ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards regiment was known as "The First and The Last", which is also the name of the regimental war diary written by the late Major J D P Stirling. He emphasised that this history is not really history at all. It is a story. He makes no reference to the courage or the bravery of any particular person, saying it would be invidious to do so, for there are few fighting men who can get through a war of this length without being brave, not once but many times. Some have the limelight on them as they act, and were deservedly decorated for their gallantry.

But there are many others who, silent or alone make that great effort of will to carry through a dangerous task or two, hold down their natural fear that rises now and then in everymans heart.

The Daily Telegraph mentions on 5th June 1945 "On D-Day these specially waterproofed tanks were the first ashore in Normandy. And on Friday May 4th they were fighting side by side with the famous 51st Highland Division, the last British Troops to be in action against the Germans.

The first armour across the river Seine, the 4th/7th broke out from the Vernon Bridge Head and their tanks lead the rescue column. They were the first British Troops to link up with the Americans at Geldern in February."

My Sherman Tank, no. 27, was crewed by Reg Cox (the driver), Wilco Willets (radio operator and loader) Trooper Stokes was the gunner, and the hull gunner was Trooper Redford. Other than Commanders, crew members are seldom mentioned, but a fighting tank is only as good as its entire crew.

When we entered Verne-Sur-Mer Second Troop A Squadron was down to two tanks. Cox saw two dead infantry men lying in the road so we turned of the road through the garden of a big chateau. In doing this we got behind the main German Block House with heavy guns. It was here that Hollis, the only D-Day VC, knocked out. We overran the headquarters of a static German Division and they surrendered to us after one large German soldier threw a grenade on the back of our tank, lacerating personal kit stowed in kit bags at the back of the turret. Then we continued our advance skirting Crepon village then onto Creully where for the first time "Winchester" was hit by an armoured piercing shot knocking off our spare bogey, eight foot of Willets' aerial and the Troop Pennent, also a chunk of armour was gouged out near Cox's head!

The Panther tank missed at a hundred yards as we were approaching the river bridge. By putting down smoke one of which miraculously landed on the bridge, we got to cover and our supporting infantry, the 7th Green Howards cleared Creully very rapidly. My troop Corporal and I drove through the eerily deserted street. As soon as we got through Creully the Squadron advanced towards the ridge, our D-Day objective. Then we really hit trouble and 9 tanks were knocked out in about as many minutes from an anti tank gun in front.

To add to the confusion, HMS Orion opened fire with several broadsides. The infantry and tank crews out of their tanks were massacred. Ten of the regiment were killed and sixteen were wounded. However the regiment had penetrated about 6 miles inland at the cost of 19 tanks and 24 casualties. Reg Cox saw the tank his brother was driving blown up and explode 20 yards in front of us. Lipscombes tank was brewed and all the crew were wounded.

Reg Cox and I had a very close bond, soon he had a tank of his own and we were the first to cross the Seine near Monets garden at Vernon. I was dumped in the mud, on the far side, where the engineers had got their bulldozer bogged down. I found a hard landing site for Cox who was able to pull me out.

These two tanks supported the 5th Duke of Cornwalls Light Infantry, Colonel Taylor, the CO, ordered the position to be held "To the last man and the last round" and in fact called our own artillery onto their positions so the Germans out in the open were at more risk than his own men who were spilt in trenches. For everyone's benefit, including my own, it was important to make out there were more than just our two tanks. We used up most of our ammunition and had to change the machine gun barrels twice. My radio operator loader Wilko Willets could get 4 or 5 shells in the air at the same time before the first one landed. The gunner kept his foot on the firing pedal and the loader had the rounds on his lap. As the round went in, the loader kept his arm moving up and over the breach block, which then closed and fired. There were risks, you lost an arm if you hesitated as the gun recoiled.

The results of the shoot were spectacular. Shells began to fall among he startled Germans forming up for the attack. The first two or three shells were on air burst. By luck, one shell penetrated a barge. The vessel must have been loaded with ammunition or petrol, for there was a tremendous explosion. I was watching through my field glasses and for a fraction of a second, saw the ribs of the barge light up in silhouette before the craft disintegrated into a ball of bright yellow flame.

During this long barrage, Cox's machine-gun suffered a blockage and his loader was injured whilst attempting to clear the obstruction without having time to let the gun cool down. The other tank continued to shoot until the hull machine-gun's rifling was so worn that the spiralling fire was ineffective, by which time the Germans had moved away from the sight.

This possible attack against the Cornwalls was averted, so, the enemy chose to move off inland through the thick woods, massacring another company.

In Operation Market Garden Winchester and Reg Cox's tank were the first two tanks over the railway bridge and went on to capture the village of Oosterhout. Two small German tanks were knocked out, a further one got away and the other, when they saw Cox's 17lb's pointing at them, the crew bailed out in a hurry and surrended, leaving the engine running. It was from this tank that I got my first decent camera.

The 10th SS forward artillery observation post was in this village and the German Commander had ordered that this position was and to be held to the last living man. The artillery had killed many of the American Airborne, especially the regiment across the lower Rhine in inflatable boats. Many thought this river crossing was one of the bravest acts during the war.

The Guards Division had been held up on the main road from Nijmegen to Arnhem, so B Squadron Leader- David Richards- was ordered to get on a smaller road to Driel during the night. This convoy included 8th and 9th Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry. Two enemy tanks joined this convoy going to Driel and were disposed of by a brave infantryman who went so close to these tanks with his piat that he was severely burnt by the explosion.

B Squadron remained in Driel for a few days to help the few survivors to get away from Oosterbeer.

David Richards as a Captain got a DSO and MC for this operation.

Other non-published stories are how an observation tower at Bourg Leopold in a concentration camp was destroyed. The artillery were banned from shooting HE but it was knocked out by us, using solid shot with tracer in three rounds.

The French Resistance had a rather unattractive habit of settling, very often personal scores, with French women who had German lovers. At Gisors four or five girls were having their hair shaved off and being spat upon by a vicious mob in the town square. We felt this was a bit off, so I got my gunner, Stokes, to put a solid shot within a foot of the barbers head. The gunners by then were good and could hit a plate at 400 yards. The whole square cleared, leaving these unfortunate girls on the podium. The Germans were at the other end of the town and if a fire fight had broken out it would have been real carnage. In fact a train full of ammunition in the station exploded and the square was like dropping a lighted match into a box of fireworks.

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