Interview with Ossie Symons

Interview with Sydney Osbourne (Ossie) Symons. Born in Balclutha in 1918 to Helen Symons and Herbert Symons. Backgrounds parental grandparents and siblings. Recalls the impact of The Depression, how the family broke up and how he lived with relatives. Says he went to six different schools and two of them twice. Lists Henley Primary school, Taieri Plains, Kaikorai Valley Primary school, Green Island Primary school, Mornington Primary school, Dunedin, Woodside Primary school, near Outram, Menzies Ferry Primary school near Edendale, Southland. Talks about milking cows around Edendale district, being a cowboy at Castle Rock Station, Lumsden, and working as a shepherd. Says he worked as hotel porter in Kaikoura, then moved to Christchurch. Describes work at New Brighton Cafe and Coronation Hospital with returned World War One soldiers with TB, and at Flemings Flour Mill tipping wheat. Mentions dancing at the Caledonian Hall three nights a week. Recalls volunteering for World War Two and training at Burnham Camp for field ambulance work in 3rd Echleon. Describes voyage on 'Orchades' in 1940 to Bombay India. Details leave at Freemantle, Perth, Bombay and Deolali during the trip. Talks about leaving Bombay on the French boat 'Felix Roussel' in a convoy which was bombed by Italian warship in the Red Sea and Port Sudan. Says the HMNZS 'Leander' and HMS 'Kimberley' chased the warship off.

Says they arrived at Port Said, Egypt and took train to Maadi Camp. Describes camp, rail car, marches and leave in Cairo. Remembers being at Amaryia camping area in a sand storm. says went to Alexandria, embarked on a Greek boat 'Bar Peter' to travel to Greece. Mentions air raid. Says they arrived at Piraeus Harbour, camped at Hymatis Park, New Athens, then travelled by train to Katerini. Details number of men in field ambulance A and B companies, headquarters and ASC (Army Service Corps). Recalls going up over Mount Olympus to Vale of Tempia and B Company set up on hillside. Describes seeing action when Germans broke through and being strafed by Messerschmidt aircraft. Says they came to Katerini which had been bombed and saw unexploded bombs on the road. Talks about going to Marathon Beach, boarding the 'Glengyle' ship for Souda Bay, Crete. Talks about rations, catching squid and buying oranges with Occupation money. Says the British warship 'York' was bombed daily. Talks about German Junker Ju 52 aircraft arriving, gliders with troops and paratroopers landing with coloured parachutes. Says they began to round us up. Mentions they took their tin hats off and raised their arms for overhead aeroplanes to indicate they were prisoners of war. Mentions English speakers were Austrians. Describes the last paratrooper being disarmed before sundown. Refers to moving to Daratsos village. Says his job was carting water and stretcher bearer. Refers to infantry being tired. Talks about the retreat, getting to Souda Bay and leaving at night on board the destroyer 'Phoebe'.

Talks about arriving at Alexandria, Egypt and going to Helwan Camp. Mentions 60 of their company got back from Crete. Refers to Baggush, Western Desert and getting reinforcements. Mentions underground canteen selling Canadian beer, Black Horse and Stella Beer. Talks about Battle at Sidi Rezegh and the number of wounded. Refers to Rommell's Panzer columns. Talks about being handed over to Italian as prisoner of war. Mentions International Red Cross and escape plan. Expands on leaving camp in great rattle of shots. Explains what Brigadier Kippenberger did. Recalls going to Maadi, then Baggush and reuniting with unit. Talks about going to Lebanon, to Bekka valley for training at the Free French army barracks and arrival of Indian company with mules. Refers to going across the plains to Aleppo, Syria. Discusses the fighting during Battles of El Alamein, the artillery barrage and casualties. Mentions those with metal detectors clearing track through for trucks. Refers to 'The Box' (fortified defensive position) and servicing the wounded of the British Green Howards Regiment. Talks about seeing Hurricane fighter bombers running into a trap set by Messerschmidt fighters and being shot down. refers to Hurribombers (Hawker Hurricanes) and squadron of Spitfires fighting German tanks. Details equipment used by units at Sidi Rezegh, two pounder guns, honey tanks (British Stuart light tanks). Discusses General Grant tanks, Sherman tanks, anti tank guns with six pounder guns (pheasants) and 17 pounder guns. Refers to digging a slitty (slit trench) and Kittyhawk strafing by Canadian pilot. Recalls going to Medenine Aerodrome, Tunisia. Talks about biscuit and water rations at El Alamein. Refers to working with Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah Witness and Bretheran men in the medical corp. Refers to end of active service and going home on 'New Amsterdam' via Freemantle and Hobart. Says he went to England and worked with 2NZEF prisoners of war in isolation ward and laboratory at a hospital in Haine, Kent.

Says he worked his way home on the 'Oranges' Dutch hospital ship. Refers to going to Sheffield, Canterbury where wife Miriam Lucy (nee Thompson) had a cottage. Says they married in 1943. Recalls working on farms, grubbing gorse and shearing. Says four children were born before they bought farm at Alford Forest, and two more children afterwards. Talks about learning about mustering from neighbours at Heron Lake and Mount Somers station. Refers to working for others farms while he had his own. Says he lived 32 years at Alford Forest, and has been retired 22 years in Ashburton.

Abstracted by - Nicola Roberston

Interviewer(s) - Kathryn McKendry

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-016780 - OHC-016781

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 2 Electronic document(s). 1 interview(s). 2 Hours Duration.

Physical Description: Textual files - Adobe PDF

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-6040, OHDL-001835.

Search dates: 1918 - 2007

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Both printed and digital copies of the abstract are available