Account: 3rd Tank Bn Scots Guards, Jul 1944 - May 1945

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by dbf, Jun 16, 2011.

  1. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    When 3 S.G (S Squadron) had taken hill 226, for them there was a lull in the fighting and forward movement, also it was a time for the 227 Brigade (15 Scottish) to catch up on foot, as the extensive minefields slowed their progress.
    Whilst here, my Father remembers vividly hill 309 being attacked by what he thought were a squadron of 'Marauders' (RAF/USAF?), prior to the next phase of the assault. In fact, reading through Operation Bluecoat battlefield plans, the bombing of this hill was first subjected to an artillery barrage, part of the 'box' areas designated for the R.A to attack.
    My Father was most impressed by the ariel attack and 'softening up' of this feature.
    Shortly after this, whilst the Officers were at an 'O' group, the 3 Jadgpanther counter attack came in. The results are well documented. My Father says that Major Cuthbert was 'caught' and died 'in the open'; his tank was also attacked and knocked out catastrophically, with a violent explosion, which lifted the turrent clean off the chassis and deposited it back upside down hapazardly on the chassis.
     
  2. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    After their tank (SKYE) had been knocked out, my Father remembers Captain Mann in his tank from Right flank coming forward through hedging to give covering fire and support for the crews and tanks caught in the German counter attack. He beckoned men (including my Father) to get behind his tank for cover from any small arms fire, ushering them to safety.
     
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  3. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Captain Mann would later become brother-in-law to another of 3 S.G.
    Within the ranks of 3 S.G was Charles (Chips) Maclean, who later became Lord Maclean, Clan Cheif of the Macleans. After the war he Married Captain Mann's sister.

    'Chips' Maclean died in 1990, and the Dowager still resides in the ancestral home of the Maclean's, Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull.

    Within the castle are two oil paintings, one of Charles Maclean and the other of Captain Mann, both ex 3 S.G
     
  4. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    The original plan had 3 S.G to attack Hill 309 in tandem with 4th Coldstream Guards. My Father (S Squadron) heard from the troop leader of 8 troop, Lt Hickling, that Major Whitelaw asked Lt Col Dunbar permission to carry out the next phase of the attack the move from Hill 226 to attack simulataneously with 4 C.G hill 309. The request was denied, beacuase of the open left flank, where the 43rd Div had not made sufficient progress to allow 3 S.G to press on.

    In an earlier text, I stated that my Father witnessed a squadron of bombers attacking hill 309. I think my Father had witnessed only a fraction of the Ariel onslaught.

    The bombing of hill 309, was designated area 'C' of the Ariel assault of Operation Bluecoat. The plan was for 216 medium bombers with a mixture of fragmentation and H.E to attack, where cratering was deemed acceptable. The timing was planned for 1555 hrs to 1655hrs. My Father verifies the timing of this, by what he thought were 'Marauders' (RAF?).

    Not long after this on hill 226, heavy mortaring ensued; this was the prelude to the Jadgpanther attack.
     
  5. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    I hope this maps over o.k.
    A poor quality image, but one that shows the upper part of the Churchill tank of Major Cuthbert. Photo taken 31st July 1944.
    The up turned turret just visible on the tank chassis and shattered trees either side.
     

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  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Iain I've taken the liberty of converting to jpg. Hope you don't mind.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=69339&stc=1&d=1322849020

    Many thanks for continuing to post your father's memories of 3SG. Very interesting insight and much appreciated.
     

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  7. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Findlay - I wonder if you could expand a bit on the Cleve and Moyland battle of Febr 1945.
     
  8. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Le tourneur approx 2 miles south of St Martin de Besaces in Normandie.
    The front cover of Ian Dalish's book 'Operation Bluecoat over the battlefield' has this church on it's cover but photographed from the opposite side. Hopefully this will load up o.k.
    Sorry for the poor quality image.
     

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  9. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Stolpi, when I get more info from Dad on Cleve and the battle of Moyland, I will post on the thread.
    Thanks.
     
