Tank Boys: The British Armoured Crew's War 1939-1945

The British tank regiments of the Second World War were heirs not only to the titles of their First World War cavalry predecessors, but to their spirit, pride and a relentless drive that carried them through some of the hardest fighting of the conflict. From the deserts of North Africa to the battlefields of Europe, Tank Boys explores the lived experience of British tank crews: the mundanities of daily routine, the food they ate, the discomfort of their cramped surroundings, the rigours of training, the strength of morale and the terrifying intensity of armoured combat. Inside a tank, men were protected by inches of steel, yet that same steel could become a blazing trap in seconds. Wherever possible, the story is told in the words of the men themselves, creating a vivid, intimate portrait of courage, comradeship and duty in one of the most dangerous forms of combat of the Second World War. AUTHOR: Matthew Richardson is curator of social history at Manx National Heritage. He has a long term interest in military history, and has published widely on the subject of the two world wars. The history of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment has been his abiding passion since an early age, and he would welcome information about any soldier who served with it. He can be contacted via the publishers. 40 b/w illustrations