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Description: | British NCO served with 8th Bn Cheshire Regt in GB and Gallipoli, 1914-1915; served with 8th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in Egypt and Mesopotamia, 1915-1918; trained as officer in India, 1918-1919
REEL 1: Background in Stockport area, 1894-1914: scouting activities; work as accountant. Recruitment into 8th Bn Cheshire Regt, 17/8/1914: reasons; family reaction; brothers conscientious objections. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and training at Chester, Salisbury Plain, Swindon and Pirbright, 8/1914-6/1915: food rations; route marches; rifle and bayonet training; tactical exercises; initial rejection for commission and promotion to sergeant, 9/1914; role as sergeant and relationship with other ranks; absence of platoon officer.
REEL 2 Continues: relationship with officers and NCOs; sergeants' mess; visits to London; story illustrating lack of experience with women; competiveness between platoons. Recollections of voyage on Ivernia to Mudros, Lemnos, 26/6/1915-20/7/1915: send off; question of destination; conditions. Conditions of service during period at Lemnos, 20/7/1915-22/7/1915. Recollections of conditions of service in front lines and reserve at Helles, 7/1915-8/1915: landing from Whitby Abbey through River Clyde at V Beach, 22/7/1915; first impressions; move round to W Beach; horses; problems with sea current whilst swimming.
REEL 3 Continues: soldier drowned in sea swimming; reaction to first shellfire; relieving 29th Div; nature of trenches; daytime reconnaissance in No Mans Land; lice problem; latrines; food and water rations; story of provoking Turk response with rifle fire; extending reserve Eski lines.
REEL 4 Continues: Evacuation on HMS Swiftsure to Mudros, 2/8/1915. Attack of dysentery during period at Lemnos, 8/1915. Recollections of operations at Anzac, 8/1915: nearly drowning during landing from Whitby Abbey and entering wrong gully, 7/8/1915; story of moving up Aghyl Dere to Chessboard sector and circumstances of cancellation of attack planned, 8/8/1915; story of failure to organise water party to beach due to fatigue; story of officer's leniency to sleeping sentry; period in Shell Gully.
REEL 5 Continues: liaison duties with Australian posts next to sea; march to Suvla. Recollections of period in Chocolate Hill sector, 8/1915-9/1915: view of landing from Anzac positions; situation; state of health and morale; story of friend being wounded; attack of dysentery, attempt to secure evacuation sick and decision to remain due to lack of officers and NCOs; stolen meat from store dump; evacuation with dysentery, 22/9/1915. Treatment aboard Garcon, in 3rd Australian General Hospital at Mudros and at various hospitals and convalescent camps in Cairo, Egypt, 9/1915-11/1915. Posting as orderly room sergeant with 8th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers in Alexandria, 11/1915-2/1916: Christmas celebrations; reaction to leaving Gallipoli. Voyage to Basra, Mesopotamia, Turkey, 2/1916.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of period as orderly room sergeant representing 8th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers with Third Echelon of 13th Div at Asha, 1916-1918: first impressions; barrack accommodation; initial office accommodation; role in collating and disseminating information on every member of battalion's nominal role; daily routine; new purpose built office; danger of heat stroke; state of health. Background to posting to rejoin unit at Tidj Derry, 1918: position as candidate for commission following interview; reactions; journey; reception. Recollections of operations during advance in pursuit of Turks, 1918: role as battalion marker during night advance; acting as lead platoon; hill picket duty; account of action in Toj Kanatlee sector.
REEL 7 Continues: account of action in Toj Kanatlee sector; Arab civilians looting of battlefield; guarding positions across swollen river; escorting Armenian refugees to Tidj Derry. Posting to attend officers training course at Camelpore, India, 10/1918-4/1915: journey; Indian servants; kitting out; tactical exercises; daily routine and officers' mess; visit to North West Frontier.
REEL 8 Continues: Journey through India prior to voyage to GB, 4/1919-5/1919: visit to Taxila; quarantine on Isle of Wight, 5/1919. Demobilisation, 10/6/1919. | 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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