Thanks Dale, Here is another featured member, Albert Jenkins of B Squadron in 'D-Day - the Last of the Liberators' by Robin Savage. He is featured on one of the sample pages on the book's own site here - the guy in the bunker. The video is a remarkable work in itself: [video=youtube]http://youtu.be/pyzMN9A3gZY[/video] Regards, Pat
I'm following the SRY's in Normandy (and beyond), but with particular emphasis to the period after the 1st August 1944 - when they were joined by about 30 former 24th Lancers, after the 24th Lancers were broken up. The 24th L fought in battles close to those of the SRY in Normandy however prior to that, so I do have some info on the SRY prior to 1st August as well. Is there a thread yet for the battle of Rauray? It might make sense to collect some info there. All the best, Rm.
Hi Rob, No, we have no specific thread opened for this battle, so if you want to proceed in that task, by all means feel free to do so. I have to admit my own knowledge of the battle is sketchy to say the least, so for others like me, I can find no better paragraph description of the engagement that that on the Amazon book page for 'Breaking the Panzers: The Bloody Battle for Rauray, Normandy, 1 July 1944' by Kevin Baverstock: Does anyone have this book? If so, would you be willing to write a short review for the Forum? Regards, Pat
Hi All, To continue... Stuart Hills finally received orders on Tuesday 13th June to rejoin the Regiment with his new Sherman. The trip from the Forward Delivery Squadron to the regimental positions took the Stuart and his crew through country littered with dead men and animals. It was a sobering journey and one which left a lasting impression on the inexperienced tank commander. They finally found the Regiment in an orchard on the far side of Bayeux. Stanley Christopherson, who had joined the Regiment at the start of the war when it still had hoses, was now promoted to command the Regiment in place of Michael Laycock - a position he would hold for until the end of hostilities eleven months later. I cannot seem to find which rank Stanley Christopherson held at this point upon his promotion to command of the SRY. He had joined the Regiment at the outbreak of war in 1939 when the Regiment still had horses. The war diaries of this highly decorated officer are published in 'An Englishman at War: The Wartime Diaries of Stanley Christopherson DSO MC & Bar 1939-1945' (edited by James Holland). Again, if anyone has this book, I would be grateful if you could spare the time to write a short review for us. On the 16th June, the new C.O. gave his first briefing to his officers. Lieutenant Hills was in attendance, it also being his first briefing since landing in France ten days previously. More follows... Regards, Pat
Thanks, Pat, Sean, Re. Rauray, by the looks of it: 1) there was the taking of Rauray - where the tanks of SRY were involved. 1b) Whilst at about the same time the 24L were fighting in the Tessel Woods nearby 2) Then there was the defence of Rauray with the assistance of the 24th Lancers after the SRY were rotated out (The 3 regiments of the 8th Brigade, (4/7RDG, 24th L and the SRY) tended to serve in turn in and out of battles and rest and refits - as allowed). I think its a bit of a shame that: "After more than 14 hours of fighting and resolute defence by British anti-tank guns and artillery, " Doesn't mention that allied "tanks" were there, but having been looking into things for a little while I start to see why. The War Diaries are often the best source and they necessarily focus on concerns of each unit writing them. I expect that the rest of the book mentions the allied tanks that were there though? I think that they "bagged" quite a few Panzers too! And lest I forget -apparently the Royal Navy hurled over a few shells too. That seems like quite a feet actually - when you look at a map and see how far Rauray is from the coast - still some of the big ships could hurl shells 20 miles at least I think, so perhaps not so surprising after all. Glad they seemed fairly accurate though. Apparently there are still some ponds dotted around Rauray and the Tessel Woods that might have been water filled craters that the ship bombardment left ??! All the best, Rm
Did a quick search on IWM website just for SRY: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=SRY&submit=&items_per_page=10 And came across these links to (unfortunately "media unavailable") films - the descriptions of them - as they relate to the SRY in July 1944, look interesting enough though, All the best, Rm. PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASSAULT ON HOTTOT Part 1: Detachments from SRY's REME recovery section and LAD in the form of a Sherman armoured recovery vehicle and an M5 half-track motor along a tank track and on to the Caen-St Lo road outside Tilly-sur-Seulles with the regiment's HQ squadron. Three heavily-camouflaged Shermans follow in their wake. (no Part 2 listed under "SRY" apparently there) PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASSAULT ON HOTTOT Part 3: A Sherman ARV from the REME recovery section in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) HQ squadron motors along a tank track marked by white tape to join other AFVs heading along the Caen-St Lo road outside Tilly-sur- Seulles. Two heavily-camouflaged Shermans from the SRY's 'C' squadron (?) follow in their wake. PREPARATIONS FOR THE ASSAULT ON HOTTOT (PART 4) I. The cameraman surveys a Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) tank harbour in an orchard outside Tilly-sur-Seulles. A tank commander from the SRY's 'B' or 'C' squadron clambers into his ex-DD Sherman tank, dons his headphones and speaks down his wireless microphone to net into his squadron's radio frequency (?). The driver and his assistant board the Sherman. Filming through the commander's hatch and the loader's hatch in the turret, the cameraman observes a 75mm round being placed 'up the spout'. Three members of the crew clean the 75mm gun barrel with a ram rod. II. A No 83 Group RAF Typhoon fighter-bomber attacks Hottot with rockets. A 3-inch mortar team from the 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment's mortar platoon goes into action; the Sergeant in charge of the mortar section shouts firing orders. During a pause in the bombardment, a new supply of mortar bombs is stacked in the firing pit for ready use, while more are unpacked have propellant charges fixed to their fins and their fuzes set for firing.
