DeptName
Documents
IDNO
658
OtherNumber
91/2/1
ItemName
Private Papers of G M Leet
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Cyclostyled ts papers relating to techniques and materials used in camouflage during the Second World War, largely in the Middle East, including: four official reports issued by the Royal Engineers, 1942 - 1943, giving detailed information on methods, construction, style and effectiveness, with numerous photographs/illustrations, including the use of 'dummy' equipment; SO Book 136 containing ms notes on the Paiforce camouflage school, January 1943; miscellaneous items including officers' personal and advance cheque books, Second World War (ref: IAFF 1034 and AF W3241) and a military pass for Bombay Port Trust Docks.
MakerName
Leet
Forenames
G M
Style
Captain
RelatedIWMItems
See DCAR
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
735
OtherNumber
91/16/1
ItemName
Private Papers of W T B Grounds
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Ts account quoting his letters home (281pp), written in 1988 and recording his service with B Squadron, 25th Dragoons, 254th Indian Tank Brigade, India, August - December 1943, and Corps Armoured Group, XV Indian Corps, Arakan, Burma, December 1943 - June 1944, including: in Ranchi Hospital with jaundice, October - November 1943; the move to the Arakan, December 1943; in support of 161st Brigade, 5th Indian Division, attacking the Tunnels area on the Maungdaw - Buthidaung road, January 1944; with 89th Brigade, 7th Indian Division, and 9th Brigade, 5th Indian Division, during the Battle of the Admin Box, February 1944; with 114th Brigade, 7th Indian Division, March 1944; and the 26th Indian Division, April 1944, in the Battle of the Tunnels area; rest and return to India, May - June 1944; describing the famine in Bengal, August 1943; leave in Calcutta, August - September 1943; contracting malaria; Japanese brutality; jungle warfare; his appearance before the GHQ Selection Board, March 1944; and mentioning Lieutenant General Sir Geoffrey Evans; Brigadier H R C Frink; General Sir Frank Messervy; Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten; Brigadier S H Persse and Naik Nand Singh VC.
MakerName
Grounds
Forenames
W T B
RelatedIWMItems
Published in 1994 as Tom Grounds, "Some Letters From Burma: The Story of the 25th Dragoons at War".
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
1533
OtherNumber
92/1/1
ItemName
Private Papers of L C Freiherr von Heyl
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Ts transcription of a lecture in German (267pp with illustrations and sketch maps), given in 1983, by a German Officer with the 6th Cavalry Regiment serving as Adjutant of the 36th Reconnaissance Unit, 36th (Motorised) Infantry Division, June 1940 - December 1943 (when he was wounded in the leg and invalided), recording his experiences on active service in France, June 1940; and on the Eastern Front notably the advances on Leningrad with 41st Panzerkorps, June - October 1941; Kalinin, October - November 1941; and Moscow with the 3rd Panzer Group, November - December 1941; the retreat from Moscow, January - April 1942; and the Battle of Orel, July 1943, including: interesting details of the military operations in which he was involved; extracts from personal letters; official reports on individual operations; and his diary. Also included are a Youth Propaganda poster (1p), ca 1941; a school report from a High School for Girls (Home Economics, 2pp), July 1941; and a translation (2pp), April 1989, of an After-Action Report of the Reconnaissance Unit, 36th (Motorised) Infantry Division, 6 - 23 December 1941 (see p.102 of the lecture) signed by von Heyl.
MakerName
Heyl
Forenames
L C Freiherr von
Style
Leutnant
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
3269
OtherNumber
95/19/1
ItemName
Private Papers of R T Greenwood
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Seven volumes of an excellent ms diary, together with a ts transcription (124pp), 6 June 1944 - 17 April 1945, kept by him while serving as a corporal (later sergeant) with the 9th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment, covering his service with the Battalion in Normandy from D-Day+16, and the advance through northern France, Belgium and Holland into Germany, through the Reichswald, Venlo, Wezel and across the Rhine, with detailed notes about the intense fighting the Battalion experienced on landing in Normandy (June 1944), the frustration and despair of seeing Bomber Command mistakenly bomb Allied lines near Caen (August 1944), the liberation of Le Havre (September 1944), the fighting around Roosendaal, Holland (October 1944), the reception of soldiers by the Dutch families on whom they were billeted (December 1944), and the breakthrough by tanks in the Reichswald Forest (February 1945), concluding with 'mopping up' operations in northern Germany (April 1945).
MakerName
Greenwood
Forenames
R T
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
2246
OtherNumber
PP/MCR/353
ItemName
Private Papers of A D R Wingfield
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Microfilm copy of his three volume memoirs (ca 400pp written in 1980) covering his army career comprising the following appointments: ADC to the Deputy Director General of the TA at the War Office (1937 - 1938), in command of D Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Brigade (later renamed 2nd Light Armoured Brigade; in the United Kingdom, 1938 and 1939, including covering East Coast Defence in 1939), in command of B Squadron 10th Hussars (1st Armoured Division) in North Africa (December 1941 -May 1942), as Instructor, Middle East Training Centre, Gaza, Palestine (May - October 1942), as 2nd in command of 10th Hussars in North Africa (2nd Armoured Brigade, October 1942 - July 1943), as GSO1 to the Director of Armoured Fighting Vehicles in Cairo (July 1943 - January 1944), as 2nd in Command of 34th Tank Brigade (part of 12th Corps, in England, January - July 1944, and in France, Belgium and Holland, July - October 1944), and in command of 22nd Armoured Brigade (7th Armoured Division, in Holland and Germany, October 1944 - December 1945). The memoirs contain many references to his large circle of acquaintances and his social pursuits, but many good descriptions of tactics employed in the use of tanks, of aspects of command, of the major engagements in which he was involved (including the Battles of El Alamein, Medenine and Mareth Line in North Africa, Operations around Caen, the River Odon and Le Havre in France, Nijmegen, the Aa River and the Siegfried Line in Holland, and on the Weser and up to the surrender of Hamburg in Germany) of regimental life and of conditions in Germany after the surrender, with interesting sidelights on many of the military figures with whom he came into contact, especially Major General L O Lyne.
MakerName
Wingfield
Forenames
A D R
Honours
DSO MC
Style
Brigadier
RelatedIWMItems
See full catalogue
RelatedTextFile
ADRWingfield.doc
Weighting
500
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
3545
OtherNumber
85/11/1
ItemName
Private Papers of G L M Viner
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Ms letter (3pp) written as a member of C Company, Heavy Branch, Machine Gun Corps in September 1916 describing his participation in the first tank attack at Flers-Courcelette during the Battle of the Somme.
MakerName
Viner
Forenames
G L M
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
6915
OtherNumber
78/51/1
ItemName
Private Papers of H Smeddle
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Vivid ms accounts, apparently written in December 1918, of a few days in August 1918 when as a Captain in the 15th Battalion Tank Corps he led a section of tanks in attacks on the Germans, the first (23pp) describing the attack on 8 August when his objective was to assist with the breakthrough by the British near Amiens, and the second (47pp) describing an action on 21 August 1918 when his section supported troops of the 62nd Division in another advance against the enemy line, successfully capturing their objective of Courcelles. Both accounts describe in some detail the danger inherent in using the early tanks in combat.
