Charles More

This is a book about the exploits of one armoured regiment of the British Army during the campaign in North-West Europe from June 1944 until the end of hostilities in May 1945. It is a chorological account of the events involving the regiment drawn from research undertaken by the author, and from the archive of Marcus CUNLIFFE, who was an officer in the regiment during this period.

The book is divided into nine chapters, each covering a specific time period. The regiment was part of the 33rd show more Armoured Brigade and was equipped with Sherman tanks and operated in support of some of the infantry divisions of the 21st Army Group. For the crossing of the River Rhine, the regiment converted to Buffalo amphibious tracked personnel carriers. There are seven maps included and seventeen good photographs that add value to the book.

The text of the book reads well and is different in style to a formal regimental history as it include anecdotes and reflections on issues such as morale. This is much enhanced by use of the material provided by CUNLIFFE. The author has used relevant sources well and provided an index.

In conclusion, this is a very good regimental history and gives a valuable insight in the operational realities for the men serving in British armoured regiments during the last year of the Second World War in northern Europe. I enjoyed it to read, and found its contents interesting, and informative. show less