7th Armored Division

	Achilles Tank Destroyer of the 7th Armoured Division on the east bank of the Rhine River.

On 16 February 1940, the troops formally known as the Mobile Division became the 7th Armored Division. The Desert Rat divisional flash was adopted about the same time. It originated from a sketch of a jerboa drawn by the then divisional commander's wife after a visit to the Cairo Zoo. The symbol became known as the Dessert Rats, a title that was to spread as a name for the whole of the 8th Amy in which they served.
The Division preformed very well in the Dessert and was one of the lead Divisions in the invasion of Sicily. When Field Marshal Montgomery was recalled to the UK to organise the Army for the invasion of Northern Europe he took back with him some of his Best Divisions of which 7th Armd and 50th Inf Div were two.

The Division was not part of the D-Day landings but was soon in action during the operations to breakout form the Normandy Bridge Head. After the British and Commonwealth Forces had linked up there American allies 7th Armoured Division was then tasked with supporters the taking of Antwerp.

On the l7th September occurred the great airborne operation called Market Garden, designed to capture the bridges from North of the Albert Canal just East of Lommel, over which the Guards Armoured Division would attack up to the Waal at Arnhem. This would then open a way into the heart of Germany, North of the Siegfried line. At first the Division took no part, except to offer hospitality to the crews of the odd glider or Dakota which crashed in our area.

The Arnhem drop was not going well for 30 Corps. The Germans, were now fighting on the west bank of the Rhine, and were determined that the armoured thrust would not get through the British Airborne in Arnhem. The Germans threw everything they had into denying the use of the Arnhem Bridge. The epic stories of that action have been well recorded. The whole operation was costly in men and material both to the Airborne Force and those striving to get forward to relieve them on the narrow supply line.

News came through to the Division that the enemy had cut the 30th Corps supply line to Nijmegen, just north of Odenrode. At 0200 hours on September 24th, the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards now under command of 131 Brigade received orders to move with the Brigade at 0600 hours and reopen the Axis.

The Brigade temporarily under command of 50th Division moved across to just South of Eindhoven, in order to protect the long flank of the Guards and 43rd Divisions who had so nearly succeeded in relieving the 1st-Airborne Division at Arnhem, after the initial hard battles to get through the forests and moor lands on the Belgian-Dutch frontier.

The road was packed with vehicles nose to tail, unable to move forward or back, but the Military Police once again played a wonderful role in sorting it all out. By 0700 hours the 5th Skins reached the main square in Odenrode where they met a very angry 30th Corps Commander, Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks, who was desperately trying to get forward to join his own tactical headquar­ters.  50th Division keen to get him out of there hair volunteered the Durham Light Infantry Carrier Platoon to take him north to his forward positions.

	Daimler Armoured Car, MKII.

The enemy had, by now, organised the best part of two infantry divisions, of whom a number were parachutists, between Eindhoven and the River Maas to the North, and had succeeded in cutting the centre line of 30th Corps between the Airborne troops garrisoning Eindhoven and those around the bridge over the Zuid Willemsvaart at Veghel, some twenty miles beyond. This, the Division was given to clear.

A column from the 5th Skins moved in a north-westerly direction and soon came upon four brewed-up Sherman tanks of the Guards Division. Ahead was a long line of burning vehicles caught in the attack. 'C' Squadron deployed and advanced in a two-up formation for about three-quarters of a mile. They were then told to halt as elements of the US 101st Airborne Division were advancing south and there could be confusion and mistakes. Despite this, the Americans did fire on 'C' Squadron. Lieutenant Henry Woods advanced on foot whistling 'God Save the King' to make contact. The Americans whose own supplies had not reached them were very hungry and grateful for supplies handed over.

The gamble had failed, the British Airborne forces had been evacuated from Arnhem and instead of a sudden end to hostilities, there would be a house-by-house fight until Germany was completely destroyed. The Main effort was now keeping Hells Highway open to get supplies and reinforcements up to the front which was now on the ground between Nijmegen and Arnhem called the Island.

The following afternoon the Hells Highway as it was called was once more cut by a small raiding party supported by a Panther. This was eventually driven off, although the enemy still remained in some strength within a few thousand yards of the road, around Olland and North-West of Veghel. Armoured patrols had, however, reached five thousand yards to the North-West to the railway line at Schijndel. The next day 131 Brigade came up to take over the protection, of the centre line between Veghel and St. Oedenrpde, and the armour continued to enlarge, the salient, West towards Dinther and Heeswijk with the 5th Royal Tanks, and .North towards Nistelrode with the 1st Royal Tanks, After a short engagement at Heesch, two miles beyond Nistelrode, 11th Hussars pushed on to Qss. On the 29th, 131 Brigade, less one battalion, and the 8th Hussars were relieved South of the Zuid Willem-svaart by 158th Brigade from 53rd (Welsh) Division, and the line was stabilised as it was to remain for the next; three weeks.

	Chaffee Tank.