MakerName
Smeddle
Forenames
H
Style
Captain
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
7185
OtherNumber
78/46/5
ItemName
Private Papers of G MacLeod Ross
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
5 ms diaries written while serving as a junior officer in the 227th Field Company RE (39th Division) in France and Belgium from October 1916, including much domestic detail about the Company but also many interesting entries, notably about the fighting for the Ancre Heights (November 1916) towards the end of the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres (July - September 1917) and the failings of Army organisation; together with two volumes of ms transcriptions of his letters home, November 1917 - January 1919, covering his experiences during the German spring offensive of 1918, and then in command of the 227th Field Company well behind the line on the Western Front from June 1918 until his return home prior to demobilisation; an important and extensive series of ms and ts diaries, some with later edited transcripts, covering his service with the British garrison in Tientsin, North China, January - March 1932, as Assistant and later Deputy Superintendent of Design (for tanks and all tracked vehicles) at the Royal Arsenal Woolwich, February 1933 - May 1934 and January 1935 - September 1936; as CRE Quetta, India, with responsibility for its reconstruction after the earthquake, December 1938 - August 1940; as Chairman of the Tank Development Board, GHQ India, August 1940 - September 1941; as Deputy Director of Tank Design in the Ministry of Supply, November 1941 - February 1942, and as British Chief Technical Liaison Officer to the US Army Ordnance Department in Detroit, Michigan, March 1942 - December 1945; together with a fine series of ms letters, in part incorporated into the diaries and all with ts transcriptions, from Major General Sir Campbell Clarke, December 1935 - December 1969, who was Deputy Superintendent of the Design Department, 1933 - 1936, a member and later Chairman of the Ordnance Committee, December 1936 - June 1938, and successively Director and Director General of Artillery, June 1938 - May 1945. The papers contain a mass of valuable information about technical developments and personalities in the tank world, and are a key source on the mechanisation of the British Army, 1933 - 1945.
MakerName
MacLeod Ross
Forenames
G
Honours
MC
Style
Brigadier
RelatedIWMItems
See also DPB
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
7872
OtherNumber
98/23/1
ItemName
Private Papers of J A S Neave
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Well-written ts diary (378pp) of his service as Adjutant of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars RAC (27th Armoured Brigade and 8th Armoured Brigade) in North West Europe, June 1944 - May 1945, including: training in the United Kingdom with Sherman DD tanks as part of 79th Armoured Division at Skipton, Yorkshire, September 1942 - April 1943, Wickham Market, Suffolk, April - December 1943, Gosport, Hampshire, December 1943 - January 1944; Fort George, Inverness, January - April 1944; and Petworth, Sussex, April - June 1944; supporting the assault of 8th Brigade, 3rd Division, in the landings on Queen Beach in Normandy on D-Day, June 1944; the fighting for Caen, June - July 1944; the capture of Mount Pincon, the Battle of the Falaise Gap, and the breakout to the Seine, August 1944; the advance through France and Belgium into Holland, August - October 1944, attempting to link up with Airborne troops at Arnhem; operations on the border of Holland and Germany, November 1944 - February 1945, including the Battles of Geilenkirchen, Operation CLIPPER, November 1944, and Waldefeucht, Operation BLACKCOCK, January 1945; the Battle for the Reichswald, Operation VERITABLE, February - March 1945; the crossing of the Rhine, Operation PLUNDER, and the subsequent advance on Bremen, March - May 1945; and commenting on the superiority of American to British tanks; poor Army planning; his duties; staff work; army life; off-duty entertainment; the conditions; visiting Monty's Tac HQ; the infantry's poor performance; atrocities by the Maquis; celebrating Balaclava Day; looting; and his fellow officers, notably his COs, Lieutenant Colonels R A Moulton Barrett, R T G Harrap, V A B Dunkerly, and the Earl of Feversham, and Field Marshals Sir James Cassels and Viscount Montgomery; Generals Sir John Crocker, Sir Brian Horrocks, Sir Neil Ritchie, and Sir Ivor Thomas; Major Generals Sir Percy Hobart, C H Miller, G E Prior-Palmer, and D B Wormald; Brigadiers E E E Cass, W S Clarke, J G de W Mullens, and J O E Vandeleur.
MakerName
Neave
Forenames
J A S
Honours
CBE JP DL
Style
Major
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Documents
IDNO
8607
OtherNumber
02/21/1
ItemName
Private Papers of G W Richards
ObjectType
Private Papers
ShortSummary
Ms account (62pp, written in 1977) with ts transcription (50pp) covering his career in the British Army (1917 - 1949), including: family background (1898 - 1916); training at RMC Sandhurst (1916 - 1917), and commissioned into the Royal Welch Fusiliers (1917); journey to Egypt and joining 2nd Garrison Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers in Cairo and the Western Desert; then patrolling in the desert with No 2 Light Car Patrol of the Machine Gun Corps; which becomes attached to the Desert Mounted Corps in Palestine and advances against the Turks in the assault on Aleppo (1918); then occupying Aintab until handed over to France (November 1918 - November 1919); and Haifa (December 1919 - March 1920); joining 4th Battalion Tank Corps to form the 7th Armoured Car Company on return to the United Kingdom (March 1920 - January 1921); then service as a workshop officer in India on the North West Frontier (January 1921 - March 1924); returning to the UK (1924 - 26); with 5th Armoured Car Company in China (January 1927 - March 1929); returning to the UK as adjutant with 4th RTC (March 1929 - ? September 1932); in India with 7th Armoured Car Company (? September 1932 - ? January 1934); at Staff College, Camberley (January 1934 - January 1936); in India (January - September 1936); returning to the UK as Brigade Major with the Tank Brigade (September 1936 - January 1939); attending and then Tank Course instructor at Senior Officers' School, Sheerness (January - September 1939); then OC 49th Tank Battalion, Yorkshire (from August 1940), and forming an RAC branch in Cairo, Egypt (early 1941); active service in North Africa as GSO1, 7th Armoured Division (May - December 1941), taking past in Operation 'Battleaxe' (June 1941), Operation 'Crusader' (November - December 1941); promoted Brigadier and GOC 4th Armoured Brigade (December 1941 - June 1942) until relieved of Command after the Knightsbridge Battle; then GOC 1st Tank Brigade (? June - August 1942) during the first Battle of Alamein; then GOC 23rd Armoured Brigade (August 19412 - January 1944), taking part in the battles of Alam Halfa (September 1942), Alamein (October - November 1942), Mareth Line (March 1943), Wadi Akarit (April 1943); then the invasion of Sicily (July 1943; then Brigadier RAC, 8th Army in Italy (July 1943 - January 1944); then Major General RAC, 21st Army Group taking part in the Normandy landings and liberation of North West Europe (January 1944 - May 1945); afterwards a member of the Luneburg Court to try the staff of Belsen (1945); then GOC 11th Armoured Division, 8 Corps, 53rd Division and 49th Armoured Division in Germany and UK (1945 - 1949); commenting on witnessing one of the last cavalry charges (1918); life in India and operations on the North West Frontier; the planning for D-Day; Major General Sir Harry MacAndrew; Field Marshals Lord Slim, Earl Wavell and Viscount Montgomery. Also included are a brief synopsis of his career during 1917 - 1945, (3pp); a programme issued on the 21st Anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein (28pp, October 1963); and a ts Command Study of the Battle of Gazala (May - June 1942) (255pp, January 1967).
