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Description: | British private served with 2/4th Bn West Kent Regt in GB and at Gallipoli, 1914-1915
REEL 1 Background in Buckhurst Park estate, Ascot, 1898-1914: nickname of 'Nutty'; work with dairy farmer; broken arm; family financial and social circumstances; goitre operation; Church Lads Bde activities; incident of vandalism; work as farm boy. Background to recruitment underage with 2/5th Bn East Kent Regt at Ascot, 1/12/1914: reasons; civilian doctor's attitude to underage status during medical examination; parents' reaction; official attitude to underage status. Aspects of training during periods at Ascot and Ashford, 12/1915-8/1915: conditions of service; training in semaphore and telephone as signaller; superiority of naval signallers.
REEL 2 Continues: superiority of naval signallers; question of adequacy of training. Recollections of voyage following transfer to composite 2/4th Bn West Kent Regt aboard Northland to Gallipoli, Turkey, 7/1915-8/1915: ignorance of destination; issue of tropical kit; parents' reaction; deck bath; relationship with officers; story of soldier jumping overboard; recreations; naval escort and admiration for Royal Navy; patriotism and morale as war progressed; period at Alexandria; adequacy of training; lack of briefing.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle at Suvla, Gallipoli, 8/1915-9/1915: equipment carried on landing, 10/8/1915; terrain; story of singing on beach; move inland, digging in and laying signalling wire; story of falling asleep on signalling duty due to extra rum and avoiding court martial; signalling duties; story illustrating sniping problem; nature of fighting; effects of being underage and relationship with older soldiers; food and water rations; state of health and toothache; conserving water ration and question of washing; latrines; sniping problem; routine signalling duties.
REEL 4 Continues: fly problems; cold nights; rest period; opinion of officers and NCOs; morale; daily routine; sea bathing and story of being wounded by shell fire; stories of evacuation by stretcher to dressing station. Evacuation aboard Nevassa to Alexandria, Egypt, 9/1915: conditions.
REEL 5 Continues: question of medical treatment. Period at 21st General Hospital, Ras-el-Tin, 9/1915: walking; appearing before medical board and assignment to GB; story of being accused of visiting brothels | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Edmed, Thomas Henry | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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