Richard Alfred Terry
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Son of Alfred and Daisy Maud Terry; husband of Esther Winifred Terry, of Muston, Nottinghamshire. Lived at 2 Marlow House, Millgate, Newark, Nottinghamshire.
Operation Veritable, the objective of which was to clear the German forces between the Maas and the Rhine. Right Flank Squadron of the 3rd Scots and the 2nd Lincolns were given the task of clearing Winnekendonk.
The offensive began at 17.45 on both sides of the Kervenheim-Winnekendonk road. When the leading tank troops were in the open south of Bronkshof, they were fired upon by 2 self-propelled (SP) guns and one 88mm anti-tank gun. The first 3 Cromwell tanks of the right forward troop and 2 tanks of the left forward troop were hit by armour piercing shells and high explosive - one tank was hit 5 times. The Forward Observation Officer, Pipe-Major Smith, Gdsm T. Campbell and Gdsm F. Lees were killed.
Lord Cathcart (Squadron Commander) ordered the supporting troop to engage the SP guns and Sgt Alldred and his L/Cpl knocked out 2 SP guns and an 88mm anti-tank gun. Fierce hand to hand fighting took place between the Lincolns and the German parachutists of the 1. Fallschirm-Armee and armoured units of Panzer Lehr into the evening as darkness fell. At 21.00 the Germans surrendered.
Winnekendonk had been held by one battalion of the Para Lehr Regiment with a Fortress Battery in support. In addition to the 4 anti-tank/SP guns knocked out, two more 88mm and six 50mm guns were captured in the town. The 2nd Lincolns lost one officer (Major Clarke M.C.) and 16 men. 43 1.Fallschirm-Armee/Lehr were killed and 250 taken prisoner.
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Photo of Richard Alfred Terry