Post by cromwell999 on Sept 21, 2013 15:04:16 GMT
This is second attempt to create a Thread.
This man was my mothers brother. He served from before the War from Egypt to Berlin. I assume he was a regular as he credited his survival to peacetime training. I will try and add a few photographs and if the Thread takes will add the narrative and more pics. It's taken so, he appears to have been in Heavy Armoured Brigade Egypt before 7 Armd Div. was formed, In the late 60's in answer to my questions he mentioned A10's, A13's, Valentines and Crusaders. He was never wounded in action but suffered two events. He seems to have been a sgt. tank commander from the beginning. First was when he moved from one side of the turret to the other and the gunner fired and the breech came back in his stomach. The second was whilst on leave in Cairo. He was mugged and his wallet and his watch were stolen. He had a fractured skull which required surgery without an anasthetic! The RMP told him it was a British deserter who was responsible.
Probably sometime in 1942 divisional tank squadrons were formed (7 tanks) to guard div. HQ's. He was transferred to that unit (7 AD) where he served for the rest of the War. He mentioned taking generals up to the front line for a looksee. Cunningham and Gott for two.
In February 1944 7AD was pulled out of Italy and transferred to UK for re-organisation and re-equipment for Normandy. In this respect he and other tank crews visited (Vauxhall?) to see production of the new British wonder tank, the Cromwell about April/May 1944. he and his mates were horrified, they knew all about Panthers and Tigers from Italy. He told me about this and my mother told me that one day she went into the garden to check up on me in my pram and saw her brother walking up the driveway. Evidently the same timeframe.
1st Pic. IA Cole in No. 1's and in training thought to be Lulworth c1937
2nd Pic. In North Africa, probably Cairo or Alexandria c1942
3rd Pic. Brussels 1944. This should show Div. Tank Sqdn. personnel 7AD. centre of photo is damaged but to left is a Belgian teenage civilian and to the left my mothers brother. It's 2013 and probably too late to identify the tankers in the pic. Vol 2 of George Forty's pictorial History of the 7th Armoured Division has a pic. of the unit at about the same time.
This man was my mothers brother. He served from before the War from Egypt to Berlin. I assume he was a regular as he credited his survival to peacetime training. I will try and add a few photographs and if the Thread takes will add the narrative and more pics. It's taken so, he appears to have been in Heavy Armoured Brigade Egypt before 7 Armd Div. was formed, In the late 60's in answer to my questions he mentioned A10's, A13's, Valentines and Crusaders. He was never wounded in action but suffered two events. He seems to have been a sgt. tank commander from the beginning. First was when he moved from one side of the turret to the other and the gunner fired and the breech came back in his stomach. The second was whilst on leave in Cairo. He was mugged and his wallet and his watch were stolen. He had a fractured skull which required surgery without an anasthetic! The RMP told him it was a British deserter who was responsible.
Probably sometime in 1942 divisional tank squadrons were formed (7 tanks) to guard div. HQ's. He was transferred to that unit (7 AD) where he served for the rest of the War. He mentioned taking generals up to the front line for a looksee. Cunningham and Gott for two.
In February 1944 7AD was pulled out of Italy and transferred to UK for re-organisation and re-equipment for Normandy. In this respect he and other tank crews visited (Vauxhall?) to see production of the new British wonder tank, the Cromwell about April/May 1944. he and his mates were horrified, they knew all about Panthers and Tigers from Italy. He told me about this and my mother told me that one day she went into the garden to check up on me in my pram and saw her brother walking up the driveway. Evidently the same timeframe.
1st Pic. IA Cole in No. 1's and in training thought to be Lulworth c1937
2nd Pic. In North Africa, probably Cairo or Alexandria c1942
3rd Pic. Brussels 1944. This should show Div. Tank Sqdn. personnel 7AD. centre of photo is damaged but to left is a Belgian teenage civilian and to the left my mothers brother. It's 2013 and probably too late to identify the tankers in the pic. Vol 2 of George Forty's pictorial History of the 7th Armoured Division has a pic. of the unit at about the same time.
Attachments:
