David Willey | Top 5 Veteran Stories | The Tank Museum

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ม.ค. 2025

ความคิดเห็น • 937

  • @Alex-cw3rz
    @Alex-cw3rz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +686

    That story for the light tank was so emotional and a brilliant message at the end

    • @WayneMoyer
      @WayneMoyer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @Spoons We must have captured it. No need to check. I mean who would be stupid enough to line up with us. Right guys?

    • @terraflow__bryanburdo4547
      @terraflow__bryanburdo4547 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @Spoons On Quora there is a fellow who's dad was a truck driver for Rommel who passed through allied lines because he took off his helmet and the truck was covered with dust...carrying 88 rounds for Rommel's AA-turned AT guns!
      War is chaos when fully underway.

    • @cvdheyden
      @cvdheyden 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 Fun fact: Rommel mostly used british vehicles for himself and sent the German ones to the frontline. He appreciated the reliability of the vehicles! The one time saved his life when they met the enemy.

    • @terraflow__bryanburdo4547
      @terraflow__bryanburdo4547 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@cvdheyden Is this when he goes into the medical tent?

    • @cvdheyden
      @cvdheyden 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 Nono XD. Look here: th-cam.com/video/drWjWcMuStg/w-d-xo.html

  • @Tactician666
    @Tactician666 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1286

    As 'Top 5 Tanks' go, this one is a mic-drop. Imagine being the poor sod who has to follow this one up. Brilliant story-telling as always.

    • @MordalfusGrea
      @MordalfusGrea 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Just get QuackyBaby in here as a follow up

    • @Tactician666
      @Tactician666 4 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@MordalfusGrea I must confess I had to Google him to find out who he was. It turns out that he released his own TH-cam video on the premium tanks in 'World of Tanks' yesterday. He's an entertaining speaker and I'd definitely watch his Top 5, but I think we all know there's only one person who can follow on from Mr Willey, and he's got a much bigger moustache...

    • @marklittle8805
      @marklittle8805 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      One of the best. This was about what matters...the men who went to war in these machines

    • @FieldMarshalFry
      @FieldMarshalFry 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      get Joakim to do it?
      "Centurion, Centurion, Centurion, Centurion, my Centurion"

    • @andrewthomas695
      @andrewthomas695 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      💯

  • @rdfox76
    @rdfox76 4 ปีที่แล้ว +272

    The story I'll always remember, a rather famous quote, from Ken Giles: "The '75' is firing. The '37' is firing, but it's traversed round the wrong way. The Browning is jammed. I am saying, 'Driver, advance!' on the A set, and the driver, who can't hear me, is reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty yards away, someone hands me a cheese sandwich."

    • @gyozop
      @gyozop 4 ปีที่แล้ว +38

      In a way it is the best story and a little bit poetry.

    • @ivsaken5830
      @ivsaken5830 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'm gonna make a cheese sandwich now

  • @stephencarter4304
    @stephencarter4304 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    24:32 *chokes up slightly* ...and then she said quietly, thank you for coming"
    Love the heartfelt narrative. So genuine, without any sort of bombast. A rare thing in the age of TH-cam.

  • @foowashere
    @foowashere 4 ปีที่แล้ว +747

    Wonderfully touching stories about what really matters-humans. Merry Christmas, and thank you for making and sharing.

    • @Camcolito
      @Camcolito 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Wonderfully touching stories about what really matters - tanks.

    • @neilwilson5785
      @neilwilson5785 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@Camcolito And other armoured vehicles as well, don't forget them!

    • @Camcolito
      @Camcolito 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@neilwilson5785 Do those other armoured vehicles know it's Christmas time at all?

    • @wolfmauler
      @wolfmauler 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The correct answer is Raspberries 😉

  • @markchisholm2657
    @markchisholm2657 4 ปีที่แล้ว +151

    One of the best Top 5 so far. Genuinely moving.

  • @khaccanhle1930
    @khaccanhle1930 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

    Am I the only one who nearly cried hearing every one of these stories?
    I knew so many WW2 vets, I miss them and their stories so much.

  • @Lintary
    @Lintary 4 ปีที่แล้ว +173

    This has been a really touching series of stories and connections.

  • @ericgrace9995
    @ericgrace9995 4 ปีที่แล้ว +225

    The tragic story of the young RTR crewman of the Mk VI tank loosing his life crossing the Somme was moving. The stoic courage of his family was quintessentially British. We see the tanks and sometimes forget the courage of the men who went to war in them.
    Thankyou for making these machines come to life.

    • @jameshenderson4876
      @jameshenderson4876 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      If I may say, I agree with everything except about the British bit. The courage of families facing loss and tragedy during war I am sure is universal.

