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Spotlight on a Normandy Veteran

Ex Sgt. Dennis Young, Chester Road, Wrexham.
Royal Tank Regiment/Royal Armoured Corps.

Den was 15½ years of age at the outbreak of World War II, serving an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic that was interrupted because of the demand for vehicles by the Forces.

Not wanting to hang around, and to do his bit for the country and war effort, Den tried hard to get into the RAF. He volunteered at Chester for the RAF and spent three days at Cardington, Bedfordshire, but age was against him, the necessary parental consent was not forthcoming, his father having experienced the horrors of WWI.

By the age of 17½ years (1942) it was realised that he would have to register for military service and be called up at the age of 18 years, this time his parents reluctantly gave consent to volunteer for the RAF, this being preferred to the Army or Navy. Three days at Blackpool for tests and assessment by Selection Board revealed that there was a waiting list for air-crew duties, not wanting ground staff duties Den decided to return home and wait, realising that the Army or Navy could call him up first. He was called up for the Army 5th November 1942, being sent to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, to do him compulsory 6 weeks Infantry Training in the General Service Corps.

After this training he was selected for service in the Royal Armoured Corps, presumably because of his interrupted mechanical apprenticeship, then posted to 55th Training Regiment RAC, Elles Barracks, Farnborough, Hant’s, and then to 61st RAC Training Regiment, Barnard Castle, Co Durham, (Streathlam Camp), training for desert warfare.

Den was given embarkation leave for posting to the Middle East, but intended RTR Regiment suffered badly out there, so was re-posted September 1943, to 153rd Churchill Tank Regiment, 34th Independent Tank Brigade, at Broome Park, Canterbury, Kent.

Duties included Coastal Defence, Training of Infantry to operate with Tanks on the South Downs, pre-invasion exercises with 43rd Wessex Division, and 12th Corps.

Owing to weather conditions being so bad in the English Channel, orders for the invasion of Normandy were delayed, whilst waiting for embarkation orders the sighting and hearing of a number of Flying Bombs was experienced. Eventually sailed from Gosport a little while after D-Day had started, landing on the beachhead near to COURSELLES where JUNO and GOLD beaches join, re-uniting as a Brigade around the CULLY area, St Gabriel-Brecy, Den and his ‘B’ Squadron being at COULOMBS.

Front line action was mostly in the close country area of Villers Bocage until 15th July when Den’s first really big action with 12th Corps, spearheaded by 15th Scottish Division with 158th Brigade of the 53rd Welsh Division and the 34th Tank Brigade under command was to advance southwards to take EVRECY, BOUGY and MAIZET and then the high ground beyond FERM de MONDEVILLE. This was operation GREENLINE.

Den’s Regiment of Tanks supported 44th Lowland Brigade on the right flank, and the attack got underway at 11.30pm under artificial moonlight (diffused searchlight beams), the first time this was used in Normandy.

By 2.30am 16th July the 6th K.O.S.Bs had reached their objectives and by 5.30am the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots and RAC Tank Regiment had advanced from LES VILAINS on GAVRUS and BOUGY along the South Bank of the river ODON. The Tanks by-passed GAVRUS and attacked it from the rear, the Royal Scots attacked it from the front. By 8.00am GAVRUS had fallen to the joint attack, taking about 70 prisoners, by 10.00am BOUGY had fallen using the same joint attack, taking about 100 prisoners.

All day long, Den’s Squadron of Tanks were counter attacked, 4 Anti-Tank guns fired at them but only one hit his tank, so they made a dash for it into an orchard, which was mined, and completely surrounded by the enemy.

At 7.00pm Den got out of his Tank to stretch his legs, having been inside since 5.30am, but was machine gunned and only just managed to crawl back into it. The rest of the evening they were counter attacked by the 9th S.S. Panzer Division, and continuous artillery barrage, when at 11.00pm they were pulled out of the line, a little way back, and worked on the Tank all night snatching a bit of sleep in between.

They then left the BOUGY area for EVRECY and HILL 112 under continuous mortar fire (moaning minnies) and snippers.

At 8.15pm on the 17th July, although badly beaten up the RAC Tank Regiment moved off from ESQUAY in support of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 158th Brigade and 6th KOSBs to renew its attack on EVRECY, but the German Panzers were waiting for them. Den’s Tank was hit by an 88mm shell which killed the Crew Commander instantly, the gunner died before help could be got to him, the rest of the crew being injured and the Tank on fire. They crawled about a quarter of a mile through the corn field that was still under mortar fire and German Infantry until picked up by a Troop Tank and taken to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers First Aid Post and eventually to 32nd Field Hospital.

After discharge from hospital, Den re-joined his Regiment, then on Saturday 12th August at 10.30am, moved off into battle to support 53rd Welsh Division for the advance on FALAISE. After about 4 miles and into enemy territory, the order came to engage, but very soon had to stop because a faulty 75mm shell had stuck in the gun barrel, it was useless to advance further with the main gun out of action so they stopped to try and clear the stoppage in the open of a corn field, the place still not finally mopped up and where the Hitler youth and 21st S.S. Panzer Division had been opposing the British advance, this was approximately 30 yards from the edge of GRIMBOSQ FOREST, after about 5 minutes they were hit in the engine compartment by a Panzerschreck, (Germany’s version of a Bazooker), unable to move they were hit another 3 times so had to bale out and abandon as it was now starting to Brew Up. All they crew got out safely but were machine gunned as their movements were spotted in the corn, one crewman was hit in the leg but managed to crawl back to the start line, the wireless operator was hit in the back by a burst of Spandau machinegun fire and was unconscious. Den and his Corporal tried to help but there was little they could do but drag him away from the burning tank but due to exhaustion and realising that they were probably dragging a dead man they decided to make their way back to lines for help, to do so they had to run the gauntlet of the machine gun position diving into a nearby ditch, German S.S. and Hitler Youth soldiers could be seen quite close. Not wanting to be taken prisoner by that type anyway they kept themselves hidden until one of their Regiment’s half tracked vehicles came to their rescue. The wireless operator was located but found dead.

Being taken to a field hospital for treatment they then saw wounded German prisoners come in as well, mostly Hitler Youth and S.S. Whilst in hospital, Den’s Tank Regiment was disbanded due to heavy losses, its survivors made up the losses of other Tank Regiments in the 34th Tank Brigade. Den was now excused Tank crew duties but held in reserve Squadron in case of emergency now that he was medically re-categorized.

The 34th Independent Tank Brigade since landing in Normandy fought in 4 countries and supported 7 different Infantry Divisions in the space of five months.

Den was promoted to Sergeant and awarded C in Cs Certificate from Lt Gen R.L. McCreery, G.O.C. and demobbed from Hamburg, Germany in 1947.

Footnote
7th Royal Tank Regiment whose 31st Tank Brigade was disbanded at this time took the place of disbanded 153rd Regiment (Essex) RAC in the 34th Tank Brigade. The survivors making up the strength of the Regiments.

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