The Battle for Caen

Across northern France British and German tanks go head to head. The Allies soon discovered that the Sherman tank 'brewed up' when it was attacked, killing everyone inside, while the German Tiger tank seemed indestructible. Harold Currie, who left school in Liverpool when he was 19 to join his heroes the Desert Rats, still has horrific memories: 'It was devastating 'cos you'd go forward in your tank in line and then you might find a tank on your right being blown up and the other one on your left being blown up and that was sheer luck whether you would be the next one or not.' Eventually Allied tanks were upgraded and were able to take on the Tigers, and with air support they moved on to the stronghold of Caen. Unfortunately, these were the days before precision bombing and hundreds of Allied soldiers lost their lives to Allied bombing. Canadian stretcher bearer Arthur Haley was on the road into Caen when Allied bombers came in.