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Description: | British rifleman and NCO served with 1/21st Bn London Regt (First Surrey Rifles) on Western Front, 1916-1918
REEL 1: Story of enlistment and question of age, 1914; training; role of territorial army; in camp at Salisbury Plain; transferred to 21st Bn London Regt; black buttons; issued with new regimental number; description of journey to France, 1916. Recollections of operations with 1/21st Bn London Regt on Western Front, 1916-1918: base camp at Le Havre; relations with French civilians; accommodation and messing facilities; issued with rifle and equipment; story of NCO and argument over numbers; description of training; posted to 21st Bn London Regt; description of action at High Wood, Somme, France, 1916; casualties; joined 21st Bn at Henencourt; issued with black buttons; drill; marching speed; moved to Mametz Wood, 28/Sep/1916; repaired trenches in High Wood area; description of burial party under fire; problem of weather conditions; description of advance towards Butte de Warlincourt, 10/1916; attitude to being under fire; description of attack on Butte de Warlincourt; reaction to death of friends; result of attack; moved to Albert sector; memory of friends; morale in Bn; attitude to war; story of shaving; divisional parade; description of journey by train to moved to Ypres area, Belgium; rations.
REEL 2 Continues: moved into Divisional Reserve at Flamertinghe; description of Ypres and terrain including Hill 60; location of front line; story of collecting rations; conditions in trenches; problem of German snipers; organisation of sentries; moved into support in railway dugout; marched into hutted camp in reserve; rations; sleeping arrangements; daily routine; cleaning rifle and bayonet; washing and shaving; pay; cigarettes; memory of Honeydew tobacco; baths; problem of lice; canteen; communication with home and question of censorship; visit to Poperinghe; rum ration; amusing story of Mr Jones; memory of visit to Toc H; issued with bandoliers of ammunition; moved into line at Hill 60; description of German minenwerfer; role as decoy for attack by 41st Div; memories of celebrating Christmas, 12/1916; entertainment and popular songs.
REEL 3 Continues: relations between infantry and artillery; story of German machine gun; problem of cold weather, 1/1917; posted to Ravine Wood sector, Ypres area; description of trench system; duties in observation post in front line; proximity of German trenches; story of shooting German in No Man's Land; problem of trench feet; daily routine; rations; moved into canal dugout on Ypres-Lille road; description of duties in ammunition dump; transport of ammunition and rations by railway; story of carrying corpse back for burial at night; moved into reserve; amusing story of using petrol cans as chairs; description of trench mortars; problem of German snipers; opinion of Bn CO; attitude to new drafts; conditions in trenches; use of waders; moved into 10 Corps Reserve, St Omer, France; description of landscape; question of proficiency pay; accommodation and living conditions; moved into Ypres salient, Belgium; issued with identification markings.
REEL 4 Continues: role of D coy 142 Bde in operations on Messines Ridge; posted as ammunition carrier with Lewis gun team; objectives; description of explosion of mines and artillery barrage on Messines Ridge, 6/1917; memory of padre Rev Plumtree; description of advance over No Man's Land to German positions; casualties in Lewis gun team; description of making gun position; story of treating wounded officer; problem of German snipers; joined 23rd Bn London Regt; story of wounded captain; caught in barbed wire; further casualties in Lewis gun team; withdrawn to tented camp; returned to role as rifleman; attitude to award of medals following action; moved back into Corps Reserve, St Omer; billets; living conditions; amusing story of French wedding.
REEL 5 Continues: marched back to Ypres; cemeteries; description of positions in Ypres salient; problem of German snipers; returned to camp at Flamertinghe; question of wearing shorts in hot weather; description of attack on Passchendaele, 7/1917; casualties; problem of waterlogged ground; description of position on Westhoek Ridge; pill boxes; working parties; story of delivering message to Coy HQ; description of captured pill box; moved into support line; conditions in trenches; stand to; story of visit by HRH Prince of Wales at Passchendaele; transferred to 2nd Army; wounded and evacuated to base hospital; rejoined 21st Bn, 1/1918; morale; improvement of rations and messing arrangements; increase in pay for 1914 volunteers; transferred to 140th Bde, 47th Div, 2/1918; amusing story of parade.
REEL 6 Continues: question of wearing of chevrons on sleeve; attitude to death and loss of friends; memory of 21st birthday; description of opening of German offensive, 21/Mar/1918; loss of helmet; attitude to Germans; evacuated position; moved into Fusilier Trench; problem of lack of sleep; description of further German attacks; story of machine gun concealed on German stretcher; problem of losing contact with Bn; appointed acting corporal; joined up with 1/4th Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers; moved into High Wood sector, Somme; gassed and taken to Etaples base camp for medical treatment; graded E2.
REEL 7 Continues: promoted corporal; role on garrison guard duties, Etaples; transferred to anti-aircraft company, Royal Fusiliers; question of reduction in rank; duties as company quartermaster sergeant; memories of Armistice, 11/1918; German air attacks on hospital; question of medal awards; demobilisation and return to GB, 1919; regimental marches (music). | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Caplen, Roland | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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recording
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