World War 2 was one of the most disastrous military conflicts in history, totaling more than 50 million casualties. The Allies fought the Axis powers from 1939 to 1945, finally resulting in the fall of Nazi Germany and subsequently ending the war. Reading accounts from history books is one thing, but what about personal experiences?
If you’re a fan of World History, you’ll find the books in this list of The Best Memoirs of Tank Crewmen in WW2 on Amazon to be gripping.
By Tank Into Normandy by Stuart Hills
“A World War II tank commander gives a direct, harrowing, and exciting account of fighting at the invasion front. On June 4, 1944, 20-year old Stuart Hills, fresh from Officer Cadet Training, went to war. Two days later, his tank sunk. Then came the struggles through Normandy in a replacement tank and a constant round of close encounters with the enemy—which swiftly turned Hills into a master of tank warfare. A remarkable story of survival.” See it here on Amazon.
Troop Leader: A Tank Commander’s Story by Bill Bellamy
“Bill Bellamy was a regular officer with the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussars from 1943 until 1955. He witnessed many of his contemporaries killed in action. This work offers an account of one man’s experience of the battle for Europe in 1944 and 1945.” See it here on Amazon.
Tanks on the Beaches: A Marine Tanker in the Pacific War by Robert M. Neiman and Kenneth W. Estes
“This is an adventure story with many novel turns that will attract the interest of military experts, military history aficionados, Marine Corps members in general, and veterans of armored fighting vehicle units. Neiman is not a USMC icon, just one of the unheralded thousands of officers who did the real fighting. This is their story, as much as it is his.” See it here on Amazon.
Armoured Guardsmen: A War Diary from Normandy to the Rhine by Robert Boscawen
Here’s a “stirring story of frontline action with the Coldstream Guards as they fight their way through northwest Europe during the final year of the war. [The] vivid and perceptive narrative captures the spirit of comradeship, the joy of success, the bitterness of loss, and the dangerous thrill of combat.” See it here on Amazon.
Panzer Destroyer: Memoirs of a Red Army Tank Commander by Vasiliy Krysov
“As a tank commander, Krysov fought against the German panzers in some of the most intense and destructive armored engagements in history–including those at Stalingrad, Kursk and Königsberg. This is the remarkable story of his war… [fighting] his way westward across Russia, the Ukraine and Poland against a skillful and determined enemy which had previously never known defeat.” See it here on Amazon
Fragments of War: A Marine’s Personal Journey by Bertram A. Yaffe
Senator Edward M. Kennedy writes, “Bert Yaffe gives us a vivid, inspiring account of combat as a marine in three of the most famous battles of World War II in the Pacific: From Bougainville to Guam to Iwo Jima, heroes like him fought long and hard and well to save our freedom…” See it here on Amazon.
Conclusion
The times during the Second World War were difficult beyond belief – but evil was overcome. If you’re interested in more World War History, be sure to check out Best World War II History Books and Bestsellers in World War 1 History.
