7885543 Cpl John GRAVES, C Squadron 8th Royal Tank Regiment: DOW 17/12/41

Seeking information about Cpl John Graves 7885543 KIA 17/12/41 N. Africa.
He was tank commander in Hector, Valentine.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2209038/john-graves/

 

I suspect he was KIA on 15 December, when Pt.204 was overrun by the D.A.K. and Italians or was in one of the 3 "I" tanks supporting 3/1 Punjab during their attack, two of which were disabled. Some 8 R.T.R. tanks were operating with 5 Ind Bde that day, even though the regiment was not.

September 13, 2023 – The Crusader Project

On 17 Dec there was no action as the Axis forces had withdrawn.

All the best

Andreas

 

Thank you so much Andreas. I used 17/11/41 as that is what his Commonwealth Graves record states. There is a record elsewhere in this Parish that suggests his tank returned to laager driven by the driver (unhurt) with the gunner dead and Cpl Graves mortally wounded. The date recorded was 23/11/41, which confused me.

 

Sorry meant 17/12/41. (Schoolboy error)

 

Thinking about it, what you say makes sense. He was wounded possibly ob the 15th and died of his wounds on the 17th.

 

Unfortunately the Casualty list doesn't say when he was injured just the date when he died of his wounds.

 

Thank you for your information. Its helping to build a picture. I gather these Valentines were neither well armed nor armoured. Duw, those men were brave.

 

For the date 23/11/1941 there were 3 casualties.

 

Jarratt, Cotton and a Davis not on the lists above are buried together. I know this is not given you the answers you are after but maybe it helps putting the jigsaw together and hopefully someone more of an expert than me can put the pieces together for you.

 

Okay that got me thinking, and I checked for earlier actions.

Cpl. Graves was badly wounded while supporting 6 NZ Bde on Totensonntag. I suspect that these wounds were so bad that he died of them almost a month later.

I have written up the experience of the Bde here: Totensonntag – the Experience of 6 New Zealand Brigade

The two attached pages are from the 8 RTR war diary. Quality isn't the greatest, but they are readable.





All the best

Andreas

 

From another post '
8th Bn R.T.R. Tank Names'

Hope this helps

 

And here's a picture of Hector, thanks to Chris C.

As it has Caunter camouflage, it would have been one of the early Valentines issued to 8 R.T.R.

I suppose the man standing next to it is Tpr. Bailey.
All the best

Andreas

 

This is a picture of Stuart Hamilton MC that appears in his book Armoured Oddyssey.

 

O

 

Correct on the appearance of the picture, but I don't think that is Hamilton, as he looked different from the chap in the picture.

Anyone know what the double triangle sign in front stands for?

All the best

Andreas

 

Single triangle denotes A squadron

 

I believe that the two triangles denote the Squadron leader, which Hamilton would have been.

 

I think it is the formation insignia for
1st Army Tank Brigade (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia
As 8RTR was part of that formation
1st Army Tank Brigade

Brigade insignia

 

Great, thanks a lot!

All the best

Andreas

 

He was a troop leader in 'B' Sqdn. at the time of CRUSADER.

All the best

Andreas