James Holland

So do you think the fates are converging for head on clash?

I think we've got what we've got here is a fjord hangar.

Three days of most unpleasant fighting followed in most appalling misty and wet weather, which at times reduced visibility to nil.

B Squadron started off by supporting the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the right, and C Squadron the Duke of Wellingtons on the left, and A Squadron remained in reserve.

The fighting in Fontenay was most confused,

And after the first day, the Germans still held the southern end of the village, which was finally cleared on the following morning, 26th of June, but not before John Semkin, on turning a corner in the centre of the village, came face to face with a German Tiger tank trundling along the road.

Fortunately, he had an armour-piercing shell in the breech of his 75mm gun, which he released at 30 yards range and then followed up with another six shells in quick succession, which brewed up the Tiger.

I happened to be following, talking to brigade headquarters on the wireless.

In fact, John had just passed me, which was indeed most fortunate.

Otherwise, the Tiger and I would have met and the result might have been very different."

That was, of course, Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Christopherson, officer commanding the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, writing about the experiences of Monday, the 27th of June, 1944.

You know, they've suffered quite a lot of casualties on D-Day.

You know, Bert Digby, they'd lost people at sea.

Then afterwards, a number of crews, including officers such as Keith Douglas, Peter Poplar, Pepler rather, had been killed as well.

Werner, Lieutenant Werner.

And of course, the CEO and George Jones, the adjutant, had also been killed.

And so already there's quite a lot of churn.

Yeah.

And that means you need replacements.

Yeah.