James Holland

And this is the point where John Semkin bumps into the Tiger tank that was described by Stanley Christopherson right at the beginning.

And it's about 5.30 p.m.,

on the afternoon of Monday, the 26th of June, 1944.

So David Render is with his troop, Fife's troop.

He's in a little field between St.

Nicholas Farm and the edge of Fontenay.

And he looks across and he just sees this beret going down the hill, going down the road on the other side of the hedge.

So we're in a field, there's a hedge, he's in the field.

He sees a hat moving along.

He just sees a hat moving along.

And he just thinks, hang on a minute, that beret is not a British beret.

And he suddenly thinks, oh my God, that's a tiger.

So he immediately gets on the net, on the B net, which is the squadron net, and warns Sempkin.

Sempkin is coming down the main tilly to Conn Road, which runs along the northern edge of Fontenay.

turns into the corner just as the Tiger tank is turning at the bottom end of the Rue Massieu, which is about 300 yards long.

The Rue Massieu goes straight across the main road into a track, into a lane, where there is another farmhouse, which is now the Sherwood Rangers' regimental headquarters.

Stanley is standing in front of Robin Hood, the CO's tank,

looking at his mat, looks up, sees this Tiger tank and just thinks, looks, you know, I'm done for, as this Tiger sort of creaks into view.

Just at that moment, Semkin turns right into the Rue Massieu and they face off.

And Stanley says it was about 30 yards.