David Holbrook
Page from a letter to his parents
Meanwood Park, Leeds, [Summer 1944]
From MS Add. 9987

Transcript:

6

of infantry & a regiment of tanks to shift the gun & its position later!) of 4 tanks. Edward pushed me down as loader & I had the most ghastly hour of my life, knowing how helpless our position was, having no faith in my superiors, stoking shells into the gun, unable to see anything except through a periscope, waiting for Edward’s stuttering to die down into some orders, having regimental orders to be elsewhere on an important mission. Although the Regiment banged off at this gun ½ hr later (which nobody could see) for about an hour it had no effect, and it accounted for about a dozen tanks when the final massed attack on it