MakerName
Richards
Forenames
G W
Honours
DSO MC
Style
Major General
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
published
UncatTransferDate
23/06/2006 12:46:31
URLEncodedDeptName
Documents
Access
Unrestricted
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
4013
ProductionDate
1963
ObjectType
Recording
IndexPeople
Beall, Reginald E xxx
IndexPlaces
FR
FR & Cambrai area, Nord
FR & Cambrai area, Nord <Hindenburg Line>
FR & Villers Plouich, Nord
FR & Masnieres, Nord
BE
BE & Ypres area
BE & Ypres area <Zillebeke Lake>
BE & Ypres area <Observatory Ridge>
IndexUnits
GB.A & Tank Corps, Bn 1
ShortSummary
British NCO served with 1st Bn Tank Corps on Western Front, 11/1917
FullSummary
REEL 1 Recollections of moving forward in 'Lion' Mark IV tank to start line with 1st Bn Tank Corps in Ypres area, Belgium, 30/7/1917: joining unit; moving forward and crossing canal; topping up water due to radiator damage; view of drivers gear signalling lamps inside tanks approaching Observatory Ridge; increasing shelling on move forward to start line in front of Zillebeke Lake; officer's attempt to act as guide through gun lines; German shellfire; question of use of gas shells, wearing gas mask and treatment of gas casualty; leaving tank at start line; increasing shelling; officers' loss of nerve. Recollections of attack with 1st Bn Tank Corps on Hindenburg Line at Masnieres, Cambrai area, France, 20/11/1917: state of crew morale; initiallly favourable ground conditions; damage to tracks in crossing extensive barbed wire defences at Villers Plouich; use of fascines in crossing trenches; approach to canal bridge; effect of German machine gun fire on rear of tank; wound and difficulty in evacuating tank on direct shell hit; damage to tracks in crossing extensive barbed wire defences at Villers Plouich.
ContextDescription
BBC Interviews: Great War
Military Operations, 1914-1919: Western Front, 1914-1918
Military Operations, 1914-1919: Tank Warfare, 1916-1918
Duration
12
NumberOfParts
C/B
OtherFormats
Part : 2pp
MakerName
Beall, Reginald E
ProductionCompany
BBC
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedSoundFile
004013S01.mp3
004013S02.mp3
Beale-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
Educational use only
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
4024
ProductionDate
1963
ObjectType
Recording
IndexPeople
Birks, Horace L xxx
IndexPlaces
FR
FR & Cambrai area, Nord
FR & Havrincourt Wood, Nord
FR & Grand Canyon, Nord
FR & Flesquires, Nord
BE
BE & Ypres area
IndexUnits
GB.A & Tank Corps, Bn D
GB.A & Machine Gun Corps & Heavy Branch, Bn D
ShortSummary
British officer served with 2nd Coy D Bn Tank Corps on Western Front, 1917
FullSummary
REEL 1 Recollections of failed tank attack with 2nd Coy D Bn Tank Corps at Poelcappelle, Ypres area, Belgium, 10/1917: difficulty in crossing tree obstruction across road; direct hit from German shell; tank losses. Conditions inside tank during attack on Mousetrap Farm, St Julian, 31/7/1917. Recollections of attack on Hindenburg Line in Flesquires sector, Cambrai area, 20/11/1917: prior approach to start line in Havrincourt Wood, 19/11/1917; use of fascines; success in surprising German troops in Grand Ravine sector; pause waiting for barrage to lift; increasing German machine gun and shell fire on Flesquires Ridge; separation from supporting infantry; move to rallying point after being wounded; view of cavalry awaiting orders to attack; plan for mass tank attack; equipment with fascines; approach to camouflaged start line positions in Havrincourt Wood, 19/11/1917; situation; German machine gun fire damage to tank; crossing No Man's Land and success in cutting through German barbed wire belts. Failed tank attack in Poelcappelle sector, Ypres area, 10/1917: preparations on move up to start line; move off and difficulty on pave road; evacuation of tank having been hit by German shell; rescue by another tank; ditching in attempting to use unditching beam to rescue ditched tanks; evacuation of wounded; reception on return.
ContextDescription
BBC Interviews: Great War
Military Operations, 1914-1919: Western Front, 1914-1918
Military Operations, 1914-1919: Tank Warfare, 1916-1918
Duration
19
NumberOfParts
B/B
OtherFormats
Part : 8pp
MakerName
Birks, Horace Leslie
ProductionCompany
BBC
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedIWMItems
Photo in file
IWM interview on AC 870
RelatedSoundFile
004024S01.mp3
Birks-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
Educational use only
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
4994
ProductionDate
1981
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexPeople
Mansbridge, John xxx
Cornford, Frances
Tonks, Henry
Walker, Emery
Morris, May
Manner, Freddie
Rothenstein, William
Spencer, Stanley
IndexPlaces
GB, England
BU
IN
GB, Northern Ireland
IndexUnits
GB.O & Slade School of Art
GB.O & Royal Academy
GB.O & Artists International Association
GB.F & Group 11
GB.F & Fighter Command, 11 Group
GB.A & Royal Engineers
IndexConcepts
Artist
ShortSummary
British war artist and camouflage artist served with Air Ministry and Royal Engineers in GB, Ireland and India, 1940-1945
FullSummary
REEL 1: Background in GB, 1901-1939: father’s role in founding of Worker’s Education Association, 1903; memories of Frances Cornford and Sir William Rothenstein; question of apprenticeship with Eric Gill; opinion of teaching of Henry Tonks; memories of Stanley Spencer and story about his admiration for Piero della Francesca; interest in work of Picasso and Cezanne; story of drawing George Moore; story of keeping roll of honour at Manchester Grammar School during First World War; working with Emery Walker; opinion of William Morris; story of visit to Kelmscott and meeting with May Morris; importance of John Ruskin and William Morris; story of reading list of working men at turn of century; attitude to First World War; story of drawing portraits of first Labour cabinet; description of employment as portrait painter and designer with London Underground and Maynard Press and part-time lecturer at Goldsmith’s College, London; opinions on purpose of education; opinion of Bishop Gore; attitude to Bauhaus and effect on British art education; memories of Freddie Manner and Artist’s International Association; further comments on Picasso.
REEL 2 Continues: reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939; attitude to not being elected to Royal Academy; comments on modern art; story of painting portraits of pilots from 11 Group Fighter Command RAF during Battle of Britain, 1940. Aspects of period as camouflage artist with Royal Engineers in Northern Ireland, Burma and India, 1940-1945: posted to Northern Ireland; story of German soldiers in Dublin; description of camouflage painting techniques and opinion of effectiveness; further comments on painting RAF pilots; duties as camouflage artist with in India including drawings of RAF personnel; story of working in school in India; opinion of purpose of camouflage unit; role of war artists in First and Second World Wars; opinion of quality of art produced during First and Second World Wars; story about Rex Whistler; reflections on integration of artist’s life and work.
REEL 3 Continues: methods of camouflaging vehicles; opinion of effectiveness of camouflage.
