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Description: | British private served with 1/7th Bn, Durham Light Infantry in GB and Western Front, 1909-1919
REEL 1 Recollections of background in Sunderland, GB, 1895-1914: family circumstances and death of brother from typhoid; education and interest in music; work as apprentice joiner in shipyard. Recruitment and training as bands boy with 1/7th Bn Durham Light Infantry at Garrison Fields Drill Hall, 7/1909-8/1914: reasons; learning cornet and violin; instructors; holiday nature of summer camp; rifle training; playing with band in officers' mess; question of role as stretcher bearer; visits of parties of German workers; mobilisation from summer camp, 8/1914. Aspects of periods in Sunderland, Ravensworth Castle and Gateshead, 8/19144/1915: posting to 2 Platoon, A Coy; training; conditions of service; relationship with other ranks, NCOs and officers; exercises; drinking habits; latrines.
REEL 2 Journey out via Boulogne, France to Ryveld, Belgium, 4/1915: Recollections of operations during German attack in Ypres area, 4/1915-5/1915: briefing from Colonel Ernest Vaux, 23/4/1915; move up to Ypres; view of reinforcements arriving; effects of German shell fire on Ypres; overnight stop at Velorenhoek, move up in open order towards Gravenstafel Ridge, 26/4/1915, including traces of gas, casualties from German shell fire, digging in, personal morale and continued advance through Zonnebeke; night withdrawal from positions in open ground; situation and digging reserve trench line for planned retirement to shortened line; rest period at Wateau; view of German shelling of Ypres whilst guiding battalion transport; move into line at Zillebeke; story of close escape from German shell whilst digging reserve trench line.
REEL 3 Continues: lack of food and water rations; reporting sick as result of breathing problems caused by inhaling gas. Hospitalisation at Rouen, 5/1915. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in Mount Kemmel and Armentieres sectors, 6/1915-11/1915: casualties and rumours of Germans shooting POWs; German sniping; stories illustrating danger from German sniping; dugouts; food rations and tea; parcels from GB; story of post-war identification of Private Peter Dowd killed by German shellfire at Zillebeke, 5/1915; story of Captain Roland Bradford checking shaving; latrines; story of NCO stealing rum ration; lice and rat problems.
REEL 4 Continues: trench maintenance; stand to; listening post duty; German shellfire; non-aimed rifle fire; German machine gun fire; sentry duty; question of espionage activity behind British lines; selection as cornet player with reformed band; temporary duties as stretcher bearer and story of attending fatal casualty. Recollections of period with band attached to HQ Coy, 1/7th Bn, Durham Light Infantry on Western Front, 1915-1918: composition of band; ration parties in Ypres area; battalion sports day; band performances for other units; cancellation of move to Loos area, 9/1915; story of band getting drunk during sports day performance; background to transfer of band to role acting as 50th Div band; story illustrating conditions in Bluff sector, Ypres area, 3/1916; movements.
REEL 5 Continues: story illustrating example of Colonel Vaux during attack on Gravenstafel Ridge, 26/4/1915; instrumental composition of band; band and solo practice; use of sheet music; repertoire at performances for divisional units or in providing music for divisional concert party; daily routine and duties; protected status as band musicians; playing on route marches and effect of music on tired troops; movements, 1916.
REEL 6 Continues: movements, 1916; role on working parties and view of battlefield in aftermath of attack on Martinpuich, 15/9/1916; situation; story of German shellfire during band concert in Albert; organisation of battalion bands in 50th Div, 1917; reactions to corpses and question of looting during period on working party duties in Arras area, 4/1917; special long leave as time-expired territorial and story of dispute over failure to salute officer in street, 8/1917; period training at Infantry Base Depot at Etaples, 9/1917; effects of bombing during German air raid on hut camp at Elverdinghe, Ypres area, 1917; working party role of band; story of NCO accidentally killed in hut fire.
REEL 7 Continues: movements; retreat following German offensive in Somme area, ca 3/1918; meeting German POWs; retreat following German offensive in Aisne area, 5/1918; situation; formation of composite battalion with 22nd Bn, Durham Light Infantry; playing band concert at Army and Navy Club, Paris, 7/1918; return to unit and posting to C Coy; situation on move to Arras area; playing cornet for church parade; band concerts; situation during advance, 8/1918-11/1918; news of Armistice, 11/11/1918. Various aspects of period in Belgium, 11/1918-1/1919.
REEL 8 Demobilisation, 1/1918. Post-war career: question of effects of war service; question of becoming regular; return to work as apprentice joiner; work as part-time musician in Sunderland, 1919-1922; work as full time musician in Sunderland, Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne, 1922-1960. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Surtees, Frank | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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