  10. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Le Tourneur 1947 and now
     

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  11. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Hi Diane, The image of the Church was circa early August 1944. The other images added in previous txts with this one are small photos taken as the 3 S.G were on the move in Normandie. I guess someone in the ranks had a 'box brownie' or similar and distributed a few of the photos later. Le Tourneur Church photo was (I believe) taken near the road 'de la Cavee'. One of the staff at Bovington and Ian Daglish last January viewed the image and agreed that it was almost certain to be Le Tourneur. I have been a few times to the location and come to the same conclusion as Ian Daglish. I am sure others who are relatives of men who served will also have similar images, but may be unaware of the significance, or of webites such as this. A pity.
     
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Dad has a few photos from Normandy as well as from Belgium (sadly no recognisable landmarks) - I believe he used a German camera he found. They were as welcome as field glasses, for the use of and Lugers for selling to the Yanks.
     
  13. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Diane, you asked in a previous mail if I knew of any other books relating to the 6th Guards Tank Brigade; well I know of one, not specific to the guards, but a book on Churchill tanks, with some very good images (and an incorrect text with one of the photos) of 3 S.G and 6th Guards Tank Brigade.
    The book is Churchill Tank: A Visual History. Publisher Ampersand. Author David Doyle.
     
  14. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks, I shall add it to the list tomorrow.
     
  15. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Again, I might be teaching 'Grandma how to suck eggs' and the info is 'old hat', but a useful publication to obtain in either booklet or CD form, is:

    B.A.O.R 'Operation Bluecoat' battlefield tour;

    available from M.L.R.S in Derbyshire.
     
  16. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Further to a mail I posted re: txt on page 9 from 'Kevin T' about tank names. 3 S.G did not name tanks with a suffix of I/II/III etc if the previous one had been knocked out; hence it was always SKYE tank(My Fathers). But I have seen footage of the Grenadier Guards at The I.W.M Annex recently and saw a tank GLOUCESTER II (8 troop), so the Grenadiers probably followed the incremental suffix addition. If I find further info about the Coldstreams, I will post the info here.
     
  17. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    The area of the perrire ridge had firstly been taken by units of the 11th Armoured Div; the situation was fluid with heavy German counter attacks coming in...the sequence of events described clearly by Ian Daglish in 'Operation Bluecoat over the battlefield'. 3 S.G were detailed to attack the Bas Perrier ridge. After knocking out 2 Panthers and the third commiting 'hari kari' in a barn, the tanks pushed on towards the direction of Chenendolle, affectionately known to the soldiers as 'China Doll'; whilst on the ridge, a mile or so short of 'China Doll', Skye tank was disabled...unsure if this was a Teller mine or anti tank, but tracks were damaged. So the crew set off back on foot towards Presles to await recovery and repair of 'SKYE'. The ditch alongside the road between Chendolle and Presels had Britsh infantry in defensive position, with the road busy with vehicles, so they traversed across the fields, following the tank tracks to avoid any unexploded mines. In the open traversing a field, a heavy German mortar stonk came in and they had to 'hit the dirt' and hope for the best as there was little cover to be had. My Father says he could hear the 'whinning' of metal slivers (shrapnel) flying nearby. Luckily none of Skye crew were hit, but Dad remembers a Regimental First Aid post situated in the valley between the two ridges near where the River Alliere runs. It was situated on a sharp 'S' bend and this is clearly visible on any map and through an online satellite mapping view, for those that want to follow the units battles.
     
  18. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    A few years ago I was in correspondence with Major Farrell ex 3 S.G. I had a photo printed from The I.W.M collection in London, which I posted onto Major Farrell in the hope that he could identify three of the Soldiers in the foreground. The image is BU 3919 (I.W.M collection) and capturing men of R.S.F and tanks of 3 S.G going into an attack near Uelzen, Geramny. Major Farrell was fairly certain that the soldier in the middle of the three is Major 'The Earl Cathcart', the one on the right being Captain Bankes. Along with my Father, the soldier with his back to the camera could not be identified, but he had the physique and 'shape' of Lt Col Dunbar, but both Major Farrell and my Father stated that it would unlikely to be him as he was wearing a steel helmet. Normal garb being a beret.
     
  19. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Findlay - You mean this photograph:

    [​IMG]

    Infantry of the Royal Scots Fusiliers supported by Churchill tanks of the 3rd Scots Guards during operations to outflank German resistance in Uelzen, 16 April 1945 (Photo IWM)
     
  20. FINDLAY

    FINDLAY Member

    Yes, correct.
     

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