大象传媒

This story has been added to the People鈥檚 war website by Marie on behalf of Gerald Letchford. Gerald has given his permission and is aware of the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

鈥淎鈥� Squadron, 44th Royal tanks had been advancing fairly rapidly with 3 troop leading. Our infantry on this occasion were Canadian, we had not worked with them before so were a little uncertain of how things would turn out.

We had no contact with the Enemy all that morning, although we were in Germany they had not appeared. We had driven through Clieves towards Wessel, on the Rhine when we were brought to a halt to let C Sqdn. through to take over the lead. My tank was a Sherman Firefly and I was in the middle of a ploughed field, we had some branches of trees tied on to look like a travelling bush. A bit silly I thought! Anyway, we stopped and as the tanks of C squadron took over, I saw some tracer shots come at them, only a few hundred yards ahead of me.

I had seen from whence they had come. One shot missed the tank but took most of the bedding of the rear of the tank. I estimated the range to be about 800 yards and through a thin, narrow strip of pine woods. Having a Firefly with a 17 pounder anti-tank gun, I laid my gunner onto where I thought I had seen the shot come. I ordered an A.P. to be loaded and when the gunner had got the gun on line I gave the order to fire.

I don鈥檛 know if I scored a hit or not, for before I could get the gun reloaded I received a direct hit on the front on my tank. This one shot did all the damage necessary to put me out of action. I believe George, my driver, was killed instantly. Also Ian my gunner, he was slumped forward. I felt a terrific blow to my legs and knew I had been hit but did not know how badly. I tried to jump out the top of the turret but my legs didn鈥檛 work, so I started to lever myself up on my arms and elbows. I was halfway out when a second shell hit, a great ball of fire climbed up the front of the tank and hit me full in the face, pushing me back into the turret.

I found myself leaning up against the wireless set at the rear of the turret. I was a bit dazed but otherwise fully conscious. My immediate thought was 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to burn to death. I would rather shoot myself鈥� My hand went to my belt for my revolver - it was not there and then I saw it over the other side of the turret hanging up. At that moment a third shell hit and shook the tank quite violently. I thought it was fairly low down but it really bought me to my senses and I said to myself 鈥淭his is no place for me. It鈥檚 time to get out鈥� This time I levered myself up to the side of the turret and managed to hang head first down the side. I then realised I was still wearing my headset, hanging head down with flames from the bushes, attached to the burning tank. I managed to remove my headset and then looked at the frozen ground and thought I have got to drop head first onto a hard ploughed field. It was 1st March 1945. This is going to hurt I thought, as the flames licked around my face and arms. I had very little choice, but luckily I had been a rugby player and P.T.I and knew how to fall and roll, which is what I tried to do.

Diving with my arms out ahead of me, I fell to the ground and my legs just flopped down. There was no pain, everything was numb other than some burning from the rear of my tank suit which was the first thing I mentioned to one of the infantry lads who came to me, a sergeant with the Canadians. He dragged me by the arms to the back end of the tank to give us both protection. Another youngster came up to ask if he could help and I told him to go and find a stretcher. I gave no thought as to where he would find one, as I said 鈥淚 could not walk out of this鈥� Good kid that he was, he went off to find a stretcher and came back in a very short time with one and started to bind my legs together. I asked him if he had got a 鈥楤lighty鈥�. He said I would not be taking any more interest in the war for a while.

I told the sergeant that there were two more still in the tank but I was sure they were both dead as Ian, my gunner, had fallen forward. And as the first shell had come in the front I was pretty sure the driver, George, would almost certainly be dead too. The sergeant said he would take a look as soon as he had attended to me.

A troop carrier was passing nearby, the sergeant waved it over as it had delivered its cargo of infantry and was on its way back. It changed course towards us, two got off, and the four of them rolled me onto the stretcher and thence onto the carrier. And I was evacuated to a C.C.S.

At the C.C.S. my legs were straightened out and wooden splints applied and bound on, and with an injection of morphia I was again put on an ambulance and evacuated to a forward casualty centre where I spent the night.

I was operated on very quickly and my legs set once more and put into plaster. The following day I was taken to the Canadian hospital at S. HERTOGENBOSCH. I was only there for a few days. I had burns to my forehead and to my left wrist , probably caused by the flames from the foliage on the outside of the tank.

I was then flown from EINDHOVEN by air ambulance to R.A.F. Wroughton in Wiltshire. My wife, Olive, was notified. She was serving in the W.A.A.F.s at the time but was able to get leave and come to Wroughton to see me. Luckily she had her sister with her as she must have had quite a shock when she was brought to my bedside. My face was behind a mask with holes for my eyes, nose and mouth because of my burns. Both legs were in plaster to the tops of my thighs and one arm was bound up where skin had been taken to cover the wounds.

About ten days later I was transferred to PARK PREWETT HOSPITAL at Basingstoke, an E.M.S. hospital set up for casualties from France after the D-Day landings. Olive acted as escort for the trip from Wroughton and saved another nurse making the journey. She stayed a night and then had to report back to her unit. I was in hospital until August 1947.

I have always been very grateful to the Canadian sergeant and the young soldier who came to my assistance; to the surgeons who first dealt with me; to the hospital staff in Holland and R.A.F. Wroughton; and of course to the nurses, doctors and surgeons at Park Prewett, for the attention I received.

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