TANK TED

When Tom Matthews and his comrades in ‘K’ Troop, 248th Battery, were advancing towards Berlin, they picked up a very special ally en route, as Richard Pursehouse and Ben Cunliffe reveal.

Regular readers may remember the heartwarming tale of a teddy bear that ‘served’ with the crew of an M10 tank destroyer (see our January 2020 issue). That bear was given to Tom Matthews as he rolled through the Netherlands and joined him in ‘action’ right up to the post-war victory parade in Berlin in 1945, before being brought home to be given to his son, also named Tom. Recently put up for auction, Tank Ted – described as “Steiff-like” – was given an estimated value of £400-600.

Want to read more?

This is a premium article and requires an active subscription.

Existing subscriber? Sign in now

No subscription?

Pick one of our introductory offers