Kangaroo AWD site near Bayeux, France

[Tony Viste]

In the August War Diary for 14 Cdn Fd Regt there is a document entitled "Re-Organization Instruction No. 1" dated 29 Jul 44. It contains an overlay map showing the locations of the Re-Organization Centre. This map shows an 'Old Eqpt Park', and to quote from the instruction:

"No SP eqpts will enter the RE-ORGANIZATION CENTRE.

All SP equipments will be diverted at roundabout 844839 along new by-pass (RED route) to an RV 843836 where guides, provided by HQ RE-ORGANIZATION CENTRE, will meet and conduct eqpts along RED route as far as rd junc 840832, thence along GREEN routes to old eqpt park.

All personnel with SP eqpts should be self-contained for one night."

I added this map over Google Maps and the trapezoid shaped 'Old Eqpt Park' coincides very nicely to a trapezoid shaped field that I circled in red.

If the thought is that AWD Kangaroo went to the M7's, then it was possibly located in or near this field.

Thanks.
Tony Viste.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Bill Miller and I just spent the past 2 hours trying to map out the grid references quoted by Tony plus the overlay.

At first it did not seem to line up, but then, suddenly....

So Alex, are you ready to go hunting for this field in France next month?!?

Hanno

[Bill Miller]

Map trace overlayed with GSGS 4347 Sheet 37/18 SW (1:25000).

[maple_leaf_eh]

Great work fellas!

[Mark W. Tonner]

So was I initially correct Hanno, the AWD was in the Ryes vicinity . . .

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks go to Mark and Tony who did all the legwork, gradually narrowing down the area where to look. When Bill and I dove into yesterday night, initially the coordinates in the diary did not seem to line up. Bill bought an electronic copy of the 1944 invasion map via the internet, and we started mapping the known info both electronically and on paper. Thus we confirmed the info which was there.
Next month I will be visiting Normandy and will do the necessary ground work and try to locate locals who might be able to provide eyewitness accounts.

To be continued!

Hanno

[Alex van de Wetering]

So Alex, are you ready to go hunting for this field in France next month?!?

Hanno....you bring the Ford...I'll grab the camera and some pictures of Priests and Kangaroos

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Tony Viste

In the August War Diary for 14 Cdn Fd Regt there is a document entitled "Re-Organization Instruction No. 1" dated 29 Jul 44. It contains an overlay map showing the locations of the Re-Organization Centre. This map shows an 'Old Eqpt Park', and to quote from the instruction:

I added this map over Google Maps and the trapezoid shaped 'Old Eqpt Park' coincides very nicely to a trapezoid shaped field that I circled in red.

If the thought is that AWD Kangaroo went to the M7's, then it was possibly located in or near this field.

The Re-organization Centre even made it into a cartoon of the 13th Artillery Regiment where Gunners are seen handing in their Priests at the "Ordnance Re-equipment Park" and being issued with towed 25-pdr guns - something they were not happy with!

When the three Field Regiments of Canadian Artillery (the 12tth, 13th and 14th Regiments) of 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was re-equipped with towed 25 pounder guns in late July, their self-propelled tracked vehicles were stripped of their 105mm guns and converted to Kangaroos. This change of equipment was not very well regarded by the gunners, who considered replacing the 105mm American self-propelled howitzer by the 25-pound towed gun a setback, as we can see in this cartoon drawn by the lieutenant Clay, in the book that tells the story of the 13th Artillery Regiment.
Cartoon lost the Priests.jpg

Source: http://panzerserra.blogspot.com/2019/10/