244301 Harold Hammond British Army Royal Armoured Corps from:Leyburn I am trying to research my grandfather. As in many other stories on this website, my grandfather did not speak of the war. However, as he got older he did open up and helped towards a history project I had. This is what he told my father.
He joined the army in 1941 when he was 17. (However, my father seems to think he was drafted.) He was in the Royal Armoured Corps. My father noted 'special unit 32'. I am unsure as to whether this is the 32nd Tank Brigade or something else.
He stated that he was taught to drive English and German war vehicles. During training he was told if he had enough money to go and take a class in karate. My father seems to think that it was £50 or more. My granddad said that these lessons saved his life.
He said that he was in the 8th Army at Tripoli and became a desert rat, before moving to the invasion of Sicily. Granddad said that he acted as a decoy by driving a vehicle in the opposite direction to deceive the Germans.
He was also present at Monte Cassino. Here he was captured with his friend (I do not know his name) by the Italians. They locked my granddad and his friend in a cellar, leaving them for dead. When the damn broke my granddad survived the flooding by holding on to meat hooks until the water subsided. (This is quite ironic, as he became a butcher after the war.) Afterwards, he arrived at Belsen, which he did not wish to talk about.
Granddad stated that he helped to liberate Poland, which he said was the best part of his job.
My father seems to recall a story that he drove a motorcycle behind enemy lines. He also believes that my granddad was in Paris as he had a French girlfriend and also had a cigarette packet from there.
We do not have my grandad's war record or number, I am trying to find this. I have noted down that he was awarded the 4 stars medal and the bravery medal, although we do not have these. I am trying to research my grandad for my dissertation at university. If you have any information or stories that you are willing to share please get in touch with me.
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