Location of AWD Kangaroo
Hanno/Geoff;
After having some doubts and coming across some new information, I'm really starting to think that maybe, the actual location of 'AWD Kangaroo' was slightly to the north-west of the location I had first suggested, in the area west of Audrieu/No. 14 AOD. I'm now almost certain that the actual location of 'AWD Kangaroo' was in the vicinity of RYES, which is about 4 miles north-east of Bayeux.
Over the past day or so, I've gone through everything I have on the subject again and again, and some points that kept sticking in my mind were these: we know that on the 1 Aug 44, 12th, 13th and 14th Field Regiments, R.C.A. (less 34th Fd Bty, R.C.A. of 14th Fd Regt, R.C.A.), turned in their M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipments to a Royal Artillery reorganization centre located at RYES, northeast of BAYEUX and that these returned equipments were the ones requested by Lt.-Gen. Simonds, via way of the First Canadian Army Commander, for permission of the Americans, to be converted to armoured personnel carriers for the up coming Operation TOTALIZE. We also know, that has the three Field Regiments turned in these equipments, they were, in turn, issued with Quad-Limber-25pdr equipments, this would have taken up nearly all of 1 Aug (64x M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipments being returned and 64x Quad-Limber-25pdr equipments being issued). Once a M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipment was cleared and 'returned to stores', it would have been parked in a 'Vehicle Park/Gun Park', so that by the end of the day on 1 Aug, there would have been a 'Vehicle Park/Gun Park', containing these 'turned in' 64x Priests (the 12x M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipments of the 34th Fd Bty, R.C.A. of 14th Fd Regt, R.C.A., having not been returned on 1 Aug), somewhere within this R.A re-org. centre at RYES. Another point we know, is that work on converting these same 64x Priests to 'Priest Kangaroos', did not start until the afternoon of 2 Aug, some sources saying it was late in the afternoon of 2 Aug.
Taking the above mentioned points into consideration, and taking into consideration also, the other things that would have been going on in the R.M.A. at this time; ie: the preparations for Operation TOTALIZE itself - RASC/RCASC movement of stores-POL-ammunition forward, RAOC/RCOC movement of stores forward, etc; and taking into account that the BAYEUX-CAEN road (Route Nationale 13) would have been either an "UP" or a "Down" route, or what we call today, a "Main Supply Route" (MSR), started me thinking that maybe, I was in the wrong end of the ballpark, by thinking that it may have been at the 'Audrieu/No. 14 AOD' location.
It makes more sense, that the conversion was actually done in 'location', within the R.A. re-org. centre at RYES. Looking at the layout of the 21 AG R.M.A., you'll see that this R.A. re-org. centre, would have to have been somewhere to the west of RYES itself, or in the area of an arc, from directly north of RYES, to directly west of RYES. You'll notice by the layout, that there was an RAF airfield directly east of RYES, and directly south, an Ammuntition Depot and a Supply Depot, sitting, side-by-side, so that, more or less rules out the areas east and south of RYES.
It may even have been west of the BAYEUX-ARROMANCHES road, beside No. 17 AOD, as some sources suggest that it was established beside an Ordnance Depot. It my even have been in the little open 'saddle', just south of RYES, between the Supply Depot to the west (and south) and Ammunition Depot to the east, either being the 'Ordnance Depot' referred to by some sources in their accounts.
It also makes more sense, that if, as it stood at the time of conversion, that they were to be re-converted back to M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipments, that the guns and all related equipment, would be removed and stored within the confines of this 'R.A. re-org centre' for future remounting. Another fact that got me thinking along these lines, was after seeing Hanno's picture, of the 105mm gun itself, on blocks in the Bayeux
museum, that is more or less how they would have been stored after being removed. Just a point regarding this "R.A. re-org centre', it would not only have been the M7 Priest 105mm How. SPG equipments of our own 3rd Div Arty Fd Regts that was turned in here, but also those Fd Regts of the 50th and 3rd British Div Artys has well, when they also converted back to towed 25pdr equipments, which they eventually did.
Some new information that turned me in the direction of RYES, was the following quote by a Craftsman of No. 2 Army Tank Troops Workshop, RCEME, who was tasked to 'AWD Kangaroo', - "converged on a field full of Priests and began the 'defrocking' process to convert them into armoured troop carriers", this taking place on 2 Aug. He also mentions that the AWD was established "in an apple orchard near Bayeux". His quote "field full of Priests" and the fact that the tasked troops from No. 2 Army Tank Troops Workshop, RCEME, did not arrive and start the conversion process until the afternoon of 2 Aug, as some sources state, is another point that turned me towards the RYES location - who or how were they moved from the R.A. re-org centre to the site I had suggested earlier at Audrieu/No. 14 AOD. They would have had to have been moved on the night of 1 Aug itself or early on the morning of 2 Aug. But later facts suggest that their were no drivers available, drivers from the 3rd Div Arty Fd Regts who had been their intial drivers being brought back to preform this task for the actual attack, so that would again point to them being in a 'Vehicle Park/Gun Park', upon the arrival of the various REME/RCEME units on the 2 Aug and afterwards.
The RYES location, being 'above' the RMA, the activities of 'AWD Kangaroo', would not have interferred with any of the preparations for Operation TOTALIZE, that would have found the RMA itself, a 'beehive' of activity. The roads within and leading into and out of the RMA would have been under strict traffic control in regards to the movement of vehicles. The only incursion that would have occured on the part of the AWD into the RMA from the RYES location, would have been on the quest for 'armour plate' from the 'Salvage Depot', noted earlier and to the POL Depot to restock their supply of 'acetylene' for welding. The engine parts and associated items required, could have been drawn from No. 17 AOD. Also, the proximity of RYES to the invasion beaches, where sources say, that the Craftsman ranged far and wide in their quest for armour plate, is another point which draws me to that location. Also, from RYES, by skirting the RMA, to the north and east, they would have had easy access to the steel mills in the south of Caen.
Another factor I took into consideration, was the fact that the 36x Kangaroos tasked to the 4th Cdn Inf Bde, did not arrive into their harbour area at LOUVIGNY, until the morning of 6 Aug, leaving little time for embussing or debussing drills by the Infantry using them prior to the launch of Operation TOTALIZE. This suggests, that has each was completed, it was re-parked/marshalled, prior to all 36 being moved forward to the harbour area. Less movement of them if they were converted and marshalled all in the same area, ie: the R.A. re-org centre (RYES).
I could probably go on and on, regarding why I now think that the 'AWD Kangaroo' was established in the area of RYES, instead of the Audrieu/No. 14 AOD location. Like I said at the beginning of this post, the more I've studied the material at hand, the more it's pointing to the RYES area being the location were the AWD was established.
I've attached two images, the first showing the location of RYES and the second showing the area (circled in red) were the 'AWD Kangaroo' may have been in the RYES area.
Any comments, suggestions, ideas, would be most welcome.
Cheers