ContextDescription
Artists in an Age of Conflict
Duration
50
NumberOfParts
3
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Mansbridge, John
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedIWMItems
Paintings in IWM collection
RelatedSoundFile
004994S01.mp3
Mansbridge-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
06 February 2009
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
7789
ProductionDate
1945
ObjectType
Recording
IndexObjects
Sound effect: vehicle, tank, British, Churchill
IndexUnits
British Army & Army Film and Photographic Unit
ShortSummary
Churchill tank starting and moving off in North West Europe, 1945
ContextDescription
Sound Effects
Duration
1'15"
NumberOfParts
K/I
OtherFormats
None
ProductionCompany
Army Film and Photographic Unit TYY 051
RelatedSoundFile
007789S01.mp3
ChurchillTank-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
10484
ProductionDate
18/Nov/1988
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexPeople
Taylor, Peter D xxx
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & London
GB, England & Kent
GB, England & Watford
GB, England & Swindon
GB, England & Farnham
EG
EG & Suez Canal
EG & El Alamein
LY
LY & Tobruk
LY & Tripoli
TN
IT
AT
IndexUnits
GB.A & Rifle Brigade, Bn 2
GB.A & Rifle Brigade, Bn 7
GB.A & Div, Armoured, 8
ShortSummary
British NCO served with 2nd and 7th Bns Rifle Brigade in North Africa, 1941-1943, Italy, 1943-1945 and Austria, 1945
FullSummary
REEL 1 Recollections of life, 1930s-1941: joining Territorial Army, London Rifle Brigade; anticipation of war; reaction to outbreak of war, 9/1939. Recollections of period with Rifle Brigade: sandbagging duties in London; move to East Kent; learning to drive various vehicles including bren gun carriers; meeting Dunkirk evacuees; attitude towards Churchill's speeches; sight of Battle of Britain; construction and repair duties at Hawkinge airfield; description of Malcolm Campbell armoured car.
REEL 2 continues: move to Watford; air raids in area; anti aircraft equipment; morale; move to Scarborough; incorporation into 8th Armoured Div; role of infantry in armoured div; move to Swindon; military exercises; move to Farnham; military exercises; volunteering for overseas service. Recollections of period with Rifle Brigade, North Africa, 1941-1943: journey to Egypt; arrival at Suez Canal; acclimatisation training.
REEL 3 Continues: assisting military police during air raids; relations with Egyptian civilians; drafted to join 2nd Rifle Brigade; move to transit camp, Tobruk; living conditions in transit camp; lack of knowledge of desert campaign; pull back to Delta, 1/1942; posting to B Echelon as driver; collecting new equipment; reconnaissance and offensive role of his column in line.
REEL 4 Continues: supply system; duties replenishing supplies of fighting troops; attitude towards 'box' system; retreat to Alamein; rejoining 7th Rifle Brigade; impact of retreat on morale; attitude towards British Generals, 1941-1942; Montgomery and Churchill's inspection of troops, summer 1942; impact of Montgomery's visit on morale; opinion of British tanks before arrival of Sherman.
REEL 5 Continues: opinion of British tanks; collecting new 6 pounder guns; rumours of big offensive; briefing before battle of El Alamein; use of dummy tanks to deceive Germans; description of El Alamein barrage, 10/1942; advance; sight of German wounded and POWs; German resistance; using new weapons; receiving supplies; development of battle of El Alamein; pulling out of 7th Rifle Brigade on 5th day of battle; supporting New Zealanders on 6th day.
REEL 6 Continues: sight of German retreat; sight of battlefield after German retreat; evacuation of wounded; impact of winter weather on advance; duties supplying troops; move into Tunisia; change in terrain; situation for German troops; action at El Hama; contact with French troops in Tunisia.
REEL 7 Continues: lack of contact with US troops; capture of German weapons and equipment; duties mine and bomb spotting, Tripoli; intervention in Greek Army mutiny, Egypt, autumn, 1943. Recollections of period with 7th Rifle Brigade, Italy, 1943-1945: contrast with North Africa; wounding at Monte Maggiore, summer 1944; news of D-Day; returning to front; importance of returning to his own unit; use of US equipment; crossing hills north of Florence, winter, 1944/1945.
REEL 8 Continues: air support from USAAF; leave, spring 1945; return to Italy after VE Day. Aspects of period in Austria, 1945: social life; question of fraternisation with Austrian civilians; relations with Austrian civilians; escort of Russian collaborators to Russian border. Further recollections of period in Italy, 1943-1945: multi national nature of Wehrmacht 715 Div; movement of military government behind troops.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North Africa, 1940-1943
Military Operations, 1939-1945: Italy, 1943-1945
Duration
230
NumberOfParts
8
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Taylor, Peter Douglas
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedIWMItems
Photos (1941,1943) in file
RelatedSoundFile
Taylor-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
12938
ProductionDate
5/Jan/1993
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexObjects
tank, British: Churchill
tank, British: Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers
IndexPeople
Dunn, William Robert xxx
Hawkins, Bill
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & Lee on Solent, Hants
FR
FR & Normandy
FR & Juno Beach
IndexUnits
GB.A & Royal Engineers, Assault Regt 26, Troop C
IndexConcepts
Medical
ShortSummary
British driver mechanic served with 26th Assault Sqdn, Royal Engineers in GB and Normandy, 1944
FullSummary
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1923-1942: family; education. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Armoured Corps in GB, c1942-1944: call up, 1/1942; physical fitness during basic training; background to posting to Royal Armoured Corps; driving Churchill tank. Recollections of period as driver mechanic with C Troop, 26th Assault Regt, Royal Engineers in GB, 1944: transfer to unit; description of Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers including use of fascines; problems handling fascines during training; opinion of Churchill tank; types of cradles used for fascines; move to concentration site in Lee-on- Solent area, 5/1944; proposed role during D-Day; waterproofing his Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers; his crew; attitude of crew prior to D-Day.
REEL 2 Continues: German Air Force attack on camp at Fort Gomer; reasons for disturbance amongst Winnipeg Rifles. Recollections of operations as driver mechanic with C Troop, 26th Assault Regt, Royal Engineers on Juno Beach, Normandy on D-Day, 6/6/1944: reasons for turning back of convoy, 4/6/1944-5/6/1944; importance of not stopping to pick men up in sea; opinion of organisation of D-Day armada; landing from landing craft; anxiety about corpses and wounded impeding tanks on beach; his pushing aside of Flail tank on beach; trapping of tank in flooded culvert; technique used by NCO to calm men; mortar casualties; wounding by mortar; medical treatment he received; sight of burning to death of crew of armoured bulldozer; German fighter bomber attack; problems transferring from DUKW to hospital ship; character of wounds. Reflections on wounding: long term effects of wounds; question of counselling; psychological effects of having been in action; comradeship of tank.
