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| | John Needham Vaughan (3rd
County of London Yeomanry and Trans-Jordan Frontier Force)
John Needham Vaughan began the war with 3rd County of London
Yeomanry, "The Sharpshooters", an armoured regiment. In November
1941, during Operation Crusader, the regiment was under command 22nd
Armoured Brigade. Captain Vaughan commanded a 'B' Squadron tank in
the early fighting around Bir el Gubi. On 19th November his tank was hit
by fire from an anti-tank gun.
During December 1941 and early January 1942, the regiment
re-equipped and reorganised. Not seriously wounded, Captain Vaughan - now
Major - assumed command of a composite squadron formed by the regiment on 23rd
January 1942. In early February the regiment returned to Egypt to Sidi
Bishr camp.
Major Vaughan was next in action at Gazala, where he commanded
'A' Squadron. He was wounded again on 27th May 1942, on the second day of
the battle.
The following reminiscences
are published with the kind permission of Jeremy Vaughan.
"In May 1942, at the Battle of Knightsbridge, when commanding
"A" Squadron, Crusader tanks, I was wounded, this time rather more
seriously, and retired to the 15th Scottish Hospital in Cairo. On leaving
hospital, many months later, I was interviewed, in Jerusalem, for the post of
Adjutant of the mounted cavalry regiment of the Trans-Jordan Frontier
Force. My friends told me that I was mad to want to join a force that had
a very tough reputation. I removed my sling for the interview, was
accepted, and joined "C" Squadron, of that Regiment, then stationed at
Kadjou, on the Turkish frontier north of Aleppo.
The force was comprised of Arab soldiers, with its Base at Zerka in
Trans-Jordan, Its officers were British, seconded from Regular cavalry
regiments. On the outbreak of war they naturally wished to rejoin their
Regiments, but could not do so unless they were replaced by such as I.
Some months later I was posted to Regimental Headquarters, at Ourem el Jose,
between Aleppo and Lattakia, as Adjutant. In this position I was entitled
to two chargers both fine greys, "Sultan" and "Saladin",
about which rude remarks about "The Windsor Greys"' were made when
they descended from the horse box that brought them from "C" Squadron
to H.Q.
I had also acquired, from the Palestine Police, that excellent dog
"Smudge", who accompanied, me everywhere, including breaking down the
door of a loo [lavatory] in the Orient Palace Hotel in Damascus because he
objected to being separated from me. When I eventually returned, to
England at the end of the war, en route to Nigeria, I left Smudge with one Tony
Parsons, a gunner, who later became our representative at the United Nations,
having by then 'lost' Smudge and acquired a knighthood: a net loss, in my view.
In June 1943 I applied for a Medical Board, and was graded "A". I
wrote to the Colonel of my Regiment, the 3rd County of London Yeomanry,
informing him of the Board result and asking to be allowed to return to
them. Many months went by, whilst I continued to serve with the
Trans-Jordan Frontier Force, and I was not optimistic that my request would be
granted, as I had heard that General Montgomery was against having officers in
the 21st Army under him who had not been with him at the battle of Alamein, when
I was in hospital. Eventually permission was given, and I returned to
England, rejoining my Regiment some six weeks before they embarked from Gosport
on June 7th, 1944, D+1, for Normandy."
[On rejoining the regiment, John Vaughan reverted to the rank of Captain
and joined 'C' Squadron. On 28th June 1944 he destroyed a dug-in Panzer IV
which had just knocked out three of the squadron's tanks from a range of 80
yards.]
"It was whilst an attack was in progress, in support of the infantry, that we
were engaged by two German Tiger tanks, from opposite flanks. We were
successful in disposing of one, but the other put a shell right through my tank,
killing the wireless operator and touching my left knee. The knurled tip
of the fuse cap, evidently whizzing round inside the tank, lodged in my throat
one inch from the .jugular vein. I had no knowledge of this until I was
presented with it by the hospital staff of the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool.
After some months in this hospital I was moved to a hospital at Killearn,
outside Glasgow. Their excellent efforts resulted in my having nothing
more inconvenient than a dropped left foot, which had to be held up by a spring
attached to my knee. Worn under my trouser leg, my appearance was not too
unmilitary and I made sufficient fuss to be graded Medical Category B, without
which I knew I would have to remain in England.
So I returned to the Middle East, this time to command a Squadron of the
Mechanised Regiment of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force, and to
"Smudge". They were stationed along the northern Syrian
frontier, from Aleppo out to a place called Derik. This is in the extreme north
east, between the Tigris and the Euphrates, and one of our concerns was to
ensure the safe departure of the Free French, who were in danger of attack from
the Syrians.
The 3.7 in howitzer troop of my Squadron was helpful in ensuring the peaceful
handover of a typical Beau Geste fort to the Syrians, after which the G.O.C.
inspected the Squadron and the Artillery Troop. The mechanised regiment
was also sent to the Bandar Abbas area of Persia, and it was here that Smudge
took a strong dislike to our Adjutant, who some months later tried to shoot his
Colonel.
At the end of the war the Colonial Office were recruiting suitable staff to
employ as District Officers, etc. As I had found that I seemed to get on
well with native troops I applied, and was posted to Nigeria."
John Needham Vaughan died in October 2001.
Additional details from the War Diary, 3rd County of London Yeomanry.
Jeremy Vaughan is interested to hear from former members of the TJFF or
their relatives. Please click here
to e-mail Jeremy
05 November 2012
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