I'm writing a research paper for school about the experience of armor crewmen in the Second World War and I'm looking for good primary sources. What are the best memoirs on the subject? At a bare minimum I'm looking for at least one from each of USA, UK, USSR, and Germany. Please do not hesitate to recommend more - the greater variety of nationalities, vehicles employed, and campaigns participated in the better. https://scrabblewordfinder.vip https://www.applock.ooo https://www.7zip.vip
"TANK TACTICS-From Normandy to Lorraine" by Roman Jarymowycz will give you first-person stories from all four countries. It's a Stackpole book.
Brazen Chariots by Robert Crisp...a ''personal'' story...UK North Africa very good IMO ..this is not my book picture
Personal favourite: 'By Tank Into Normandy' - Stuart Hills. Another vote for Brazen chariots. Fictionalised but entirely authentic accounts by men that were there: Tank! - Ken Tout. Take These Men - Cyril Joly There's a fine thread by Larso working through other UK armoured memoirs: http://www.ww2f.com/threads/british-armoured-corps-memoirs.51570/
This is why I hate bookcover illustrations! Crisp was in a M3 Stuart (AKA: "honey") NOT a Sherman or whatever that thing on the cover is.
This one is online: To War With The Bays Two more covering the activities of The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards): Shots in the Sand: Shots in the Sand. A Diary of the Desert War 1941-1942. SCARCE MEMOIR OF THE QUEEN'S BAYS by Michael HALSTEAD: (1990) | Island Books Armoured Horsemen: Armoured Horseman (Hardback) by Peter Willett: New Hardback (2015) | Book Depository International Mark
..those are the old type covers--not pictures!!! like this one--they are not perfectly accurate --but who cares?? I like the art and not the pictures
Solid book. Weirdly, a mate picked it up while I was reading it in a field and saw a picture of his great uncle on the first page he opened...
I liked Henry Metelmann's 'Through Hell for Hitler.' Been awhile since I read it though. https://www.amazon.co.uk/THROUGH-HELL-HITLER-Henry-Metelmann-ebook/dp/B00318DEWO
Strongly seconded. (Did I force it on you?... I got a bit funny about it for a while.) Despite technically being tank crew - it's as long since I read it - but doesn't he spend a whole lot of time on foot? Though I suppose that's as legitimate a reflection of German 'armoured' soldiers of that period & place as anything.
My Grandfather gets mentioned. He was the driver of Nolan’s tank at Mareth, and the sole survivor when it was brewed up. He was also involved in the collection of an “A” Squadron tank which was abandoned in Italy behind German lines, he was known as “Busty”. Open Writing: 59 A Hair-raising Experience Open Writing: 60 Close-quarter Fighting
Not so much a memoir, but from a quick flick through appears to be more a history of the 1st Armoured Division, with reference to the unpublished journal of a Major John Sylvanus McGill, MB, ChB, MD, Royal Army Medical Corps who was the MO of the Queen's Bays during the Second World War until April/May 1943. Preview here: Burning Tanks and an Empty Desert.
