Tank Men by Robert Kershaw

[yamonda1]

Just read 'Tank Men' by Robert Kershaw (ISBN 978-0-340-92349-0)

It covers the formation of the first tank regiments in WW1 to the end of WW2 in Europe and has personal stories from British, US, German and Russian soldiers.

His low key writing style can't hide the horrors of being a WW2 British tanker, at least for the first five years where at the start a WW1 cavalry mindset fought against panzer tactics honed in the Spanish Civil War. This only changed as the losses in men and machines mounted and the tactics had to be changed to combat the British tank deficiencies. The incompetence of British procurement policy and training methods are truly staggering ...

The book made me think of a childhood neighbour Mr.Simm who, as a tanker, came through the entire North African, Italian and latter German campaigns unharmed (at least physically) only to die in the 60's from Weil's Disease contracted when he picked up some rat infected litter in his backyard.
To survive all that and be killed by a bloody rat !!

 

[Bryn]

Not read that one , but it reminded me of a conversation I had a couple of years ago with an elderly gentleman who had a job as a cleaner at the local bike dealers...

He told me he was in one of the first waves of british tanks to arrive on the beaches in Normandy....

When he was being trained up he wasn't told about his mission, although he knew it would involve driving a tank... he said he had difficulty in the target practice training with a revolver.. and complained to the SGT. the helpful reply was " do this" and the Sgt put a gun to his own head...." if you can blow your own brains out that's all you'll need to do "

The old chap explained that as the tanks had a tendency to 'brew up' when hit by shells, so blowing your own brains out was preferable to being burnt alive...


Anyway, he went on to say that when his tank was dropped out of the landing craft they'd welded the hatch down, and he'd been given the instructions to keep his foot hard on the throttle, because if it stalled the crew would all be drowned....

His tank made it , many didn't ...

Heroes and made of the right stuff

 

[yamonda1]

According to Kershaw his experience was typical with many similar tales mentioned in the book.

 

[shuck raider]

Finished reading 'The Last Citadel' by David Robbins, an historical novel centred on the Battle of Kursk in which the T34s take on the mighty Tigers. Good stuff and although its a novel, must be pretty close to what happened, it's well-researched and would be an easy read over the hols

 

[Bem]

Just read 'Tank Men' by Robert Kershaw (ISBN 978-0-340-92349-0)

It covers the formation of the first tank regiments in WW1 to the end of WW2 in Europe and has personal stories from British, US, German and Russian soldiers.

The book made me think of a childhood neighbour Mr.Simm who, as a tanker, came through the entire North African, Italian and latter German campaigns unharmed (at least physically) only to die in the 60's from Weil's Disease contracted when he picked up some rat infected litter in his backyard.
To survive all that and be killed by a bloody rat !!

Will look out for this in the local library.
I was lucky enough to work with a Tank Man for ten or so years (he was the office junior as it happens filling in before reaching 60, then 65, then...), in the Desert then rolled in on D Day and went all the way to Berlin. Finally retired as a Lt Colonel so more than just a beginner. Clearly had a lot under his belt but rarely let on about the nastier side of things - a grounding experience to work with a fine chap. Makes you (and me) realise how little pain and suffering most of us go through.

 

[FatAl]

My grandfather served as a Tank man throughout WW2, I can't remember off hand which RTR he was in, but he was involved in many of the major tank battles in north Africa. He even survived a direct hit on his Grant tank, he was blown clear, the rest of his crew died. The battle moved on, he was found unconscious by friendly arabs who hid him from the enemy. They eventually got him back to the British lines about two months later, during which time my grandmother had been informed that he was MIA believed killed and his army pay had been stopped.
He died when I was four years old, so I was unable to appreciate his war stories. However I have most of his letters to home and thanks to the public records office at Kew have been able to trace most of his war journey via his units war diaries and linking up the letters, I have even got a Pathe news film with him on right in front of the camera.

 

[yamonda1]

My grandfather served as a Tank man throughout WW2, I can't remember off hand which RTR he was in, but he was involved in many of the major tank battles in north Africa. He even survived a direct hit on his Grant tank, he was blown clear, the rest of his crew died. The battle moved on, he was found unconscious by friendly arabs who hid him from the enemy. They eventually got him back to the British lines about two months later, during which time my grandmother had been informed that he was MIA believed killed and his army pay had been stopped.
He died when I was four years old, so I was unable to appreciate his war stories. However I have most of his letters to home and thanks to the public records office at Kew have been able to trace most of his war journey via his units war diaries and linking up the letters, I have even got a Pathe news film with him on right in front of the camera.

He, like Mr.Simm, was a very lucky man. There's a German mentioned in the book who was shot out of his tank nine times and survived but he lost some of his comrades each time to horrific injuries. It is mentioned also that crew bonds were often stronger than that between brothers so the suffering is hard to comprehend nowadays but for them it became natural.