    • @byronevans7787
      @byronevans7787 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jameshenderson4876 what's the point of this comment? Being stoic is a quintessential British trait, it doesn't mean no one else suffers

    • @g.w.customcreations3534
      @g.w.customcreations3534 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@byronevans7787 got a computer game character as his profile pic. Pay him no mind. 😂

  • @stevenflebbe
    @stevenflebbe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +288

    Thank you so much David. We've all been waiting for your top five, and it has been worth the wait. The stories of the veterans associated with each tank gave your choices a human touch that is often lacking when we talk simply about the characteristics and statistics of the vehicles. Thank you again, and Happy Holidays.

    • @vladdrakul7851
      @vladdrakul7851 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Quite Right! .What took so long!! I was waiting for this forever and indeed wondered why just he had not given us his choices far earlier. This and David's whole demeanor is thoughtful, intelligent and what a perfect time for it!

    • @lewisthisisjames6632
      @lewisthisisjames6632 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      How did you comment 23 hours ago?

    • @stevenflebbe
      @stevenflebbe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@lewisthisisjames6632 Through Patreon. One of the Patreon benefits is early access to the videos.

    • @lewisthisisjames6632
      @lewisthisisjames6632 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@stevenflebbe oh

    • @danam0228
      @danam0228 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      nicely put, Merry Christmas to you

  • @garethlloyd-tolman9431
    @garethlloyd-tolman9431 4 ปีที่แล้ว +229

    I haven't been this moved in some time, the stories you've attached to each tank have, in turn, broken me and put a smile on my face. I shall be raising a glass to those who have served or are serving in the armed forces. Merry Christmas to all at Bovington.

    • @CrotalusKid
      @CrotalusKid 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Sounds like you already have raised a few glasses

    • @jacquesstrapp3219
      @jacquesstrapp3219 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@CrotalusKid That was uncalled for. The comment sections of the Tank Museum's videos are usually free from trollish and derogatory remarks. Your comment is an exception to the normally high standards of this thread.

    • @CrotalusKid
      @CrotalusKid 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jacquesstrapp3219 it was a simple light-hearted comment, and one of agreement. Pipe down, man.

    • @jacquesstrapp3219
      @jacquesstrapp3219 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@CrotalusKid Your "humor" is out of place in a thread about veterans experiences. If you were a veteran yourself, it might be acceptable but you're just a kid that hasn't earned that right yet.

    • @jacquesstrapp3219
      @jacquesstrapp3219 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@CrotalusKid I am an infantry veteran and unimpressed by your experiences. If you had served, you would understand why veterans have contempt for those who joke about things that they haven't paid the price for.

  • @godweenausten
    @godweenausten 4 ปีที่แล้ว +170

    God, that French girl saying to the British tankist "Thank you for coming" really moved me.

  • @paddyflage
    @paddyflage 4 ปีที่แล้ว +82

    This top 5 is incredible. Every possible emotion being felt within all those stories. More of this please!

  • @gunner678
    @gunner678 4 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Thank you David. That was by far the best top 5 tanks episodes by far. Excellent work. As a veteran myself of the Balkans conflict, I whole heartedly agree that people should try to listen to veterans.

  • @jasontrauger8515
    @jasontrauger8515 4 ปีที่แล้ว +86

    Definitely my favorite Top 5 yet. Talking tanks and history is a wonderful thing. But, adding that human element just makes it that much more special. Thank you, Mr. Willey. And, obviously, happy holiday, to all (and hopefully a better 2021).

  • @nateg9770
    @nateg9770 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love all these stories. I knew many WW2 Veterans including both my grandfather's, I miss talking to them about the war. They didn't just start talking about it, you had to show interest and knowledge of the situation and then they gladly told their stories.

  • @Alex-cw3rz
    @Alex-cw3rz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +44

    I was thinking wow what a great story for the first and then we had that 2nd story, and then again for the 3rd, fourth and fifth, all fascinating stories, it truly is Christmas!

  • @zanderchiasson8064
    @zanderchiasson8064 4 ปีที่แล้ว +46

    I didn’t expect to cry watching this, this was wonderful to watch

  • @thomasnoble1816
    @thomasnoble1816 4 ปีที่แล้ว +74

    I can only echo the comments of how affecting this is. For me, the comment that vets did not necessarily talk much about their experiences hit home. My father was a Bronze Star and Purple Heart holding infantry officer in the U.S. Army from Normandy to the Hurtgen Forest. He only very rarely spoke of his experiences and then briefly. I remember that he once told the story out of nowhere that his CO had called him over for a field conference next to a Sherman. He said that he was very reluctant because tanks drew artillery fire! I only then realized that my civilian idea that tanks were the infantry's friend was not the full picture!

