大象传媒

A tank squadron comprised of five troops i.e four fighting troops and HQ troop. The fighting troops officer was normally a lieutenant (1st or 2nd. HQ troop officers would normally squadron leader, Major. Second in command, normally Captain, with a rear link officer who could be either a Lieutenant or Captain. So any annoyance to me would come from within that framework. It was like being in a family atmosphere - we did not appear to have the strict discipline of for instance, an Infantry Battalion. So if any annoyance crept in it was usually resolved more on a discussionary level because it was normally about a tactical movement. As I was a Troop Corporal any annoyance would be from my Troop Officer. This depended on his character as to whether we could get along with him or not as the case may be. I feel I ought to write a story of one instance when I did get very annoyed over an officer's interference!!!
It was 1943 and my regiment had been equipped with a tank known as a Centaur for training purposes, until we could be finally equipped with our Cromwells for war.
When the time came to make the change I was put in charge of taking a group of our Centaurs to an Ordinance Depot at Loughborough near Leicester for disposal. We duly loaded our tanks on to War Flats at Driffield Railway Station and proceeded to Loughborough, taking a 3 ton Bedford lorry to bring back the Crews, two to a tank. The railway yard at Loughborough was a long gentle curve (not straight). As each tank was driven off the glats I despatched it off to the depot, having already made arrangements with the Officer in Charge whilst I remained until the last one came off.
Each tank driver was being guided off by the lad from the turrett who was walking backwards in front of the tank and by the use of hand signals was making sure the tank did not over balance. Unfortunately the last tank was being guided off by a lad who wasn't up to the job and the result was that we had a tank upside down on it's turrett alongside the line. Fortunately the driver was ok, but it took the railway breakdown people about three hours to shift the train, fill the lines in with railway sleepers so after the tank was right side up it could be towed off the yard by another Centaor which i had fetched back especially to do and also to tow the Centaor to the depot.
A further problem now was that the Depot Officer refused to accept it unless it was driven in under it's own power. So for about one hour we towed it up and down the road with the other Centaur to clear the cylinders of excess petrol. We were half expecting the engine to catch fire but we did eventually get it going. So ended that part of the story.
Arriving back at Driffierd i handed the signed and sealed papers to our Squadron Office and thought no more about it!! BUT a story like that went round the squadron lines which caused quite a laugh. Unfortunately the butt of the joke was directed at the lad whose made such poor effort of guiding the tank off the flats. This lad actually came from the Depot officer's own troop and the Officer came in for some 'leg pulling' in the Officer's Mess. He decided to have me put on a charge for carelessness and dishonestly of all things. So i was duly charged but a phone call to the officer at Loughborough apparently spoke well of my control of the situation, with him and the railway authorities meant the charge was squashed. Therefore I kept my clean record and i understood from my Troop Officer that this particular officer came in for some stick from the rest in the Officer's Mess.
Having quite a good memory i have never forgotten or forgiven that particular officer for putting me to so much trouble. I was very annoyed!!

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