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Written by Sarah Lambert It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Reg Spittles, a lovely man, who passed away on 6th November aged 95. Reg served with the Northamptonshire Yeomanry and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and saw action during the Normandy campaign in 1944. For his dedication and time as a soldier he was awarded (from left to right) the 1939 – 1945 Star, the France and Germany Star with Normandy clasp, the Defence Medal, the War Medal, and the Territorial Efficiency Medal. He remained a tank enthusiast throughout his life and in spite of his advanced years, along with his good friend and fellow ex-soldier Mike Bush (right), Reg made the long journey from his Northampton home to the Museum’s Tankfest event every year. With their stories and always present sense of humour, the two men were very popular with both Museum staff and volunteers. Reg was something of an author and kept up a regular correspondence with the Museum’s Curator, sending him stories of his time in Normandy. He also visited schools in Northampton to read the stories and talk to the children about his wartime experiences. The Tank Museum hopes to collate some of these letters and feature them as part of a display to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in June 2014. A verse from a poem by Reg Spittles, 1993: They loaded us up on transporters to take us back to Bayeux As we travelled up north past the places we’d fought Leaving comrades asleep in their graves They’d know we weren’t retreating, Giving up the ground they’d won. So we left them to rest at peace with the world In the warm earth of the Normandy sun. http://www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?record=ART4202&_IXMENU_=news_and_events