    • @jelkel25
      @jelkel25 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yeah, my great uncle who was my substitute grandfather and lived across the street was at Monte Casino and it was rumoured he was a Desert Rat before that. Never said a word and we only knew about Monte Casino because it messed him up and my great aunt mentioned his what we would call PTSD these days and where he got it. He got no sympathy from my aunt and didn't expect any, tough generation.

  • @HunterTeddy010
    @HunterTeddy010 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for reminding us that war is not machines or madmen, but humans doing what they hope is 'right'. and reminding us the horrific cost of those choices.

  • @andrebartels1690
    @andrebartels1690 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    _Sometimes we play with the subject. They did it for real._
    What a great line to show respect for the crews of these tanks in your collection.

  • @performa9523
    @performa9523 4 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    I always figured when David Willey got a chance to do a top 5 list it would be something special, and this was assuredly that. Simply incredible- thank you sir!

  • @1crannog
    @1crannog 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Brilliant! Moved to tears, mate, moved to tears!

    • @buggs9950
      @buggs9950 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Same here, not ashamed to admit it.

  • @beckster181
    @beckster181 4 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    The stories make this so much more real and describes exactly how all vets feel after the heat of battle we by nature are not born or become killers but we stand between the danger and the rest we have sworn to defend even if it costs us everything. Then we have to live with what we have had to do to keep all safe and how it has changed us all .
    My mother said that the man she fell in love with never returned from WW2 but she understood he had been changed by things he had seen and done. He would never talk about his experiences in details but would some times make statements about how getting Malaria and being pulled out of the line for treatment had saved his life due to the fact the man that took his place had a grenade explode at his feet, or the time when he was helping with air drops and his harness broke as they were pushing the load out of a low flying Dakota and his only chance to survive was to hold as tight as he could to the package he had pushed out and hope he landed on the allied side of the river and then had to stay there for 3 weeks till they had been relieved and how he started the trip in only his hot weather flying kit and ended it 3 weeks later having fought again as infantry.
    He was meant to be a part of the 7TH Division Cavalry Regiment as driver of Bren gun carrier but during the whole of WW2 never drove them in any combat, their carriers were deemed to be unserviceable shortly after arrival in the middle east and were never used and after return to Australia retraining and being sent to Port Morsby with the still unserviceable carriers the carriers were chained to a group of trees till after the end of the war. He and his Regiment always fought as Infantry. His unit was sent to Port Morsby in 1942 after returning from the middle east and retraining and were put into action at a place called Sanananda road where the first day their CO was killed by a sniper and the regiment was cut into 2 half's with the second half unable to fight through to the first half but due to the Pardre they had there was found a way out through what was described as an impenetrable swamp which enabled the forward half to be withdrawn after it was decided there was no way to rejoin and fight through, My father was in the forward headquarters and was in the half that was surrounded. When the Regiment was officially withdrawn from Port Morsby 3 months after going into the line of around 1,000that landed only 60 were left the rest had either been killed in action wounded in action died of illness or were returned to Australia due to medical conditions, at this point his regiment was struck from the battle order as no longer existing.
    Many of these details i only found out about in the last 2 or 3 years before his death at 76

    • @havennewbowtow8835
      @havennewbowtow8835 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ordinary people doing extraordinary acts. 👍

    • @jackwills7092
      @jackwills7092 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sherman tanks TOMMY COOKERS
      as the Germans called them after hitting them with 88mm shells

  • @PanzerBuyer
    @PanzerBuyer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +76

    Merry Christmas Tankers of the World!!!!

    • @PanzerBuyer
      @PanzerBuyer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      BTW, here are my favorite Top Five Tanks: 1) King Tiger 2) King Tiger 3) King Tiger 4) King Tiger 5) King Tiger

    • @mattwilliams3456
      @mattwilliams3456 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      No love for us crunchies? Merry Christmas to everyone on both sides of the armor!

