They were a crack outfit, a good outfit
Heroes Remember
Transcript
Anti-tank gun(17 pounder) mounted on an M-10 tank.
But it, it was an antitank gun and they had them on an M-10 tank and the barrel was about 15 feet long or 12 feet long and it shot a big shell, like I say it's a 17, a 17 pounder. It was equivalent of, of the German gun and it can knock a German tank out. When it went into France, the Germans had better armour and this big 88 gun and they could knock our tanks out and we couldn't hardly touch them. But you know, then we got this gun and we were pretty well equal then. But it was a terrific gun, no question about it. And we actually, I wasn't on the M-10 tanks, I was with the polls section. We had our halftrack pulling the ammunitionHalftrack truck with ammunition cart and artillery gun.
cart and then the gun. And then they'd put us into position, if there was chance of the Germans having a counter attack, that's why we were there to, to counteract it. Not too often, because they were mostly retreating.Description
Mr. MacDonald describes joining the 5th Anti-tank Battalion and discusses its weaponry.
Clifford MacDonald
Mr. MacDonald was born near Hughton, Saskatchewan, on March 28, 1923. He left home at the age of 15, and worked at odd jobs until becoming an underage recruit in the army, 67th Battery at Rosetown, Saskatchewan. After completing gunnery training in England and Ireland, Mr. MacDonald spent some time on a Bofors gunnery crew in England's coastal defence system. He then became a gunner with the 5th Anti-tank Regiment, and was involved in forcing the German retreat from France, Belgium and Holland. After the war, Mr. MacDonald returned to Saskatchewan and purchased a farm under the Veterans Land Act. He has been a Legion member for more than 60 years.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 04:03
- Person Interviewed:
- Clifford MacDonald
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Europe
- Battle/Campaign:
- Post D-Day
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- 5th Anti-tank Regiment
- Rank:
- Corporal
- Occupation:
- Gunner
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