William Digby

Sgt Digby served with the Sherwood Rangers throughout it's time from Palestine and through North Africa.

Sgt Digbys was the second of B Squadrons' tanks to reach Jig Green, Gold Beach at 07.50 after swimming a few hundred yards ashore, just behind Lt. Monty Horleys DD Sherman. Lt Horleys tank was hit by an anti tank round, with the crew baling out only to be hit by machine gun fire, killing Lt Horleys and Tpr Worboyes.

Digby's tank rolled up the beach but was hit in the turret by a round from a 75mm anti tank gun in a casement on the sea wall looking down the beach from Le Hamel. Sgt Digby and his three crew, L/Cpl Foster (became a Catholic priest after the war); Tpr Bond and Tpr Potts were wounded.

Driver Bond reversed back to the water line, but the tank got stuck. Unable to move, the crew baled out and carried Sgt Digby to the dunes and took shelter behind another knocked out tank. Eventually rescued, they were taken to a Casualty Clearing Station on the beach; Sgt Digby's wounds were so severe that he could not be immediately evacuated. He had lost both legs and had asked his crew mates to shoot him. He passed away, on the beach, the following day.

The 75mm gun wasn't knocked out until 16.00, when a AVRE tank fired a petard mortar bomb into the rear entrance of the casement.

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