Fisher, John Sherman Tank Crewman

Sharpshooter Snapshots. From D-Day to the Defeat of the Third Reich

On the afternoon of June 6, 1944D-Daythe men and Sherman tanks of the "4th County of London Yeomanry" (known as the "Sharpshooters") waited in their landing craft just off the Normandy beaches, ready to make the dash ashore. Around sunrise the following morning, they began landing on the expansive sands of "Gold Beach." From there, the Sharpshooters immediately advanced inland to support the expanding Allied bridgehead. Over the next few days, the regiment (4 CLY) pushed south toward Tilly-sur-Seulles, fighting alongside the 50th (Northumbrian) Division in the challenging *bocage* landscape, a terrain crisscrossed by dense hedgerows. On June 13, the regiment became embroiled in the dramatic Battle of Villers-Bocage, one of the most famous tank engagements of the Normandy campaign. During the course of the day, "A Squadron" was ambushed by the Tiger I tank commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Michael Wittmann and suffered heavy losses. John Fisher was among the men of "A Squadron"specifically, "1 Troop." After enlisting in the army in Derby in 1943, John was eventually assigned to the "4th County of London Yeomanry" as a Sherman tank crewman. Having survived the initial whirlwind of Operation Overlord, Johnlike the rest of the regimentremained in action throughout the Normandy campaign. After participating in Operation Bluecoat, an offensive against German forces in the Caen area, the survivors fought their way across northern France. Having driven the enemy back across the Seine, they advanced through Belgium and into the Netherlands. In 1945, John took part in the final assault on Germany and supported the advances across the Rhine. By the time of the Third Reichs surrender in May 1945, the Sharpshootersand John along with themhad reached the Elbe River and the city of Hamburg. *Sherman Tank Crewman* is his personal account of his contribution to the liberation of Europe.