    • @Kyle-gw6qp
      @Kyle-gw6qp 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@PanzerBuyer you've got some nice curves

  • @stuartbennett7614
    @stuartbennett7614 4 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    As an ex infantry soldier I found this to be the best top 5 yet , spending some time on operations in and around warrior ifv I totally understand the connection to a vehicle and the men who crew them I even have fond memories of wmik land rover's excellent piece tank museum well done

  • @Paladin1873
    @Paladin1873 4 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    In 1976 one of my mother's best friends was entertaining her uncle from Germany, who was a veteran of the Eastern Front. My Dad spoke German and asked "Uncle Carl" what he did there. He replied, "Ich war ein Tiger Panzer Chauffeur" (I was a Tiger tank driver). He went on to say he was issued a rifle that he never shot, but allowed instead to rust inside his tank. He was captured later on and remained a guest of the Soviets for a year or two after the war. When he finally made it back home, he went to the town square where residents often left messages for missing loved ones. His family had moved away, but he managed to eventually locate them. They were thoroughly shocked when they saw him, having believed he was long since dead. During my brief association with him he introduced me to German menthol snuff. I swear that one sniff felt like it shot through my right nostril, right eye, skull, and out my right ear. I never tried it again, but he obviously got a kick out of watching my reaction. He was a very jovial and engaging character, and I regret I never got to learn much more about him.

    • @Aqueox
      @Aqueox 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      You're related to a Tiger crewman.
      Sorry man... You've got a LOT to live up to!

    • @Paladin1873
      @Paladin1873 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@Aqueox Cute, but he was no relation of ours. Had you ever met him, you would never had guessed he'd served in a Tiger. He was short, bald, and very lively, with a good sense of humor.

    • @Aqueox
      @Aqueox 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Paladin1873 Whoops, I totally missed you saying "best friends". Was tired last night. 🤣

    • @Paladin1873
      @Paladin1873 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@Aqueox No problemas.

    • @strikerorwell9232
      @strikerorwell9232 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Its amazing to have had the privilige to hear about what family members did during this horrible war.
      My grandpa and his brothers fought in the Finnish Winter war against Russia. My grandpa rarely talked about his experiences until the age of 80.
      But after his 80 th birthday he answered all our questions about what he and his brothers did during the Finnish Winterwar. He told me about how they dealt with Russian pows and how very few Finns had real hard feelings towards these Russian poor conscripts who had no interest in fighting for Stalin and how the Finns fed and treated them well and several of these Pows defected from the Russian army to immigrate to Sweden or England and the US. My grandfathers brother had some local record in killing Russians with his submachine gun and during the war they used him as a local Fnnish hero for all he accomplished, earning him several medallions etc. But after the war, the PTSD started for him and he became more and more depressed and had nightmares about his Russian victims and started drinking.
      My grandpa was the most compassionate and caring person you could imagine and according to his siblings he remained the same even during the war and my grandpa and his unit members shared their rations with Russian pows and defectors.

  • @Darilon12
    @Darilon12 4 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    Great work! Reducing tanks to technical data and a few heroic tales leaves out most of history. Fear, guilt and trauma are a way bigger part of tank history than often shown.

  • @densonsmith2
    @densonsmith2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    David Willey always does a tremendous job of telling the story.

  • @michaelmiller7928
    @michaelmiller7928 4 ปีที่แล้ว +87

    And a Merry Christmas to you Tank Museum!

  • @sinclairmarcus
    @sinclairmarcus 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I met a WW2 veteran when I was working at an old peoples home he recounted a story when he was in a Sherman tank hiding behind a house in Italy. They were discovered and a round from a Tiger tank blew up the the building. A lucky escape but it is incredible hear their stories. Thanks for a great channel from Nz

  • @Luddite-vd2ts
    @Luddite-vd2ts 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Serious comment from a serious commentator. Let's throw aside the childish fascination with war. When men and boys go off to fight, mothers lose children.
    My grandfather fought in tanks, nth Africa D Day + 5 approx. Sherman Fireflys. He was damaged. This video is what all war is about. People, and lives screwed, unfortunately.
    I was choked on each instalment. Powerful stuff. Thank you.

  • @gizmophoto3577
    @gizmophoto3577 4 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Outstanding. My favorite of all the “Top 5” sessions.

    • @neilwilson5785
      @neilwilson5785 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      He did a great job. It must have been a ton of work to do justice to them.

    • @chopsandarchie7015
      @chopsandarchie7015 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      hear hear

  • @stevemolina8801
    @stevemolina8801 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    A tank is simply nuts and bolts until you ad a crewman. We must treasure these men's stories forever. Thank you for sharing these.

    • @ivorbiggun710
      @ivorbiggun710 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly. Tanks are made up of thousands of hard bits and four or five soft bits. It's the soft bits which are the hardest to replace.

  • @coltfanboi7747
    @coltfanboi7747 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Arguably the most enjoyable and informative 30 minutes I’ve watched recently. With all the Brexit and COVID stuff getting me down, this really puts everything into perspective. Thanks for 30 minutes of pure enjoyment, information and emotion.