REEL 3 Continues: Recapitulation of D-Day landing. Story of recovery of his Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers in 1976. Story of post war discovery of comrade Sergeant Bill Hawkins.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944-1945
Duration
90
NumberOfParts
3
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Dunn, William Robert
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedIWMItems
Photos (1942 & 1994) in file
RelatedSoundFile
025271S50.mp3
025271S57.mp3
025271S60.mp3
Dunn-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
19057
ProductionDate
4/Jun/1999
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexObjects
tank, US: Sherman
IndexPeople
Leppard, Ernest William Philip xxx
Kendrick, Bill
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & Battersea, London
GB, England & Roland's Castle, Hants
GB, England & Lulworth Cove, Dorset
NL
NL & Nijmegen
NL & Venlo
NL & Hengelo
DE
DE & Geilenkirchen
DE & Heinsburg
DE & Cleeve
DE & Issum
DE & Reichswald Forest
DE & Goch
DE & River Rhine
DE & Rees
DE & Cloppenburg
DE & Bremen
DE & Berlin
IndexUnits
GB.O & Home Guard, Battersea, Bty Z
GB.A & Yeomanry, Sherwood Rangers, Troop 1
GB.A & Yeomanry, Sherwood Rangers, Troop 3
GB.A & Dragoons 1
GB.A & Depot, Royal Armoured Corps, Bovington
GB.A & Div 52
IndexConcepts
Evacuee
ShortSummary
British civilian with Z Bty, Battersea Home Guard in GB, 1942-1943; trooper served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in North West Europe, 1944-1945
FullSummary
REEL 1 Background in Battersea, GB, 1926-1939: family; education. Reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Period as evacuee at Roland's Castle, 1939-1942: evacuation with school; training with OTC. Recollections of period with Z Bty, Battersea Home Guard, Battersea, GB, 1942-1943: joining rocket battery, 1942; move to plotting room; organisation of rocket launcher sites; problems with unexploded rockets; firing pattern; training and operating launchers; guarding German POWs; effect of bombing on Battersea area; work in plotting room. Volunteering for army, late1943. Period of training with Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1943-1944: reaction to basic training; move to Bovington Camp, 1/1944; morse training at Bovington; wireless training at Lulworth Cove, 6/6/1944; nature of gunnery and driving training; incident of driving into wall; crew of Sherman tanks.
REEL 2 Continues: dismounted training; character of exercises; forming draft at Barnard's Castle. Recollections of operations with Sherwood Rangers in Netherlands, 1944: reception at unit; role in squadron office; joining tank crew as wireless operator; memories of tank crew; supporting US 82nd Airbourne Div at Nijmegen; use of wireless nets and role as wireless operator. Recollections of operations with Sherwood Rangers at Geilenkirchen, Germany, late 1944: role supporting US troops; attacking German positions and grounding of tank; sleeping in tanks; recovery of tank; operating with infantry; effect of German mortar fire.
REEL 3 Continues: condition of Geilenkirchen after fighting; withdrawal to Netherlands; Christmas period, 12/1944. Recollections of operations with Sherwood Rangers on, Netherlands-German border, 1/1945: role supporting 52nd Lowland Div in Venlo pocket; contact with German Tiger tanks during attack on village; tank crew's role as rearguard in village; memories of Bill Kendrick; capture of German POWs; capture of Heinsburg; reasons for destroying church steeples. Amusing story of taking showers in Netherlands. Recollections of operations with 1st Troop, Sherwood Rangers in Reichswald Forest area, 2/1945-3/1945: firing into forest; plan for attack on Cleeve; character of advance through forest; arrival in Cleeve; German defence of Cleeve; knocking out of tank.
REEL 4 Continues: nature of fighting in Cleeve; withdrawal from Cleeve by amphibian to Nijmegen; burial of crew member; reception by Dutch civilians in Nijmegen; re-forming of crew; opinion of 17 Pounder armed Sherman; opinion of Sherman tanks; question of early model Sherman tanks being prone to catching fire; role of 17 Pounder Sherman; return to Cleeve. readjusting gun; story of attack on German positions in farmhouse near Goch, nature of four day ration packs; repairs to tank; opinion of German Jagdpanther tank; accommodation in Goch.
REEL 5 Continues: knocking out of tank by Germans at Issum; sheltering in infantry bunker; return to knocked out tank and destruction of German machine gun. Recollections of crossing of River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945: technique for crossing river; incident of fire on back of tank near Rees; supporting Canadian troops; party with Canadian troops; reception at unit; unit tank casualties. Recollections of operations with Sherwood Rangers at Hengelo, Netherlands, 1/4/1945-4/4/1945: treatment of Dutch collaborators; relations with Dutch civilians.
REEL 6 Continues: Recollections of operations in Germany, 4/1945-5/1945: reforming of troop; role of his tank advancing along single track road through forest; rescuing wireless operator from destroyed tank; capture of German POWs; trooper's attempt to infest his wound; role of tank during attack on Cloppenburg; amusing story involvement in bank robbery at Cloppenburg; attack on Bremen; looting of German command blockhouse; German road blocking techniques; last action against SS troops in farmhouse. Reaction to end of Second World War, 5/1945. Recollections of period on occupation duties with Sherwood Rangers in Germany, 1945-1946: guarding displaced persons camps.
REEL 7 Continues: participation in reconnaissance party to Berlin, 6/1945; typing duties; battering cigarettes; visit to Hitler's Chancellery, 6/1945; impressions of Russian troops, disbandment of unit, 1/1946. Period with 1st Royal Dragoons in Germany, 1946-1947: armoured car patrols on border between British and Russian zones; raiding German collaborators homes; guard duties in court; German illegal stills; move to Berlin; social activities in Berlin; incarceration in Russian Zone; use of cigarettes as currency; contact with German civilians in Berlin; guard duties in bakery, Berlin; character of black market in Berlin; playing cricket against German national team; taking part in Berlin tattoo; reaction to serving with Royal Dragoons.
REEL 8 Continues: Attitude to having served in Second World War with Sherwood Rangers.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944-1945
Duration
240
NumberOfParts
8
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Leppard, Ernest William Philip
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedSoundFile
019057S01.mp3
Leppard-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
20605
ProductionDate
16/Sep/2000
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexObjects
air raid shelter, British: Anderson
tank, British: Cromwell
IndexPeople
Russell, Frank Thomas xxx
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & Poplar, London
GB, England & West Tofts, Norfolk
FR
FR & Normandy
FR & Gold Beach
FR & Gold Beach
FR & Villiers Bocage
FR & Lisieux
FR & Vire
NL
NL & Venlo
NL & Sittard
NL & Roermond
DE
DE & Rheine
DE & Berlin
DE & Kladau
DE & Detmold
IndexUnits
GB.A & Royal Tank Regt 1, Troop B, Sqdn 7
GB.A & Royal Armoured Corps
GB.A & Royal Armoured Corps, Training Regt 58
GB.A & Yeomanry, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
GB.A & Yeomanry, County of London
GB.A & Camp, Bovington
GB.O & Auxiliary Fire Service
ShortSummary
British civilian in east London, GB, 1939-1941; trooper served with 1st Royal Tank Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945
FullSummary
REEL 1 Background in Poplar, 1923-1939: family; education; employment. Recollections of London Blitz, 1940-1941: sight of barrage balloons during bombing of docks; personal morale; occasion when he was thrown out of bed by landmine; use of Anderson Shelter; public morale; listening to wireless; prior recollection of declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; work as bicycle messenger with Auxiliary Fire Service; lack of doubts about outcome of Second World War. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1941-1943: enlistment, 12/1941; character of training with 58th Training Regt at Bovington Camp, 1941-1942; transfer to Royal Gloucestershire Hussars; role as gunner-operator; division of tasks in tanks. Period with 1st Royal Tank Regt in GB, 10/1943-6/1944: transfer to unit, 10/1943; training at West Tofts; water-proofing of Cromwell Tanks; preference for Cromwells to Shermans; question of plans to land on D-Day, 6/6/1944. Recollections of operations with B Sqdn 7 Troop, 1st Royal Tank Regt in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: character of sea crossing; problems of getting into water-proofed Cromwells.
