Page 128 - RSDG Year of 2021 CREST

134 EAGLE AND CARBINE
Murray was called by telegram to report to 30th Primary Training Wing at Bovington on 1 October 1942. Apart from the inevitable drill, weapon and kit inspections, initial training instilled discipline and brought him in contact with the disparate mix that widened his experience. In his own words: “I went there as a boy and rather more than four years later was demobbed at Hull as a man.” From Private he became a proud Trooper, with aspirations of a commission, for the next phase at Stanley Barracks home of 58th Training Regiment. Already proficient on a motor- cycle he mastered the delights of four wheeled vehicles and the double-declutch. Then came the rudiments of being a tankman - gunnery, wireless, tactics, weapons and tank recognition - and learning to drive a 20-ton Crusader. Morse Code was his bête noire but despite a disagreement with one of the training Corporals, he passed the War Office Selection Board.
He reported to 512 Troop Pre-Officer Cadet Training Unit at Blackdown for intense supervision from a Coldstream Guards Sergeant Major. The final phase for six months from October 1943 was at Sandhurst, then Royal Military College and home to Royal Armoured Corps OCTUs. Out of 23 officer cadets in 115 Troop, 18 completed the course with its emphasis on determina- tion, initiative, and leadership and well-known physi- cally testing elements, including a battle course in North Wales. Infantry manoeuvres, living rough and the experience of carrying a 2-inch mortar to the sum- mit of Mount Snowdon left him with greater admira- tion for the PBI (poor bloody infantry) and realisa- tion that his choice to serve in tanks, affording a roof over his head and less walking, was well-founded. He described the camaraderie at Sandhurst as wonderful and the tank driving, commanding and gunnery fabu- lous. On 8 April 1944 his parents and friends attended the passing-out parade on Old Building Square when the salute at was taken by General Dwight Eisenhower, Commander in Chief Combined Allied Forces. Commissioned on 16 April 1944, Second Lieutenant GM Walker, wearing the Royal Armoured Corps black beret, was sent to Manningtree near Harwich. Soon afterwards he boarded a ship bound via the Straits of Dover for the Mulberry Port at Arromanches with its prefabricated concrete caissons in place from D+1, 7 June. He was first assigned to a tank transporter col- umn, an arduous lengthy convoy of Sherman tanks on American White tractor units. En route to Brussels they had an enthusiastic reception from the recently liberated French population.
Even if he was rather a round peg in a square hole, Walker considered himself lucky to join the Royal Scots Greys, who had fought with distinction from Palestine, the Western Desert to Tripoli, invaded Italy
at Salerno, and on D+1 landed in Normandy to fight through France and Belgium. He joined the Greys in Holland at Nederweert. On reporting to his Squadron Leader, he was welcomed by Major Sir Anthony Bonham who called him George. His response was to say: “The G is for Graeme, but my friends call me by my second name, which is Murray”. Seemingly disappointed, Major Bonham commented that he thought Murray Walker was a hyphenated surname and told him that he would be responsible to Sergeant McPherson until he was satisfied that Murray was capable of commanding. Watching and listening to the veteran of Palestine and the Western Desert, it was not long before he had his own troop.
His first experience of Greys style sentry-go in a Sherman turret was north of Nijmegen on the island between the Waal and Neder Rijn rivers. It was soon after Arnhem, and the Greys fought heavily to clear rivers banks, woods and other difficult areas, all with distinction. When rest was possible, Murray shared a Dutch billet with Captain Ted Acres, Regimental Quartermaster, and Fred Sowerby who ran the light aid detachment and whose model tank is in the SCOTS DG Museum collection. Fred made Murray live with the consequences after he had removed the windscreen of his Jeep snagging it on the tailplane of a B17 bomber whilst racing to catch it before take-off, in response to a bet from his co-diver. After training for the day they could relax by a roaring fire and catch up with mail from home and listen to the American Forces Network.
The Greys’ winter rest ended in February 1945, long- serving personnel had returned from UK leave and the Regiment was refreshed, prior to some of the fiercest fighting of the Second Front at the Reichswald Forest on the borders of Germany and the River Rhine. Co-operating with infantry the Greys met strong German rear-guard resistance. Stopping to let other units leap-frog forward they could replenish and eat. On one such occasion, near Udem, Murray noticed a chap who looked like his father in a group of four men in army uniform. To his amazement and great delight it was his father, who as editor of Motor Cycling had got himself accredited as a war correspondent to find and meet his son; the conversation was short and Murray was soon back in action amongst the blocked roads, burning houses, dead bodies and stray cattle. Despite stubborn resistance, the Reichswald was cleared. The Greys crossed into Germany on 24 February 1945 and a month later had advanced to the west bank of the Rhine at Xanten. Preceded by an intense bombard- ment, 6th Airborne Division mounted the assault, dur- ing which Murray witnessed the demise of the crew of