Military Model Scene

Title: DD Sherman Tank Warriors
Author: Andrew May
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-03610-458-0

The 13th/18th Royal Hussars through Dunkirk, D-Day and the Liberation of Europe. A 225-page hard-cover book from Pen & Sword.
This starts with the basic background, and how, after WW1, the 13th and the 18th Hussars were combined into the single unit, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, and known simply as the 3 & 8. Having been stationed in India in the early 1930s, they returned to the UK in 1938 and began their conversion from Cavalry, giving up their horses, to begin the mechanisation process. With the outbreak of WW2 they were sent to France as part of the BEF. The period of the 'phoney war', before Germany began their Blitzkrieg invasion of France, allowed them a little more time to settle and train with the new equipment. The new tactics of Blitzkrieg pushed the BEF back to the channel coast, and the evacuation at Dunkirk. Back home it meant re-equipment, training, and preparation for the Normandy landings, including the used of DD tanks. Starting with the Valentine DD, these were replaced with the Sherman DD in time for the actual invasion. Most did get ashore, though not all. The story tells us how the day went, and then on through the Normandy campaign, leading up to the breakout, Falaise and the move across France into the Low Countries. They were involved in the ground advance of Operation Market Garden, and eventually on into Germany and the hard fighting in the Reichswald Forest going on to the end of the war. As well as the basic diary of events there are a lot of personal accounts and memories of the individual troopers and officers who took part. There are archive photos, showing the vehicles and the individuals who we meet in the main text.
An interesting history, prompted by the author's family history, as his wife's Uncle was Trooper William Henry Hollands, who having landed with A Squadron on D-Day, was later killed in the fighting on 27th June, 1944. His parents were only able to visit his grave until 1996, when the author and his wife took them to Normandy. With the unit history nicely detailed, plus the individual stories of so many of those who served with the unit, Illustrated with plenty of archive photos, it makes for a good read.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.

Robin