REEL 2 Continues: landing at Le Hamel on Gold Beach; use of cortex from tank water-proofing; unsuitability of bocage for tanks; initial experience in action; use of Sherman Firefly against Tiger tank; localised character of warfare; fatigue; move to Villiers Bocage to assist County of London Yeomanry; use of ready bins; effect of panzerfaust hit on his tank in Lisieux- Vire area, 8/1944; question of naming tanks; flexibility of German opposition; sight of wounded French civilian. Recollections of operations with 7 Sqdn, B Troop, 1st Royal Tank Regt in North West Europe, 1944-1945: operating in Arnhem corridor, Netherlands; second loss of tank at Venlo; prior recollection of being in reserve during Operation Goodwood; weather conditions in Roermond-Sittard area, 1944-1945; role of unit during Ardennes offensive.
REEL 3 Continues: loss of third tank to mine in Sittard area, c1/1945; role of unit chaplain; sleeping arrangements in tank; day to day concerns; reliability of Cromwells; move into Germany; accidental killing of German civilian; reaction to hearing news of VE Day, 5/1945; state he was in at end of war. Recollections of Occupation of Germany, 1945: move to Kladau near Berlin; behaviour of Russian troops including theft of unit jeep; attitude of Russians towards British troops; state of civilians in Berlin; attitude towards Germans; attitude of civilians in Berlin towards British troops; celebration of Cambrai Day in Berlin, 1945; move to Detmold, 2/1946; condition of civilians in Detmold; revenge of Displaced Persons on German civilians; death of comrade in swimming accident.
REEL 4 Continues: Attitude to having served with 1st Royal Tank Regt in Second World War. Question of after effects of war service. Story of fate of Dutch pig, 1944. Attitude to having killed three German soldiers, spring 1945.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944- 1945
Duration
95
NumberOfParts
4
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Russell, Frank Thomas
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedSoundFile
Russell-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
21050
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexObjects
tank,US: Grant
tank, US: Stuart
tank, US: Sherman
tank, British: Sherman Firefly
IndexPeople
Semken, John Douglas xxx
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & Weedon, Notts
GB, Scotland
GB, Scotland & Edinburgh
EG
EG & Pot Tewfik
EG & Alam Halfa
EG & El Alamein
EG & Cairo
EG & Mersa Matruh
LY
LY & Benghazi
LY & Tripoli
LY & Wadi Zem Zem
PI
FR
FR & Bayeux
FR & Normandy
FR & Gold Beach
FR & Fontenay le Pesnel
FR & Rauray
FR & Caumont
NL
NL & Grave
DE
DE & Geilenkirchen
IndexUnits
GB.A & Yeomanry, Sherwood Rangers, Sqdn A
GB.A & Royal Scots Greys
GB.A & Inns of Court Regt
GB.A & Yeomanry, County of London
GB.A & Cavalry Div 1
GB.A & Armoured Bde 8
GB.A & Operation Supercharge
DE.A & Div, Panzer Lehr
ShortSummary
British officer served with Sherwood Rangers in Middle East, GB and North West Europe, 1940-1944
FullSummary
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1921-1939: family; education at St Alban's; membership of OTC. Period of training with Inns of Court Regt in GB, 1939-1940: joining unit; officer training on mobilisation with Royal Scots Greys in Edinburgh; posting to Army School of Equitation at Weedon, 12/1939; background to posting to Palestine, 9/1940; commissioning into Sherwood Rangers, 4/1940; reasons for joining cavalry and Sherwood Rangers. Aspects of period as officer with Sherwood Rangers in Middle East, 1940-1942: voyage from GB to Middle East, 9/1940; arrival in Port Tewfik; change of role from artillery to armour; arrival of Stuart 'Honey' Tanks and US instructors; move to Western Desert; training with Grant Tanks; courses attended; desert navigation skills; lack of tactical training; use of hull down position; handing over vehicles to County of London Yeomanry; withdrawal to El Alamein line. Recollections of operations as assistant adjutant with Sherwood Rangers with 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, 1942-1943: initial experience of action, 8/1942.
REEL 2 Continues: first unit casualty; counter attacking Germans at Battle of Alam Halfa; character of first action; limits of command and control measures; change in signals practice; problems with tanks closed down in action; changes in operational practices after battle; tank evacuation procedures; question of lessons learnt and tactics; contrast in British and German armour; effectiveness of Grant Tank's firepower; risk of fire in US tanks; lack of combined arms tactics; training prior to El Alamein battle; leave in Cairo; question of premonitions of death; tactical preparations for El Alamein; penetration of minefields during Battle of El Alamein; degree of knowledge of battle; German Air Force attack on B Echelon vehicles; weather conditions during Operation Supercharge, 11/1942; move on transport from Mersa Matruh to Benghazi; loss of tank at Battle of Wadi Zem Zem; method of clearing main armament.
REEL 3 Continues: capture of Tripoli; question of personal morale; course and leave in Cairo and Palestine; return to unit, 5/1943; increase in unit sickness levels; appointment to role as technical adjutant. Aspects of period as officer with Sherwood Rangers, 8th Armoured Bde in GB, 1943-1944: return to GB and improvement in unit health; move to Newmarket, 12/1943; special training with Duplex Drive tanks; unit opinion of Duplex Drive tanks; logistical problems encountered; role as technical adjutant; opinion of new commanding officer; embarkation and reaction of regimental wives to impending invasion. Recollections of operations as officer with Sherwood Rangers in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: question of role after beach landing; performance of Duplex Drive tanks, 6/6/1944 including losses; landing on Gold Beach, 6/6/1944; arrival in Bayeux nightfall, 6/6/1944; problems of operating in Normandy; losses to battalion headquarters from German shelling; taking command of A Sqdn during action against Panzer Lehr Div; withdrawal into reserve; character of Panzer Lehr Div's attack; opinion of German troops; treatment of German POWs; role as squadron commander; problems of working with infantry.
REEL 4 Continues: squadron deployment; encounter with Tiger tank at Fontenay le Pesnel; advancing against German positions at Fontenay le Pesnel; destruction of German tanks and capture of POWs; examination of Tiger Tank in captured German workshop; opinion of Sherman Firefly; effectiveness of Sherman Tank's main armament; fire control methods against German tanks; British tank losses in Normandy; problems of finding new tank commanders; comments on unit morale and campaigning; questions of nature of courage and tank fighting; daily routine; role of subalterns; importance of regimental system and gradual loss of Nottinghamshire identity.
REEL 5 Continues: development of working relationships in squadron; absence of regimental mess; weather conditions; role of Padre; night time battle procedure; role of humour; opinion of commanding officer; contrast between infantry and cavalry O groups; difficulties of infantry/tank co-operation; co-operation with Royal Artillery; close air support from Hawker Typhoon. Recollections of operations commanding A Sqdn, Sherwood Rangers in North West Europe, 1944: operating with US paratroopers at Grave, 9/1944; operating with US troops at Geilenkirchen; opinion US operating procedures and command structure; story of General Horrock's visit to US Division; experiences with US Brigade Headquarters during German counter attack; action at Rauray and move to Caumont, 8/1944; role of Forward Observation Officers; degree of map/air photographs of battle area.
