ABSTRACT
As British tanks swept across northern France and on into the Low Countries in 1944, it appeared self-evident to the crews that they had a played a full and vital part in the campaign in Normandy that preceded the pursuit. They had battled hard against canny and determined opponents, often through difficult and unhelpful terrain, and in less than three months helped to win a spectacular victory. Their achievement, considering the humiliating reverses of 1940 and the sometimes chaotic and embarrassing fighting in Egypt and Libya, appeared to them to be hugely impressive.
