14505943 Trooper John Maxwell WARDROPE, 'A' Squadron, 1st Lothians & Borders Horse, RAC: 27/02/1945

Remembering today:

Casualty Details | CWGC
TROOPER JOHN MAXWELL WARDROPE
Service Number: 14505943
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Armoured Corps, 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse
Date of Death: Died 27 February 1945
Age 26 years old
Buried or commemorated at VENRAY WAR CEMETERY
Grave Reference: VIII. D. 13.
Location: Netherlands
Additional Info: Son of John Wardrope, and of Mary B. Wardrope, of Strathaven, Lanarkshire.
Personal Inscription: GOD'S GREATEST GIFT, REMEMBRANCE


Remembered with honour.

 

Photo: Sanguinicus on Flickr

 

Hi

The following is from the Regimental History,
[FONT=&quot] “The Lothian troops were in support of two American company tanks (one to each) which moved up ‘in column’. The American tanks of the first column, manœvring to engage the enemy, left the road on which the two columns had been travelling and took up fire positions on the right flank, thus leaving the Flails of Number 2 Troop alone on the road in front of the second column, closing up behind.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The leading platoon officer of this second column, who expected the first column to be somewhere to his right and did not know that there was British armour with the first column, sighted and heard the Lothians tanks as they were reversing a few yards to a position at a cross-roads. It was after 2100hrs. on a February evening, visibility was poor, he had been told enemy tanks were in the vicinity, and he did not recognise the dim silhouettes of the Lothian tanks as being Shermans. Believing them to be German, he opened fire with all guns of his platoon, at about 300 yards range.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] The Lothians suffered the momentary disadvantage of being caught without protection from fire from a totally unexpected direction, and their tanks were hit repeatedly by ‘hyper-velocity’ armour-piercing shot. One (the rear tank) burst into flames and exploded, two others were quickly disabled. It was only after he and his crew had baled out, their own tank hit, that Lieutenant Newman for the first time distinguished the line of American tanks some 300 yards to the rear. He ran towards them and asked them to cease fire and send for medical aid.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Over half the troop were either killed or wounded.”

Regards

Graeme
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