Tank crew records.

[Owen]

Has anyone looked at "A Survey of Casualties Amongst Armoured Units in North-West Europe." by Capts HB Wright & RD Harkness. PRO 205/1165?
It describes not only the fate of crews but also the mechcanical and structural damage to the tanks. They surveyed 333 AFV casualties and 769 crew casualties sustained by 19 armoured regiments between 24 March and 5 May 1945.

There were also tank casualty logs for each Armoured unit. Listing details such as date of casualty, location, Tank type/serial number, How lost, crew, casualties, remarks.

From all this data which includes vehicle type, serial numbers, crew casualties, descriptions of damage etc is it not pssible to collate it into a database so when researching a crewman details of his vehicle, other crew members and damage would all be available.
Similar to information on aircraft crew casualties?
Would it be possible, any thoughts?

[von Poop]

Only web reference to it I can find so far is in the bibliography here:
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:bp9HiLJ6TEUJ:www.det.st-jean.rmc.ca/oic/engraph/docs/EO_400_1/EO_400_1_War_and_Technology_Case_Study_en.pdf+%22A +Survey+of+Casualties+Amongst+Armoured+Units%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk
Quite an interesting page on relative approaches to tank development as it goes.

[von Poop]

A SURVEY OF CASUALTIES AMONGST ARMORED UNITS IN NORTH WEST EUROPE. :

Abstract : THIS REPORT DEALS MAINLY WITH AN ANALYSIS OF DATA OBTAINED ON 333 A.F.V. AND 769 PERSONNEL CASUALTIES SUSTAINED BY 19 BRITISH ARMOURED REGIMENTS EQUIPPED WITH CRUISER TANKS, BETWEEN THE TIME OF THE RHINE CROSSING (24TH MARCH, 1945) AND THE END OF HOSTILITIES IN N.W. EUROPE (5TH MAY, 1945). THIS SAMPLE COMPRISES ALL THE CASUALTIES IN TANKS AND CREWS SUSTAINED BY THESE REGIMENTS DURING THIS PERIOD. SOME ADDITIONAL DATA OBTAINED FROM CANADAIN ARMOURED REGIMENTS EQUIPPED WITH SHERMANS AND FROM BRITISH REGIMENTS EQUIPPED WITH CHURCHILL INFANTRY SUPPORT TANKS IS ALSO INCLUDED, BUT IS ANALYSED SEPERATELY AS IT IS LESS COMPLETE THAN THE BULK OF THE DATA.

[Owen]

So if someone collated all the details of every tank lost would there be an appetite for such info from the tank-ist community?

[ADM199]

Hi,
I think the reference you are looking for is WO205/1165.

[ADM199]

Just a little more, Both officers were R.A.M.C.

[Owen]

Originally Posted by ADM199

Hi,
I think the reference you are looking for is WO205/1165.

Cheers, just been reading about it in "No Triumphant Procession" which came out in 1993.
The NA was the PRO back then. Still the records would be there under WO even then.
Sad to say only ever been there once , that was back in 1995.
Yes, noted they're RAMC, says that in the book, just didn't put that here.

[ADM199]

I mentioned the fact that they were R.A.M.C. because that perhaps R.A.M.C. Officers would not be able to give technical information regarding the Tanks loss.
I do vist the TNA quite regularly to work on an ongoing project. My next trip is to be 2nd & 3rd of April. There could be a chance to copy the Document.Not on paper though it would be digital

[Owen]

These two Officers belonged to a Medical Research Council Team attached to No2 Operational Research Section.
From what I've read in the extract from the report they made, technical stuff is very detailed. They describe how one Sherman VC, WD Number 212700 was struck at a range of 30 yards by a hollow-charge warhead, which damaged the fan cowl on the hull top just behind the co-driver's hatch. The explosion caused no internal damage, although the driver, who had his head out , was wounded by fragments.The book also has photos of the damage and the crew.(Commander was Sgt Wardrop other crew member killed by MG fire when bailing out Tpr Forrest)

Also the survey records that a small fire started in the Cromwell V, WD number 121768 as a result of a hollow-charge explosion on the road wheels. The smoke caused the crew to abandon the tank except for the gunner who continued to fire the MG until all the ammo was used up.

Then an excerpt from the 5RTR casulaty log lists these two tanks and a further Cromwell , 188494, who in the same action had a crewman KIA by a head-shot from a sniper, Tpr Skidmore.

I wonder if this level of information is available to many other tank units.

[ADM199]

It does seem to be a very interesting file that would be worth taking a look at. I hadn't heard of this level of information being available before your post.