3 RTR B Squadron

Chroist so it is! I shall raise a glass to the fallen - Fear Naught!

 

Errrr..think I'm missing something here.......

 

The joke refers to a chap called Wolfgang: a mobile refreshments van owner who used to ply his trade back when Andy (S54) and John (JDKR) served out there.

The Allertal Skirmish refers to the 'Three British Comets v Fehrmann Tiger' incident which took place close to where the Allertal Service Station now stands. It happened 75 years ago on 12th April 1945.

Andy also knows how to tell the difference between a Cromwell and a Comet and, thanks to Andy, I know the difference between 1st Troop and 1 Troop although I thoroughly object (sic) to hearing my late great dad referred to as a Donkey Whalloper

 

Hmm, that would make my grandfather one, too.....another snippet to be preserved for prosperity in the family records....my grandmother called him quite a few things over the years, but never a donkey whalloper...

 

Stephen you love it really!

 

Of course!

So what's with the T34 emojis? Are the Chieftains still stuck back at the yard? (You see, Andy, I have been paying attention - apparently it was something to do with the engine or oil leaks or something). Mind you they do make a nice growl when they do run

 

Well, fyi, I just received an email from Mr Holt at Bovington, informing me that until normal service is resumed, the archive there is closed, and I guess he doesn't recall how the runabout Comet came to be done up as CESTUS, so we'll just have to wait and see. It hadn't struck me until I read it just now that most of the events we've been looking at recently, crossing the Wesel, Bad Segeberg, etc, happened 75 years ago...looking at the WD, today C Squadron accepted surrender of Nienberg, where they also found a stalag and oflag, B Squadron found a deserted camp nearby and they ended up the day around Wenden and Steimbke, which C Squadron had to finish clearing up first. Makes you think.

 

Brain-picking time again.... looking at all the pics of 3 RTR Comets that have been popping up recently (keep up the good work!) I notice that the tank names all seem as if stenciled...is that the case? I'm guessing tank names were unofficial, so I'm not sure if crews would have been issued with stencils... Either that or someone had a very steady hand.

 

Well, unofficial in terms of "not used to document the tanks" but certainly permitted. Might they have had stencils for other use, like road signs?

 

And, to while those lockdown hours away.... found this series on youtube, 4 'episodes' devoted to the Comet. Here's episode 1 :

 

Depends on what you mean by 'official'. A tank was known 'officially' by its War Department Census Number - the T number - and could have several names during its life depending on its Regiment at the time etc. All WW2 vehicles were renumbered in 1949, generally to ZR numbers.
My dad's Comet survived until 1959 and had various names:
T335335 Celerity (1945) 3RTR
T335335 Calais (1949) 3RTR
20ZR65 not named 7th Queens Own Hussars
20ZR65 Sidi Barrani (1958-59) 1RTR

Each Regiment had a system for naming tanks. I'm not sure about most of that but, for example, the RTR Battalions named their tanks after the corresponding letter of the alphabet - 1RTR names began with A, 2RTR with B and 3RTR with C and so on. Other Regiments used different conventions so, for example, 24th Lancers HQ Squadron Shermans were named after the Riders of the Apocalypse (spooky!). Fife and Forfar Yeomanry used Racehorse names etc etc. In no way did the crew simply decide the name and this convention still continues.

 

Thanks, I thought it would be something like that. I knew that for 3 RTR all the names (at least Normandy onwards) started with C, whether it was the crews who chose the name and had it 'approved' or names were chosen by general consensus (whoever he was - the old joke: I knew him when he was just a captain - groan). Hence the practice of carrying stencils around with them, if indeed they did in fact used them. Shame no one at the time (apart from, I believe, the o i/c A Squadron) kept a record of names and crews, etc. Probably had enough on their plate!

 

A lot of the names used by the 3rd go as far back as WW1!

 

Andy

A very strong and ongoing proud tradition. Apart from dad's Comet, there was a WW1 tank named Cele(b)rity: I've got some details about it somewhere.

Steve

 

Mate here are the names of the tanks of C Bn Tank Corps at the time of the battle of Cambrai 20 Nov 1917:-




And by comparison the ones we were using prior the amalgamation in 92:-

 

I wonder what happened to Celerity I in WW1
Good to see a Comet in WW1 and Calais and Champion when you amalgamated.

 

Sadly knocked out!

 

I guess... it just wasn't fast enough.

(I'll see myself out)

 

Well, to try and cheer everyone up, you've probably already seen this clip, but it's heartwarming to see such appreciation and gratitude shown to the 3RTR as seen here in Antwerp... how it must have raised spirits (and glasses!):
THE ARRIVAL OF THE BRITISH 2ND ARMY ENDS ANTWERP'S FOUR YEARS OF GERMAN OCCUPATION [Allocated Title]

 

Looks like a mascot at 6:20?

Great footage - it looks like it was taken by a local, who no doubt had been saving his film for a special occasion such as this.