WW2: Life in Tanks

Warfare

History Hit

History

4.5 • 943 Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2023

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What was it actually like to operate a tank during the Second World War?

In this episode, we explore the iron belly of tank warfare through the eyes of Private Arthur Ibbotson, who enlisted in the war as a young lad in 1942, first joining the Grenadier Guards in London and who ended up involved in one of the largest allied operations of the war: Operation Market Garden.

Arthur would have turned 100 years old in September this year, but sadly passed away on the 6th of June, the 79th anniversary of D Day.

Together with James, Michael Ibbotson, Arthur's nephew, recounts the realities of what tank life was like, and remembers his uncle's contribution to the greatest generation.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	What was it like to serve as a gunner and a radio operator in tanks during the Second World War to fight your way inland from D-Day deep into Normandy even sleeping rough in the tank in between the fighting?
0:12.0	Well, I'm your host James Patton Rogers, this is warfare, and today's episode is dedicated to a man who did exactly that.
0:19.0	Arthur Ibbison was a private who took part in the landings on Sword Beach and fought his way through Normandy.
0:25.8	Now sadly, Arthur passed away, age 99 on June 6, 2023 earlier this year,
0:32.0	exactly 79 years to the day of the D-Day landings.
0:36.7	But today we hear his story and it is a pleasure to welcome his nephew Michael Ibbison
0:42.4	onto the podcast to tell Arthur's history and to recount his first-hand letters sent home from the war.
0:50.0	Enjoy. enjoy.
0:56.0	Hi Michael, welcome to the warfare podcast.
0:59.0	How you doing today?
1:00.0	It's a great pleasure to be here.
1:01.0	Yes, I'm doing very well. It happens to be Anzac Day when we're recording this here in Australia.
1:06.4	Tell us for our listeners all around the world. Tell us what Anzac Day is and how important it is to Australia.
1:11.2	It's really important to Australia's history. It's a celebration of the Gallipoli
1:15.8	landings. So it's from the First World War and this is the first time that Australian troops
1:21.7	under the umbrella of the country of Australia
1:25.5	had served overseas so it's regarded as a foundation moment and of course in many ways a
1:31.7	great tragedy as well in terms of the loss of life and the carting of troops over to Malta,
1:37.6	known as the nurse of the Mediterranean to try and treat these injured soldiers.
1:41.7	Indeed, yeah, it was a baptism of fire, that's for sure.
1:45.0	And as you well know, people were discovering tactics at that time.
1:49.0	I don't think anyone can be particularly blamed,
	...

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