"Defrocked priest markings (normandy)" Topic

Hi. My Google-foo is failing me. Can find plenty on ram kangaroos but very little in defrocked priests except they got converted. So can you help me out with
1) Who used them in Normandy (both crewed and transported)
2) What unit markings they had (regt. and arm of service)
3) Misc. marking, I.e bridge weights and wd census numbers
4) Individual vehicle markings, I.e. squadron, troop, vehicle ids. Names and/or numbers.

Thanks in advance

Leigh

Hi Leigh,

You're going to be disappointed…

The unit was an ad hoc one, formed in only a week from various armoured regiment replacement personnel, the Elgin Regiment (then utilised as the corps armoured delivery squadron) and former RCA Priest crews. There were no unit markings and the photos I've seen show a mishmash of the three artillery regiments of 3rd Canadian Division, from which the Priests were taken.

Units carried in Normandy were chiefly from 2nd Canadian Division and 51st (Highland) Division.

The unit was formalised at the end of August 1944 as the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Squadron, theoretically consisting of four troops of 25 vehicles (though only 50-odd vehicles were available). Their first action as a pukka unit was at Le Havre, where they carried 49th (West Riding) Division.

IIRC, markings were authorised at that time and were a green-over-blue armoured corps flash, with 146 (?) serial and a white overbar, indicating corps troops. Formation sign was that of I Canadian Corps. However, I've no idea if these were actually applied.

I can't remember what the weight class was, but initially they would carry the original discs for their original role as Priests. The removal of the gun and ammo may have resulted in a weight downgrade, but I don't know for sure.

There would be no squadron markings, as they were a single squadron. I have no idea if troop markings or vehicle names were used.

I should add that the Priest Kangaroos disappeared in late October 1944 and the unit was reformed with Ram Kangaroos as the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (of two squadrons), now under the command of 79th Armoured Division and carrying their formation sign. Arm of Service sign remained the same, though without the white overbar, as they were no longer corps troops. The British 49th APC Regiment was also formed at the same time (with three squadrons).

Priest Kangaroos were however, resurrected in Italy in 1945, as part of 9th Armoured Brigade.

Photo NAC PA129172
Riding into Kangaroos, men of the 4th Infantry Brigade await the signal to start operation Totalize, August 7th, 1944. One shows the 43 marking of the artillery regiment whence it came.

They were purpose built in a rush for Operation Totalise from worn-down Priests that had been in use since Normandy. They also would have been used in the follow-up Operation Tractable. After that, they were breaking down fast and replaced with Ram Kangaroos when no longer servicable.

Not sure if any saw service outside of those 2 operations.

The book to read is: No Holding Back: Operation Totalize, Normandy, August 1944.

Is Brian Reid ever going to publish the sequel book on Tractable?!?!

Cheers MM,

Yes, you can also see the odd RCA battery marking, as well as the odd star painted on the steel plates that had been welded on the sides of the hull.

As mentioned above, they fought on as an official unit (1 CACS) with Priest Kangaroos until October 1944, conducting operations at a number of places, including Le Havre and Boulogne. Ram Kangaroos were not introduced until their expansion to a full regiment of two squadrons in October 1944.

The very first combat use of the Ram Kangaroo was during the 53rd (Welsh) Division's assault on 's-Hertogenbosch, which started on 21st October (Operation 'Alan'). 1 CACR there carried the 1st East Lancs in an abortive breakthrough mission called Operation 'Saucepan'.

Many of the Priests were retired because a shortage of 105mm ammunition led to a request by the Americans that the British/Canadian forces concentrate on using the Sexton with its 25 pounder. Thus they were available for quick conversion to APCs.