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Lewis Conibeer

My Journey Through France to Russia in WW2

I joined the Essex regiment in early 1942. I had volunteered before I was conscripted. Here I took part in commando training to help me in the war. I found this to be exhausting. I then transferred to the Royal tank Regiment. I took part in numerous training exercises. I have been transferred because of the number of shortages due to death. I was ‘tank crew’ and learnt how to drive and be able to use the tanks and other heavy vehicles in the war. This was in Yorkshire however, I don’t know where because all the signs had been taken down because of German parachutists. I was then moved to South Wales. Here I waited to be moved to second front. I then went to Portsmouth. Here I was not allowed to tell my family or girlfriend where I was. It was very ‘hush, hush’. We were waiting here only a day or to before we made a long slow advance to a tank landing craft. There were sunken ships all around as we went across the channel to Arromarsh the landing place. Here they had established the Mulberry Harbour. My Sherman tank was driven with the first tank Brigade headquarters.
I soon transferred to a regiment and given command of one of general Hobart’s secret weapons, in the form of General grant tank. This was equipped with high voltage arc lights, designed to ‘dazzle the enemy’. I have now been released from the vow of secrecy.
Whilst carnage ensued at Caen and falaise we exercised near Tilly sur seul, until we were disbanded. Were upon, after a brief spell on the deadly Churchill flame throwers, I was posted to the Royal Scots Greys’, to find myself in the front line with the latest Sherman 17 pounder.
After crossing the Rhine, near Cleve, coming under a massive attack at night, we hit a ridge turning us completely over, a sitting target, even at midnight. The noise of the German fire and the flak crashing on the tank was still discernable, together with the dripping of the petrol from the tank. Eventually the driver, a London taxi boy, forced the main gun aside, escaped to open the hatches to free us three, in the Turret, we scurried round to the rear of the upturned vehicle engine, with the commanders whiskey, sheltering for the rest of the night, form the horrendous barrage.
Fortunately the Rifle Brigade and our other squadrons had captured the hill and the army recovery vehicle came to our rescue. There after we pursued the enemy through there own country, encountering stiff resistance from German 88 mm units. Calling upon the RAF to eliminate these pockets with their Typhoons. This enabled us to race ahead to meet up with the Russians. We were in fact the leading British Tank, to meet up with the Russians, heading into Wismar on the Baltic.
Throughout my time, especially in the front line the camaraderie and spirit amongst the tank crews officers’ and men was unbelievably helpful. It was particularly crucial in the most traumatic times; because there were times when we were ‘well scared’.

The Royal Scots Greys’ was the senior Scottish household cavalry embracing many notable characters. I was indeed fortunate to serve with the Late Princess Diana’s father who used to regale us with the stories of the then Princess Elizabeth. After the war, during peace keeping there was no fratenisation with the women. However we did spend our time playing tennis and other sports with senior officers. Murray Walker was my technical adjutant who was another ‘great guy’ permitting us to use the squadrons motorbikes and use the Luneburg Heath as a dirt track.

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