As seen by a schoolboy who as a young man in 1942 joined the 8^th King’s Royal Irish Hussars.

From Patrick Hartwright’s Reminiscences

My family lived in Windlesham, Surrey and in 1937 I went to Malvern College, Worcs. and was there until March 1942, with a break of one year when, on the outbreak of war, the school was evacuated to Blenheim Palace.  It was disconcerting to wake in the morning to see a large tapestry of “Marlborough at the siege of Lille” confronting me.  In the summer of 1940 I joined the Home Guard. One night in the September the church bells rang. (The signal for the Invasion). I put on my uniform, which consisted of battle dress trousers and a waterproof golf jacket – there was a shortage of uniforms - and bicycled to my post. I was armed with a bayonet as there were very few rifles available and stood on a track in the middle of a wood waiting for the Germans to come.  Fortunately they didn’t!

Malvern boys at Blenheim Palace

On leaving Malvern I joined the Army in 1942. and after a six month course at Glasgow University and an intensive course at Sandhurst, I was commissioned in June 1943 and joined the 8^th King’s Royal Irish Hussars in the 7^th Armoured Division. I landed in Normandy on D+10 and commanded a troop of tanks through to VE Day by which time, having  captured Hamburg, we were just south of the Danish border. Although the regiment suffered quite heavy casualties during the campaign, I was lucky enough to survive unhurt, save for a small cut on my neck from a piece of shrapnel, as if I had cut myself shaving.

In July 1945 the regiment went to Berlin and I took part in the Victory Parade in front of Mr Churchill and other World leaders. It was a wonderful feeling to drive in a tank from the Brandenburg Gate through the centre of the City past the saluting base of VIP's.