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Description: | British bombardier served with 285th Battery, 91st Brigade Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1915-1918
REEL 1: Background in Dinas Powis, South Wales: story of enlistment in army, 3/Sep/1914; medical examination and question of age; reaction of parents; names of friends; description of train journey from Penarth to Preston, Lancashire; marched to Fulwood Barracks. Aspects of training with Royal Field Artillery in GB, 9/1914-7/1915: layout of barracks; issued with bedding; messing arrangements; opinion of food; accommodation in marquee; fight between Welsh and Scottish troops; daily routine and activities; relations with local civilians; various memories of civilians Mrs Smith and Mr Cross; story of meeting cousin; description of re-enlistment procedure; medical examination; issued with army number; marched to Preston station; memory of Welsh troops singing song ‘In the Evening By the Moonlight’; posted to South Minden Barracks, Deepcut, Surrey; opinion of accommodation; divided into squads; shortage of NCOs; assigned to 285th Battery, 91st Bde, Royal Field Artillery; basic training; problem of lack of uniform and footwear; guard duties; issued with army boots and navy blue uniform; gun drill on Boer War guns; story of hiring khaki uniform for Christmas leave; issued with civilian overcoats; inspection by Lord Kitchener; put on charge for drinking in canteen; memories of friend Dick Chapman; posted to camp on Whitley Common, 2/1915; accommodation and sleeping arrangements; types of horses; puttees; appointed lead driver with No 3 gun team.
REEL 2 Continues: other members of gun team; riding drill; story of visit by King George V; amusing story of sergeant with speech impediment; daily routine and training; posted to Larkhill camp, Salisbury Plain, 4/1915; story of training and death of remount horse nicknamed the Rat; opinion of sergeant-major; training with four gun batteries; training of horses; death of mother; duties of driver; promoted to bombardier; sailed from Southampton to Le Havre, France, 7/1915. Recollections of operations as bombardier with 285th Bty, 91st Bde Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1915-1918; entrained to St Omer; injured by gun running over leg and assigned to light duties; duties in charge of main guard; inspection by CO of 20th Divisional Artillery; story of horses stampeding; took over from Indian battery at Laventie; first experience of being under fire; providing cover for horses; role of drivers delivering ammunition to guns; death of friends in action; supply of cigarettes; posted to Ypres Salient, Belgium; location of guns in former glasshouses; duties burying telephone cables; casualties; reaction to death and injury of horses; posted to Somme area, France, 8/1916; deployment of six gun batteries near Combles; wagon line; movement of guns to Ginchy Ridge; transportation of ammunition; story of spurs; story of rescuing horse from shell hole; posted to Corbie for rest period, 12/1916; appointment of new battery commander; memories of winter 1917; problem of water cart freezing and difficulty of moving of guns.
REEL 3 Continues: story of horses finding way back to wagon line; problem of goat skin jackets causing distress to horses; care of horses; memories of vet Dick Dyer; problem of horses eating through thongs; posted back to Ypres Salient, 7/1917; wagon line at Canada Farm; preparations for Third Battle of Ypres, 7/1917; description of opening bombardment, 31/Jul/1917; guns moved to Pilckem Ridge; terrain; gas masks used on horses; problem of heavy rain; use of horses to carry ammunition; guns moved to Iron Cross Corner; batteries and wagon line shelled; guns moved to location near Steenbeek River; death of battery commander Major Balfour; problem of moving ammunition and help from Grenadier Guards; moved to Poperinghe area; estaminets; description of operations during Battle of Cambrai, France, 11/1917; use of tanks; German counter-attack; story of death of horse Rufus; shrapnel holes in uniform; appointment of new battery commander Major Price-Williams; opening of German offensive, 21/Mar/1918; description of operations during retreat; location of guns in open in valley near Villers-Bretonneux, France; battery made up to full strength; description of German attack on Villers-Bretonneux; medal awards; moved to Lens sector; use of railway to transport ammunition; story of mules; gas shells; casualties in battery while on home leave, 10/1918; returned to battery, 13/Nov/1918. Aspects of period with 285th Bty, 91st Bde Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1918: duties as groom for colonel’s horses in Hazebrouck; extra pay; care of horses; discharged from army, 2/1919; story of rum; story of fight with soldiers from Rifle Brigade at Poperinghe; supplies obtained from Army Forces Canteen; delivery of rations by Army Service Corps; description of grooming kit; grooming and care of horses; harness cleaning; memories of concert party The Very Lights; description of 20th Div grand show.
REEL 4 Continues: Red Cross parcels; personal hygiene; methods of dealing with lice; comparison of infantry and artillery field kitchens; opinion of Maconochies rations; problem of opening corned beef tins with knife; memories of Tickler’s Jam and tins of pork and beans; rum ration; various memories of signals officer; further comments on horses; reflections on period of military service.
REEL 1 | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Williams, Aneurin Cadwalader | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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