It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and is equipped with Taipan, a type of weapon locating radar.

However, the only troops available were K Battery and a detachment of one officer and 80 men of the 2nd Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery.

The battery was armed with First World War Mark II 18-pounder guns which had been modernised by the fitting of road wheels and pneumatic tyres.

The tank then fired its main armament and scored a direct hit killing another member of the detachment and wounding Gunner Manning and Troop Sergeant Major Opie.

Small arms fire poured into the gun pit wounding Gunner Manning again, but he gallantly insisted on remaining in action.

Then at 4:15pm it was decided to try to save the last two guns and the survivors of the small force headed towards St Sylvestre, where the village was found to be occupied by the Germans with both infantry and medium tanks.