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Ian Hammerton tried to join the aged 17 and a half, "but they wouldn’t have me" so he went on to join the 42nd Royal Tank Regiment in Clapham.

In 1941 he was put in for a commission and then finally transferred to the 22nd Dragoons at . While there it was announced to the men they would play a crucial but top secret role on . They were to drive a new breed of tank that had been designed to destroy the German defences – from tanks with massive chain flails that could destroy mines, to those capable of throwing flames or sailing over anti-tank ditches.

Ian Hammerton was to command a flail tank on , with his first mission to clear of mines before moving on ahead of the advancing troops as they made their way across France and beyond.

Since , Ian Hammerton has devoted much of his time to educating children about his experiences during the war.