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Description: | British officer served with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers on Western Front, 1914-1915; awarded Victoria Cross for action at Neuve Chapelle, 19/12/1914; served as adjutant with Royal Engineers with 8th Div on Western Front, 1915; served as staff officer with Headquarters, 168th Bde, 15th Corps, First Army and 30th Div on Western Front, 1917-1918
REEL 1 Recollections of operations as officer with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: reaction amongst regular officers stationed at Gibraltar to outbreak of war and selection for newly formed unit; development of trench warfare; prior training in GB; question of adequacy of pre-war training in construction of trench systems and subsequent developments including depth of systems, drainage, depth of trench required; camouflage from aerial observation, barbed wire and use of concrete.
REEL 2 Continues: necessity of infantry participation in trench construction role under sapper supervision; organisation of French civilian labour in working parties behind front line area; establishment of Royal Engineer workshops to provide specialist trench warfare equipment; background to development of trench mortars; co-operation with infantry units. Aspects of periods as staff officer with Headquarters of 168th Bde, XV Corps, First Army and 30th Div, 1/1916-11/1918: question of dealing with incompetent officers; attachment to Headquarters of French XX Corps, 11/1916.
REEL 3 Continues: comparison of French and British staff methods; relationship with French and Belgian civilians; opinion of German Army illustrated by events of 1/7/1916; opinion of US Army performance during attacks, 10/1918; relationship with other ranks in Royal Engineers and 168th Bde.
REEL 4 Continues: question of collection of military intelligence by other ranks; opinion of volunteer, territorial and conscript troops; opinion of conscientious objectors; opinion of performance of Sir Herbert Gough and Fifth Army; question of staff officers and divisional commanders visiting front line.
REEL 5 Continues: question of postponing zero hour in major planned attacks; question of continuation of attacks in Ypres area, 1917; question of adequacy of communications; role of chaplains; opinion of Haig illustrated by stories of inspections of front line redoubt in Neuve Chapelle sector, 1915 and inspection of 168th Bde, 1916; opinion of various army commanders; GB leave.
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of background, 1900-1914: blooding at fox hunting; military focus during period at Cheltenham College, 1903-1906; period as officer with 56th Field Coy, Royal Engineers at Bulford Camp, 1910: opinion of Major General Henry Rawlinson; question of concealing troops from aerial observation; role in marking out circuit and flight in Bristol Aircraft Company aircraft during Military Air Trials at Larkhill; question of military value of aircraft; horse riding activities; question of work load of sapper officers.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of operations with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: method of erecting French supplied barbed wire in No Man's Land in Ypres area, 10/1914-11/1914; nature of trenches in Ypres area, 10/1914-11/1914; development of deep dugouts; subsequent gas protection of dugouts; question of subsequent use of concrete; use of Bangalore torpedoes; digging communication trenches.
REEL 8 Continues: Account of actions in consolidating captured German trench at Neuve Chapelle, 19/12/1914: situation; method of lighting safety fuse on jam tin hand grenades without fuse; use of hand grenades to stop progress of German counter-attack; lull in action; organising evacuation of trench and return to British front line; absence of German fire whilst assisting wounded across No Man's Land; role repairing British front line in case of follow up German attack.
REEL 9 Continues: Recollections of operations with 15th Field Coy Royal Engineers on Western Front, 10/1914-4/1915: reaction to recommendation for and award of VC for actions on 19/12/1914; question of role of VC in subsequently securing appointment as instructor at Military Staff College, Camberley, 1919; question of nature of VC winners; design and use of jam tin hand grenades; nature of Christmas Truce, 25/12/1914; use of trench mortar, 26/12/1914.
REEL 10 Continues: construction of assembly trenches and duckboard approach tracks prior to Battle of Neuve Chapelle, 3/1915; question of effectiveness of artillery bombardment prior to initial attack during Battle of Neuve Chapelle 10/3/1915; role preparing redoubts to bolster line trench system; nature of pre-war siege warfare. Role in arranging provision of war supplies from local French contractors as adjutant with Royal Engineers of 8th Div, 4/1915-1/1916.
REEL 11 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, 168th Bde, 1/1916-11/1916: training exercises in dummy trench systems; developments in infantry attack formations; question of open warfare training; question of initial training with tanks, 9/1916; tank breakdown during attack on Leuze Wood, 15/9/1916; reconnaissance role in taking over sections of line and prior to attacks; pride in unit; question of commissioning officers from ranks.
REEL 12 Continues: training exercises in dummy trench systems; infantry attack formations; increase in pre-attack artillery barrages; attack by 56th Div on Gommecourt, Somme area, 1/7/1916, including use of smoke candles, acting as artillery observation officer and success in bringing shellfire to stop German counter-attack; period of training and integrating reinforcement drafts.
REEL 13 Continues: state of morale during Somme offensive, 1916; failure of tanks during attack in Leuze Wood sector, 15/9/1916; patrol work and preparation of assembly trenches in No Mans Land. Recollections of periods as staff officer with Headquarters of XV Corps, First Army and 30th Div, 12/1917-11/1918: comparison of different British and French staff methods illustrated by problems faced by Major General John du Cane in planning XV Corps attack in Belgian coastal sector, 1917.
REEL 14 Continues: value of aerial reconnaissance; gas masks; award of French medals; opinion of General Horne; principle of creeping barrage; development of use of shrapnel barrages to cut barbed wire; use of defensive barrages; counter-battery artillery fire; organisation of emergency move of divisions to Arras area, 3/1918.
REEL 15 Continues: decision to continue rail movement of troops whilst line cut by German long range shelling was repaired during emergency move of divisions to Arras area, 3/1918; question of criticism of staff work; opinion of Major General Hubert Plumer; question of troops adaptability to open warfare and story illustrating troops reliance on Lewis gun rather than rifles, 11/1918; story illustrating disorganisation caused by inexperience of US division, 1918. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Lance, David G | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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