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Description: | British NCO served with 1/6th Bn London Regt on Western Front, 1915-1916; officer served on training duties and recreational training in GB and France, 1918-1919
REEL 1 Aspects of background in London, 1914: reactions to outbreak of war, 4/8/1914; rejection on health ground to join cavalry. Recollections of enlistment and training with 2/6th Bn London Regt at Farringdon Road Drill Hall, London, 1914: enlistment; preconceptions of length and nature of war; nature of training. Aspects of operations as lance corporal with D Coy, 1/6th Bn London Regt in Loos sector, Bethune area, France, 8/1915-9/1915: question of adequacy of training and equipment; state of morale; effects of climate; run ration; attitude of British front line tactics.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of French troops; visits to estaminets; food rations; recreations; question of news from and situation in GB; reaction to death of brother; opinion of High Command. Account of attack at Loos, 25/9/1915: digging jumping-off trenches at night in No Man's Land.
REEL 3 Continues: picking up battle equipment and march to Noeux-les-Mines, 24/5/1915; gas masks; briefing in drift coal mine; move forward to jumping off trenches; effect of rum ration; going over top; jettisoning gas mask; isolation; collection of consolidation tools of casualties; entering German front line and supervision of consolidation; story of taking surrender of Germans discovered occupying dugout; situation. Recollections of operations on Vimy Ridge, Arras area, 4/1916-5/1916: situation on taking up positions on Vimy Ridge.
REEL 4 Continues: trench stores; question of coke fires; effects of heavy German mortar and artillery bombardment, 21/5/1917 including story of digging out men trapped in dugout, shell fire on isolating Zouave Valley, taking over effective command of D Coy and move forward to defend front line mine crater; German shell fire on moving out of line; promotion to sergeant and award of Military Medal. Story of being wounded in elbow immediately prior to attack in High Wood sector, Somme area, 15/9/1916. Evacuation to GB, 9/1916. Recollections of role as officer in command of infantry assault training in GB, 3/1918-11/1918: assault course based on pattern of trench system.
REEL 5 Continues: state of morale; desire for active service as officer and reactions to Armistice, 11/11/1918. Aspects of period as recreational training officer with 2/23rd Bn London Regt, France, 1918-1919: role co-ordinating inter-unit football matches and leagues; question of lack of enthusiasm amongst soldiers; padres. Demobilisation and question of problems on return to civilian lifestyle, 1919. Various aspects of operations as NCO with 1/6th Bn London Regt on Western Front, 1915-1916: relationship with officers; attitude to conscripts and conscientious objectors; nature of trenches in summer on Vimy Ridge; story of discovering abandoned dog formerly kept as pet by army cooks of 7th Bn London Regt while moving out of line in Vimy Ridge sector, 5/1916.
REEL 6 Continues: story of making tea while moving out of line in Vimy Ridge sector, 5/1916. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Brice, Martin H | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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