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A Tankman’s Tales

It has been said that a soldiers life is broken up to exact measurements, whether he is a regular or like the majority, signed on for the emergency, the emergency in this case was the 1939 / 45 World wide conflict. The measuring scale being in the form of a percentage table of 50 % interest — 25 % sheer boredom — 10 % happiness — 12 % horror and 3 % of sheer terror. I hasten to add that not all soldiers were held to this measurement but a minority were, and too many failed to survive the 3 % sheer terror.
Therefore I have compiled a list of tales from my particular service days, avoiding the initial Infantry training at Bury St. Edmonds with the Beds / Herts regiment, on to the Tank training at Barnard Castle with the 61st Regt R.A.C. which was supervised by the Horse Guards and SSM Christie of unforgettable memory, to the Embarkation on the SS Franconia at Liverpool and on to Gourock and finally arriving at Algiers in 90 degree heat ! This was the beginning of a long trail through North Africa — Italy - Austria before finally seeing the white cliffs of Dover for the first time, after some four years away.! These tales will tend to agree with the scale of measurement which highlights the life of the soldier.

1) - A2239959 — Algiers with 145th R.A.C.
2) — A1143361 — Tunisia 1943
3) — A3521170 — Welcome to Italy
4) — A2106370 — Music in Wartime Italy
5) — A3480716 — Addendum to music
6) — A1149158 — Canadians in Italy
7) — A3300788 — 1st and 5th Cdn. Divs.
8) — A1145710 — D day Dodgers
9) — A1145314 — Rome 1944
10) - A1124218 — Green Envelopes for Tank Bde — Rimini
11) - A2260568 — Characters at war
12) - A2221804 — Gothic Line — San Martino
13) - A3281906 - Two Great Men
14) - A2656622 — Operation Woodchoper
15) - A1149040 - The Yalta Aftermath
16) - A1172774 — The Vienna Tattoo
17) - A2656992 - Army Beds
18) - A1163396 — Strassburg Pt. 1
19) - A1169192 — Strassburg Pt. 2
20) - A 1171135 — Strassburg Pt. 3
21) - A3375812 - Hot Showers and clean underwear..

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