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

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

  1. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks again Catherine,
    Given his poor health, I wouldn't want to disturb your father with my queries. Only if he mentions who made up particular tank crews or troops.

    All my best
    D
     
  2. Dear Diane
    I read your responses to my father in hospital today and it gave him great satisfaction to know his memories were of interest. His tank was called Iona, and he is very proud of his tank crews' role in putting Panzers out of action.
    The tank crew commanded by Ward (my father) were as follows:
    Hendry - driver
    Beddoes - co-driver
    Ashdown - gunner
    Rogers - loader and wireless operator.
    My father says that Corporal Rogers played an important role in social activities that helped the tank crews and other troops bond together.

    In the account of Chênedollé, he says there's one detail that should perhaps be corrected. The account on this website says "One PANTHER got away but the other two were caught - one by Lieutenant WARD’s own tank, the other by a Sabot round of Serjeant MacFARLANE’s". My father says that, tragically, McFarlane was shot by a sniper very early in the action and was already dead by the time of the engagement with the Panzers, so it was the four-man tank crew remaining who fired at the second Panzer (along with Ward's tank gunner).

    About 20 years ago, my father visited MacFarlane's grave, among others, in Normandy, along with his Squadron Leader, Farrell, and Captain ARG Stephenson.

    Kind Regards
    Catharine
     
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  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hello again Catherine
    Thank you again for taking time to pass on my replies. I've added your fathers comments to relevant entries earlier.

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

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

    Thanks also for his crew details. Maybe a relative of theirs might get in contact at some point in the future.

    Being an infantryman my dad was quite jealous of the bond he witnessed between officers and their crews in the armoured battalion in his battle group. With a couple of exceptions, in his experience they certainly were closer than most of his platoon officers were to Other Ranks. (But then due to casualty rates he did seem to go through quite a few officers unfortunately.)

    Best wishes to you and your father.
    D
     
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  4. Piet Snellen

    Piet Snellen Member

    On November 22nd 1944 my village Sevenum was liberated by the 15th Scottish Division. The day before, November 21st 1944 a patrol of the Reconaissance Troop went on patrol to explore "De Vorst", a hamlet of Sevenum. On the Saardijk Lance Sergeant Brown's tank ran on a mine and tank driver John Shiells was killed. He was only 21 years old at the time. John was buried on the spot where he died. His grave was located between the houses of the Pauwels family and the Janssen family. The current house numbers are 6 and 7 on the Saardijk in Sevenum. John was buried here until August 1st 1947 when his mortal remains were taken to Mook War Cemetery. Until that day his grave was adopted and tended by the widow Mrs. Ida Pauwels who lived at the Saardijk in Sevenum. This year it's 75 years ago. Now we want to reveal a memorial on the spot where John lost his life

    I have a few questions from which I hope anyone can be of help to me.
    • Is it possible to receive a copy of the Diary vowls of John's unit of November 21st- and 22nd ?
    • What was John's squadron, what was his Troop?
    • What was the name of John's tank? (I found a list a tank names. For instance:
      Infantry A22, Mk IV Churchill "Montrose" A Sqn 4Trp 154 3rd Battalion, Scots Guards, 6th Guards Armoured Brigade.
     
  5. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

  6. As a prequel to this immense thread, here is part of No.1 Squadron (or should that be "Right Flank"?), 3rd Tank Battalion Scots Guards preparing to embark for France. I have reproduced the caption before each photo.The exact chronological sequence is not guaranteed. :D

    All photos "(c) The News, War Series Picture: Hilsea Portsmouth / Johnston Press"

    "Churchill tanks preparing to depart, Lee On Solent, June 1944"
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill tanks preparing to depart, Lee On Solent, June 1944.jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    Same photo, slightly less cropped:
    "Churchill Tanks, Lee On Solent, June 1944"
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill Tanks, Lee On Solent, June 1944.jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    "Churchill tank crews prepare to embark"
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill tank crews prepare to embark.jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    "Embarkation - tank crews of the Churchills"
    3 Scots Guards - Embarkation - tank crews of the Churchills (HMLST 239).jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    "Churchill Tanks and L.S.T."
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill Tanks and L.S.T. (HMLST 239).jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    "Loading Churchill tanks on L.S.T.s"
    3 Scots Guards - Loading Churchill tanks on L.S.T.s (HMLST 239).jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    'Jack' takes his bike to Normandy"
    3 Scots Guards - 'Jack' takes his bike to Normandy.jpg
    Source: 54 amazing pictures showing Portsmouth's role in the D-Day landings - The News

    Thanks to von Poop who pointed out these series of photos in his post here:
    Portsmouth News D-Day Pictures

    Michel
     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2019
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  7. Another photo of a Churchill of Right Flank (see the blue triangle on the turret) embarking the same LST 239 Serial TT1304:
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill No.1 Sqn MSN 29615 AoS 154b TT1304-LST2 - 25055_086.jpg
    Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/6afd068c-c231-2a22-77ee-7ca86fa8864b

    We can read the Loading Codes as follows:
    29615 (the Unit Mobilisation Serial Number for 3 SG)
    TT1304/LST2

    3 SG in the UK, ready to embark, this time aboard LST Serial TT1305 (IWM HU 104162):
    3 Scots Gds - Churchill tks, Crusader AA AoS 154b MSN 29615 TT1305 LST2, UK 1944 - HU_104162.jpg Source: THE CHURCHILL TANK (INFANTRY TANK Mk IV)

    And many a bloody battle later:
    "Churchill tanks of 3rd Scots Guards, 6th Guards Tank Brigade, with infantry of 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, advance near Beringe in Holland, 22 November 1944"
    3 Scots Guards - Churchill tks w inf 2A&SH adv nr Beringe, Holland, 22 Nov 44 - B12026 [Norris].jpg
    Source: File:Churchill tanks of 3rd Scots Guards, 6th Guards Tank Brigade, with infantry of 2nd Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, advance near Beringe in Holland, 22 November 1944. B12026.jpg - Wikimedia Commons


    Michel

    P.S. Diane, please do not hesitate to move these photos to the pertinent post(s) in this thread to illustrate the text. You can then delete my two posts (this and the previous one).
     
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  8. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hi Michel
    Thanks for adding them. I'm happy with your posts as they are. Have edited in a note/link in first post of thread.
    Cheers.
     
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  9. Piet Snellen

    Piet Snellen Member

    Thank you Michael for your set of photos.
     
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  10. Piet Snellen

    Piet Snellen Member

    Thanks Michael!
     
  11. Karador

    Karador Member

  12. Hoggy

    Hoggy New Member

    Hi. I am new to this forum. I think the Sergeant Brown you refer to is James Brown who was my wife’s uncle. He was a tank commander in the reconnaissance troop, 3rd Battalion Scots Guards. They used Stuart M3A3 tanks. James (Jim to his family) was awarded the Military Medal later on in the war. He was badly injured on 30th March 1945, in Germany, and evacuated from the front line. I am now going to contact his daughter to find out if she has any detail on this. Perhaps she knows the name of his tank.
    I also found what I hope is the memorial using Google Earth. Kind regards, Ian
     
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  13. Hoggy

    Hoggy New Member

    His daughter confirmed that Sgt. James Brown’s tank was “The Black Bear”.
    All the best, Ian
     
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