Hi, please forgive me if I ask obvious questions. I am researching for a book about an ex racing driver called Ken Miles. After finishing his REME course as staff sergeant he served in the workshops of the Guards Armoured Division. I would like to know where in England they were based please. Also how long was a course at REME , he went there when Arborfield opened in 1942. Shortly after, he was then posted to 29 Armoured Brigade Workshop which was part of the 11th Armoured Division. I believe Miles worked on tanks and heavy artillery. Was their base in Yorkshire? I have read that the 11th Armoured Division went to Normandy on D Day + 7, I do not know if the 29th Armoured Brigade were still attached to the division then or Miles next unit 15th/19th Hussars LAD. Any help on that would be great. Paul
29th Armoured Brigade stayed with 11AD until the end of the war. 15/19KRH were also with the 11AD at the end of the war so it looks as though he was simply moving around within the 11AD units.
SDP, thanks for your reply, I understand that Ken Miles unit attachment was with the 11th Armoured Division when they went to Bergen Belsen, either in 29th Armoured Division or 15TH/19TH Hussars LAD. What do you think the attachment units were doing there. Helping clean up area? servicing vehicles? I would like to find out more about Miles participation in motorcycle races when the war ended. He was doing this on the Baltic Coast after the war in 1945 when his unit occupied I think Schleswig Holstein.
It was 11AD that liberated Belsen in April 1945 but they then rapidly moved on albeit, no doubt, leaving lots of people behind to look after things until many many others arrived. The only definitive way to find out would be to consult the War Diary of his specific unit. Schleswig Holstein makes a lot of sense because that is where 11AD finished up.
Ford v Ferrari - Wikipedia Ken Miles - Wikipedia ----- x ----- x ----- Edit Ken Miles: The Shelby American Years
I'm watching Ford vs Ferrari myself. I was curious about Ken's war record so after I looked at wikipedia I came here. Aside from the fact that the movie said Ken landed on D Day in a tank (well, they have Carroll Shelby say that) which is wrong... Well I'm wondering about how and when Ken made the transition from REME to becoming a member of a tank crew?
Looking at these pictures... http://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/19992703/&q="Toronto+Pam"&o=relevance ...in appearance they seem to work in tank repair crews, so perhaps that's where the "tank commander" title might stem? Alternatively whether or not he commanded a fighting tank crew, I guessed would have been touched upon in some of the books that mention him, but typically they seem to refer to his being a "tank commander" before moving quickly on... ken miles "tank commander" - Google Search
The REME used ARVs. He could have commanded one of those. That would make him a " tank commander " even if he did it just once.
