The waiting period left inexperienced tank crews wondering how they would react under fire, while veterans assessed the chance of death or injury. Patrick Hennessey's question to an experienced squadron sergeant major received the blunt reply that battle was extremely noisy. The account connects motivation with protecting families and personal attachments, citing surveys that gave those concerns more weight than abstract patriotic ideals. Steve Dyson recalled the particular anxiety of Londoners whose families faced V1 attacks. Leaving without permission to visit them still brought the prospect of court martial.
Notable Point · 3:35:10-3:36:20
Tank crews wait for combat while worrying about families at home
Recollections of waiting tank crews connect uncertainty about combat with personal attachments and worry about relatives under air attack.