Post by aghart on Feb 8, 2023 10:37:07 GMT
18 people present with another 16 linked in by Zoom. A great physical turnout as February is traditionally our worst attended branch meeting. This because there is no January meeting, it's usually cold and dark, and people are not yet into "the groove" in regards to making the effort to attend. So a very promising start to the year.
Minutes of the November meeting were available to view. A recap on activity since the last meeting was given, this included the Moreton bench in November, Cambrai 105 (which seems a lifetime ago already) Sgt Stephens remembrance service at Lulworth, and the scattering of Pete Dore's ashes at Bindon Hill. Dave Roberts and Mike Everton were given a round of applause for their sterling efforts in making the Ladies Lunch the great success it was.
It was announced that Pete Dore left the branch £1000 in his will
Details of the memorial service for Col John Longman were given.
It was confirmed that the RTRA sponsored Church Service & Curry Lunch at Bovington will be on Sunday 19th March 2023. That is the same day as the 105th anniversary of the death of Lt AA Lawson, Tank Corps, who is buried in Bournemouth. The Branch secretary will lay a wreath at his grave the day before, because even the former Tank Commander cannot be in two places at once.
Members were given advance notice of the Plymouth branch RTRA function in September which will be open to all RTRA members.
It was confrimed that the trip to Ypres in 2023 will now not go ahead. This is because the hoped for funding did not materialise. Members were told to keep the dates free though as we are hoping to do something in the UK.
The guest speaker was then introduced. Stuart Wheeler is the Tank Museum historian and he gave a very interesting presentation on the role of 7th Armoured Brigade (7th Hussars & 2 RTR) in the retreat through Burma in early 1942. The main points I will put on here. 7th Armoured Brigade were based in North Africa when Japan entered the war, they were taken out of the line and re equipped with brand new M3 Stewart (Honey) tanks. The brigade also included 6 RTR but they were kept in North Africa, presumably for logistical reasons. The were were then loaded onto ships and sent to reinforce Singapore. Singapore fell before they arrived and so the brigade was diverted to Rangoon.
They were unloaded at Rangoon docks and the first tanks were in action just over 24 hours later. the role of the Bde was to cover the retreat of the two infantry divisions in Burma, 17th Indian & 1st Burma. The infantry were very inexperienced newly trained , "green" troops and it showed. 7th Armd were battle hardened veterans and it showed. The British forces were road bound and slow while the Japanese were able to frequently get ahead of them and attack them from all sides. The role of 7th Armd was to cover the retreating forces and prevent the Japnese from overwhelming the army. 7th Armoured Bde was spectacularly successful in it's operations, they bypassed Japaneses road blocks and then attacked the Japs from the rear causing them to flee into the jungle. They carried out Squadron sized raids against the advancing Japanese causing them them to halt and regroup, they cleared (with infantry) villages that the Japanese had occupied, they patrolled transport routes keeping them clear, and they (the signals guys will love this) using their Dingo armoured cars helped all units keep in contact (rebroadcast and all that signals stuff).
There was virtually no Tank vs Tank action as the Japs only had about a dozen light tanks which were no match for 7th Armd. The main Japanese anti-tank gun could not penetrate the frontal armour of the M3's but their 75mm artillery gun used over open sights did knock out a small number of our tanks. Their very accurate light mortars were the biggest problem as they would knock out an M3 if a round landed on the top of the turret. 7th Armoured Brigade won all their engagements against the Japanese, the troops were very confident, the reliability of the M3 Stuart became legendary 2 RTR started the campaign with 48 Stuarts, 1000 miles later they still had 30 operational vehicles. All of this is generally unkown because the retreat from Burma is "rightfully" seen as a major defeat for Great Britain. The entire British /Indian army in Burma could and would have been totally destroyed and captured in Burma without the efforts of 7th Armoured Brigade. In the midst of a general defeat, the fact remains that 2 RTR (& 7th Hussars) battered the Japanese every time they encountered them.
Fear Naught
Minutes of the November meeting were available to view. A recap on activity since the last meeting was given, this included the Moreton bench in November, Cambrai 105 (which seems a lifetime ago already) Sgt Stephens remembrance service at Lulworth, and the scattering of Pete Dore's ashes at Bindon Hill. Dave Roberts and Mike Everton were given a round of applause for their sterling efforts in making the Ladies Lunch the great success it was.
It was announced that Pete Dore left the branch £1000 in his will
Details of the memorial service for Col John Longman were given.
It was confirmed that the RTRA sponsored Church Service & Curry Lunch at Bovington will be on Sunday 19th March 2023. That is the same day as the 105th anniversary of the death of Lt AA Lawson, Tank Corps, who is buried in Bournemouth. The Branch secretary will lay a wreath at his grave the day before, because even the former Tank Commander cannot be in two places at once.
Members were given advance notice of the Plymouth branch RTRA function in September which will be open to all RTRA members.
It was confrimed that the trip to Ypres in 2023 will now not go ahead. This is because the hoped for funding did not materialise. Members were told to keep the dates free though as we are hoping to do something in the UK.
The guest speaker was then introduced. Stuart Wheeler is the Tank Museum historian and he gave a very interesting presentation on the role of 7th Armoured Brigade (7th Hussars & 2 RTR) in the retreat through Burma in early 1942. The main points I will put on here. 7th Armoured Brigade were based in North Africa when Japan entered the war, they were taken out of the line and re equipped with brand new M3 Stewart (Honey) tanks. The brigade also included 6 RTR but they were kept in North Africa, presumably for logistical reasons. The were were then loaded onto ships and sent to reinforce Singapore. Singapore fell before they arrived and so the brigade was diverted to Rangoon.
They were unloaded at Rangoon docks and the first tanks were in action just over 24 hours later. the role of the Bde was to cover the retreat of the two infantry divisions in Burma, 17th Indian & 1st Burma. The infantry were very inexperienced newly trained , "green" troops and it showed. 7th Armd were battle hardened veterans and it showed. The British forces were road bound and slow while the Japanese were able to frequently get ahead of them and attack them from all sides. The role of 7th Armd was to cover the retreating forces and prevent the Japnese from overwhelming the army. 7th Armoured Bde was spectacularly successful in it's operations, they bypassed Japaneses road blocks and then attacked the Japs from the rear causing them to flee into the jungle. They carried out Squadron sized raids against the advancing Japanese causing them them to halt and regroup, they cleared (with infantry) villages that the Japanese had occupied, they patrolled transport routes keeping them clear, and they (the signals guys will love this) using their Dingo armoured cars helped all units keep in contact (rebroadcast and all that signals stuff).
There was virtually no Tank vs Tank action as the Japs only had about a dozen light tanks which were no match for 7th Armd. The main Japanese anti-tank gun could not penetrate the frontal armour of the M3's but their 75mm artillery gun used over open sights did knock out a small number of our tanks. Their very accurate light mortars were the biggest problem as they would knock out an M3 if a round landed on the top of the turret. 7th Armoured Brigade won all their engagements against the Japanese, the troops were very confident, the reliability of the M3 Stuart became legendary 2 RTR started the campaign with 48 Stuarts, 1000 miles later they still had 30 operational vehicles. All of this is generally unkown because the retreat from Burma is "rightfully" seen as a major defeat for Great Britain. The entire British /Indian army in Burma could and would have been totally destroyed and captured in Burma without the efforts of 7th Armoured Brigade. In the midst of a general defeat, the fact remains that 2 RTR (& 7th Hussars) battered the Japanese every time they encountered them.
Fear Naught