Voices of VE Day 75 - Ken Tout

To mark the 75th Anniversary Commemorations of VE Day, we spoke with a few of the veterans we know about their experiences on 8th May 1945 and hear their advice for future generations.

Ken served in 3 Troop, C Squadron of the 1 Northamptonshire Yeomanry. His unit arrived in Normandy a few days after D-Day and its Sherman Tanks were thrown into the thick of the action as an independent armoured brigade. Ken operated as a gunner, but due to his taking / passing the initial test for officer training before the unit left for oversea operations, he was promoted to a tank commander and frequently utilised in this role, taking over from other tank co’s when they were wounded. Ken served the whole way through the fierce fighting of the Normandy Campaign including in and around Caen, then the breakout towards Falaise and the Seine. This included Operation Totalise and the fierce battle to take and hold the bourguebus ridge in August 1944. Following the break out he took part in the capture of Le Havre before eventually going onto fighting into and through Holland. But in October 1944 Ken’s war was over, his tank overturned and he sustained a serious leg injury, he was evacuated by Dakota back to the UK to undergo an operation and recover.

*Please note this episode may contain some explicit language / content, parental guidance advised.*