  • @torma99
    @torma99 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    After seeing all of the top 5 videos, I was a bit sceptical at first. I thought I would get another Sherman, Panther, T34, Mark IV, etc. list.
    Boy, I was dead wrong, I am bloody thankful of it!
    Mr. Willie, thank you for this video. We, regular viewers knew already much of those tanks, but with this presentation, the lifeless steel beasts just came alive. I think this is by far the best Top 5 video, and definitely in the top 5 best Tank Museum videos of all time! 2 years ago I did not know much about tanks. Now with the work of you, Mr. Fletcher, the Director, the other representatives (really liked that AT pieces for example, and the restoration videos) you became a household name, face, and genre in our family!

  • @maxkronader5225
    @maxkronader5225 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I saw the video title and expected the typical technical analysis of tank types. What I got instead was an excellent series of emotionally moving personal stories about real people who had seen the elephant.
    Well done.

  • @SlothWithShades
    @SlothWithShades 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Mr. Willey's approach to top 5 tanks is exactly what I love about history. Sure stories about battles are impressive and cool, the events of old are awe inspiring, tanks and guns and all the gadgets are fascinating. But what really matters to me is the story of the people who actually use it. Who live through the events. That is what touches me.
    A few years back my grandmother died and the family cleaned out the attic, where we found my grandfather's Karabiner 31. I decided to fix it up and make it look as good as I could without replacing anything. Turns out it is in near perfect shape and with just a little love it looks amazing. A gunsmith approved that it is in operational condition and yes, it works flawlessly. In the butt plate of the rifle I found a strip of paper which the soldiers back then had to mark their rifles with. It included his name, his unit and his role. I showed it to my mother and she confirmed that it was his handwriting. That's the first and only time I ever saw his handwriting. I can't remember his voice, since I was about three years old when he died. But at least I know how he wrote. It is a peculiar twist of life, that the one thing I receive from my grandfather about 30 years down the road is part of a topic (History) I love and even a part of it which I am most interested in (war history of the 20th century).
    I just felt the urge to share this. Thank you for all your good work at the museum!

  • @derrickmabbott9095
    @derrickmabbott9095 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    David, I have watched all the Top 5 videos, but yours is easily the finest. I am 56, studied military history since I was 6. You have moved me to tears on each of these stories.
    Thank you for being so good at your job.

  • @garrisonnichols807
    @garrisonnichols807 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's always a real eye opener when you talk to a veteran of any war. I was in a Barns and Noble book store once reading a magazine about P51 Mustangs when all a sudden a older man probably in his 80s sat down beside me and said. " I used to fly those " He was a Korean war veteran and he just started talking about his experience during the war and the P51D Mustang he flew. There was over a thousand of the planes at his base where they were being sent out of and he said the sun was just coming up over the mountains and when the sunlight hit the steel surface of the Mustangs at his base they all started shinning in the light. He talked about the supercharger whistle nose the plane made and how it flew effortlessly in the air and just the performance of the plane and how by that time they were being decommissioned because the new Soviets MiG-15 and American F86 Sabre jets were just coming out. Really amazing to stumble upon a man who lived during the time and actually flew the planes I was reading about.

  • @mariusmuller7889
    @mariusmuller7889 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Thank you for these great and very important impressions from tank crewmen.
    Really great work :)
    Greetings from a former crewman in a German panzerhaubitze 2000 :)

  • @maxkronader5225
    @maxkronader5225 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was privileged to know a WWI veteran who served as an infantry rifleman in the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the early 1980s this gentleman was in his late 80s and had many interesting stories to tell.
    There is nothing quite like history straight from the horse's mouth.

  • @askburlefot2645
    @askburlefot2645 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Big thanks to David Willey for sharing the veteran stories. I was really moved.

  • @pistonar
    @pistonar 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I think that was the best tank chat, ever. You are the right man for that job.

  • @0Zolrender0
    @0Zolrender0 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    This has to be my Fav top 5. Not beacuse of the tanks named but because of the stories that come with them and how it was delivered. Bravo and thanks from Down Under.

  • @barryjobe
    @barryjobe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Superb, humanizing story. Reminds me ...
    In the '60s, I was in a Boy Scout in the USA, and a proudly and patriotically naturalized American who commanded a German tank in WW-II. He told us about his experiences in France.
    I've never forgotten, and I think this awakened my interest in tanks and AFVs ... their history, modeling tanks - even being the on-camera historian on 9 History Channel programs about mil-tech, including tanks. I'm sure this video has the potential to have the same kind of impact.
    KUDOS!

