3 RTR B Squadron

Going back to the 'awol' incident my grandfather's tank crew were involved in, whilst looking for some notes my grandfather made about Belsen (see here: http://ww2talk.com/index.php?attachments/excerpt-belsen-jpg.265709/ ) I came across this, which I'd totally forgotten about. I wonder if it fits the incident mentioned in Elstob's book..




I'm not surprised they got the bollocking they did!

 

Wow!

I’ve not been on this site for a little while and thought I’d spend some time looking threw new posts with a cuppa...

My cuppa’s now cold!!

thoroughly enjoyed reading through this thread, ( some of you may remember my grandad was a tank driver with the 3rd 1940-46 with HQ sqd) so pretty much anything 3rd related interests me.

Keep up the good work!

Keith

 

It's happened to me quite a few times, the missus often gives me grief, "Why did you ask for tea if you're not going to drink it??!!"

 

Is this photo one of yours Frank?



This shows the "Gibb" idler wheel, that was personally designed by the Director-General of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (DGAFV) at the Ministry of Supply, Sir Claude Gibb. The big wide gaps between the spokes were for mud evacuation, which had previously been a big problem on the Cromwell series. These were all fitted around March-April 1945 as flown-in spares.

I would find this photo very useful....

 

Yes, it's one from my grandfather's collection, he's the one far right, looking as though he's paying attention! As stated in an earlier post, the IWM have a film in their archive, (see here: TANK CREWS OF THE 3RD ROYAL TANK REGIMENT CARRY OUT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR COMET TANKS AT SCHWARMSTEDT, GERMANY [Allocated Title] ) which may have been filmed at the same time. I enquired about purchasing a copy, and was told the film lasted some 2 minutes, and cost £20 + vat.. I'm still thinking about it..
You're most welcome to use the photo!
Frank

 

Thanks Frank - check your PM's.

 

I have purchased a copy of the film TANK CREWS OF THE 3RD ROYAL TANK REGIMENT CARRY OUT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR COMET TANKS AT
SCHWARMSTEDT, GERMANY from the IWM, I'd upload it but it's too big, but here are a few stills. According to to clapperboard, it was filmed on 13 April 1945, looking at WD, this would have been when B & C Squadrons were waiting to cross the Aller, A Squadron & KSLI were 'dealing with enemy opposition', so I guess the film unit took advantage. The footage was filmed by Ian James Grant, and photos were also taken, by Sgt. Norris. I found some more pics on the IWM site, and interestingly, some names are mentioned, including that of our mystery Mr Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (see: Battlegroup Fehrmann Tiger v. three British Comets, 3RTR), who is named as Trooper Tuckwell (MAINTENANCE OF THEIR TANKS) . However, in the footage he appears, with a RTR badge! Maybe he was a replacement, just joined the batallion. I've included a few stills with other faces, if anyone can identify them. The tankie on the right in 4 is named in a photo as Trooper Andrews (THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45) As for me, I'm happy as pie, my grandfather appears three times, far right in 1, far left in 2, and enjoying a smoke in 6!

 

Frank, great stills!

How were you able to acquire that? Completely online?

 

The stills are screen shots, as I haven't been able to convert the footage into a lighter format. The film runs about 2 minutes. Yes, it can be done online, on the IWM site you have a 'purchase/obtain a licence' option if you want to use photos or film for commercial uses, and they charge if you want a copy. In this case, I ordered a digital copy (15MB), which I downloaded. In my case, well worth it, I guessed there was a chance that my granddad would appear somewhere, but he's everywhere! Brought a tear to the eye, it did!

 

Well, seeing how quiet the thread's got recently, I got digging and came up with these, two postcards in my grandfather's collection, which are of him.... no doubt service issued. img.036 is of him painting a mural, or at least that's what it looks like, he was a bit of an artist, I have a couple of his paintings hanging on the wall. Any idea where it could be? A mess club, maybe? On the back it has a stamp, most of which is faded, although you can still make out the words 'shop, portraits, enlargements, prints, 3rd Royal tanks'. The other postcard has no stamp or identifying markings, just a year written in ink, 1941, although the last '1' looks like a correction.

 

I hadn't looked at the text here. I think it reads "At night fall miles off the centre line we limped into Haute Epine (?) which we duly liberated and spent a week or so being feted as their ?? of the Allied Army."? Can you make out the parts I can't?

A week? Yes, I'm not surprised!!! In Elstob's book they leave the tank unattended for one night!

 

Here you have it:
At this point my turret traversing gear failed & the guns could not aim so they were locked forward in the hope that all targets would be dead front!! Then, with the squadron out of sight, we followed on till the driving sprocket collapsed. At nightfall, miles off the centre-line we limped into Haute Epiné which we duly liberated and spent a marvellous week or so being feted as their bit of the Allied Army. Then the REME found us!!

 

Now entering 8th week of lockdown, boredom starting to set in, so with the help of inkcap software, I've made a comet t-shirt design, if anyone's interested! It can be customised!
Well, it was either that or clean the bathrooms....

 

Lovely tank Frank. couldn't you clean the bathrooms while the ink is drying on your design. She

 

Oh no, ink completely incompatible with any cleaning products! Just a whiff and disaster!

 

I must point out that it's 'battalion' and not 'batallion'.

 

Nice one Chris, are you going to tell Frank or shall I that he should go back to the drawing board or clean the bathrooms? She

 

I should also point out that there was no second machine gun in the Comet turret (so far as I know - Frank, I think you've added one to the (edit) GUNNER'S vision port) but it's not really clear in your design that there is one in the housing on the hull front.

 

Oops, spelling was never my frote! I mean forte! As for the second turret mg, I based it on this photo: Tanque A34 Comet – WalkAround, obviously a later addition, I hadn't realised, although in some photos, it looks like there's something sticking out on that side.. (THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45). Not to worry, it can be rectified, and hopefully get me out of doing the washing up.

 

Whoops, I should have said gunner's vision port. I checked my copy of the Armor Photogallery book by Taylor and Hughes but it's not covered.

You're right, there is definitely something sticking out, but I think it is just a tube within which the gunner's optics look out. Let me look at any photos I took at the Tank Museum.