REEL 6 Continues: importance of map reading; deployment of tank squadron; question of infantry/tank co-operation including role of infantry; effectiveness of German Panzer Grenadier system; lack of contact with civilians; advance from Normandy; opinion of General Ivo Thomas of 43rd Div; actions in Belgium and Netherlands, 9/1944-10/1944; character of operations after River Seine; role on return to GB as result of illness, 12/1944. Award of Military Cross for destroyer Tiger Tank in Normandy. Question of decorations and policy of recommendation. Memories of receiving of Military Cross from Montgomery. Attitude to having served with Sherwood Rangers.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944-1945
Duration
240
NumberOfParts
6
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Semken, John Douglas
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedSoundFile
Semken-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Sound
IDNO
21286
ProductionDate
18/Apr/2001
ObjectType
IWM interview
IndexObjects
tank, British: Crusader
tank, US: Sherman
tank, US: Stuart
tank, British: Sherman Firefly
IndexPeople
Tout, Kenneth John xxx
IndexPlaces
GB, England
GB, England & Hereford, Herefordshire
GB, England & Codford, Wilts
GB, England & Thetford, Suffolk
GB, England & Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
GB, England & Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset
GB, England & Brancaster, Norfolk
GB, England & Aldershot, Hants
GB, England & Eastleigh, Hants
GB, England & Southampton, Hants
GB, Scotland
GB, Scotland & Aberdeen
FR
FR & Normandy
FR & Arromanches
FR & Castillon
FR & Villers Bocage
FR & Caen
FR & Carpiquet
FR & Chateau d'Eudrieux
FR & Bourgebus Ridge
NL
NL & St Michels Gestel
PI
PI & Galilee
PI & Haifa
PI & Tiberius
IndexUnits
GB.A & Yeomanry, Northamptonshire 1, Troop C
GB.A & Royal Armoured Corps
GB.A & Gordon Highlanders
GB.A & Barracks, Gordon, Aberdeen
GB.A & Camp, Catterick
GB.A & Operation Epsom
GB.A & Operation Goodwood
GB.A & Operation Totalise
IndexConcepts
Medical Services
ShortSummary
British NCO served with 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1944
FullSummary
REEL 1 Background in Hereford, 1924-1942: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; fire-watching duties; role as clerk in VD clinic; failure of attempt of join RAF. Aspects of enlistment and training with British Army in GB, 1942-1943: call-up to Aberdeen, 1942; basic training at Gordon Barracks in Aberdeen including treatment of recruits by NCOs; testing of recruits; selection for Royal Armoured Corps; attempt to volunteer for Gordon Highlanders; armoured training at Catterick, 12/1942-6/1943. Recollections of period as driver with Headquarters Troop, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in GB, 6/1943-6/1944: posting to unit at Codford; problems with Crusader tanks; reasons for move of unit from Codford to Thetford via Weston-Super-Mare; re-equipping with Sherman tanks; problems with ammunition.
REEL 2 Continues: method of clearing main armament stoppages; dangers of jumping onto moving tanks; introduction to Sherman Firefly at Brancaster; limited issue of Sherman Firefly and their proposed use; replacement of firing pins on Fireflies at Bury St Edmunds; anticipations of invasion of Europe, 4/1944-5/1944; waterproofing of tanks at Aldershot; allocation to reserve troop commanding Stuart tank; sight of glider armada at Aldershot, 6/6/1944; gambling on where landings would take place; drive from Aldershot to Eastleigh; ENSA show at Eastleigh. Aspects of Channel crossing, 6/1944: procedure for embarking at Southampton; attitude to embarking on board US ship; generosity of US crew; lack of fresh bread; character of Channel crossing; landing at Arromanches.
REEL 3 Continues: Recollections of operations with 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in Normandy, 6/1944-8/1944: character of beach landing and danger from craters; reception from French civilians; German shelling of beachhead; signal wire that became tangled in tank tracks; arrival at Castillon; role of unit before 30/6/1944; capture of German POWs on horse drawn transport; failure to exploit success at Villers Bocage; effect of being given an incorrect map reference; confiscation of his Stuart tank by Brigadier Scott and transfer to C Troop; problems of operating in bocage terrain; capture of three German POWs; opening fire on Germans at Carpiquet during Operation Epsom; psychiatric case that occurred during operation; RAF raid on Caen.
REEL 4 Continues: attempt to enter Caen through bomb devastation; Sergeant Kenny Jack's winning of Military Medal for reporting Caen evacuated by Germans; question of mental breakdowns; cases of cowardice and self- inflicted injury; vulnerability of tank commanders; attitude towards self inflicted wound cases; role of unit during Operation Goodwood; encounter with sonic deception group at Chateau d'Eudrieux; destruction of German self-propelled gun during Operation Goodwood; question of accuracy of intelligence on German forces; question of change in attitude of troops to experience of fighting; outcome of Operation Goodwood; character of Operation Totalise at Bourgebus Ridge; role of unit during Operation Totalise, 7/8/1944.
REEL 5 Continues: problems crossing country at night; execution of Operation Totalise; character of German Hitler Youth Division attack, 8/1944; pace of fighting during action and atmosphere; in action against German Tiger tanks; how Sherman tanks brewed up; mutual dependency of tank crews; personal morale in action; method used by Germans to slow down Allied break-out. Aspects of operations with 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry in Netherlands, 1944: advance of unit into Netherlands; in action at St Michels Gestel; injury to his leg during recovery of his tank from ditch; return to GB for medical treatment for leg injury. Aspects of period as NCO with King's Dragoon Guards in Palestine, 1945-1947: character of road blocks operated in Galilee area; attitude towards landing of refugees.
REEL 6 Continues: hijacking of army truck used in attack on market in Haifa; example of British Army discipline; rules governing opening fire; agreement between Arabs and Jews in Tiberius to avoid hostilities. Recapitulation of Operation Totalise in Normandy, 8/1944. Attitude to having served with 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry during the Second World War.
REEL 7 Continues: Effects of having served in Second World War. Effects of his leg injury. Question of coming to terms with fear.
ContextDescription
Military Operations, 1939-1945: North West Europe, 1944-1945
Duration
185
NumberOfParts
7
OtherFormats
None
MakerName
Tout, Kenneth John
ProductionCompany
IWM
MakerGender
Male
Language
English
RelatedSoundFile
Tout-landwarfare.mp3
Weighting
750
900
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
WebStatus
Published
UncatTransferDate
17 November 2006
URLEncodedDeptName
Sound
Access
IWM copyright
Nationality
British
DigitalAsset
Y
DeptName
Exhibits
IDNO
MOD 745
ItemName
Panzerkampfwagen IV & Panzer IV & Pz.Kpfw IV & Sd Kfz 161
ObjectType
model
IndexUnits
GB.A
FullSummary
Production of the first Panzerkampfwagen IV types commenced in 1937, and the later variants became the major German service type, eclipsing all others and some 8500 were produced. Models A to F1 all featured a short low-velocity 75mm turret mounted gun, but the tank was up-gunned with the L/48 long barrelled 75mm gun, to become the Model F2. This model is representative of a series of 1/12 scale recognition models of both Allied and Enemy vehicles, that was produced during the Second World War.
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
UncatTransferDate
30/06/2006 11:14:35
URLEncodedDeptName
Exhibits
FormatDescription
This is a typical British briefing model of one of the early types of the German Panzer IV Tank, and is devoid of fine detail but captures the essential features of the full-size tank. The model is 41cm x 21cm x 19cm, and built to a scale of 1/12.
