1st Canadian Carrier Regiment
| 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | October 1944–June 1945 |
| Country | Canada |
| Allegiance | Allied Forces, World War II |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Specialised Armour |
| Role | Personnel Carriers |
| Size | 2 squadrons of 53 carriers (23 Officers, 52 NCOs, 413 Other) |
| Nickname(s) | Kangaroos |
| Motto(s) |
Latin: Armatos Fundit ("Bearing Armed Men") |
| Colours | Orange and Black |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Gordon Minto Churchill |
1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment (1CACR) (also known as the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment) was an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army formed during the late stages of World War II in the European theatre. It was formed in October 1944 at Tilburg with the original 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron as its core. It was the only Canadian regiment to be both formed and disbanded overseas. The new regiment’s purpose was to serve as a specialized armoured unit equipped with modified tanks used to safely carry infantry to their objectives. The concept of such armoured personnel carriers was an entirely new innovation, and it was through the 1CACR’s efforts that their effectiveness was proven, revolutionizing the tactical handling of infantry in battle.
The decision to convert redundant tanks into personnel carriers was inspired by Allied experiences during the D-Day landings, where British and Canadian forces experienced much lower casualty rates by leading attacks on German lines with armour than did the Americans, who led with an infantry assault. To General Guy Simonds, who was ordered to follow up the D-Day attacks with an assault on Falaise, this experience suggested both the usefulness of such armour-first tactics, as well as the further benefits of using armoured vehicles to transport troops, leading him to stress the issue while planning his assault, deeming it essential "…that the infantry must be carried in bullet-proof and splinter-proof vehicles to the actual objectives." No such vehicles existed at that time, and this idea thus marked the advent of what are now called armoured personnel carriers. Carriers were made on the spot from extra M7 Priest 105 mm self-propelled guns by removing the guns and welding steel plates across the gaps this left in the armour. These modified tanks were entitled "Kangaroos" partially after the codename of the Army Workshops Detachment that produced them, and partially because of the idea that infantry would be carried in the belly of the tank as safely as a young kangaroo in its mother's pouch.
...
Wikipedia