Arthur Edmund Birkin
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of Cyril Birkin and of Annie Birkin (née Holmes). He was the husband of Eva Avis Birkin (née Green), of Underwood, Nottinghamshire.
In September 1944, the 51st (The Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), RAC was heavily engaged in Italy fighting through the formidable German defensive line known as the Gothic Line. Operating heavy Churchill infantry tanks as part of the 25th Tank Brigade, the regiment provided crucial armoured support to Allied infantry breaching entrenched enemy positions.
he Gothic Line Offensive: Having crossed the Foglia River in late August, the regiment spent September pressing the offensive into the rugged, mud-slicked hills of northern Italy.The Battle of Coriano: By mid-September, the regiment fought intensely near Coriano, a heavily fortified hilltop ridge just southeast of San Marino.Combined Arms Assaults: Operating under strict radio silence until the moment of attack, the 51st RTR advanced line-abreast across exposed ridges alongside infantry units, such as the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, to clear German tank-killing zones.
Birkin was killed during the height of the ferocious Allied assault on the Gothic Line in northern Italy.The Battle of Coriano: His death occurred during the Battle of Coriano (13–15 September), a brutal ridge engagement where the regiment's heavy Churchill tanks faced highly concentrated German anti-tank screens and intense artillery fire.
Unknown
No photos