Canadian Kangaroo Regiment Archive

D-Day Kangaroos...

While neither the Original Kangaroo Squadron or the later Regiment participated in the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, the regiment did have numerous personnel who were there on D-Day in other capacities.

The early Kangaroo ranks, those who joined in France in August and September 1944, were plentiful with men from the 12th, 13th and 14th Field Regiments, the 1st Hussars, the Fort Garry Horse and the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, all of whom landed and fought that momentous day.

Captain Erskine Duncan and his Light Aid Detachment of mechanics and fitters, those who serviced the Kangaroo vehicles, were themselves broken off from the 33rd L.A.D. that had landed the evening of June 6th.

We think of all those brave men this day.

(WJM)

Photo: Gunner Jack Mathes (standing shirtless) and men of the 12th Field Regiment, RCA. Somewhere in France, June 1944. Courtesy of John Theal.

Mathes was a driver of an M7 'Priest' 105mm Self-Propelled Gun as seen in the background. The Priest SPGs of the 12th, 13th, and 14th were converted to Kangaroo Armoured Personnel Carriers for Operation Totalize in August of 1944. Mathes went on to join the Kangaroo Regiment and was promoted to Corporal.