Tank Commander: From the Fall of France to the Defeat

by Bill Close

Bill Close had a remarkable war. In campaign after campaign, from the defence of Calais in 1940 to the defeat of Germany in 1945, he served as a tank commander in the Royal Tank Regiment - and he survived. His tanks were hit eleven times by enemy shellfire and he baled out. He was wounded three times. He finished the war as one of the most experienced and resourceful of British tank commanders, and in later life he set down his wartime experiences in graphic detail. His book is not only an extraordinary memoir - it is also a compelling account of the exploits of the Royal Tank Regiment throughout the conflict. As a record of the day-to-day experience of the tank crew of seventy years ago - of the conditions they faced and the battles they fought - it has rarely been equalled.

About the Author:
Major Bill Close joined the Royal Tank Regiment as a trooper in 1933 and was posted to the 3rd Battalion RTR in 1934 where he held every non-commissioned rank up to regimental quartermaster sergeant before being commissioned in the field in 1942. He served in France in 1940, in Greece in 1941, in North Africa in 1941-3, and in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany in 1944-5. After retiring from the army he was assistant bursar at Bryanston School and a manager at the electrical engineering firm Racal Redac. He married twice, had three sons and a daughter, and he died, aged 91, in 2006.

Genres: World War II, Nonfiction, History, Military History, Memoir, War

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2013

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good personal account of a peace-time tanker who fought in World War 2 from the fall of France to the end of hostilities in Europe. He started the war as an NCO and ended it as a officer and squadron commander in 3RTR. His story is very interesting as he saw combat in France, Greece, North Africa, Normandy and Northwest Europe and has his tank shot out from under him many times. Highly recommended for armored warfare enthusiasts.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good no nonsense account of a Tankie who fought from Calais to the surrender on the North German plain. A good read.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the astonishingly laconic memoirs of Bill Close, who fought in the 3rd Tank Regiment from the fall of France in 1940 to the end of the Nazi regime in 1945, with stints in Greece, Crete, North Africa, Normandy, France and through Germany. I lost count of the number of times Close had his tank shot out from under him, with men in his crew either injured or killed, yet every time he got back into another tank and continued fighting. In our therapeutic times, he would have been invalided out of the army for stress but Close just kept on going, only stopping when he was physically incapacitated through injury. But once he recovered, he got back in his tank. There's also an appreciation of another astonishing tank commander, Bob Crisp, Test cricketer and, according to his Wisden obituary, the most extraordinary man to ever play Test cricket. Read Crisp's obituary and you will agree, but Bill Close was not far behind.

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an easy read. A lot happens, and there could be a lot more detail, particularly his experience in liberating Belsen. He seems a likable chap. It would have been nice to have pictures of the early war tanks, just for reference, as I had to google the A10 and the A13, as I'm not that versed in the early tanks.

[Marty Gosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best.

I've read several books about tanks and tank crewmen and this is one of the best ones. If you've ever read "Brazen Chariots" by Robert Crisp this is a great companion book.

[Hj Reichen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very personal account of a tanker who saw combat from 1940 to 1945. I read right through it.

[Richard Cahn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has interesting experiences but they are each explained very briefly before moving on to the next. It reads more like a list of events rather than a memoir.

[Garry Wyatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good coverage and detail of the North-West Europe Campaign with the Royal Tank Regiment.

[Peter Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd looked forward to reading this book for some time as it is not an easy one to get hold of. Anyway, I have to say that as I was reading it I felt a little disappointed that some of his descriptions of life in the army, training and battles contained remarkably little detail - I didn't feel I was there, but rather that I was reading a series of somewhat unemotional battle reports. But then I thought who am I to criticise how he recalls his years in the war - as it says on the tin, from the fall of France to the defeat of Germany and plenty inbetween. This is what he remembers of his war and if he chooses not to write it like a thriller then that's his perogative. That said, there were some eye-opening features - his reluctance to form friendships given so many deaths, his relentlessness in combat, frequently taking over other tanks when his had been shot from beneath him, 'summarily' dealing with some Germans and not especially enjoying home leave with his wife. In one episode, one of his tank commanders asked to see him and requested a transfer as his 'verve had gone' - he referred this to a superior officer who told the man that he was afraid he would just have to get on with it - and that was that. I did get a bit infuriated how detailed his knowledge was of which units were alongside him, be it the fourth Hussars, the Fife and Forfar batallion, the twelfth Lincolnshire Yeomanry, the 11th Armoured Division etc - to someone like me who doesn't know a batallion from a regiment this just got in the way of the message. Nevertheless, a good read from someone who endure more drama in his life than most of us ever will.

[Adrian Gosling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astonishingly lucky guy to make it through all the battles and struggles he went through.
I thought the book however was mostly a detailed list of events rather than the experiences of doing what he did. What was it like inside those tanks? What was it like to live for years inside them. What was it like when the tank was hit and on fire and how the hell did the crew get out.
Never the less, I enjoyed the read and like everyone else I guess, so very grateful for his contribution to winning the war.

[Patricia Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable story that is unfortunately marred by a lack of details. Quite often things happen but Close doesn't say how. For example, we know that after a harrowing time on the beach of Dunkirk he managed to get back safely to England. However his unit was operating as rearguard, so how was he able to evade the Germans and get back home? I don't know, and neither will any other reader as Close fails to mention how it all came about.
This maddening lack of detail is repeated throughout the book, letting down an otherwise well written memoir.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great memoirs of a British Tank Commander. Follow Bill Close through his career in the Royal Tank Regiment taking him to Greece, North Africa, France, Netherlands, and Germany. At times direct and matter of fact such as when an anti-personnel mine takes out two crew members and other times poetic describing the hardened steel of panzers blown across the African desert. It’s a first row seat into tank battles of World War II with unapologetic portrayals of the destruction and ravages of war.

[David Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging first hand account of a British tanker in World War II who saw action across much of the North African and Weatern theaters. Wish there had been some additional detail about life as a tanker and even the engagements themselves, but it’s definitely worth a read anyway.

[chris Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

I highly recommend this book it is a great read. A rare account of war from the first days to the last.

[ANGUS ROSBOROUGH · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast Paced Read About Tank Life in WW2

This is a good book and the author writes well. The point of view is from a fighting man’s perspective, specifically that of Bill Close. He certainly saw a lot and was at the sharp end from 1940 through 1945.

[Paul Dickinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave men fighting tanks

Brilliant read. Engaging throughout this is a must read for anyone interested in learning what it was like to fight in a British tank in World War Two.

[Peter john Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanks for That

If you ever wondered what a tank is for
Read this well done story and then you’ll know the score.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Well written and very informative a must for historians. Hats off to the greatest generation and their cheerful but stoic resolve.

[Jiří Szabó · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mé zhodnocení: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFO_N...