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Description: | British private served with Machine Gun Corps in GB and on Western Front, 1917-1918
REEL 1: Background in Kent and London, 1899-1917: family; education; memory of Empire Day and Boer War; reaction to outbreak of war, 4/Aug/1914; memory of horses being requisitioned; attitude to conscription; opinion of Royal Navy; question of patriotism; story of being taught German language and culture at St.Dunstan's School and attitude to Germans; story of attestation and wearing armband; employment; reaction to being called up 3/1917; question of casualty figures; drafted into Training Reserve and description of various training camps.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of training with Machine Gun Corps in GB, 1917-1918: story of being posted to Machine Gun Corps and description of training with Vickers machine gun; attitude to being in Machine Gun Corps; question of separation of veterans and new recruits; memory of advice from veteran; description of journey to France, 11/1918. Recollections of operations with Machine Gun Corps on Western Front, 1918: question of morale and status as 'cease-fire draft'; story of marching from Boulogne to camp at Etaples and memory of seeing graves; description of camp and conditions at Etaples; reaction to news of Armistice and question of not seeing action; description of rail journey from Etaples to Cambrai and conditions in Cambrai; role in charge of Field Canteen; memory of French refugees; memory of graves of two deserters at St. Quentin; posted to brother's unit at Charleroi, Belgium; role as clerk with Div HQ.
REEL 3 Continues: posted to Cologne, Germany and question of fraternization with Germans; description of conditions in Cologne and memory of American troops; returned to GB and story of demobilization, 1919. Aspects of post-war life and employment. Reflections on period of service and attitude to war. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Hooker, Thomas | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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