- Contributed by听
- Lawrence Weston Library
- People in story:听
- T. J. Plumley
- Location of story:听
- Occupied France
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A3817433
- Contributed on:听
- 22 March 2005
No 14585500, T.J. Plumley, Durham Light Infantry.
I landed at Arromanches on D + 10 and served as rifleman or infantry anti-tank gunner until the war ended!
In September 1944 we were in GHEEL, a small town on the Albert Canal in Belgium (north of Brussels). I was often used as company runner and for short periods detached from my regular duties. When I returned to the gun, everyone else was dug along a house gable-end adjacent to the position. This I did not like and dug my trench at the side of the gun shield.
The No.1 and myself (No.2) were sober but eveyone else, including the sergeant, were blind drunk. About 2.00 am, in total darkness,a German tank with some infantry came down the road towrds us. I sorted out a mixture of N.E. and A.P. shell (7 in all).
Waited until the tank was very close (much less than one hundred yards), then we opened fire very rapidly! The tank managed to fire 3 shots at us, which just cleared the top of the gun shield and then it exploded in flames, killing most of the infantry with it, although their officer survived and I took him prisoner!
The following morning we were shelled by artillery and everyone on the gun was killed except for myself!
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