Can anyone identify these Centaurs

Interesting thread and thanks Frank for the explanation regarding the use of RMASG , you are quite correct Brig Sanders should be better known , quite a remarkable man .

One thing that has perplexed me is that the use of the Centaurs was intially constrained to D Day itself but quite cleary they were then used as extra Artillery support during the advance inland of Op Perch , However i have read accounts of them popping up in regular armoured units as well . Such as Lt Bill Cotton of B Sq 4CLY using a Centaur instead of a standard Cromwell at VB on 13th June , how did this happen and to what purpose ?

 

i am sure there is confusion between a Centaur and a Cromwell CS.

 

80 Centaurs were landed on or shortly after D Day -= but there were all CS variant with 95mm and modified to fit an artillery dial sight. After the Navy relented they were included various landing plans as per the excellent "Guns of Brettville" paper by marc milner The Guns of Bretteville: 13th Field Regiment, RCA, and the defence of Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse, 7–10 June 1944 It made sense to use every asset available. no idea how a non CD Centaur ended up in Normandy

I think the personnel were withdrawn and reassigned by D+14. 12 Centaurs were consolidated into a single battery manned by gunners and RAC AFV drivers from the reinforcement pools and the unit "X Battery" ended up with 6th Airborne Division. These were replaced by Canadian replacements after the formation of 1 Cdn Army. It did take part in Op Paddle as additional armour for the 6th Airborne Division, whose recce regiment acquired Cromwells IIRC. Within 24 all but one or two had broken down.

 

To elaborate a little, when 1st Canadian Army received word of the RA's decision, they decided to form the short-lived 1st Canadian Centaur Battery which you can read about in detail here;

1st Canadian Centaur Battery, RCA

 

Michel, sorry to dig up this old thread but may I enquire as to how you found out L.C.T.(A) 2121 was Serial 2422? I ask as the report of the Senior Officer, 109th L.C.T.(A) Flotilla (ADM179/505) simply states "L.C.T.(A) 2121 developed engine trouble the previous day and did not accompany the Group" which, if correct, rules out Michael Irwin's photo being taken on the morning of D-Day and possibly on 5th June too. I make the assumption that the Senior Officer meant the engine trouble developed on the 4th June as those which departed on the 5th and then developed engine trouble are described individually in his report. I'm trying to figure out who ended up where and any information would be appreciated.

Much thanks


Philip

 

Interesting that the Pathe clip labelled 'Invasion scenes (europe) 1944' appears to be composed largely of scenes from the Crossig of the Rhine (1945)!
Chris

 

Ok folks, I'll readily admit that I was scouring old magazines for flying-boat photographs, and found this article too.

I guess even the initial part of said article will not add much here, but seeing there's photos with young chaps from 7 Field Workshops, REME in 1975 within I thought best post it up in case any of said chaps frequent the site here.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.