An Englishman at War by James Holland

Author:James Holland
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448127498
Publisher: Transworld

Saturday, 7 November

Early in the morning we continued along the road towards Mersa Matruh. This time we were in the lead. It wasn’t long before Jack discovered an Italian general’s caravan, beautifully fitted up inside. He immediately took it on tow! But later we had to hand it over to Brigade. Keith Douglas wandered too far out to the right flank, broke a track, and had a long walk back to the road to get help. However, he captured an Italian concert party all waiting to give themselves up. Until the LAD arrived to help him, they sang to him and the crew, helped him brew up, and even assisted in replacing the track.

As we got nearer to Mersa, the divisional general, General Gatehouse, came up into the lead in his tank. I had an idea that he wished to be in Mersa first. However, we were informed by a scouting infantry platoon that one of their carriers had been knocked out by an 88mm A/T gun from the outer defences! The general retired behind the Regiment and A Squadron was sent forward to reconnoitre.

We found that the Hun had left behind a rear-guard. C Squadron sent a troop around the right flank, but it soon came under fire and two tanks received hits, which didn’t penetrate. Michael Gold was then in command of C Squadron as Stephen Mitchell had not returned from hospital.

At the time, I was extremely short of tanks, owing to mechanical trouble and not being able to get them up fast enough. In fact, mine was the only one left, but nine more were on the way. I managed to creep up pretty near and had a very good shot at a 50mm A/T gun with my 3-inch howitzer. That close support for tanks is most useful. The CO then decided that he would lead a frontal attack with the remainder of B Squadron.

I knew that it was dangerous as I could still see a 50mm pointing directly down the road. However, he went in and received a direct hit from a 50mm, which killed his driver and loader and wounded his gunner, Trooper Sanders, who used to be my groom.

The gunners offered to put down smoke and cover the advance, but he considered that the tanks might be silhouetted as they came through.

One truck, which I believe held air-force personnel, came bumming along the road, straight through our tanks, and towards the outer defences. The occupants had a nasty shock when a mortar bomb fell right beside their truck and small arms opened up at them. They turned about, and returned along that road at a great speed!

A platoon of the Buffs tried an attack, but that failed with heavy casualties. Jack Tyrrell saw some movement in one sector of the wire defences and started to bring down some 25-pounder fire. This alleged enemy turned out to be a cow, and the following message came over the air: ‘You are shooting at a cow –

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