  • @TheSid42
    @TheSid42 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Absolutely outstanding David. Great stories of the humans of war not just the machines

  • @chopper7352
    @chopper7352 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Spot on...Very well said David. These WW2 era tanks are great machines, but , they are nothing without a crew whom lived & operated in them.

  • @roycarter6235
    @roycarter6235 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. I just like David had a tear in my eye after he recounted the raspberry story

  • @The-Clockwork-Eye
    @The-Clockwork-Eye 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This was an absolute joy to listen to. By far the best in your top five tanks series. What an honour to be able to hear of these first hand accounts from those veterans. Thank you.

  • @Joel-tv2tt
    @Joel-tv2tt 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    For some reason until know I had assumed that Mr. Willey had already done one of these, I am very pleasantly surprised. Merry Christmas.

  • @GSpin66
    @GSpin66 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    David Willey is the best! He makes the Top 5 tanks about the people that make the best use of technology and not just about the tanks and technology.

  • @theeaselrider4032
    @theeaselrider4032 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Thank you so much David. That was the most informative episode I've seen from you folks.
    Tying each tank with a personal story about a veteran, really hits home as to why places like your Tank Museum are so important.
    As is often the case, the stories are of just regular, hard working people, that end up doing extraordinary things simply because it was what was needed.
    I do so hope in the future I am able to make it over from Canada, to visit you and your excellent museum in person.
    Thanks again.
    And I really miss your curator at home series. That was by far one of the highlights of what was generally a pretty horrid year for so many of us.

  • @PICKLE_Rex24
    @PICKLE_Rex24 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    We are so lucky we have the internet so David willey can pass on these amazing stories. Puts tear to my eye's every time.

  • @JessWLStuart
    @JessWLStuart 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Mr David Wiley, this is the best Top 5 Tanks ever. Thank you for sharing the human element involved with these tanks. Will the interviews ever be published? I want to buy a copy! After seeing your Top 5 Tanks, I want to know more about the people behind the tanks! The tanks are cool, but people are inspiring!
    Also, the heart you show while talking about the Cromwell - it's obvious the people mean so much to you. Thanks for your humanity. Thanks for sharing it with us. I guess I'm saying you inspire us too!

  • @ronyeahwiggie729
    @ronyeahwiggie729 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    These personal stories are absolutely the best!
    Steel, rubber and diesel is all fine and good, but the bloke and his stories in these steel beasts make it all come alive.
    Well done!

  • @simonshaffer
    @simonshaffer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    One of the all time best films you chaps have done, interesting and profound. Merry Christmas and thanks a lot.

    • @neilwilson5785
      @neilwilson5785 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It was a moving video. That chap who had to tell the family about their boys loss was moving. The one who survived was just a young boy really.

  • @649649649134
    @649649649134 ปีที่แล้ว

    I always enjoy David’s videos. His videos from his backyard during the lockdown in 2020 helped me through those days. A great presenter; his style engages the viewers.

  • @goetzliedtke
    @goetzliedtke 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The story of the RSM who manned the A-13, eventually invading Italy reminds me of my Uncle Bill. The family had just returned from Uncle Sid's (veteran of the Pacific air war) funeral and my mother-in-law from Lake Forest told how my wife and her parents visited Italy in the early '70s. She went lyrical about how wonderful the trip had been. When she wound down, Uncle Bill piped up to say, "I took a walking tour of Italy from South to North. It didn't seem quite like what you saw." That was the second time he left my mother-in-law speechless.

    • @CS-zn6pp
      @CS-zn6pp 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      He story mirrors my great uncles, drove tanks in North Africa, then Sicily and into Italy.
      He was the only survivior of his Sherman crew which was hit as they were doing a few final checks before beginning an advance. He was outside of the tank checking something on the tracks when something hit the turret on the other side of tank killing the other 4 members of his crew. He was injured and knocked unconscious by the hit and his life was saved when he was dragged to safety by 2 Indian soldiers from the unit they were supporting.

  • @huwtindall7096
    @huwtindall7096 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is the best Top 5 Tanks ever. Hands down I don't know how you could top it. The human stories are infinitely more important and interesting than the engineering or effectiveness facts of armoured vehicles. To end 2020 with this video is something special. Such humanity, hope, and brotherhood in dark times.

  • @vespasian606
    @vespasian606 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Had a lump in my throat from start to finish.

  • @bmcg5296
    @bmcg5296 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    These stories are needing told, and it’s spoken by no better man to tell them. Take a bow Mr David Willey, you command the space perfectly on no bigger a stage! Speaking at the Cromwell you got real emotional there speaking at the end about the French girl. Nearly got me too Mr Willey!
    The greatest generation of our time are to be cherished and recorded before they are no more. They all served with hero’s, and those hero’s are those who never came back from wherever they got deployed. We must never forget.

