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The end of two 44th RTR tankers (!BIG!)

 
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The end of two 44th RTR tankers (!BIG!) - 12/6/2004 9:28:45 PM   
The_MadMan


Posts: 74
Joined: 3/17/2004
From: Arnhem
Status: offline 		This is the short story of the death of two young tankers in 4 troop, C-squadron, 44th Royal Tank Regiment. They are named Stan Matthews and John Thorogood.


John 'Jack' Thorogood


Stanley Matthews

They both died on september 21st 1944 when their Sherman Firefly tank got hit twice by a german AT gun as they were advancing from the town of Sint-Oedenrode (near Veghel) towards the tiny hamlet of Olland. Together with a second tank they advanced without infantery and got hit when they came to a bend in the road. The driver (Stanley) was killed immediately so the tank rolled on uncontrollable untill it hit a tree stopped there. The second tank retreated and was not hit. You can clearly see both holes in the frontal armour and the tree that was taken a few hits too.



John Thorogood (gunner) escaped from the then burning tank but was killed by rifle / machinegun fire as he tried to make his way back towards the Allied lines. The other two crew members, lieutenant David Cohen and the wireless operator (name unknown) escaped but were severly wounded.

John's brother, George, wrote a book about it: "proven beyond doubt". It describes the history of this event in more detail and the help he got from the local Dutch people who helped him in his search for the truth.

Yesterday I went to the same location and took the following photo's:

The location where the tank was hit, the house has been modernised, the road widened and the ditch has made way for a bicicle path.


The approx site where the tank ended against a tree, unfortunantely the tree is gone now.

In 1994 a small monument was erected to the memory of these soldiers. It says:
21-9-1944
John Thorogood
Stanley Mathews
Hun jonge leven hier gegeven (Their young lives given here)


They were buried side by side in a field near the tank and were relocated in june 1946 to the Uden War Cemetery.


They still lie side by side, Matthews on the left and Thorogood on the right.


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RE: The end of two 44th RTR tankers (!BIG!) - 12/7/2004 5:13:44 AM   
Rooster


Posts: 706
Joined: 1/9/2001
Status: offline 		Thanks for the post. It is appropriate to remember these men and their sacrifice. I recently purchased a cap badge of the RTR on ebay. It should be here any day. "Fear Naught"




Attachment (1)

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RE: The end of two 44th RTR tankers (!BIG!) - 12/7/2004 5:23:47 AM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
Joined: 3/1/2003
From: ask doggie
Status: offline 		Cool story, thanks

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RE: The end of two 44th RTR tankers (!BIG!) - 12/7/2004 5:51:16 PM   
The_MadMan


Posts: 74
Joined: 3/17/2004
From: Arnhem
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: Rooster

Thanks for the post. It is appropriate to remember these men and their sacrifice. I recently purchased a cap badge of the RTR on ebay. It should be here any day. "Fear Naught"





They have a very cool badge, with the WWI tank in it.

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