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This story was submitted the website by Eleanor Fell, at Freshwater Library on behalf of John Warry, who understand the terms and conditions of the website.

I was the instrument mechanic with C Squadron, in the 1st Battalion RTR. I was responsible for making sure that all the tanks in the Squadron were able to communicate with each other, and I maintained the 'Number 19' radios.

After the break out at Normandy we had driven through France, and arrived at St. Niklaas on the Sunday morning. It was a slow journey as we were constantly being held up by enemy troops who had left behind pockets troops with weapons, who were fighting a rear guard action.

Eventually we arrived in Belgium after 3 weeks and St. Niklaas was the first town that we arrived at. Fortunately for the people of the town and us, the Germans had not defended the town and had left it undamaged. The local people were delighted to see us and they immediately hung the Belgium flags out their windows. We were all invited to visit peoples homes and have a bath and a rest. We actually slept in the trucks and by the tanks, there were about 30 of us, lead by the Squadron Commander, Major Edward W Foster (Teddy to us!)

We stayed in St Niklaas for a couple of days and then our next task was to drive into Holland to join the Market Garden Operation, which was a joint operation between the airborne forces and 30 Corp to relieve the troops at Arnhem. I reached as far as a town called Odeonrode in Holland, when a very kind German gunner gave me a very suitable 'blighty' which resulted in my being flown home to Cirencester and spending a stint in a cottage hospital in Malvern.

I know from research I did at the Tank Museum in Bovington, that the rest of the Battalion that remained in Holland, had a hell of a time getting up through Holland and German to the Kiel area, as it was a harsh winter over there in 1944.

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