大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Sandra Beckett on behalf of Raymond Arthur Cumbley, the author, and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and condition.
This action took place at a small German town named Visselhovede on 17th April, 1945.
I was keeping watch guarding a road leading out of the town we had just captured. This road led to large woods about 600 years from where my tank was standing.
The driver of a scout car said 鈥淲e have just done a recce and there鈥檚 no sign of any enemy there鈥�.
During this time the driver, co-driver and the gunner from my tank were looking in a shop across the road; my tank commander was sitting by the side of the tank reading a book. The time now was around midday and dinners were now being prepared in Group Headquarters in nearby houses.
Then the action started.
I was watching out towards the woods with my binoculars and saw Germans creeping along ditches towards us. I shouted to my tank commander 鈥淟ook out, Sir, there鈥檚 a counter attack coming in鈥�. I then engaged the enemy with the Bren gun from the roof of the turret. One German was firing at me with a Schmeisser light automated gun. I fired at him and he fell. I had now no rounds left with the Bren gun, so I dived into the tank and engaged the Germans with the Besa machine gun which is co-axel with the 75mm gun. I had just used up my belts of ammunition on the Besa, suddenly there was a loud bang and my tank rocked. I then knew that my tank had been hit, lucky for me it was not on fire. I then looked through the periscope and saw that I was half surrounded by the enemy. I then decided if the tank had not been hit in the engine, I will try to get away 鈥� but first I had to traverse the turret slowly so that the Germans wouldn鈥檛 notice, so that I could get into the driver鈥檚 seat. I then closed the co-drivers door so that no grenades could be dropped inside the tank.
After trying three times, the engine roared into life and I drove the tank about 300 yards up the road and stopped. I then climbed back into the turret and called up control on my 19 set who answered with the words 鈥淎re you alright?鈥� He said that twice to me because my tank troop witnessed my tank being hit by the bazooka and said 鈥淐umbley鈥檚 had it鈥�. They had given me up for dead. Control told me to stay where I was as my tank commander who was at Control was coming to join me. He then told me 鈥淚 will take over now, go and see if you can find the rest of the crew鈥�. After searching for about an hour I returned to the tank and the driver and co-driver were on the tank. Only GDSN Woods, the gunner was missing. I am sorry to say he had been wounded in the legs running back to the tank.
In that action 340 prisoners were taken. It was reported that it was one of the most determined attacks at the latter end of the war. Two days later when we were in Lager on a German farm, my Squadron Leader Major Peter Cazalet sent for me and praised me for my actions. He was recommending me for an award. He said 鈥淚 am not in a position to say what you will get but you will get something鈥�. I know that he wrote a letter to my C/O Windsor Lewis recommending me for an award. The C/O鈥檚 batman, Gdsn Brownbridge, told me that he had seen the letter. My tank troop all said I would get the Military Medal 鈥� I got nothing!
A military observer did come to our troop as he wanted to make a report of the action. The lads all pointed to me and said 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the one you want to ask鈥�. I was rather reluctant to talk about it as I didn鈥檛 want to sound boastful. It was published in the Western Mail newspaper in Cardiff but not the true story I had told him. It was also reported in a London newspaper with the heading 鈥楪uardsman saves headquarters鈥�.
My Regiment was the 2nd Battalion Welsh Guards (Guards Armoured Division).

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