Description
Object description
British officer served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, GB and North West Europe, 1941-1944
Content description
REEL 1 Background in GB, 1921-1939: family; education at St Albans; membership of Officer Training Corps. Aspects of period of training with Inns of Court Regiment in GB, 1939-1940: joining unit; officer training on mobilisation with Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) in Edinburgh; posting to Army School of Equitation at Weedon, 12/1939. Aspects of period as officer with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 5th Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div to Palestine, 9/1940-2/1941: commissioning into Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in GB, 4/1940; reasons for joining cavalry and Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry; voyage from GB to Egypt, 9/1940; arrival in Port Tewfik, Egypt; change of role from cavalry artillery to armour. Aspects of period as officer with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in Egypt, 2/1941-8/1942: arrival of M3 Honey Tanks and American instructors; move to Western Desert; training with Grant Tank; 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, 7/1942. Recollections of operations as assistant adjutant with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, 8/1942-5/1943: initial experience of action, 8/1942.
REEL 2 Continues: first unit casualty; counter-attacking German forces at Battle of Alam Halfa, Egypt, 8/1943-9/1943; nature of first action; limits of command and control measures; change in signals practice; problems with tanks being 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 American manufactured tanks; lack of combined arms tactics; training prior to Battle of El Alamein in Egypt; leave in Cairo, Egypt; question of premonitions of death; tactical preparations for Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942; penetration of minefields during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 10/1942; 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, Egypt to Benghazi, Libya; loss of tank in action at Wadi Zem Zem, Libya; method of clearing main armament.
REEL 3 Continues: capture of Tripoli, Libya; question of personal morale; course and leave in Cairo, Egypt and Palestine; return to regiment, 5/1943; increase in unit sickness levels; appointment to role as technical adjutant. Aspects of period as officer with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 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 Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: question of role after beach landing; performance of Duplex Drive tanks, D-Day, 6/6/1944 including losses; landing on Gold Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; arrival by nightfall in Bayeux, D-Day, 6/6/1944; problems of operating in Normandy; losses to battalion headquarters from German shelling; taking command of A Sqdn during action against German Panzer Lehr Division; withdrawal into reserve; character of Panzer Lehr Division's attack; opinion of German forces; treatment of German prisoners of war; 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 prisoners of war; examination of Tiger Tank in captured German workshop; opinion of Sherman Firefly; effectiveness of M4 Sherman Tank's main armament; fire control methods against German tanks; British tank losses in Normandy; problems of finding new tank commanders; comments on regimental 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 chaplain; night-time battle procedure; role of humour; opinion of commanding officer; contrast between infantry and cavalry officer 'O' groups; difficulties of infantry/tank co-operation; co-operation with Royal Artillery; receiving close air support from Royal Air Force Hawker Typhoons. Recollections of operations commanding A Sqdn, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North West Europe, 1944: operating with paratroopers of 82nd Airborne Div, Untied States Army at Grave, Netherlands, 9/1944; operating with United States Army troops at Geilenkirchen, Germany; opinion United States Army operating procedures and command structure; story of General Brian Horrock's visit to American division; experiences with United States Army brigade headquarters during German counter-attack; action at Rauray and move to Caumont, France, 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 Major-General Ivo Thomas of 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Div; actions in Belgium and Netherlands, 9/1944-10/1944; nature of operations after River Seine, France; role on return to GB as result of illness, 12/1944. Reflections of military service in Second World War: award of Military Cross for destruction of Tiger Tank in Normandy; question of decorations and policy of recommendation; receiving of Military Cross from General Bernard Montgomery; attitude to having served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry.