Yet another Sherman wreck (Hill 112?) Most likely a casualty left behind when they retreated from Hill 112 in early July. Anyone have 3RTR entries for those days and the July round-up of their tank losses and casualties?
Only information I have readily to hand is that the chap commanding 2 Troop A Squadron 3RTR between 26-30th June 1944 was Sgt Bob Ayers (reference: page 32 of 'The Sharp End' by Johnny Langdon).
Good move Michael! I was just going to do the same, because after checking the War Diary in this thread: Unit Diary 3rd Royal Tank regiment I didn't find much information so as to help us further identify the tank, except that it was possibly lost on 29 or 30 June. There might be Action Reports as appendices, either in the 3 RTR War Diary itself, or in that of 29 Armd Bde or even 11 Armd Div, detailing the engagements of 27 June to early July, and perhaps giving the losses by Troop and/or Squadron? Michel
Could this mean that he was no longer commanding 2 Troop after 30 June, because he was wounded (he is not listed as KIA), or even because his troop was wiped out by then? Michel
Not sure of the precise date but at some time between 30th June and 18th July the ORBAT for 2 Troop became Lt Henry Bates and Sgt Bob Ayers so presumably now two tanks in 2 Troop.
" WYN " is indeed written there in large rough letters, but I thought it might be the code used for classifying the type of tank casualty, although normally there should be only one letter (" W " for " Write-off ", " Y " for " Requires assistance from repair personnel and likely to be repairable by unit fitters and light aid detachments or second line workshops", " N " not being used as far as I know). Maybe it is the " WYN " defined by Collins as " an Old English rune equivalent to the English letter 'w' " To me it looks too roughly applied to be a tank name, but it still could be. Michel
Michel Could also be a crew scribbling on the name of a friend...often happened. My dad apparently had 'Muriel' written next to his Sherman Drivers hatch.
Write-offs have 'Z' or 'Zw' written on them and it is always very visible. I have never seen it on a tank in the field and only at collection points after sorting. X Casualty = reparable within 24 hours Y Casualty = Over 24 hours, requires assistance from repair personnel and likely to be repairable by unit fitters and light aid detachments or second line workshops. Z Casualty = requires extensive repair or replacement involving evacuation. Zw = Total loss, burnt out.
I struggle to believe the crew would have taken the time to chalk on WYN to assess knock out. [And yes you do notice additional names like that on AFVs in Allied and German service oddly.] Especially given the circumstances under which Hill 112 was yielded. Also if a crew member that footage must have been taken very shortly after the Hill was taken, given the accelerated rate of decomp in the Odon Valley.
You are right of course! If the body next to the tank is a member of the crew, I do not see his possibly surviving comrades scribbling anything on the tank either. Usually the name of the driver or the driver's girlfriend (or spouse) was written right on their individual hood, so the fact that WYN is in the centre might mean that it is in fact the tank's nickname? Michel
How's book is well respected: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hill-112-C...rd_wg=5s7uR&psc=1&refRID=KNTD9AZ4PPEQ3AZJQPB2
The tanks here are the first Hill 112 battles during EPSOM. When 11th AD took it and then pulled back to face the looming German offensive.
Write-offs ('W') and 'Z' casualties are not the same. As you mentioned, a Z Casualty may still be repaired, while a Write-off is deemed impossible or too costly to repair, as the burnt out tanks are. Some war diaries do make the difference, as for example in the 1 Lothians WD for 'C' Sqn, 8 Aug 44: Total casualties on the night attack were, in tanks: RED GAUNTLET - 4Tp - Z casualty. SMACKAWA - 4Tp - write-off. Here is an example of a written-off tank marked 'W' (although I can't really see why it was written-off: with a few spare parts and a bit of elbow grease it could probably be up and running again within a couple of months ): To be perfectly honest, this is the only example I can find at the moment... Michel
Might need some sticky tape and a lick of paint but it will be as good as new Wonder what the front looks like - if there is a front TD
It has been stripped of usable parts. Idler, sprocket and return rollers have been unbolted not blown off. Rubber still on road wheels so no catastrophic fire either. Front-end damage from a large 'mine'?
