Battlegroup Fehrmann Tiger v. three British Comets, 3RTR

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by SDP, Jan 6, 2012.

  1. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    It was an article on 1st Northhamptonshire Yeo by John 'Bud'Abbot.
     
  2. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    A quick look at Wikipedia (always 100% correct!) tells me that 1st Northants Yeo were re-equipped with Buffalo and became part of 79th Armoured from the Rhine crossing onwards. Is this picture more likely to be of a Tiger in Normandy?
     
  3. KevinT

    KevinT Senior Member

    Hi Frank,

    The name on T334947 looks like a 4 digit name. It wouldn't be CALM or COOL by any chance?

    Cheers

    Kevin
     
  4. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    Wrong type of Tiger for Normandy. I contacted the author but he could not source the photo. It was obviously an error. The heading photo is EPSOM.

    NOTTs YEOMANRY0001SML[1].jpg
     
  5. Juha

    Juha Junior Member

    The unit history says that they got their first LVTs at the end of Jan 1945
     
  6. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Hi, sorry it's taken so long to reply...been a bit busy lately, hunting toilet rolls. I've scanned that part of the photo again hi-res, but the original is quite grainy, so it's not very clear, although I think ii's a C, H (half erased?)or L? E B or R? Then again, as I'm assuming it's Cherub, that's what I'm seeing! To the right it looks a bit darker, perhaps overpainted? Also, it's quite possible that my grandfather made a mistake and that's not his tank. Anyway, I've attached the hi-res pics, with the contrast boosted, although it doesn't help much...plus one inverted.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    The poor lad was probably a replacement who had just turned up from one of the Training Regts in the UK and hadn't been issued with all his kit, bless him!
     
    SDP likes this.
  8. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    I'm almost certain it was cobbled as were/are many minor roads in that area!
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2020
  9. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    I found this one COMBATANT, which I think was an A Sqn tank:-

    [​IMG]

    I also had a look through the list of names of tanks that we had just prior to the amalgamation in 92 and the only name that is listed that I've seen on any Comets is COBRA!
     
    Frank Flattery, SDP and Chris C like this.
  10. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    How about CALAIS ? (Celerity was renamed to Calais in 1949 when she was serving with 3RTR in Hong Kong)
     
  11. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    Yep that was the 2i/c's tank!
     
  12. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Andy
    Nice to know the name was keeping good company! Comet T335335 CALAIS was in RHQ as a Control Tank commanded by Lt PDE Galer and even had its photo published in a 1949 edition of 'Tank' magazine.
     
    S54 likes this.
  13. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    75th Anniversary today:

    The incident happened 75 years ago as this morning i.e. 'now'!. Thursday 12th April 1945.

    1 Troop 'A' Squadron 3RTks/3RTR had been moved across the River Aller on a Bailey Raft at about 9.30am and then advanced up the Esseler Damm towards the Drebber Brook accompanied by infantry of the 4th Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. Tiger F01 approached at about 11.30am.

    The crews of the various tanks were:

    Tiger F01:
    Franzen - Commander
    George - Driver
    Specht - Gunner
    Plaffelhuber - Loader
    Spahr - Operator

    Langdons Comet:
    Langdon - Commander
    Charlton - Driver
    Bourne - Operator
    Rice - Gunner
    Enever - CoDriver

    Elstobs Comet: T335335 Celerity (my late fathers tank):
    Elstob - Commander
    Pannell - Driver
    Holmes - Operator
    Gordon - Gunner
    Wilson - CoDriver

    Brindles Comet:
    Brindle - Commander
    Loynes - Driver
    Boyes - Operator
    O'Brien - Gunner
    Webster - CoDriver

    Brindles Comet was knocked out during the incident.
    Tiger F01 was knocked out the following day - Friday 13th April 1945 - by Sgt Harding's 'C' Squadron Comet.
    Fortunately, apart from the Comet and the Tiger, there were no casualties apart from minor burns to some of the Tiger's crew when it was KO on Friday 13th April 1945..



    Tiger F01 (photo courtesy of Fred Preston ex 3RTR)
    Tiger F01.jpg


    Franzen (photo ex Saft 'Krieg in der Heimat')
    Franzen.png


    George (photo ex Saft):
    George.png


    Specht (photo ex Saft):
    Specht.png



    Elstob's tank: T335335 Celerity
    (photo: Dennis Pannell photo collection)
    Celerity.jpg


    Dennis Pannell standing with Celerity:
    (photo: Dennis Pannell photo collection)
    Celerity5.jpg



    Dennis Pannell:
    (photo: Dennis Pannell photo collection)
    Dad.jpg


    1 Troop, A Squadron, 3Rtks:
    (photo: Dennis Pannell photo collection.)
    Whilst I can't be absolutely certain, this photo appears to be of 1 Troop.
    Bourne is kneeling front row and my late father - Dennis Pannell - is second row to Bourne's photo right.
    1 Troop.jpg


    John Langdon:
    (photo: from Langdon's book 'The Sharp End')
    Langdon.jpg


    Langdon, Elstob and Bourne:
    (photo: again from Langdon's book 'The Sharp End'.
    Langdon Bourne Elstob.jpg


    ….and finally, what I believe to be Langdon's tank
    (photo: Dennis Pannell photo collection)
    Champion.jpg
     
  14. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    It looks like Peter Elstob on the end of the back row on the left!
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
    JimHerriot and SDP like this.
  15. JDKR

    JDKR Member

    At approx 1030 hours today, and 75 years ago, Sgt Harding fired the AP round into F01's flank as the Tiger moved down the Ostenholz road. Attached is the diagram of the incident to feature in my forthcoming book (hopefully to be published in June) Theirs the Strife. Best wishes - and keep fit and healthy - to all following this thread.

    John
     

    Attached Files:

    Juha, S54, Frank Flattery and 2 others like this.
  16. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    Amen to that...healthy - so far, so good, fit..........hmmmmmmmmm
     
  17. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    John

    Looking forwards to your book. That sketch map is a great 'teaser'.
    By coincidence, the IWM are also releasing a version of Peter Elstob's book 'Warriors for the Working Day'.

    Steve

    Edit: looks like it's just been released.
    IMG_5131.JPG
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2020
    Frank Flattery likes this.
  18. Frank Flattery

    Frank Flattery Well-Known Member

    My copy's already ordered, Amazon shows its release date as 30 April.. looks like John's going to have another reader, as well. I am so seriously in trouble now, my domestic supervisor has already told me what will happen if she finds more books squeezed onto shelves...and sorry folks, ebooks don't do it for me..and it's not like I can escape, either!
     
  19. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    That's why I thought end of April and not March.
     
    Frank Flattery likes this.
  20. S54

    S54 Junior Member

    [​IMG]

    I've just posted this message over on 'Facebook':- I wonder how many of us who were stationed in Fallingbostel knew that 3RTR's last possible action took place just down the road! As you drive up the Hannover- Hamburg Autobahn (A7) towards Fally and go past the Allertal service Station it happened over in the woods to the North West on the K149! I certainly didn't know anything about action until I paid a visit to 'Pup' Kevin Greenhalgh's museum just after the amalgamation and noticed a pic of Tiger with the caption 'Knocked out by 3RTR', Kev very kindly pointed out on a map of where the action took place and from there my interest in the event was spawned!

    [​IMG]

    Note the close proximity of 'Falling-Bar-Stool' to the North!

    [​IMG]
     
    Frank Flattery and SDP like this.

Share This Page