  • @errolkim1334
    @errolkim1334 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    They really should make movies about these stories. Imagine joining an enemy column and being waved on. And having the guts to BLAG it. Brilliant. God bless you lads.

  • @n0w3lly90
    @n0w3lly90 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very nice to hear a Top 5 based on the very human stories associated with these machines. Brings them to life, and makes you realise what these young men went through. Heroes in the rawest sense

  • @fredhogg4361
    @fredhogg4361 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The finest Top 5 yet - utterly riveting from start to finish. I would hate to be the one to follow this with the next Top 5. Fantastic job David Willey.

  • @onetrueevan6992
    @onetrueevan6992 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A great thanks to David for this emotional video.
    All friends of military history and military equipment should watch it, and never lose focus on what really matters: the people themselves.

  • @keithrosenberg5486
    @keithrosenberg5486 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I spent a whole day about 20 years ago with an uncle who was a Sherman tank commander in the US 3rd Armored division. It was a wonderful experience.

  • @dr.johannesmunch891
    @dr.johannesmunch891 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you curator. You give the history a face and those who long passed away, a voice. Thank you very much.
    We can't just worship those weapons and celebrate their glorious times in battle, without the souls attached. Thank you also in the name of the men back then.

  • @A.J.K87
    @A.J.K87 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Best top 5 tanks by far. Amazing stories. I bought Ken Tout's book this past summer from your shop. It was an absolutely fascinating read. I highly recommend anyone interested in tank warfare to give it a read.

  • @qasimmir7117
    @qasimmir7117 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is the best Top Five tank video of all. I will not say why, I don’t think I need to. Well done David.

  • @Axemantitan
    @Axemantitan 4 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    0:11 As an American, it's funny to hear 'scheme' used so casually. In America, it's synonymous with 'evil plot,' but in Britain, it simply means 'program' or 'plan.'

    • @canuck600A
      @canuck600A 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I was discussing this with a librarian of british heritage, scheme comes from the word schematic -a plan.

    • @sololobos6969
      @sololobos6969 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@canuck600A Huh... That makes alot of sense... Thanks for that.

    • @juliusraben3526
      @juliusraben3526 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I have the same :P im not Brittish.
      And it sound a bit cute, old people and technology (its kinda close to your parents calling your gamecube a xbox)

    • @Hello_there_obi
      @Hello_there_obi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Scheme can be used in the context of an evil plot too.

    • @ChauncyFatsack
      @ChauncyFatsack 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Them Brits always scheming lol!

  • @Jambax
    @Jambax 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    David is pure class. This is by far my favourite of this series, thankyou for sharing these stories and preserving them here.

  • @1337flite
    @1337flite 4 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    NIce one Mr Willey. Thank you. This was the best top 5 so far. The narratives are excellent.
    Has the tank museum collected any spoken histories from the surviving WWII veterans?

    • @HanSolo__
      @HanSolo__ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I think you would like the interview with a Sherman tank commander - veteran. It was recorded by mjr Nicolas Moran. Its easy to find on TH-cam. 😉

    • @The_Bookman
      @The_Bookman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@HanSolo__ th-cam.com/video/qqDi0pxhzc8/w-d-xo.html

    • @1337flite
      @1337flite 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@The_Bookman thanks.

  • @ianmarsden1130
    @ianmarsden1130 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is without doubt the best 'Top5' I have ever seen and one of the best historical videos.
    Amazing stories beautifully delivered, and reminding us all of the human cost of war.
    Very moving.
    Thank you once again Mr Willey.

  • @oliverhaake7552
    @oliverhaake7552 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You gotta love this video, hearing the tankers stories. Looking at what happened from different perspectives. Well chosen point of views. Thank you for that.

  • @garryt6356
    @garryt6356 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    This video is priceless! Yes it provides information about the tanks, but the stories give the tanks context and real insight which we should never lose.

  • @BHuang92
    @BHuang92 4 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    What a wonderful Christmas gift! David's top 10!!!

  • @stogmot1
    @stogmot1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Watched all the top 5 tank series , this is by far the best and most emotional and captivating one .
    Really looking forward till we can all come and visit you again .

  • @billd.iniowa2263
    @billd.iniowa2263 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Splendid presentation. Not a word I use alot really. But these stories make the hulking monsters more personal. Thank you so much Mr. Willey. Happy Christmas to you, and all those there at the museum with you.

