John died on 5 July 2005, aged 93.

He enlisted into the RAC (TA) at Warminster on 12 June 1941 and after training with the 57th Training Regiment at Warminster, was posted on 4 December 1941 to the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars just after ‘Sidi Rezegh’, and joined the Regiment in ‘Beni Yusef’ Camp, where the 8th Hussars refitted.

In April they moved up to Sidi Aziz with the rest of The 7th Armoured Div for training.

At the end of May 1942, he took part in the Battles of ‘Bir Hachiem’ and ‘Alam El Halfa’. He moved with the Regiment to Cyprus in January 1943 and on to Beirut and Cyrenaica at the end of June.

He returned home with the Regiment to prepare for D-Day on 10 November 1943, arriving in the UK on 12 December 1943.

After leaving, the Regiment took station at West Tofts, Norfolk, where they trained for the invasion of Europe. He landed in Normandy with the Regiment, taking part in the Regiment’s battles up to and including those in the area of Fallingbostel and on the outskirts of Hamburg-Harburg.

He was wounded in action on 20 January 1945 at St Joost.

In May 1945 he attended a Comet instructor’s course at the Gunnery School, Lulworth He was promoted to corporal in January 1945 and to sergeant in November 1945.

He was awarded the Africa Star with 8th Army Clasp, France and Germany Star, 1939/45 Star, and the Defence and War Medal.

He married Alice on 1 July 1939 and Geoffrey was born on 30 September 1944.

He took his discharge on 31 August 1946 and spent seven and a half years on the Reserve.

Related topics

  1. A short history of The 8th Hussars
  2. Middle East (Egypt and Libya) timeline
  3. North-West Europe 1944-45 timeline