I tried to understand what was going on for the SRY (and 24th L) in July 1944 but their war diaries are all full of the idyls of farmyard life in a summer in Normandy (so asides from the occasional shelling) and maybe a few engagements around Hottot it seems that they were largely taken out of the line for a bit of r&r and training for the next steps. August 1944 was quite a month though for the SRY, with Mont Pincon (Battle honour), Jurques (Battle honour), Noireau River crossing (Battle honour) Conde-sur-Noireau, Chambois, Seine 1944 (Battle honour), Aigle, Evreux, Vernon, Gisors, Beauvais, Amiens. Much of which is covered in basic here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8th_Armoured_Brigade_%28United_Kingdom%29#Crossing_the_Seine It's a lot to "bite" off and I'm wondering if some of these battles could be covered best in a series of separate threads? Mont Pincon seems like a good place to start but I'm not sure if the SRY were involved in the centre of this or had an otherwise supportive or subsidiary role. It seems like an interesting battle to take a look at though (along with all of the rest) and the Noireau River crossing looks like a bit of a monster to tackle from some of the accounts of it I have already seen.
Hi Rob, Open new threads as you see fit. I am slowly working up to the British/Canadian/Polish effort during the Battle of the Falaise Gap but don't let that stop you - in fact it might be interesting to see several different takes on these actions. Regards, Pat
Thanks Pat, Will do, I'll have to think hard how to split them into "bite sized" chunks. Perhaps by focusing on the Battle Honours battles first. By the way I took another trawl through the IWM and found this (it's in at least 5 parts) - sadly not online, (yet!) but bits of it might have been used on Pathe and might even be on Youtube. It says the 4/7th RDG are in there in the film too, and there might even be some 24th L's (though not noted on the IWM description files I know some of the 24th L were encouraged to go and take a look at the SRY's captured tiger there, and probably were doing so at the same time as the film crews. Operation Epsom - Capture of Rauray Spur - film - has several parts (at least 5 I think) in which the SRY are included (Particularly "A" squad SRY) http://www.iwm.org.uk/search/global?query=rauray&x=9&y=13
Hi Rob, Is that '994' for Royal Dragoon Guards, 8th Armour Brigade here? Not sure about the first digit but the '_94' seems clear enough. Regards, Pat
'994' is for the Royal Dragoon Guards, 8th Armour Brigade And this long list: http://mmpbooks.biz/mmp/tables/Vehicle_Names_V1.pdf ...has "Dingaan" as a 4/7th RDG tank with detail that suggests their "info" relates to this pic or at least something very similar. DINGAAN 4th / 7th Dragoon Guards, 8th Armoured Brigade B Sqn M4, Sherman Rauray 28 June 1944 I suspect that this might be in the vicinity of the Tessel Woods, just to the west of Rauray as Rauray's trees were perhaps more of an "orchard" type, i.e. small and more trained, rounded trees - in ordered lines ? All the best, Rm.
