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My father served during the war. He was in the Royal Norfolk’s, and the transferred to the Suffolk’s. He has told me lots of anecdotes over the years. My uncle was in the home Guard, He used to go on about some of the weapons they had had, such as the PIAT Anti Tank Gun. My Dad would just chuckle, and say “they were rubbish — couldn’t actually destroy a tank”. On one occasion, Dad was sent with a private on a forward patrol. They saw three or four German Tiger tanks just forward of their position. The private offered to attack them with the PIAT gun. My father told him to leave them alone. They were moving away, and an attack would just have drawn a burst of heavy machine gun fire.

On another occasion, his platoon had been sent to clear a road. It had farmhouses on alternate sides of the road. On this occasion, Dads platoon had been sent with a Sherman Rank to support them. Dad ended up riding on the back of the tank, directing fire on the houses as he went. He enjoyed that!

There was another time when they were clearing a wood. They were advancing in line, with a tank travelling parallel to them, firing through the trees in support. The adjutant was trying to hurry everyone along, but dad turned round to have a word. He gently explained that the orders being given were sending his men into the line of the tanks fire, and that if any of his men got shot as a result, he would shoot the officer. He wasn’t usually insubordinate, but this time it worked.

They had captured a farmhouse, and taken a group of German prisoners. They were a tough looking bunch, and they were lined up against a wall so that they could be searched for weapons. While they were lined up there, a Sergeant Major came along with a captured German submachine gun and said “I could easily finish them off right here”. My father stepped in front of him and said “They’re my prisoners, leave them alone”.

There was another time though when a corporal and private were walking down a road. An SS man stepped out, shot the corporal and the put his hands up to surrender. The private brought him in as a prisoner. He was later “shot while escaping”, though we shall probably never know the exact circumstances.

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