Interview with John Robert Lanes

British trooper served with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 5th Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in GB and Palestine, 1939-1941; served with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, 1942-1943; NCO served with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in GB and North West Europe, 1944-1945

REEL 1 Background in Balderton, GB, 1919-1939: family; education; joining Territorial Army, 1936; training with Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in GB, 1936-1939. Aspects of period with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in GB, 1939-1940: mobilisation, 9/1939; move to Malton; arrival of unit's horses and rejection of those unfit; character of his horse Dolly; move to Brocklesby Park. Recollections of period as trooper with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 5th Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in Palestine, 1940-1941: character of journey across France on route to Palestine, 1/1940; handling of horses during voyage aboard SS Rajula across Mediterranean from France to Palestine; arrival in Haifa; occupying camp at Latrun, 15/2/1940; relations with Arabs' Governors present to unit; reasons for stampede of horses; films shows; cavalry sweeps and problems of mounting a charge of four hundred horses; bathing horses in sea at Caesarea; reaction to loss of unit's horses; dispersing Jewish riot in Tel Aviv. REEL 2 Continues: relations with Jews in Palestine; attitude to training as motorised infantry. Recollections of operations as trooper with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in Tobruk, Libya, 1941: problems of getting to Tobruk by sea; installing guns round harbour; role spotting Axis mines; return to Mersa Matruh, Egypt aboard HMAS Vendetta. Recollections of operations as trooper with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in North Africa, 1942-1943: move to Western Desert after training in Palestine; withdrawal to Siwa Line; reforming with A15 Cruiser Mk VI Crusader Tank at Khatatba; in action as wireless operator at Alam Halfa; marking of tracks on El Alamein Line, Egypt, 10/1942; sight of German 88mm Guns in action; effect of numerous hits on German Panzer Mk IV observation tank; knocking out of his A15 Cruiser Mk VI Crusader Tank on second day of Battle of El Alamein; memories of Captain Samuel Garratt. REEL 3 Continues: story of attack on Axis lorry convoy and capture of four hundred Italian prisoners of war during Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, 11/1942; reaction to breakthrough on El Alamein Line, Egypt; destruction of Italian Army M40 tank and Sam Garrett's compassion for wounded Italian Army tankman; memories of Captain Keith Douglas; damage to tank during Battle of Wadi Zem Zem in Libya; apprehension prior to moving up to battle; forming up at Medenine, Tunisia; in action on Mareth Line, Tunisia; armoured charge at El Hammah, Tunisia. REEL 4 Continues: air support at El Hammah, Tunisia; role of New Zealand infantry on tanks at El Hammah, Tunisia; wound received by Sergeant John Mann at Enfidaville, Tunisia; return to GB via Sicily. Aspects of period as trooper with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoued Div in GB, 12/1943-6/1944: preparations for D-Day at Chippenham Camp, near Newmarket including waterproofing; training for beach landings at Hayling Island; embarking at Southampton. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in Normandy, France, 6/1944-8/1944: landing on Gold Beach, D-Day, 6/6/1944; role as tank commander; advance towards Bayeux; Lieutenant-Colonel Stanley Christopherson's use of horse to communicate with Essex Yeomanry; liberation of Bayeux, 7/6/1944; in action at Point 103; unit casualties, 9/6/1944; Major John Semken's knocking out of German Tiger tank; method of supporting infantry attacks at Rauray, 27/6/1944; infantryman's method of dealing with Waffen-SS wounded at Rauray, 27/6/1944. REEL 5 Continues: narrow escape from German machine gun fire; reasons for regiment's success against German Tiger Tanks; role taking Ordnance QF 6 Pounder Anti-Tank gun up slopes of Mont Pinçon; sight of knocked out German Tiger Tank at Mont Pinçon; devastation in Falaise Gap; problems crossing River Seine. Recollections of operations as NCO with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 8/1944-5/1945: action at Geel, Antwerp; start of Operation Market Garden in Netherlands, 9/1944; opening fire on German multi-barrelled mortar at Nijmegen, Netherlands; American paratroopers' destruction of German Army patrol; crossing River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; capture of Bremen, Germany, 4/1945; supporting United States Army infantry during attacks on Siegfried Line, Germany; reaction to sight of barbed wire defences of Siegfried Line, Germany; dealing with pill boxes at Prummern, Germany, 3/1945; award of Military Medal for actions at Heinsberg, Germany, 21/1/1945. REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of period as NCO with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 8th Armoured Bde in Germany, 1945-1946: police role in Hanover; arrest of Germans wearing uniforms; raids on Displaced Persons camps; behaviour of British Army troops; prior recollection of action at Loccum, 1/4/1945; demobilisation, 2/1946. Reflections on military service in Second World War: attitude to having served with 1st Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry in Second World War; question of why his memory is better of North African Campaign than Normandy Campaign.