Dreadful Living Conditions
Heroes Remember
Dreadful Living Conditions
Transcript
Description
Mr. Henley discusses being filthy, living with louse infested rats, and having last dibs on rations if you were in the front line.
Roy Henley
Roy Henley was born in London, Ontario on September 29, 1898. After enlisting in Toronto in 1916 with the 166th Queens Own Rifles, he was discharged with suspected tuberculosis. Mr. Henley re-enlisted, sailed to England aboard the horse transport SS Welshman, and joined the Quebec Regiment. Mr. Henley's recollections are detailed, sometimes graphic and occasionally humorous. His experiences spanned many battles; the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Cambrai and Arras.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 1:47
- Person Interviewed:
- Roy Henley
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- First World War
- Branch:
- Army
- Rank:
- Sergeant
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Sailing To England
Mr. Henley describes sailing to England aboard the SS Welshman during which he is in charge of the mules and horses, for which he receives premium pay. An offer of extra money to clean the ship afterward is ungraciously declined.
Joining The Quebec Regiment
Mr. Henley describes his transfer from a mounted to infantry regiment, and the shocking difference between the two uniforms.
The Somme Was A Killing Ground
Mr. Henley describes how the Germans set their barbed wire in such a way that Allied soldiers were lured towards enemy machine gun positions, and describes the resulting carnage.
Creeping Barrage At Vimy Ridge
Mr. Henley gives an excellent description of the logistics and technique of the creeping barrage and its overwhelming success at Vimy Ridge.
Canadians
Mr. Henley discusses inadequacies of Canadian gear: tunics that weren't practical or warm, the Ross rifle which jammed after a few shots, and boots and leather belts which rotted in the wet conditions.
Kilts Were Dreadful
Mr. Henley describes two major issues with kilts. The first was that lice thrived in a kilt's seams, and the second was that mud froze to a kilts tail, thus badly chafing its wearer's legs.
A Lesson Learned
Mr. Henley describes the consequences of not sharing a parcel from home when sharing was the accepted practice.
Don't Mess With Me!
Mr. Henley discusses the status he held as a Sergeant-Major, and how his NCO's rallied around him when his authority was threatened by a new officer.
Whiz-Bang In The Latrine
Mr. Henley recounts with amusement how an officer everyone disliked had the latrine he was using blown up by a German whiz-bang.
Money And A Peep Show
Mr. Henley describes how the Canadians and Australians kept their distance from one another on paydays, and how he and his kilted buddies would treat the girls at dockside by standing on the ship's upper deck when they were going on or returning from leave.
'Not Diagnosed' And 'Self-Inflicted' Wounds
Mr. Henley discusses the fact that soldiers with psychological trauma were labeled 'ND'– not diagnosed. He also describes self-inflicted wounds as a way to escape the front line, and some methods used in self-injury.
Wounded By A “Potato Masher”
Mr. Henley describes how the Germans tied several 'potato masher' grenades together to increase their potential for damage, and how he and his officer were badly wounded by one of these devices.
“Blighties” and a Good Sleep
Mr. Henley discusses the fact that a 'blighty', a condition or wound requiring hospitalization in England, offered everyone a good night's sleep. However, his rehab requires being awakened at 4 am every morning to have his leg wound irrigated.
Sergeant As a Father Figure
Mr. Henley describes an amusing incident in which his sergeant, an older, family man, steers him away from a brothel.
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