9^th ROYAL TANK REGIMENT

• 9th RTR War Diary – June 1944 to June 1945

The War Diary of an army unit records details of its activities while in a theatre of war. It is primarily an historical record, and can later be used to trace what happened in an action or campaign. The Diary may be supplemented by Intelligence Summaries, kept either together with the Diary or as a separate set of documents.

• Tanks fight in the forest - February 1945

Brigadier WS Clarke, commander of 34 Armoured Brigade, was not only courageous but also an intellegent officer. After fighting through the Reichswald forest, he decided to document the problems faced and the lessons learnt from fighting under such conditions. He directed 9 RTR to prepare a report on their experiences, and their findings, which would be used as the agenda for a conference of senior officers of the Brigade.

The final document, reproduced here, relates the course of the battle, gives the text of the 9 RTR report, and records the minutes of the Brigade conference. It describes clearly and concisely the situations met and the lessons learned.