For those 28 or so of the 24th L that went to the SRY at the start of August 1944 https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=daO2AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA534&lpg=PA534&dq=Operation+Kitten+Normandy&source=bl&ots=gRo7CkoLrL&sig=ax_HsTManCZv5R-QnWfKq29u63M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1jk2VbHGKoqV7AailIG4Dg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=24th%20Lancers&f=false On page 415 - "Two complete troops consisting of 3 tanks each, arrived from the 24th Lancers, which had recently been broken up, under Lieutenants Cameron and Cowan. These I posted to "B" squadron (!!!! !!!!) Jack Holman took command of "C" squadron, since Peter Seleri had been wounded. So "B" squadron SRY is the one to follow for the further actions of the x24th L's that went to the SRY.... From what I've seen of the SRY war diary this is enough info to get a much better idea of what subsequently the x24th L's "did", but I'm still not sure if there was much movement for NCO's between squadrons in the British tank regiments. The officers quite often though (as you see above) seem to change squadrons, and this seems particularly to occur when they are given extra responsibilities or new jobs to do. Rm.
"C" squad SRY had a "very nice" write up for the Noireau crossing and the action towards Berjou. Crossing Noireau; "C" squadron SRY moved across the Noireau at first light and moved up the steep, almost impassable terrain towards Berjou with DCLI (Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry) riding on the backs of the tanks. They methodically destroyed 10 German machine gun nests but in so doing lost 6 tanks damaged (3 of which however were able to be fixed in less than half a day). Following SRY troops also had several tanks damaged by infantry and mines, with at least one tank "brewed up" with the entire crew killed by mortars and small arms fire apparently whilst bailing out. In summary the cost of the last five days fighting to the SRY was reported to have been "25 casualties, 2 tanks destroyed and 5 damaged most of which will run again." The SRY "helped to take several hundreds of prisoners and the part played by C squadron SRY in crossing the Noireau and dominating the high ridge to the south has been a triumph of determination and grit over almost impossible country." Unfortunately it's still very hard to find that mention of "Sergeant Symes" that I'm after ;-) but I can imagine his being there, even though it keeps seeming like they are being tasked with going against impossible odds and "luck" is a tremendous factor affecting survival there. I was just reading about "C" squad SRY's tanks being practically all knocked out, and other days "A" squad having a very bad time of it. It was all, it seems, very much the luck of the draw. I've heard a few tales of Berjou now and it sounds like an odd, crazy place to have to drive a tank, up what looks like a heavily defended, wooded hill... http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024752 http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060023919 & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mcy81fvxPQ Rm.
Hope I didn't find this link on our forum and sending it back again! British Tank Markings in Normandy - showing, amongst others, the markings for 8th Armoured Brigade, and a nice 24th Lancers A Squadron Sherman drawing showing all the relevant markings, which are shown underneath it. And below that is a Sherman of 13/18 Hussars Regimental Headquarters, whilst still with 27 Armoured Brigade http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=590 Allan
Hi Allan, I have the page printed off and on my notice board behind the desk for ease of reference Haven't been able to find anything as good elsewhere on the web. Regards, Pat
Hello Pat Pleased to help, and even more pleased that I wasn't giving you your own information back !! Dave Clark has a very nice moving map on this link - which is rather like the Spitfire IX cutaway that he did in commemoration of his late brother. http://www3.sympatico.ca/angels_eight/campaign.html http://www3.sympatico.ca/angels_eight/421spit.html http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/d-day/d-day-links - This has a lot of very good links, including http://www.warlinks.com/armour/index.php - which includes http://www.warlinks.com/armour/8th_armoured/chapter_4.php http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/index.html - gives you all you need to know about Spitfires and which units they served in, and their loss if it happened. http://bayonetstrength.150m.com/ - the clue is in the name ! http://www.kerynne.com/games/British11thArmouredDivision.html - again, the clue is in the name! http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/23810-2nd-tactical-air-force/ - all you need to know about, yes you guessed correctly, 2nd Tactical Air Force! As 125 Wing first operated in Normandy right by the Longues battery I have always had an interest in that area, and also down near Tilly-sur-Seulles for Lingevres from mid-August, and the fight for that area in June included 8th Armoured Brigade amongst many other units. Dad told me that 125 Wing supported 11 Armoured Division, and I have "The Black Bull" by Patrick Delaforce, who served in 11 AD, and with an uncle in 7 Armoured Division in western europe I have books on them as well. http://tactical-airpower.tripod.com/system.html - tactical air power in Normandy http://www.therafatomahabeach.com/ - would you land with the Americans on Omaha beach in a uniform that when dirty looked like Wehrmacht field grey, these guys did! http://en.tracesofwar.com/ - plan your own battlefield tour Hope these links help you and other members of our illustrious forum. regards Allan