High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Captain Bill Bellamy MC (1 December 1923 - 18 March 2009) was an officer in the 8th King`s Royal Irish Hussars between 1943 - 1955. He served briefly with his regiment in the North African Campaign and extensively in Northern Europe as part of the D Day landings. His book, Troop Leader: A Tank Commander`s Story is a rare example of the experiences of front line tank warfare in World War 2 written not from an analytical point of view but as a diary of the events which happened. He was one of the first British soldiers to be able to wander unhindered in the ruins of Berlin`s government area in the immediate post cease fire period of 1945. On 5 March 1945 he received the Military Cross, presented personally by Field Marshal Montgomery, for his bravery during the battle for the hamlet of Doornhoek, near St. Joost in Holland, in October 1944. Under heavy German machine-gun, mortar and shell fire, and in a minefield, He got his burning tank and crew to safety before overrunning enemy positions to allow infantrymen to push through.