Joe Ekins
| Joe Ekins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
15 July 1923 Yielden, Northamptonshire, England |
| Died | 1 February 2012 (aged 88) Kettering, Northamptonshire, England |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Rank | Trooper |
| Unit | A Squadron, 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry |
| Battles/wars | |
Joe Ekins (15 July 1923 – 1 February 2012) was a World War II British Army veteran. He gained recognition for his action as a tank gunner in France in which he destroyed four tanks in a day, including three Tigers (Tiger tanks numbers 312, 009 & 314). One of his opponents on that day, 8 August 1944 near St. Aignan de Cramesnil, France may have been the German tank commander Michael Wittmann. However, in recent years it has been claimed [via Canadian researched, presented and produced episode] that Sherman Fireflies from the Canadian Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment were responsible. Ekins died on 1 February 2012.
During Operation Totalize the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry and elements of the 51st (Highland) Division reached the French village of St. Aignan de Cramesnil during the early morning of 8 August 1944. While B Squadron stayed around the village, A and C Squadrons moved further south into a wood called Delle de la Roque.
C Squadron positioned themselves on the east side of the woods and the understrength A Squadron positioned themselves in the southern portion, with '3 Troop' on the western edge of the wood. From this position they overlooked a large open section of ground and were able to watch as German tanks advanced up Route nationale 158 from the town of Cintheaux. On orders from the troop commander, they held their fire until the German tanks were well within range.
Ekins, the gunner of Sergeant Gordon's Sherman Firefly (called Velikiye Luki, as A Squadron's tanks were named after towns in the Soviet Union), had yet to fire his gun in action. With the Tiger tanks in range, the order was given to fire. What followed was an almost 12-minute battle that saw Ekins destroying all three Tigers that '3 Troop' could see (there were actually seven Tiger tanks in the area heading north, along with some other tanks and self-propelled guns).
...
Wikipedia