Oakes, Stanley Philip: my Air Force recollections (January 26, 2012)
ABSTRACT: At the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 Stan Oakes enlisted for the services at age 19. He was first assigned to man a searchlight battery in the Victoria Harbor. Feeling his skills in mathematics would better be utilized elsewhere he requested a transfer to the First Canadian Signals Regiment. After training in Britain he served as an artillery spotter in Italy and Holland until the end of the war. 0: 00 – 2: 39 – Initial work in searchlight battery in Victoria harbor and transfer into 1st Canadian Survey Regiment 2: 39 – 5: 08 – Training in Canada and Britain 5: 08 – 6: 34 – Lack of rain gear, losing his great coat 6: 34 - 11: 25- Shipping out to Italy, stopovers in Algeria and Sicily 11: 25 – 15: 27- Synopsis of route through Italy and Holland 15: 28 – 18: 55 -V-E Day celebration in Holland, overseeing German withdrawal, disbandment of the regiment and time in the hospital 15: 28 – 24: 39 -Manning an OP outside of Ortona, interactions with Gurkha troops 24: 39 – 26: 26 – Gurkha night patrols, distinguishing Canadians from Germans in Canadian uniform 26: 26 – 28: 14 – German attempts to disrupt artillery spotting and counter measures 28: 14 – 30: 25- Close call while flash and bang spotting 30: 25 – 37: 00 – Explanation of how artillery spotting in the Second World War worked 37: 00 – 37: 50 – Army clothing, intense hatred of wedge caps 37: 50 – 39: 47- Interactions with Italian civilians 39: 47- 42: 02 – Booby traps in Italy 42: 02 – 43: 44- Redeployment to Holland, trip up through France and Belgium 43: 44 – 46: 35 – Battles in Holland, Arnhem, overseeing the German withdrawal from Holland 47: 50- 50:00 – Taking German prisoners in Italy 50: 00- 54: 44 -Homecoming, discharge, 3 options for returning soldiers, reunion 30 years later 54: 44- 1:00:30-Health Problems for soldiers, motor vehicle accidents, medical kits 1: 00: 30 – 106:22- Practical jokes on the Battery Sergeant Major and other good times, end of interview
An interview/narrative of Bombardier Stanley Oakes's experiences during World War II. Interview took place on January 26, 2012.
Interviewee: Oakes, Stanley Philip, b. 1919
Rank: Bombardier.
Interviewer: Lundeberg, Faelan
- In Collection:
-
Contributor
Subject
Language
Keyword
- Canada--Canadian Army--Medical care
- Antiaircraft artillery
- World War, 1939-1945--Hospitals
- Oakes, Stanley Philip, 1919- --Interviews
- Bombing and gunnery ranges
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Canadian
- Netherlands--History--Liberation, 1945
- World War, 1939-1945--Civilians--Italy
- Canada--Canadian Army Overseas
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Europe
- Civil defense
- Canada--Canadian Army--Demobilization
- Arnhem, Battle of, Arnhem, Netherlands, 1944
- Great Britain--Army--Gurkha soldiers
- Canada--Canadian Army--Artillery--Drill and tactics
- Canada--Canadian Army--Reunions
- Civil-military relations
- Ortona, Battle of, Ortona, Italy, 1943
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Netherlands--Arnhem--1945
- Canada--Canadian Army--Royal Canadian Corps of Signals--Signal Regiment, 1st
- Artillery drill and tactics
- Canada--Canadian Army--Personal narratives, Canadian
- Military training camps--Canada
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- V-E Day, 1945
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Netherlands
- Searchlights--British Columbia--Victoria--Harbor
- Booby traps
- Canada--Canadian Army--Uniforms
- War wounds
- World War, 1939-1945--Civilians--Netherlands
- World War, 1939-1945--Medical care
- Canada--Canadian Army--Military life
- Canada--Canadian Army--Royal Canadian Artillery--Survey Regiment, 1
- Artillery spotting
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Italy
- Observation post
- Prisoners of war, German
- Military training camps--England
- World War, 1939-1945--Artillery operations, Canadian
- 1 sound recording (MP3)
- 54.75844, -2.69531
- 60.10867, -113.64258
- Original sound recording (MP3) also available.
- Canadian Military Oral History Collection
- OS_717
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://uvic2.coppul.archivematica.org/military-oral-history-collection
- January 26, 2012
- Digital sound recording in .mp3 format at 192 kbps and 44 kHz. Recorded in digital format by interviewer, technical and cataloguing metadata provided by JF and JP. Interview recorded in digital format for UVic Special Collections in 2012. Migration metadata by KD and MT.
- Rights
- This interview has been posted with the understanding that it may be used for research purposes only. Should the interviewee or their heirs have any objections to this interview being accessible on the Internet, it will be removed promptly. Contact UVic Special Collections for permission if using for other than research purposes: speccoll@uvic.ca
- DOI
This page supports the Zotero and Mendeley browser extensions simply click on the extension widget in your browser to save the objects citation.
Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
---|---|---|---|
SC141_MilitaryOralHistory_GenericThumbnail |
|
||
Oakes_S_0717_01.mp3 |
|