Hutchings, Leonard George 'Len' (Oral history)

British trooper served with 57th Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1942-1943; served with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB and North West Europe, 1943-1945

REEL 1 Background in North Newington, GB, 1923-1942: family; education; employment; recreational activities; awareness of situation in Europe; outbreak of Second World War, 9/1939; influx of relations and evacuees; initial effects of war; reason for not joining Home Guard; fire watching in Banbury; medical in Oxford; desire to join Navy, Recollections of period as trooper with 57th Training Regt, Royal Armoured Corps in GB, 1942-1943: posting to Swinton Barracks, Perham Down; issue of uniform; sleeping arrangements; haircut; accommodation; morning routine; opinion of rations; drill and physical training; inoculations; trade tests; relations between recruits and with NCOs; visits to NAAFI; standard of turnout; bromide in tea; passing out parade; posting to Catterick Camp; wireless training; problems with wireless set; maintenance; proficiency; later use of Morse Code; learning to drive; driving Crusader Tank; gunnery training. Aspects of period as trooper with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in GB, 1943-1944: joining unit at Chippenham; relations with Scottish troops; posting to troop and squadron; story of returning late from leave with Gordon Fiddler and Glen Harkins. REEL 2 Continues: memories of Sergeant Major Granger; opinion of Crusader Tank; memories of exercises; recreational activities; complaints relating to porridge; memories of Corporal Vallance; posting at Rudston; accommodation; ammunition stores; opinion of Sherman Tank; composition and roles of tank crew; firing gun; communications; layout of turret; opinion of Browning Machine Gun; role of co-driver; opinion of Sherman Tank's armour; opinion of main gun; reliability of Sherman Tank; training areas; gunnery training at Kirkcudbright; posting to and accommodation at Warburg Barracks, Aldershot; opinion of Aldershot; waterproofing of tanks; D-Day; period left out of battle at Blackdown Camp; crossing to France. Recollections of operations as trooper with 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, 29th Armoured Bde, 11th Armoured Div in North West Europe, 1944-1945: posting to 3 Troop, B Sqdn; composition of tank crew; memories of Sergeant Lumsden; details of Sherman Firefly; memories of Major Powell and Captain Hutchison; start of Operation Goodwood, 18/7/1944; description of advance and drive into ditch; evacuation of tank; sleep in ditch; description of being caught in artillery barrage, REEL 3 Continues: description of burning tanks; details of advance; description of ditch driven into; withdrawal; formation of tanks during overnight laagers; replacement of tank; maintenance of tank; relations with crew; brewing tea; use of weapons during advance; character of German 88 Guns; friendly fire incident on Bayeux Road, Normandy; story of taking fire from German Panzerfaust; evacuation from tank on being hit; sightings of German tanks; air activity; sleeping arrangements; description of compo rations; cooking rations; cigarette ration; water rations; tea; tools carried; personal weapons including opinion of pistol; use of spare tracks for extra armour protection; latrines. REEL 4 Continues: contact with civilians; charge across bridge; fire received from German Nebelwerfers; care taken near church spires; use of machine guns; posting to Helmond, Netherlands including relation with civilians; issue of Comet Tank in Ypres, Belgium; leave in GB; clothing worn in tank; character of Comet Tank and it's 77mm Gun; composition of tank crew; relations among crew; troop commanders; gunnery training; communications; accommodation; visit from Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery; advance to and across River Rhine, Germany, 3/1945; problems with German Panzerfausts; story of an accident in a laager; journey past Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp, Germany; story of final unit casualty; journey to Lübeck, Germany; reaction of German civilians; reaction on VE Day, 5/1945. Aspects of period as trooper with 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry and Royal Scots Greys in Germany, 1945-1947: posting to 1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry; relations with civilians; reaction to disbandment of 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry; training with flame-throwers; 24-hour guard; near posting to Far East; reaction to dropping of atomic bombs, 8/1945; posting to Royal Scots Greys; relations with civilians; attitude to and reasons for not staying in army; demobilisation in York, GB; civilian employment; contact with old comrade.