Roy Dixon joined the Royal Tank Regiment in the 7th Armoured Division at age 19, where he served as a Troop Leader. They trained at a camp in Norfolk before sailing from Felixstowe and landing in Normandy on D+1.

Their first major action was in the Bocage, where tank fighting was difficult due to the terrain. Although his regiment was not involved in the famous Villers-Bocage battle, he describes it as unfairly destroying the reputation of the whole division. They continued on to the battle of Caen, where Roy recalls narrowly avoiding a piece of shrapnel which killed his gunner in the tank below him. 

The regiment pushed on to Ghent, where Roy was glad to see cheering crowds, a contrast to France where they didn’t see many civilians. They encountered sporadic fighting until they reached Hamburg, at which point Roy had been promoted to Captain aged 20. 

Roy recalls the morale of his regiment suffering, due to their tanks being inferior to the Germans’, and the fact that the regiment was exhausted from action in the desert. Nevertheless, Roy concludes that ‘I sort of enjoyed Normandy in a funny sort of way.’ In particular, he looks back fondly on the camaraderie with his comrades, with whom he formed close friendships. 

His story sheds light on the courage of young officers, and the terrifying moments that soldiers could face.