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Description: | British NCO served as wireless operator with Royal Flying Corps and RAF on Western Front, 6-11/1918
REEL 1: Aspects of period in Carluke, Scotland and Hayes, Middlesex, GB, 1900-1914: family; education; reason for move to England, 1913; reaction to seeing motor cars and aircraft for the first time; religious beliefs of parents; Sunday school; holidays and recreational activities; strawberry picking; problem of adjusting to life in England.
REEL 2 Continues: education; membership of school cadet corps; academic interests and qualifications; attitude to Germans; attitude to British Empire and patriotism. Aspects of period in GB, 1914-1918: reaction to outbreak of war, 8/1914; story of uncle’s military service in Middle East; awareness of progress of war; memories of Zeppelin raids.
REEL 3 Continues: story of attesting under Derby Scheme, 1917; reason for volunteering for Royal Flying Corps; training at Aldershot including Morse code. Aspects of operations as wireless operator with Royal Flying Corps on Western Front, 1918: duties as wireless operator; attached to 14th Bde Royal Horse Artillery; liaison role between observation planes and artillery; issued with revolver; problem of lice; location of receiver in hillside; slept in dugout; only method of communication with aircraft using white strips of cloth to form letters on ground; problem of lice and rats; opinion of rations; moved across France following German retreat; memories of Armistice at Mauberge, 11/1918; proximity of front line; story of shell exploding; received news reports in Morse from Eiffel Tower; carried chemistry book to study; story of contracting flu and medical treatment; home leave; posted to Germany.
REEL 4 Continues: Aspects of period with Army of Occupation in Cologne, Germany, 1918-1919: living conditions; relations with German civilians; attitude to Germans; returned to GB and demobilised at Crystal Palace, 1919. Aspects of post-war life and employment: obtained degree in chemistry; employment as chemist in Argentina; story of trip to Canada; returned to GB, 1930; employment with gramophone company; employment as manager of tanning extract company in Borneo. Aspects of period as internee of Japanese in Borneo, 1941-1945: description of living conditions in camps at Sandakan and Kuching; nature of work; problem of weight loss. Emigrated to Australia, 1949. Reflections on First World War. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Quickfire Media | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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