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Amazing.
Has anyone else come across similar instances? Or did you find any more Gerry?
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HBi Adam,
Apologies for the late response - your post caught me between Bali and the US. In answer to your question - I did hear from a chap who served with the RTR in the Western Desert who said that fire from atop the turrets of his Squadron's tanks had downed an Italian aircraft.
At the time of the incident I was still recovering after being in hospital for treated of wounds - minor but infectious - here's an extract from my narrative:
"Back with the Squadron, laagered near
Oued Zarga, it seemed that everyone wanted to relate their experiences during the past few weeks. Obviously, contrary to what we had heard at the Echelon, the air attacks had been much more sustained. At first I could not believe that a German aircraft had been shot down by one of the Churchills. Equally so was the driver of
Ballyrashane-4, Harry Jenkins, tale of the
Luftwaffe pilot landing by parachute almost on top of his tank. Belief came to these and other stories on seeing the two 30mm shells that were fused into
Bangor's port side.
Two of B Squadron's personnel had been hurt while under attack from the
Luftwaffe. Both incidents were the result of a once-in-a-million happenstance. Driver "Paddy" Hember had his right arm broken when a shell had hit exactly on the tip of one of the conical bolts, affixing the appliqué armour, propelling it into the driver's compartment As usual, when fighting in the mountains, the 6-pdrs were loaded with HE. By chance, a shell from an attacking
Messerschmitt went right up the gun's barrel, causing it to fire - the operator (his name eludes me) suffered a broken left shoulder when he was in the way of its recoil."
Cordially, Gerry