15329 Lt Col James Gerald Fitzmaurice MC

Commanding Officer, 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4RTR)

Source:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36593372@N04/49869592467

Lieutenant Colonel

FITZMAURICE, JAMES GERALD M C

Service Number 15329

 Died 21/05/1940

 4^th Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C.

Lt. Col. James Gerald Fitzmaurice was born on 16 May 1893. He was the son of William Henry Fitzmaurice and Emma Theodora Jameson. He married Marguerite Sybil Charlotte Barnard, daughter of Gerald Charles Victor Cary Barnard, on 9 August 1927. He died on 21 May 1940 at age 47 at Arras, France, killed in action.

He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin University, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland. He fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in despatches twice. He was awarded the Military Cross (M.C.) in the New Years Honours List, 1919. 

Source:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/250528-officers-tracks-tank-corps-and-mgc-hy-branch/

Roll of Honour. Amongst those recently mentioned in despatches are Lieutenant J G Fitzmaurice, Munsters, son of Mr W H Fitzmaurice, National Bank, Cahirciveen, and lately of Clonakilty. 

Lieutenant James Fitzmaurice, son of Mr W H Fitzmaurice, manager National Bank, Clonakilty, has been home with his family for a brief respite. He is in the 7^th Munsters; he was wounded in the face *, beneath the eye, but the bullet mark is now scarcely noticeable. He is in the best of health and spirits, and will resume duty in the course of a week. We wish him the best of good luck for the future, and a whole skin when the war is over.

* wounded in action at Gallipoli 8th August 1915, and evacuated. 

Corkmen in Despatches.

Source:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/250528-officers-tracks-tank-corps-and-mgc-hy-branch/

Lieutenant J G Fitzmaurice, Royal Munster Fusiliers, whose name has been mentioned in General Ian Hamilton’s despatch, for services rendered during the Dardanelle operation, is son of Mr M H Fitzmaurice, at present manager of the Cahirciveen branch of the National bank, and until lately for many years manager of the Clonakilty Branch. Lieutenant Fitzmaurice volunteered soon after the outbreak of the war, and got a commission in the Munsters.

Lieutenant James Fitzmaurice, son of Mr W H Fitzmaurice, manager National Bank, Clonakilty, has been home with his family for a brief respite. He is in the 7^th Munsters; he was wounded in the face, beneath the eye, but the bullet mark is now scarcely noticeable. He is in the best of health and spirits, and will resume duty in the course of a week. We wish him the best of good luck for the future, and a whole skin when the war is over.

His service started with the 7th Bn Royal Munster Fusiliers (recorded in the Army List, war diary, published history). He was WIA on 8th Aug 1915 at Gallipoli (ditto) and evacuated. Appears in the London Gazette of 27th Feb 1917 being transferred to the MGC. A year later on 10th Feb 1918 he was Lt (A/Cpt)  to be Adjutant in the Tank Corps. He was MC in the New Years honours of 1919.

Armored Strike at Arras: Counterattack Against the Blitz

British tankers made a courageous, but ultimately futile, attempt to foil the German blitzkrieg in France on May 21, 1940

Source:

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/armored-strike-at-arras-counterattack-against-the-blitz/

Repulsing the British

Sweeping aside the German infantry, 4RTR continued through the villages of Achicourt, Agny, and Beaurains. The British infantry occupied the last two towns while the tanks moved to seize ground south of Beaurains, an area known as Telegraph Hill. The advance began to falter. Rommel, aware of the peril facing his division, had personally intervened to bring forward his heavy artillery and a battery of his 88mm antiaircraft guns.

The powerful 88s were the only weapon capable of penetrating the armor of the Matilda. Although designed primarily as an antiaircraft weapon, the designers possessed the forethought to make it a dual-purpose gun. To meet that requirement, they had outfitted it with sighting systems and the appropriate ammunition. That foresight paid off in that moment of crisis for the Germans.

A stiff fight began as the British found the odds beginning to even. The 88mm rounds could easily pass through the Matilda’s armor. Worse still, Luftwaffe aircraft appeared overhead. Stuka dive bombers screamed down on the vulnerable British, dropping high-explosive bombs and strafing any enemy targets they could find. The tide of battle swung to the Germans, and burning British tanks began to litter the battlefield. The commander of 4RTR, Lt. Col. J.G. Fitzmaurice, was directing the action from his Mark VIB light tank when a round struck it in the side, tearing a hole through the armor and killing him.

