Taking Out an Armored Vehicle With an Umbrella

How did this guy take out a tank using an umbrella?

His name is Digby Tatham-Warter and he was a crazy bastard.

See, Digby used the interesting laodout of an officer pistol and an umbrella. He also had a penchant for bugles.

He believed radios were prone to faults and so taught his men to use Napoleonic Bugle Calls to communicate which, as it turns out, was a genius move.

Because in 1944, he was a Company Commander for the battle of Arnhem. And as it happens the radios were faulty. The bugle calls allowed the men to coordinate rapid advances and bypass German armor.

This included digby leading a bayonet charge in a bowler hat, running up to a German tank, thrusting his umbrella through the vision slit and blinding the driver, incapacitating the vehicle.

He also saved an army chaplain pinned down by enemy fire, running up to him and saying “Don’t worry about the bullets, I’ve got an umbrella”, getting him to safety.

Upon his return a fellow officer also referenced his umbrella saying “That thing won’t do you any good”, to which he replied “Oh my goodness Pat, But what if it rains?”

Despite advancing 8 miles and taking 150 Germans soldiers prisoner, they ran out of ammo and Digby was captured and taken to a hospital where he and another officer escaped out the window, making it to a farmhouse where he was put in contact with and eventually led the Dutch resistance.

Instead of hiding he would cycle around in broad daylight pretending to be a deaf and mute Dutchman, even stopping to help a german officer push his car out of a ditch.

He eventually got 150 soldiers to safety as part of Operation Pegasus, winning him the distinguished service order. He survived the war and died in 1993 at the age of 75.

[Randomfactsofwar]

This man wasn’t wearing a helmet, he was instead equipped with only the finest plot armour that Great Britain could offer

[funnyrandomname]

This man was doing minor amounts of trolling in WW2 absolute lad

[Tgek]

“But what if it rains” is the most British thing I’ve ever heard

[Hollows]

Only Britain could produce a man named Allison Digby Tatham-Warter and have him turn out to be so fearless of a soldier, that he not only brought an umbrella into battle but also had to wear a bowler hat.

[mamajkhan]

Video games with "unhistorical" cosmetic
Meanwhile this guy:

[UteChewb]

This explains why in Fallout 4 wearing a bowler hat gives you +1 Endurance.

[siaratan]

"He also took an umbrella with his kit as a means of identification because he had trouble remembering passwords and felt that anyone who saw him with it would think that "only a bloody fool of an Englishman" would carry an umbrella into battle." (Wikipedia)

[lexdemonica]

As soon as I heard Digby Tathamwater, I knew this madlad would be a menace.

[dynamitedingo]

the brits had the CRAZIEST soldiers. You got this man as well as "Mad Jack" Churchill who got a kill with a Longbow and carried a Broadsword.

[CornyliusTheIdiot]

My man said he wanted a napoleonic style loudout for an officer, but instead of the clasic sabre he looked for the most op weapon of the british, the umbrella

[nolanturek]

Somebody needs to develop a game about this man's military greatness

[barlowetube]

A rare short that actually made me smile .

[Mamaulli]

You can't fool me that's a Kingsman right there, he uses an umbrella to fight, he is British and he knows how to infiltrate

[takumoto]

This guy sounds so much like a time traveler just trolling ppl, knowing what will happen and that he will be safe

[Swagmaster]

"Why do you have an Umbrella?"
"Because no Jerry would bring an Umbrella, and im not a Jerry."

[StoccTube]

In the movie “a bridge too far” he says he carried an umbrella as he was terrible at remembering passwords, but that no German would be carrying one. I recall reading about him at the Parachute Regiment museum in Aldershot in the early 90s (7RHA). It’s probably moved from that location these days, but he was a great character.

[barblesstv_shorts]

Now, THAT is a movie I’d pay double to see.

[aSliceOfChoccyMilk]

"Oh my god, Pat, but what if it rains?"
No wonder he never needed more than an umbrella. The absolute magnitude of his balls was enough to stop most weapons

[craggle]

Insane Asylums: Exist
The Parachute Regiment: WE'LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK!

[jesperkgb]

he simply took advantage of the fact that no honourable lad would fire upon a man with an umbrella