Book- Tank Action: An Armoured Troop Commander's War 1944-45
Oct 4, 2016 7:35:18 GMT -5
dierk and Return_To_Kit_Form like this
Post by adt70hk on Oct 4, 2016 7:35:18 GMT -5
Hi all
Whilst I've still not had a chance to get the modelling stuff out yet following the move, I have been able to catch up on some relevant reading recently and thought I'd take some time to share something about the above book that I came across.
I turned on the radio a month or so ago and caught the second half of an interview with a gentleman by the name of David Render.
David is one of the few surviving British tank commanders from WW2, being a newly commissioned (and very green) officer when he landed in Normandy a few days after D-day. At the age of 91 he has just co-authored a book (published June this year) about his experiences and having heard half the interview I thought it was worth a read.
I admit I'm probably nowhere near as well read as most of you on this topic but I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, informative, funny and in places very moving. The book is taken from his own very personal viewpoint of the actions he was involved in and as a rule only touches on the wider campaign in NW Europe where it directly impacts on his part in the war.
Needless to say a lot of the book is focused on the fighting in Normandy and it goes into a lot of detail about the tactics his particular unit used to cope the problems caused by the Normandy terrain (more than I've personally ever come across before).
Just as interesting though are the descriptions about the 'battle' he faced to earn the respect of the men in his own troop and especially his own crew. Most of these were battle hardened veterans from N Africa who where less than thrilled with the prospect of a green troop commander, given what that potentially meant for their own chances of survival.
Perhaps the most moving part though is when he describes the death of his best friend in the regiment, also a tank commander.
David Render's tank had been partially disabled/bogged down and was in the sights of a German AT gun facing imminent destruction. Fortunately, his friend had managed to get his own tank into a position on the flanks and was able to destroy the gun before it could fire the fatal shot. However, in very bitter-sweet moment as his friend reached for his own radio to check on David, he knocked his Sten gun from its mount inside the turret. The Sten gun hit the floor and due to a fault discharged it's magazine within the confines of the turret killing him instantly.
In case you want to know a bit more, you'll find the blurb from the book and links to the radio interview and a more in-depth review below.
If you do decide to take the plunge and buy a copy, I don't think you will be disappointed.
All the best.
Andrew
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Blurb from the book
In 1944 the average life expectancy of a newly commissioned tank troop officer in Normandy was estimated as being less than two weeks. David Render was a nineteen-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France to join a veteran armoured unit that had already spent years fighting with the Desert Rats in North Africa. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in Normandy, in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements defied expectations and earned him his squadron's nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'.
In Tank Action David Render tells his remarkable story, spanning every major episode of the last year of the Second World War in Western Europe, from the invasion of Normandy to the fall of Germany. Ultimately it is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted as a leader in combat.
Radio interview:
BBC Radio 4 link - 33:45 minutes in. Interview is about 7 minutes long.
Another book review:
Into battle with a chicken and a dog named Fritz
David Render's first-hand account of his experiences - brilliantly written with Stuart Tootal - is wonderful...
Whilst I've still not had a chance to get the modelling stuff out yet following the move, I have been able to catch up on some relevant reading recently and thought I'd take some time to share something about the above book that I came across.
I turned on the radio a month or so ago and caught the second half of an interview with a gentleman by the name of David Render.
David is one of the few surviving British tank commanders from WW2, being a newly commissioned (and very green) officer when he landed in Normandy a few days after D-day. At the age of 91 he has just co-authored a book (published June this year) about his experiences and having heard half the interview I thought it was worth a read.
I admit I'm probably nowhere near as well read as most of you on this topic but I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable, informative, funny and in places very moving. The book is taken from his own very personal viewpoint of the actions he was involved in and as a rule only touches on the wider campaign in NW Europe where it directly impacts on his part in the war.
Needless to say a lot of the book is focused on the fighting in Normandy and it goes into a lot of detail about the tactics his particular unit used to cope the problems caused by the Normandy terrain (more than I've personally ever come across before).
Just as interesting though are the descriptions about the 'battle' he faced to earn the respect of the men in his own troop and especially his own crew. Most of these were battle hardened veterans from N Africa who where less than thrilled with the prospect of a green troop commander, given what that potentially meant for their own chances of survival.
Perhaps the most moving part though is when he describes the death of his best friend in the regiment, also a tank commander.
David Render's tank had been partially disabled/bogged down and was in the sights of a German AT gun facing imminent destruction. Fortunately, his friend had managed to get his own tank into a position on the flanks and was able to destroy the gun before it could fire the fatal shot. However, in very bitter-sweet moment as his friend reached for his own radio to check on David, he knocked his Sten gun from its mount inside the turret. The Sten gun hit the floor and due to a fault discharged it's magazine within the confines of the turret killing him instantly.
In case you want to know a bit more, you'll find the blurb from the book and links to the radio interview and a more in-depth review below.
If you do decide to take the plunge and buy a copy, I don't think you will be disappointed.
All the best.
Andrew
----------------------------------------------------
Blurb from the book
In 1944 the average life expectancy of a newly commissioned tank troop officer in Normandy was estimated as being less than two weeks. David Render was a nineteen-year-old second lieutenant fresh from Sandhurst when he was sent to France to join a veteran armoured unit that had already spent years fighting with the Desert Rats in North Africa. Joining the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry five days after the D-Day landings, the combat-hardened men he was sent to command did not expect him to last long. However, in the following weeks of ferocious fighting in Normandy, in which more than 90 per cent of his fellow tank commanders became casualties, his ability to emerge unscathed from countless combat engagements defied expectations and earned him his squadron's nickname of the 'Inevitable Mr Render'.
In Tank Action David Render tells his remarkable story, spanning every major episode of the last year of the Second World War in Western Europe, from the invasion of Normandy to the fall of Germany. Ultimately it is a story of survival, comradeship and the ability to stand up and be counted as a leader in combat.
Radio interview:
BBC Radio 4 link - 33:45 minutes in. Interview is about 7 minutes long.
Another book review:
Into battle with a chicken and a dog named Fritz
David Render's first-hand account of his experiences - brilliantly written with Stuart Tootal - is wonderful...