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D-Day to Victory

The Diaries of a British Tank Commander

About The Book

'An arresting chronicle of the life of an ordinary soldier during the push to victory' Daily Express

Tank Commander Sgt Trevor Greenwood of C Squadron, the 9th Royal Tank Regiment, sailed for France in June 1944 as part of the Allied invasion of Normandy. From D-Day until April 1945, he kept a daily diary of his experiences of the final push through France and into Germany, often writing in secret and in terrible conditions. Under fire, outgunned and facing a bitter winter, he never loses his moral compass or his sense of humour - finding time to brew tea and maintain morale with characterful British reserve.

He writes candidly of his frustration and despair of seeing Bomber Command mistakenly bomb Allied lines near Caen (August 1944), the liberation of Le Havre (September 1944), the fighting around Roosendaal, Holland (October 1944), the reception of soldiers by the Dutch families on whom they were billeted (December 1944), and concludes with 'mopping up' operations in northern Germany (April 1945).

His astonishing diary has left us a unique record of the war in Europe from the rarely-seen perspective of an ordinary soldier.An accompanying essay about the tank battles of Normandy by Duxford Museum's tank expert provide added value.

About The Author

Trevor Greenwood served with the 9th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment from 1940-45. His diary, D-Day to Victory, covers the period of active service from D-Day to April 1945, but he also wrote almost daily to his wife Jess. Many of these letters contain substantial commentaries on his thoughts and feelings, adding another dimension to Trevor's story and extending it beyond the period of the diary. Those which cover the period of diary, and many more, have been transcribed and can be seen along with archive photos, other background material and further information on the Trevor Greenwood web site: www.trevorgreenwood.co.uk

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (August 16, 2012)
  • Length: 416 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781471110696

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