  • @tbwpiper189
    @tbwpiper189 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dave, you're not just the curator of this iconic place. You're also a humanitarian, sensitive to what these people went through no matter the colour of their uniform. Kudos from Canada

  • @EarlyPoetNumber1
    @EarlyPoetNumber1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Classic DW, excellent Top 5 Tanks, especially the Light Mark VI. Personal stories, priceless.

    • @davidmurphy8190
      @davidmurphy8190 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Going to war in a Mark VI….That is gutsy.

  • @lesvenus3788
    @lesvenus3788 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    That was a wonderful presentation David and I was utterly enthralled. I am a retired RAF officer but have always been fascinated by tank warfare. This top 5 really brought things alive in the best possible way. Thank you so very much for sharing and for the incredible work you do at the Tank Museum

  • @jacobschuurman5209
    @jacobschuurman5209 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    That was a wonderful episode

  • @Pincer88
    @Pincer88 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Well, if I'll ever had to do a Top 5 Tank Talks, this will feature no.1, no doubt. Regardless how marvellous the machines are, a world of personal drama goes behind them and it is so good, to hear them told in this loving, respectful manner, even from the German side. I've got tpo say, I broke a bit of a tear at the end of no.4. For I remember how my grandparents spoke of the liberators and what it had meant that they had come to end that terrible occupation.
    This hommage shows once again what a precious gift freedom is and what it asks of young people to defend it. Thank you so much for reminding us all in this kind and imaginative manner.

  • @derekmcmanus8615
    @derekmcmanus8615 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Wow...Christmas content from the Tank museum!
    Happy Christmas everyone! 🎄🎄🎄

  • @TheGixernutter
    @TheGixernutter 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    As expected it's David, and the Stories of the men in Tanks that made our History. That created the definitive Top 5 video. Without reservation or exception, we thank them all.

  • @TrooperVey
    @TrooperVey 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This was a very moving video, thank you David for sharing these tales with us. Being a mere civilian I can't help but feel in awe of these stories, especially given how these men were about my age or younger at the time. Merry Christmas to the Tank Museum and especially to all the veterans. Thank you

  • @matthewlok3020
    @matthewlok3020 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    The veterans’ stories gave me a hell of a roller coaster ride through David

  • @IHUTCHI
    @IHUTCHI 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    LOVE the personal touch of this top 5! Thank you so much!!!

  • @raptormesh
    @raptormesh 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The absolute best top 5 tanks in the channel. Thank you, I teared up at the first tale. Tanks are nothing without the humans.

    • @davidty2006
      @davidty2006 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes. Thus when designing a tank make sure that the crew can not just bail out quickly but also arn't cramped in so much they can't move easily.

  • @possum8789
    @possum8789 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Just to echo what has been said, this is a brilliant video. Thank You

  • @andrewince8824
    @andrewince8824 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I understand the SS officer to a degree. My Great-grandfather, Reginald Pryke, served in Italy. He never spoke to us about his experiences, something I look back on with gratitude as he passed away when I was 4. Reading his memoirs with his wife, Edna, my great-grandmother, had both of us in tears. She told me about his service, how he held his friends hand in a field hospital as he passed away, how he felt uncomfortable when people praised him for his service, the things he didn't write. What the men fighting that war experienced is something beyond my compression, I've known danger and fear but nothing like what those brave soldiers faced. To be connected to those men is a privilege and an honour. To hear their stories and their deeds remembered, on both sides, is truly valuable and deeply moving.

  • @The_Bookman
    @The_Bookman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Beautiful. Best Top 5 ever. Thank you.

  • @chrisbailey4254
    @chrisbailey4254 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very real and honest appreciation of the people in the machines and not the nuts and bolts of the object so common in tales of WW2. What a selfless generation of people. Thankyou for the telling of these lives.

  • @PanzerdivisionWiking
    @PanzerdivisionWiking 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Finally the man himself gives his top five! Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁

  • @Riccardo_Silva
    @Riccardo_Silva 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This one is the best top 5 video of all...and much more! Very important contents in here! Magnificent work Dr. Willey! Thank you.

  • @donaldreising525
    @donaldreising525 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    This is my favorite of all of the videos done so far in this series, thank you!

  • @pjl6685
    @pjl6685 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Beautifully told, My grand father fought from Normandy all the way to the liberation of Belsen concentration camp. The strength of these at the time young men never ceases to amaze me. Thank you, keep up the good work you all do keeping history alive.

  • @Ciborium
    @Ciborium 4 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    I'M NOT CRYING! YOU'RE CRYING! DAMN ONION-SLICING NINJAS!

  • @WalkOnYourWords
    @WalkOnYourWords 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Simply the best Top 5 Tanks ever. Each story is so moving and David tells them so well.