This is a compilation of 3 books "Tank!", "Tanks, Advance!" and "To Hell with Tanks!" The book is a narrative of Ken Tout, a 20 year old man serving in the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry from Normandy till VE day. Beeing a narrative you get the full experience of tank warfare; the noise, the smell, the heat and an insight to the small community that a tank is. Ken starts off as a commander of a Honey tank, but is sent for as a gunner in 3 Baker. A sherman medium tank. The reader is advised to grasp the system of call signs in the troop and squadron before continnue reading or risk beeing left behind when the shooting start. Ken work as a gunner during some of the fierce fighting in Normandy, later he is called on to command his own Sherman and to work as a gunner on a Firefly. Ken is wounded in the autumn but the story follow his friends up to VE day. This book offers a proper insight on tank fighting during WW2. I feel it is described warts and all. The exitement of fighting, the trouble of getting sleep having lost friends and knowing that the longer you fight the longer the odds for survival. Personally I found it very interesting to get a proper insight in fighting with the Sherman and the Firefly against the Panzerwaffe. Ken rates the Sherman as a "Rolls Royce of tanks" beeing so smooth that you can navigate without spilling a cup of tea left on the deck of the tank. Ken seems very pleased with the tank. The 75mm blast SP guns and field gray figures with ease. A tank that is easy to operate, and the 75mm gun offer a higher rate of fire and quick traverse. The pragmatic soluton of putting 1/4 Fireflies in the Troop seems to be a splendid solution to fight the big german cats. At night, or when winding down a lane that might have a 88 hidden in a hedge or a determined fritz with a panzerfaust, the dread of a brew up occupy the mind. The one meeting with Tigers goes rather well. Joe Ekins, gunner on a firefly and bane of Wittman, brew them up with no losses to the Northants. It would seem that Ken is in a lucky squadron. The sister squadrons have plenty of brew ups and the Polish AD attack is likened to the charge of the light brigade. Across open country against dug in AT guns. A stark contrast to Ken's troop fighting in close country with the Black Watch, Gordons and Argylls following closely. The book is a good read, and it is well written. You get to know the various crew members rather well, and at times it feels like watching Generation Kill. Everybody experience combat differently, but I think everyone will recognise elements presented in the book. I highly reccomend this book.
Jaeger Thought Ken Tout had a mishap and ended up being shipped home with several scottish soldiers, he ended up in his own town hospital and a guy who was helping move the wounded reconized him and said he would tell his parents, before VE day that ended his war. Forget which of his books it was. But I will agree with you all are well worth a read really good solid books, my fav was tank. I believe that part of the Northants Yeomanry fighting was used in a novel called Warriors for the Working Day by P Elstob
Jaeger/ Oldman ANY book which outlines the work of a Tank Crew member is invariably good to let people know exactly what they went through both in and out of Action - and should be read by more and more people - Ken Tout is just one of many equally good authors in the same line as Robert Crispin -Cyril Joly - Stu Hamilton whose accounts of desert and Italian warfare are first class when all we had in those days were pea shooters against the same long barrelled 75's and 88mm's and the odd Tiger PzVI - the Panthers PzV came later in Italy. Cheers
Oldman Yes Ken is wounded, and I waited to see more of his story, but he writes his friends story up till VE day.
I'm so very pleased that you have reviewed this. It's been on my Amazon wish list for a while now and I keep umming and ahhhing over buying it. I think I shall now. I am currently reading The Bloody Battle for Tilly by the same author and he does make the horror come alive as it were. Marvellous.
