounded during attack and his officer servant's efforts to rescue him during attack in Somme area, 1916; opinion of officers.
REEL 49 Continues: listening posts at Hebuterne, 1916; story of patrol to investigate false alarm of sighting German soldier in No Man's Land at Ploegsteert Wood sector, 1915; rat problem; firing rifle and ammunition supply; German sniping; story illustrating British shortage of shells, 1915; plentiful shell supply, 1917. Recollections of capture during attack in Arras area, 3/5/1917: description of effects of British artillery barrage on isolated position; casualties from shell burst; dispute with officers over question of surrendering to get German medical help; attempts to give first aid.
REEL 50 Continues: attempts to give first aid; renewed British barrage and casualties amongst British wounded from attack; renewal of German counter-attack in early evening and consequent surrender. Recollections of initial period as POW, 5/1917: view of Hindenburg Line defensive arrangements; interrogation by German officers in headquarters dugout; impact of view of No Man's Land at night; escort behind lines and initial fears of summary execution; party of British POWs; column of horse drawn German artillery; question of treatment by German front line soldiers; role of British Red Cross and physical condition on arrival of first Red Cross parcels; overnight stop.
REEL 51 Continues: food; further interrogation by German officer; journey escorted by Uhlan to join party of British POWs; search. Period in barracks at Douai, 5/1917: working parties including work preparing of detonation charge in railway goods yard; British long range shellfire; question of escape. Period in fort at Lille, 5/1917-6/1917: nature of fort; warning from 'Canadian soldier' of harsh treatment in response to alleged poor treatment of German POWs in Africa; conditions; latrine tub; treatment of collapsed POWs; stories illustrating behaviour of German guards; stories of scavenging for food and British POW killed by German guard for straggling during march to have shower in Lille. Opinions of nature of personal morale based on active service on Western Front, 1915-1917: question of distribution of medals.
REEL 52 Continues: question of distribution of medals; possible execution for dereliction of duty; padded cells fitted on ambulance trains for treatment of shell shock patients; possible execution for falling asleep on sentry duty; story of soldier accidentally winning DCM for firing Maxim machine gun at random target; story of friend awarded No 1 Field Punishment for breaking green envelope censorship rules; story of instinctive effort to save wounded Syd Carroll and subsequent threat of court martial for leaving section; story of Captain Birchall being fatally wounded during attack and his officer servant's efforts to rescue him during attack in Somme area, 1916; attitude to concepts of heroism and cowardice; post-war attendance at Remembrance Ceremony.
REEL 53 Recollections of background in New Bradwell, 1894-1914: question of role of school in inculcating sense of patriotism; interest in sport; prevalence of childhood diseases; work as butcher boy including background to leaving school early at 13, frozen meat from abroad, delivery duties and pay; hours and pay as apprentice at Wolverton Carriage Works; aspects of cigarette smoking including price, distribution by padres on Western Front and different types. Question of religion: confirmation at Ploegsteert Wood, 1915.
REEL 54 Continues: confirmation at Ploegsteert Wood, 1915; fatalistic beliefs. Recollections of period at Dulman POW Camp, 6/1917: train journey from Lille; registration as POW and issue of Red Cross cards to notify family; food; stories illustrating starvation and consequent deaths amongst POWs; story of German guard's attempts to extract intelligence from POW; sabotage activities whilst planting bulbs on working party; segregation of officers and NCOs; story of exchanging boots with German guard; question of Red Cross parcels. Journey by train to Hielsburg, East Prussia, 6/1917: stop in Berlin railway station; story of friend eating first Red Cross parcel.
REEL 55 Continues: special friend; parade in front of German civilians; disappearance of POWs suffering from dysentery; story of deliberate humiliation of British POWs in front of German officers and civilians during meal; question of sharing Red Cross parcels and delays in delivery. Aspects of service on Western Front, 1915-1917: relationship with other ranks as Lance Corporal; question of personal morale and motivation. Period as POW at Dulman POW Camp, ca 6/1917: question of medical care of POWs; hut accommodation; question of writing letter. Aspects of Remembrance message and reactions to loss of British Empire. Review of various aspects of in military service, 1914-1917: key dates.
REEL 56 Continues: key dates; story of drinking during Channel crossing, 3/1916; story of Conservative Party candidates Captain Bowyer being heckled by ex-soldier during General Election campaigning at Wolverton Carriage Works, 12/1918; question of return to active service; personal character; question of cigarette smoking; sports training.
REEL 57 Continues: sports training. Post-war career: work in railway body making and car industry, 1919-1926; onset of blindness and background to making tapes.
REEL 58 Recording of radio broadcast reviewing military service with 1/1st (Buckinghanshire) and 5th Bns Oxford and Buckinghampshire Light Infantry, 1914-1917: reasons for recruitment, 8/1914; question of distribution of medals; question of executions for cowardice; padded cells fitted on ambulance trains for treatment of shell shock patients; recollections of attack in Arras area, 3/5/1917, including view of battlefield from shell hole beyond German second line, sniping activities, use of British corpse to improve cover, retirement to German second line on German counter-attack, attempt to attract attention of British reconnaissance aircraft, effects of British artillery barrage, casualties from shell burst, dispute with officers over question of surrendering to get German medical help and attempts to give first aid; question of justification of war.
REEL 59 Continues: Account of visit with German cobbler to Konigsberg tannery whilst POW at Domnau, 1917-1918: new uniform following arrival of Red Cross parcels; lack of goods in shops; visit to German businessman and club; story of meeting possible British agent, helping in selection of leather. Period at sawmill at Domnau, 1918: move to sawmill; relationship with son of employer; conditions, friendship with German woman and story of close escape from detection; conversations with son of employer on progress of war; news of end of war and refusal of offer of post-war employment. post-war attendance at Remembrance Ceremony. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Mundy, Hawtin | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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