Alan Smith

27/2/1945 the Lothian troops were in support of two columns of American tanks. The American tanks of the first column, maneuvering to engage the enemy, left the road on which the two columns had been traveling and took up fire positions on the right flank, thus leaving the Flails of Number 2 Troop alone on the road in front of the second column, closing up behind. The leading platoon officer of this second column, who expected the first column to be somewhere to his right and did not know that there was British armour with the first column, sighted and heard the Lothian's tanks as they were reversing a few yards to a position at a cross-roads. It was after 2100hrs, visibility was poor, he had been told enemy tanks were in the vicinity, and he did not recognise the dim silhouettes of the Lothian tanks as being Sherman's. Believing them to be German, he opened fire with all guns of his platoon, at about 300 yards range. The Lothian's suffered the momentary disadvantage of being caught without protection from fire from a totally unexpected direction, and their tanks were hit repeatedly by ‘hyper-velocity’ armour-piercing rounds. One (the rear tank) burst into flames and exploded, two others were quickly disabled. It was only after he and his crew had baled out, their own tank hit, that Lieutenant Newman for the first time distinguished the line of American tanks some 300 yards to the rear. He ran towards them and asked them to cease fire and send for medical aid. Over half the troop were either killed or wounded.”

Also killed ;

L/Cpl Albert Eatough - "A" Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Mentioned in Despatches. Son of Albert and Lilly Eatough, of Bolton, Lancashire; husband of Edith Eatough, of Bolton.

Sgt Alexander McArthur - 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Son of Alexander Finlay McArthur and of Annie Wilhelmina McArthur (nee MacDonald), of
Edinburgh.

Tpr Colin Shepherd - 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Son of Horace Rowland Shepherd, and of Gladys Irene Shepherd, of Bedhampton, Hampshire.

Tpr John Wardrope - 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Son of John Wardrope, and of Mary B. Wardrope, of Strathaven, Lanarkshire.

Tpr Herbert Weeks - 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Son of Herbert Edward and Violet M. A. Weeks, of Chadwell St. Mary, Essex.

Cpl Percival Wigglesworth - 'A' Sqn. 1st Lothians and Border Horse, Royal Armoured Corps. Son of Percival Gill Lister Wigglesworth and Helen Elizabeth Wigglesworth, of Sutton, Surrey.