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Description: | British private served as driver with 1st East Lancashire Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps in GB and Gallipoli, 1913-1916; sapper served with Royal Engineers in Egypt, Palestine and on Western Front, 1916-1919.
REEL 1 Aspects of background in Manchester, 1894-1914: work experience; recruitment as driver into 1st East Lancashire Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps, 1913; composition of 42nd Div. Recollections of periods at Chorlton Road Barracks in Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool, Southport and Crowborough, 8/1914-7/1915: mobilisation, 4/8/1914; scale of army mobilisation, 1914-1915; uniforms; story illustrating relationship with regulars; story of difficult horse; training as driver; acting as victim in medical field exercises; basic first aid skills; relationship with local civilians; clearing parade ground at Crowborough; relationship with officers.
REEL 2 Continues: reason for refusing to volunteer for overseas service, 8/1914 and consequent remaining in GB with second line on unit's posting to Egypt, 9/1915. Recollections of voyage aboard HMT Royal Edward, 7/1915: preparations and kitting out; question of destination and story of posting letter to mother; send off; conditions; question of lifeboat drills. Account of torpedo sinking Royal Edward in Eastern Mediterranean, 13/8/1915: abandoning ship; securing place in adrift lifeboat; meeting friend on HM Hospital Ship Sudan; photographs of sinking and aftermath; situation in lifeboat; reactions.
REEL 3 Continues: question of lifeboat drill; rescue by HM Hospital Ship Sudan; stories illustrating aspects of sinking. Reorganisation at Alexandria, Egypt, 8/1915. Recollections of conditions of service and duties at Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey, 9/1915-1/1916: landing at V Beach, 10/9/1915; posting to 1st East Lancashire Field Ambulance transport base in centre of Helles area; visits to Pink Farm wells; situation; transport available and role of transport section; Suvla Bay casualties aboard HM Hospital Ship Sudan, 8/1915; horses and mules; terrain.
REEL 4 Continues: lice problem; sea bathing and its dangers; move to relieve Royal Naval division; billets in Inniskilling Avenue off Gully Ravine; nearby French artillery; reputation of 29th Division; troops' state of health; attack of dysentery and treatment by injections and diet at Gully Beach hospital; role as ambulance driver in evacuating casualties from advance field dressing station at top of Gully Ravine to beach; stages of medical care of casualties; driving conditions in Gully Ravine; stretchers and ambulances used; question of communication between ambulances and advanced dressing station; visits to beach dumps and field ovens; food rations.
REEL 5 Continues: horses and mules; food, water, rum and cigarette rations; letter and parcel contact with GB; effect of November storms and cold weather; dugout; story of shellfire disturbing sea bathing in Morto Bay; relationship with medical officers; question of VD; question of adequacy of medical facilities.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of evacuation of Helles, 8/1/1916: ignorance of evacuation of Suvla and Anzac; taking stores back to beach dumps; shooting of horses; evacuation of majority of transport section early, 8/1/1916; remaining with ambulance to collect stragglers and casualties; lack of precise orders; evening journey to W Beach; abandoning ambulance and horse; situation on beach; evacuation from jetty in steamer; lack of supervision; disembarkation at Mudros, Lemnos and initial confusion. Aspects of operations at Gallipoli, 1915: daily routine and lack of discipline; opinion of campaign strategy.
REEL 7 Continues: disciplinary punishments; attending unit associations. Aspects of operations with Royal Engineers with 42nd Division in Egypt, 7/1916-2/1917: reasons for transfer to Royal Engineers; duties; chain ferry across Suez Canal at El- Kantara; operations in Sinai; role as officers runner. Aspects of operations on Western Front, 3/1917-1919: question of leave; attachment for assessment for possible commission with C Battery, 210 Brigade Royal Field Artillery, 1918; events, 1918; superior pay received by Royal Engineers in comparison to infantry; Ypres area; armistice, 11/11/1918; story of shell accident in battery. Demobilisation and return to civilian life, 1919. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Smith, Lyn E | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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