6th Armoured Division -June 1942

Discussion in 'Higher Formations' started by bexley84, Nov 4, 2011.

  1. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Gents and Ladies,

    As I was travelling on the train home to Windsor this afternoon, and as I was glancing again at my father's narrative covering his 5+ years of war service, I spotted the following detailed memory, and thought that some of the 6th Armoured Division's veterans might be interested (and hopefully amused) by my father's comments. Some of you might even have been there......
    Errors in the detail can only be addressed by my father.
    QUOTE.
    “It was early summer 1942 and we were on our way again. The Irish Brigade had been chosen as the lorry-borne infantry in the 6th Armoured Division, a new type of formation created from the cream of the army, so we were told. Our new home was in the grounds of yet another titled potentate. Our host this time was the Marquess of Bute who gave over part of his vast demesne at Auchinlech in Ayrshire to the 6th Division.”
    “A divisional display was conducted in a beautiful Scottish glen amidst the rolling hills of Ayrshire. I was one of the representatives of the London Irish. Our new divisional badge was a white clenched fist on a black square background. In turn, the units did their piece starting with the Royal Horse Artillery, the oldest regiment in the army. ‘We always gallop into battle,’ said the colonel. They did. Three trucks drawing 25 pound artillery pieces and limbers sped into the arena across the rolling landscape. Up went the first 25 pounder and rolled over. We were to have been treated to the spectacle of some rapid fire. Fortunately, this idea was abandoned”
    “Then came 6-pounder anti-tank guns and Beaufort anti-aircraft weapons. The Royal Engineers followed with a collection of vehicles, including a bulldozer. The Royal Corps of Signals were next with vehicles bristling with antennae. Next were representatives of the division’s three cavalry units, the 16/5th Lancers, the 17/21st Lancers and the Lothian & Border Horse. A Valentine tank came trundling in, followed by a Matilda at under 10mph. These were followed by a Crusader, which bounced along at about 30mph. I was impressed at the speed but the tank did look flimsy. Next came several types of armoured car. Following these, came the battalion of motorised infantry in their jeeps, carriers, armoured cars and trucks. Then came the Rifle Brigade. The Irish brigade was represented by one TCV containing a platoon of the 6th Inniskillings in full battle order with the platoon bicycle on the back.”
    “The support regiment was next and it gave a demonstration of three-inch mortar fire. So the mortar bursts could be seen, incendiary bombs were used which accidentally ignited sheep grazing on the hill. Medics, dentists, the RASC and a RAOC bath unit brought the display to a close. The climax was a battle bomber and a fighter which flew over to end the occasion. It was impressive, but would it have frightened the Germans? It frightened me, some of the gunners and the sheep who were never the same again.”
    END QUOTE.
     
  2. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Richard

    very amusing in all respects and it should be noted that the armour were sent in after landing at Algiers just five months later with much the same tanks as they had at Auchinlek in order to frighten the Germans- which when they were issued with Shermans - they did mightily and so before the year had passed the 16th/5th Lancers were in action again at Cassino II- but that was after they had frightened the Irish bde to bale out into the 78th Division in North Africa - they obviously couldn't stand the heat and so we incorporated a Guards bde in their place...
    Cheers
     
  3. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Tom,

    Thanks for taking the story in the spirit that my father intended:

    The Irish Brigade could, of course, illustrate certain quirks of their own - pretty good fighters as long as they weren't ordered to go into action on or around Barossa Day, Waterloo Day or St Patrick's. On those days they decided to just fight amongst themselves.

    In all seriousness, my father and his comrades always had the greatest respect for the fantastic armoured support provided to them from various nations : a few actions immediately come to mind - the North Irish Horse on the Kefs in April 1943, the Trois Rivieres Regiment at Termoli in Oct 1943, 16/5 Lancers at Sinagoga on 16th May 1944, and the 11th CAR at Sanfatucchio on 21st June 1944. Not forgetting, of course, the Kangaroo-ed 9th Lancers / 4th Hussars in April 1945.

    Words, of course, cannot any where near be adequate in giving thanks for these and so many other deeds.

    Richard
     
  4. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Not forgetting 44 and 46 RTR and the County of London Yeomanry at the Trigno and Sangro rivers in Nov/Dec 1943, the Lothian and Border Horse and 17/21 Lancers in the drive to Route 6 after Sinagoga, and 3rd Hussars at San Giovanni on 30th May 1944.....tbc
     
  5. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Richard
    the same has to be said about all the Infantry - at all times - cursing us one minute for enticing shelling - and blessing us the next for getting rid of the Spandaus and other nasty things - we had some fun - now and again with the Infantry

    Cheers
     
  6. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Oops! Wrong place, sorry!
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Richard
    Sinagoga reminds me of that well known pulizer prize winner on writing about the liberation of another small town nearby claimed that it was the 17th battalion of the 21st Lancers who were involved...great research ..
    Cheers
     
  8. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Tom,

    I can't claim a Pulitzer, but the second part of your comment might have described me 5 years ago.

    The thing that I would say to everyone who has a relative who has ever served is to speak to them about their life memories. Listen carefully to your father/mother/uncle/grandfather etc as the chance is unlikely to come around again.

    I had a great advantage as my father had been able to privately collate 200+ pages of memoir ( I often wondered what he did with my old lap tops) and when he was a little poorly towards the end of his life, I could read it back to him and ask for comment / clarification about events from his life in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

    Today, I met with one of my Dad's comrades - he's 93 next month - and using my father's book as an aid to memory, had 2 hours of the most wonderful chat about Southfields 1939, Haverfordwest 1940, Goodwood 1941, Auckinleck 1942, Hill 286 / Bou Arada Plain Jan & Feb 1943. He went onto work on ciphers for SOE in Algiers/Bari in 1943, 44 and 45.

    Very humbling, great learning and now historically so important.

    best regards,
    Richard
     
  9. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Richard
    Most of the vets on the forum have been banging the drum on that subject for many years - starting with the BBc series - which has some 47,000 tales of the war- including some 30 odd of my own- with many also from Ron- Gerry - Geoff Plater- the late Niccar - Snowy Baynes - Tom the Pom - footslogger and hundreds of others and still we have newbies coming in complete ignorance of their relatives life at that time -

    many of the tales are hilarious and some tragic and one which sticks in my memory is the one drawn up by a veterans daughter from her Fathers notes entitled -"from Mold -to Dunkirk -the Desert and through Italy" - it's in two parts and well worth the time to just sit back and read of how one man handled his war - and survived - it is such a humble tale that it emphasises the sheer strength of character
    he displayed in all that time overseas without bitching about time off or a bigger pay packet but the acceptance of the needs and making the best of it all.

    Well worth half an hours reading

    Cheers
     
  10. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  11. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Tom,

    Thanks - I had just started to search for it so that saves a whole lot of meandering around.

    Richard
     
  12. bexley84

    bexley84 Well-Known Member

    Hilarity and tragedy. Unfortunately all too much of the latter.

    But it's marvellous to read the humourous stories - that bit about his mother posting a parcel with a cooked chicken is hilarious. That's almost a scene from a sit com.

    6+ years of uncomplaining and committed service - and then probably going back to civvy street to be offered the same position that they occupied in 1939. And at a similar pay and those that "sat out" the war now their boss.
     
  13. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

Share This Page