The Black Bull: From Normandy to the Baltic with the 11th Armoured Division

by Patrick Delaforce

This WWII history chronicles the legendary British Armored Division in combat across northern Europe with veterans’ personal recollections. The British Army’s 11th Armored Division, famous for its Black Bull insignia, was famous for its courageous fighting during the Second World War. In this volume, Black Bull veterans tell the story of their Division in their own words. Beginning with the Normandy invasions, they vividly describe the role they played in Operations Epsom, Goodwood and Bluecoat. They bring readers with them on the “Great Swan' through France and Belgium; the taking of Antwerp; Operation Market Garden; and the final slog into Germany across well-defended river barriers. They also recount stories of casualties and losses, the hardships of a winter campaign, and the comradeship and bravery it takes to persevere. Historian Patrick Delaforce provides a historical narrative that gives context to the personal accounts. Twelve Black Bull regiments are represented, with memories from troop commanders and riflemen, bombardiers and signalmen, tank crews, troop leaders, as well as the Division’s GOC, Major-General G.P.B. Roberts. The text is supplemented throughout with wartime photographs showing the Division in action.

Genres: World War II, History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

259 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Suanne Laqueur]

I need an "oops" shelf. I downloaded this thinking it was about the 11th Armored Division of the US Army, which liberated Mauthausen.... and 5% in I realized it's about the 11th Armoured Division of the British Army, which liberated Bergen-Belsen. "Armoured" should've tipped me off.

We'll just pretend this never happened.

[Reginald Neil Squire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found that having read this book, it has given me a comprehensive understanding of British armoured and infantry battles from D-Day to victory in Europe.

In particular, it clearly addressed the inadequate performance of allied tanks against superior German tanks.

It is the first book that I have read which has left me asking why our governments and senior military figures send so many brave young men to their deaths or injury whilst already knowing that our armour was so inferior. Surely we or the Americans were capable of manufacturing better tanks than the ones supplied to our forces?

[Ian Willey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick Delaforce has written some good WWII unit and formation histories and this can be counted amongst them. Typical of Delaforce the writing is clear and allows the reader to follow the narrative with ease. Maps are OK though the photos in some cases are not as clear as could be but acceptable.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A workmanlike history of the Black Bull doing exactly what the title of the book says.

Could have done with less specific detail of units, and more of the extracts from diaries and recollections, because those were where this really shone.

[Fred Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historically accurate account of the exploits of the 11th Armoured Division from landing in Normandy in June 1944 to the disbanding of the Division in 1946.

Patrick Delaforce gives some gripping first hand accounts of the carnage and personal tragedies he witnessed.