212705 Norman Stokes British Army 107th Tank Regiment, B company Royal Armoured Corps from:Mansfield My Grandfather, Norman Stokes was a tank driver of "Babbler" a Churchill Mk VII, in B company of the 107th Regiment of the 34th Tank Brigade.
He joined up in about 1943 after being kicked out in '39 for lying about his age. He participated throughout Normandy, and amongst other things;
He dropped the tank down an open quarry during night manoeuvers, had the footplate of his driving position blown off by a mine (along with that side track) and was shot at by the Americans when they mistook the Churchill for a German tank. He has always has said he ran over more German soldiers than he shot and was banned from boxing in the army for life when someone cut in the meal line. This is just one hundredth of the stories I've been told over the years, but that's another story. He was a real inspiration to me, and probably the greatest person I know.
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