263716 Tpr. Buchan Bruce Dundas "Buck" Taylor British Army No.3 Trp., B Sqdn. 2nd Lothians and Border Horse from:Edinburgh On 18th of April 1939, Buchan Taylor (my father) joined the Territorial Army in Edinburgh as B. Taylor and was accepted into the 19th Armoured Car Company, Royal Tank Regiment (T.A.), Lothian and Border Horse. He was 19 years old. Weight: 182 lbs.and Height: 5ft 11in.
Because Buchan spoke fluent German, he served in the Squadron Leaders tank of 3 Troop B Squadron, 2nd Lothians and Border Horse in 26th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division, V Corps, British First Army during Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast). In March, when the 2nd Lothians and Border Horse upgraded to Sherman tanks, the 6th Division then came under IX Corp. Once Bizerte was taken Operation Torch would come to an end, but Bizerte was not taken until May 1943.
Buchan said he had two tank commanders in North Africa in B Squadron. In the Crusader tanks it was Major G.E. Simpson, and later in the Sherman tanks it was Major Anstruther-Gray (aka Baron Kilmany, MP). It was Anstruther-Gray that wrote to his mother during the war to inform her that Buchan had been seriously wounded, and also who corresponded with mum (Veronica, nee Henry) after dad had died so that she was able to get the War Widows pension. Buchan was wounded when the tank was hit overlooking Goubellat Plain. He and Trooper John Hunter were seriously hurt. Buchan dragged Jack out of the turret but he died of wounds the following day. See the British IWM catalogue photo# NA 2357 taken by the No. 2 Army Film & Photographic Unit.
The following are the battle honours of the 2nd Lothians, as part of the 6th Armoured Division in North Africa, that dad participated in:
- 18 January - 25 January 1943: Bou Arada
- 7 April - 11 April 1943: Fondouk
- 22 April - 26 April 1943: El Kourzia
- 5 May - 12 May 1943: Battle of Tunis
Although it is not in the battle honours, he also fought in the battles for Kasserine Pass and Thala.
G.W. Martin, who wrote Driver Advance, was in his tank troop, there were 3 tanks per troop in 1942/43. Buchan's Sherman was destroyed by a volley of 4 rounds from German 88s and a group of Panzers that included MkIVs and a Tiger tank. It was within 100 meters of British N.W. Grid Reference 7317 [more accurately 730175], French Grid Reference 230125 (36° 29.310'N 9° 44.655'E.). At around 4:30 pm, 23rd og April 1943, his Sherman tank may have initially been hit by an armour piercing shell (Peenemunder Pfeilgeschosse) that struck the tank, stopped it in its tracks and actually sent it backwards enough for it to be almost out of sight behind the hill that it was going over. Both tracks had been blown off in the initial strike, and the driver's arm was blown off. Then it may have been struck by a high explosive (HE) round that they called molten lead, as it sprayed white hot metal fragments around the interior along with numerous flying splinters from the tank hull and equipment inside. One piece of white hot shrapnel almost severed 99% of Buchan’s right leg below the knee and splinters struck him in the centre of his right hand, between the ribs of his lower left chest, his groin and other places in his body. His right leg was hanging by a few shreds of tissue, which was cut away by a pair of scissors by the medics from Section 4 of the 165th Light Field Ambulance as he lay on the ground beside the tank. According to his medical record only three and a half inches of his right tibia stump remained.
The following is a chronology of the remainder of Buchan’s wartime service:
- 23rd April 1943 Battle Casualty recorded by, Unit Medical Officer. Regimental Aid Post - leg off (actually on battlefield) transferred to S.E.C.4, 165 Light Field Ambulance
then No.19 Casualty Clearing Station in state of shock. 24 yrs old.
- 24 April 1943 at 0630 hrs operated on including right leg, right hand, left loin.
- 27 April 1943 transferred to No.8 Casualty Clearing Station (2 days)
- 28 April 1943 Transferred to No. 71 General Hospital and operation on 29 April at 1400 hrs (4 days)
- 2 May 1943 Evacuated by stretcher to No. 36 General Hospital (5 days)
- 4 May 1943 Transferred to No. 31 General Hospital
- 7 May 1943 Evacuated by stretcher to No. 36 General Hospital (8 days)
- 14 May 1943 Travelled by hospital ship HMHS Amarapoora (9 days)
- 24 May 1943 Discharged from hospital ship for disembarkation to Shore Hospital as a cot case and admitted at Morriston Emergency Hospital, Swansea, Wales, SA6 6NL (15 days)
- 1943 Gogarburn, Scotland (34 days)
- 12 July 1943 Bangour Emergency Medical Services Hospital, Broxburn, West Lothian (101 days)
- 21 Oct 1943 Arrived midday at Gogarburn Hospital, Edinburgh (16 days)
- 9 Nov 1943 Castle Craig Auxiliary Hospital (14 days)
- 24 Nov 1943 Arrived midday at Gogarburn Hospital, Edinburgh (7 days)
- 30 Nov 1943 Castle Craig Auxiliary Hospital (21 days)
- 21 Jan 1944 Arrived midday at Gogarburn Hospital, Edinburgh (5 days)
- 26 Jan 1944 Limb-fitting treatment and discharged home
- 17 Mar 1944 First artificial limb fitted
- 22 Mar 1944 Discharged
- 2 Aug 1944 Admitted 3 pm to Edenhall (Ministry of Pensions) Hospital, Musselburgh (large shrapnel found deep in ends between 9th-10th left ribs). Operation on 14 August
- 31 Aug 1944 Discharged
In October 1944, Buchan enrolled as a veterinary student, his details are recorded as, Weight: 170 lbs., Height: 5ft 9 1/2in., Age: 27 yrs old.
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