Defending against the German Blitzkrieg. 

Source:

https://4and7royaltankregiment.com/1940-1941/

Apart from some cavalry reconnaissance regiments 4 RTR (Fitzmaurice) and 7 RTR (Heyland) were the only British armoured regiments available to face Germany’s ten armoured divisions with 2,574 tanks, when on 10 May 1940 they struck Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg.

1st Army Tk Bde was ordered to re-deploy South West by train from nearby Halle and Enghien. But there were no flatbed trains available and Enghien had been badly disrupted by Stuka attack, so the Brigade was ordered to drive South West on the main road towards Tournai.

The journey quickly turned into a nightmare. JU 87 dive bombers with their terrifying screaming sirens were in constant action so that in every direction smoke arose from burning villages and towns. On 19 May the RTR suffered the first dead of the War when four soldiers of the Fourth died in a Stuka attack at Cysoing, just inside France.

Twice the column was turned back on some false alarm. So meagre was the information from the French high command that on 17 May the fourth’s Recce Troop of four light tanks was dispatched daily at 0400 hrs till dusk with orders to range eastwards to find the French rearguard or the head of the German advance, the Recce Officer (2/Lt Vaux) was ordered to be in direct contact with Bde HQ on one of his powerful HF No 9 Sets.

On the afternoon of 20 May 4 RTR Recce Troop, on a ridge near St Amand, made visual contact with an advancing German armoured column, probably the advance guard of 5 Pz Div. On exchanging fire the German advance guard deployed. Pausing only to send a morse contact report, 4 RTR Recce Troop withdrew in search of the Regiment. By this time it was in leaguer on Vimy Ridge having been ordered to march and counter-march some 300 miles to the severe detriment of the crews and the vehicles.

2 Lt Vaux found RHQ 4 RTR late on 20 May at Petit Vimy. Lt Col Fitzmaurice knew by this time that hundreds of enemy tanks were approaching Arras. “I shall have work for you tomorrow, so get some food and into that bed at once.” Knowing that there was only one bed Vaux protested that the CO should have it, but he replied “You are worn out; do what you are told”. The CO then got blankets and went to sleep on the floor; it was to be his last night alive.

The scratch British “Frank Force” was ordered to attack around the West of Arras with a start time of 0500 hrs 21 May. The objective was to cut the German columns and exploit to the East. 4 RTR was to be on the left with 6 DLI; 7 RTR on the right with 8 DLI plus supporting arms. 4 RTR had thirty five fit Mk 1 Matildas.. 7 RTR had twenty three Mk I and sixteen Mk II Matildas. The latter, heavier than the Mk 1 at 27 tons, was much better armoured and better armed, with a 2 pdr a Tk gun (no HE round had been yet developed for it) and a 7.62mm coaxial MMG.  But it was slow (some 9 MPH across country) and had engine and track problems. Six Mk II Matildas, under Maj Hedderwick were lent to 4 RTR. By 0500 hrs it was clear that the Force was not ready. Some of the tanks were still arriving; the DLI having lost their transport to air attack were still marching towards Arras; some French tanks and some motorised infantry made a brief appearance but withdrew.

4 RTR reached the Start Line on time and despite fears that it was electrified they crossed the railway. Two squadrons abreast they climbed a slight crest and struck the flank of both SS Totenkopf Div and 6 Rifle Regt of 7 Pz Div. Without wireless communication squadron control was very difficult; tank commanders fought almost independently. The fourth achieved significant kills as they drove through the enemy towards Telegraph Hill. WO III Armit in his Mk 1 Matilda under intense fire, and with his .50 Vickers MMG jammed, charged a light A Tk gun line. The German crews managed to extract one gun but the remainder of the crews ran off. Armit and his tp supported by Sgt Strickland drove over the remaining guns putting them out of action.

7 RTR were late on the Start Line but had better communications, and made good progress Eastwards. Major King and Sergeant Doyle,(later awarded a DCM) in their Matilda Mk IIs, found and destroyed two batteries of A Tk guns plus 2 tanks and stalked and destroyed an 88 mm gun. Casualties were heavy and by 1600 hrs the COs of both Regiments were among the dead. The body of Lt Col J.G. FITZMAURICE, MC. (CO 4 RTR) and his radio operator Cpl Alan MOORHOUSE were eventually interred in Dunkirk Town Cemetery.