Lieutenant John Murray Harding, 13/18 Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps

Badge of 79th Armoured Division

In the late summer and early autumn of 1943, the 79th Armoured Division moved en masse to the ranges at Castlemartin. The Division had been given the specialised role of developing tactics and the use of secret devices for the assault on the continent of Europe, otherwise known as Operation Overlord.

Local people around the range will recall that for most of this period a curfew was in force in the area to limit the chances of prying eyes seeing the secret, potentially battle winning, devices that were being tested.

Badge of 13/18 Hussars

AS part of the training, the tank regiments and battalions assigned to the 79th came in turn to Castlemartin. Some were billeted at Merrion camp, some at Trenorgan and some at Stackpole Court. When the 13/18 Hussars came to the area they were allocated accommodation at the former Royal Armoured Corps recruit camp at Newton, just to the south of  Bosherston village.



The regiment had just de-trained at Pembroke Station, and was making its way in convoy to Newton Camp.

Sherman Tank of 13/18 Hussars

The account in the Western Telegraph for 2 September 1943 described how the tank of Lt John Murray Harding, aged 21, skidded on the hill, crashed through a low wall, turned completely over and ended up on its side. The young lieutenant never stood a chance, being crushed as he stood in the open hatch of the turret. He was killed instantly. He was later buried at the military cemetery in Pembroke Dock with full military honours. Peter "Cosy" Comfort of the regiment recalled the episode thus:

A high was Linney Head, Pembrokeshire, a firing range; the water-lilies; the boulders, raw, forgotten in the surf. White bread and eggs in rural Wales; the Welsh loved their table, as did Buckshot Smith, the regimental butcher and poacher extraordinaire; soup and stew, feathers bones and all, I have never tasted better.

Grave Stone of Lt Harding in Pembroke Dock Military Cemetary

The low of Linney Head, an upturned tank, the officer crushed.

'You and you and you, to the Squadron office. Funeral firing party.'

RSM Duffy was kind and sympathetic;

'Now, now. That won't do on the day, lads. Let's get it right. Reverse arms again.  Present arms; prepare; fire; again fire; reload; fire.'

We  were right on the day and his parents stood silent by the graveside. The regiment always looked after its own.







Entry from Commonwealth War Graves Commision website at:

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2965720/HARDING,%20JOHN%20MURRAY

HARDING, JOHN MURRAY

Rank:

Lieutenant

Service No:

245689

Date of Death:

29/08/1943

Age:

21

Regiment/Service:

Royal Armoured Corps

 

13th/18th Royal Hussars

Grave Reference

Sec. D. Grave 16.

Cemetery

PEMBROKE DOCK MILITARY CEMETERY

Additional Information:

Son of Brigadier Geoffrey Parker Harding and Catherine Mary Harding. of Lyndhurst Hampshire.