[John Tapsell]

Mark,

With regard to 13/18 H CB Fireflies, try the following source:

"A Conscript Goes to War: in a tank", by John Brookes.
Tracprez Publications,
Old Twenty Parts Company,
Cavendish Bridge,
Shardlow,
Derby.
DE72 2HL
ISBN: 9 9530782 7 2

(it's listed on the Amazon.co.uk site too)

Brookes crewed one of the CB Fireflies (that of Lt Knowles of B Sqn).

It's strange - I think I must be getting my LCTs mixed up. I could have sworn that the hull sides were higher on the LCT 4. Oh well, I take your point.

LCT "212" is an old friend.

The loading tables at PRO say that she carried six Sherman III, one Sherman Vc and one Sherman ARV (plus a universal carrier and five porpoise ammo sledges).

On the other hand the 13/18 war diary comments that the three LCTs due to carry C Sqn and HQ Sqn were overloaded and therefore two Shermans from each were loaded onto a reserve LCT.

212 actually carried the following:

right hand column - rear to front
10 - Balaclava (Sherman III - regt command tank)
-- - 1 x ARV
77 - (Sherman III C Sqn)

left hand column - rear to front
1 x Carrier (in this case belonging to regt Intel Officer)
11 - (Sherman III - HQ Sqn)
70 - (Sherman III C Sqn)
71 - Carole (Sherman Vc C Sqn)

1(?) X GPA (amphibious) jeep placed centrally between the two rows.
5(?) x Porpoises.

Cheers,
John