Tank attack at Falaise France 4th/7th Armoured

My husband and I took my late father to the Beaches at Normandy to remember the many lost friends and colleagues, we visited various cemeteries and museums (in relation to the War) whilst we were there. Wilfred particularly wanted to visit one specific grave in a cemetery and knew exactly where to go, although it was quite a large graveyard. One day he asked us to drive him to Falaise, and, whilst we were in the location, directed us to a cross-roads junction. He then told us that this was where the tank he was in was attacked by the Germans, they came under heavy fire and began burning. Obviously with the tank ready to blow up and with all of their colleagues already dead, he and another chap managed to get out and ran to large hedges and hid. After quite a while they tentatively mustered themselves to look out of the hedges: in that one instant moment, the chap that he had got out with, was shot in the head and killed instantly.
The Germans knew that some had got out of the tanks and were still in the area, the Germans had waited around for a while to see if any English men emerged.

We believe that the grave he took us to was of the colleague that he hid with. Unfortunately we cannot remember his friends name nor exactly what cemetery he took us to.

Dad was so shocked, even forty years or so later, he still had trouble recounting it to anyone. He suffered severe burning to his body and somehow managed to get to safety. He was picked up later and taken back to England from the Mulberry Harbour.

He never talked about it again and never related many, if any, other stories about the War to us or anybody else.

The photograph attached shows my father with his colleagues, if anyone can supply names I would be grateful. I have several other photographs, (the whole Tank Regiment group photograph, I believe) with the names Steve Hayes and Len Mallinson written on one of them.

I have received my fathers records from the Army.

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