大象传媒

I was a pre-war territorial part time soldier, so when war became imminent all TA reservists were called up before "War" was declared on September 3rd 1939 - in my case 1st September 1939, on a Friday.
We all reported to "Northampton Drill Hall" where we did all our training, we were booked in and given a space 6ft by 3ft marked out in white with a number on it, a palaise filled with straw and 3 blankets.
After war was declared (Sept 3rd) we were all sworn in (took the oath on the bible) and received the "Kings Shilling" having signed-up for "DURATION" - "I HAD NOW BECOME A SOLDIER?"

Most T.A Units had very little equipment as was the case with my Regiment, but we did have one real tank which I never got to drive. We did have several "Track vehicles" we referred to "As Slave or Battery carriers" so I did have some experience driving a track vehicle with "TILLERS" in stead of a steering wheel. Although later on during the war we did have "Bren-gun carriers" a track vehicle but steered with a steering wheel.
I had already passed my normal road test so i did have a driving licence, after we were "called up" this was taken away and i was given "A War Licence" for all groups!!! It was simply a card about 3 and a half by 5 inches in size, renewed every year (I still have my last one!!!) Whether you knew or not how to, you were now entitled to drive anything.
Over my periods of T.A training I had done drills with various types of weapons, the largest was a two pound anti-tank gun also various types of other weapons, Machine Guns-Pistols-Rifles-also map reading-compass reading-wireless operating.
All of this was leading up to my becoming a menber of a "Tank Crew" (when we did eventually have some tanks). Initially I became a driver to our troop corporal, driving a "Guy Armoured Car" (Wheeled).
By the spring of 1941 we had become equiped with "Valentine Tanks" and during the winter months of 1940 we had been going to "SCHOOL" to learn all about our new tanks. I had passed my test and had now become "A Driver Mechanic Class-two" - Only real fitters could be "Class-one" and all through the summer of 1941 I was our Troop Sergeant's Driver "IN-A-TANK"

By now I was a Troop Corporal tank comander of "Baker Tank" in a troop of three Cromwell Cruisers with a Sergeant and an officer commanding the other two tanks. I was now putting to good use all the training I had gone through during my four and a half years "Home Service", this was good for my crew (five altogether) because I was able to help each one in his own job whenever required. Three of my crew were only 18 coming 19 years of age but no commander had a better crew, I hope they were as happy with me as I was with them.
Now as commander, apart from working under orders from my troop leader came the time one of my "Fire Orders" would involve the killing of enemy troops.
All our years of training never prepared you for the moment when you had to kill something. I suppose they relied on your natural instinct that this would create a "you and them" situation. This came home to me during a situation where we were in the position looking down a road leading into a village (suitable concealed). After having now being in action for several weeks in Normandy and obviously having killed a lot of the enemy troops, suddenly a German Infantry Patrol of about six or seven men came out of the village coming towards us. Suddenly they crossed over the road into a small field and went off along the side of a large stone building. While this was going on I had given an order to my loader to put an H.E shell in the breach and given my gunner a suitable fire order to act on, when I gave the order to fire. As it was more to my advantage to remain un-observed I never gave the order, but my gunner, seeing the Germans get away said to me " do you want me to kill 'em" this request brought home two things - firstly my gunner 18-19 had no qualms about killing someone. Secondly I realised that in my capacity of a "Tank Commander" I had a lot of people killed. "BUT" "I NEVER KILLED ANYONE"

Reg

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.