Interview with Kenneth John Ewing

British trooper served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa and North West Europe, 5/1942-5/1945

REEL 1 Background in York, GB, 1922-1940: family; education; membership of 14th (York) West Riding Home Guard at Rowntree's, 1940; reasons for volunteering for British Army. Recollections of operations as gunner operator with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, 5/1942-5/1943: background to joining regiment as gunner/operator in Egypt, 5/1942; living conditions; visit by Prime Minister Winston Churchill; initial action at Alam Halfa, Egypt, 9/1942; method of escaping from M3 Lee Tank; move to Qattara Depression in El Alamein Line; camouflaging tanks as lorries and use of dummy tanks, 10/1942; his role during attack during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt 10/1942-11/1942; formation of 8th Armoured Bde; problems of using radial engined tanks; opinion of M3 Stuart Tank; opinion of German and Italian troops; role of 8th Armoured Bde at Mareth Line, Tunisia. REEL 2 Continues: use of Allied air power at Mareth Line, Tunisia; sight of Maoris serving with 2nd New Zealand Infantry Div throwing Italian prisoners of war down hillside at Takrouna; loss of unit commanding officers. Aspects of period with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in GB, 1943-1944: return to GB, 12/1943; training on Valentine Duplex Drive Tanks in Great Yarmouth area; escape training; technique of landing amphibious tanks; training from Gosport; problems of operating in choppy waters; concentration in New Forest; embarking on landing craft. Recollections of operations as trooper with B Sqdn, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: crossing English Channel, 6/1944; landing on Gold Beach, at Le Hamel, D-Day, 6/6/1944; capture of Bayeux, 7/6/1944; living on survival packs. REEL 3 Continues: problems of protecting infantry at night; use of shell-cases as lavatories; amusing story of German trying to surrender to defecating unit member. Recollections of operations as trooper with B Sqdn, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: contact with United States Army troops at Nijmegen, Netherlands; mine problem during attack at Geilenkirchen, Germany; dealing with Panzerfaust menace in villages; memories of VE Day in Germany, 8/5/1945. Aspects of period as trooper with Royal Armoured Corps in Germany, 1945: contact with Soviet Army along River Elbe; disbandment of Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and transfer to 1st Royal Dragoons at Eutin; transfer to 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards; attitude to later recall as reservist during Korean War; attitude to having served with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry during Second World War