Access
Access by prior appointment
DeptName
Exhibits
IDNO
UNI 429
ItemName
officer's beret, Astrakan, with feather hackle, Royal Tank Regiment
ObjectType
headdress
IndexPeople
Matthias, D
IndexUnits
GB.A & Tank Regiment & RTR
FullSummary
The black beret was officially adopted as the headdress of the Royal Tank Corps (later Royal Tank Regiment) as a replacement for the standard issue service dress cap. The unsuitability of the khaki peaked cap had been recognised very shortly after the introduction of the Tank. Some discussion on what would be the best form of headdress for this new breed of soldier had taken place during the First World War, particularly at a period when the French 70th Chasseurs Alpin regiment were training with the Tank Corps in May 1918. General Sir Hugh J Ellis, Colonel Commandant of the RTC was favourably impressed with the type of beret worn by these French mountain troops and still more so when he tried one on. As a result, he recommended in 1922 that a broadly similar type of headdress should be introduced for wear by the Tank Corps. However the large beret worn by the Chasseurs Alpins was considered too sloppy, whilst the Basque beret, as worn by the Chars d'Assault - the French tank troops - was thought too skimpy. So the final pattern chosen was a compromise and rather more akin to the Scottish Tan-O'Shanter. It was this description that was used in submitting the proposal to King George V in November 1923. The King approved the wearing of the black beret in March 1921. The officer's ceremonial version of this distinctive form of headdress, comprised a slightly stylised version of the normal beret stiffened at the front and made of Astrakhan wool. The hackle colours are brown, red and green. These colours chosen as the regimental colours of the Tank Corps during the First World War are said to represent the mud, blood and the green fields `Through Mud and Blood to the Green Fields Beyond'.
ProductionCompany
Herbert Johnson (Bond Street) Limited, London
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
UncatTransferDate
30/06/2006 11:14:35
URLEncodedDeptName
Exhibits
FormatDescription
black astrakhan beret with two lines of gold piping around outer headband, hackle in the regimental colours of brown, red and green, and an embroidered badge in silver thread. This example made by Herbert Johnson (Bond Street) Ltd. The following information is printed on a label inside the beret BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN HATTERS HERBERT JOHNSON (BOND STREET) LTD. 38 NEW BOND ST. LONDON. W. The inscription D. MATTHIAS is handwritten inside the headband.
Access
Access by prior appointment
DeptName
Exhibits
IDNO
UNI 9277
ItemName
Panzer Beret (Schutzmutz)
ObjectType
headdress
IndexUnits
DE.A & panzer troops
FullSummary
With the creation of the new Panzer arm of the German Army, a special style of uniform was designed and issued for wear to all ranks. The uniform consisted of a short black double-breasted jacket worn with long black trousers and the Panzer `beret'. The wearing of this distinctive form of headdress was discontinued during the winter of 1939-40 and was replaced by a black cloth version of the M38 Feldmutze.
ProductionCompany
Robert Lubstein, Berlin
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
UncatTransferDate
30/06/2006 11:14:35
URLEncodedDeptName
Exhibits
FormatDescription
panzer beret in two parts. The outer part comprises a large black wool beret worn over the crash liner. The liner is faced on the outside in black wool cloth and is constructed from thick felt padding and covered with a lining of six panels of black oil cloth. The liner has a leather sweat band and six rubber-ringed ventilation holes. On the front of the soft outer beret cover is a machine-woven version of the National emblem and the oakleaf cluster all in silver thread with a cockade in coloured silks worked onto a backing of black material.
Access
Access by prior appointment
DeptName
Exhibits
IDNO
ORD 131
ProductionDate
1942
ItemName
2 pdr Anti-Tank Mk IX/XA
ObjectType
gun
IndexUnits
GB.A
FullSummary
The British 2pdr development started in 1934 in response to a Staff requirement and the gun entered service in 1938. At the time, it was a well-built gun, and was one of the best anti-tank guns in the world. It was developed in accordance with pre-war tactical thought which called for a light-weight gun, capable of being manhandled by front-line infantry, and one of the highest priorities was the ability to swing rapidly through a wide arc so as to deal with targets on any quarter. This led to the three-legged mounting above which the gun could traverse in a complete circle, combined with a high rate of semi-automatic fire, and accuracy in poor light. Unfortunately, the outcome was a weapon the weighed twice as much as many of its contemporaries. By 1939, the 2pdr was in service in some numbers, and it was rapidly approaching the end of its useful life, since tank design had moved on in the five years since its original specification was drawn up.
In 1940, more than 500 guns were left behind in France after Dunkirk, and in order to equip the Army as rapidly as possible, the 2pdr continued in production for another year. During the Desert campaign of 1941-42, its weaknesses were revealed, notably its high silhouette, and after the summer of 1942, the 2pdr was replaced in anti-tank regiments by the 6pdr. The 2pdr was returned to the infantry, and some were issued to the Home Guard in Britain, becoming obsolete in 1945. Typical performance when firing the 2lb AP Shot was 42mm penetration at 1000yds, at angle of 30degrees, with a maximum range of 8000yds.
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
UncatTransferDate
30/06/2006 11:14:35
URLEncodedDeptName
Exhibits
FormatDescription
The 2pdr Anti-Tank Gun is a conventional monobloc, with a vertical sliding breech. The carriage consists of a basic structure of three trail legs, two of which fold upwards alongside the gun barrel, and an axle supported by a transverse leaf spring. The wheels are fitted with a quick-release gear and can be removed when putting the gun into action with all three trail legs on the ground. The breech is stamped with the following markings, B/R No L/37315/ LM 1942 FL 4357, and the carriage bears the markings Mk IIIA CA 10176.
Access
On display at IWM Duxford
DeptName
Exhibits
IDNO
MUN 3496
ProductionDate
Apr/1983
ItemName
120mm APFSDS L23 Drill round
ObjectType
shell
IndexUnits
GB.A & British Army
FullSummary
The APDS (Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) was developed in Britain by Permutter and Coppock in 1941/42 and was first introduced for the 6 pdr anti-tank gun in 1943. There are however two conflicting requirements which need addressing. In order to successfully pierce armour, it is necessary to strike at high velocity. As steel shot striking at velocities higher than about 854m/sec shatters instead of piercing, tungsten carbide was adopted as the penetrative agent. This being more dense than steel, cannot be used as a full-calibre shot, since it would be too heavy to reach a worthwhile velocity. However, by using a sub-projectile inside a light alloy casing, the weight of the complete projectile is less than the weight of a steel shot, and thus the propelling charge will give the composite shot a greater muzzle velocity. As a light shot of full-calibre has poor aerodynamics and will soon lose velocity, it is better to have a small and heavy shot. The APDS reconciles the two demands by having a light shot of full diameter in the bore to give maximum velocity, and then after discarding the sabot, having a small-calibre shot of high density outside the bore with good flight characteristics. The APFSDS differs from the APDS only insofar as the projectile is Fin-Stabilized.
ProductionCompany
Royal Ordnance
Weighting
1
SubThemeTag
MechanisationBlitzkrieg
UncatTransferDate
30/06/2006 11:14:35
URLEncodedDeptName
Exhibits
FormatDescription
This is an example of a drill/training 120mm APFSDS (Armour Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot) L23 round, that was issued for use with Challenger MkI Tanks in the 1980s. The live round used a monobloc tungsten alloy rod penetrator fitted with aluminium fins, and was carried in a light alloy sabot. At the time of issue, each round cost £1613.
Access
On display at IWM London