Sgt. Leo Gariepy, who commanded the only one of 19 tanks to complete its mission as the invasion of Normandy began. The regimental history gives the following description: "D-Day Operation Overlord. At 0730 hours 6th June, 1944, the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) in support of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division assaulted and overpowered the Hun's beach defences between Courseulles-sur-Mer and Bernières-sur-Mer and after wiping out enemy resistance moved inland…. During the rest of day the Shermans scurried here and there as the Winnipeg Rifles pressed inland and gave fire support to neutralize enemy positions. Whenever the 'Pegs' were pinned down the tanks played a role in helping the infantry to clear each successive town as the advance moved on." 'B' squadron, reduced to half-strength and numbering only nine tanks, was severely hit when hurrying to the aid of infantry attacking Pierrepont. Five tanks were lost to fire from a well handled 88mm gun. Sgt Leo Gariepy: "I saw Lieutenant McLeod's tank burst high in flame. The troop corporal's tank suffered the same fate, and I saw several other tanks knocked out." Gariepy saw the muzzle on an 88mm gun rising from a hidden emplacement 30 yards ahead, the barrel pointing directly at him. "I gave rapid evasive orders to my driver and told my gunner to blast him. He fired two rounds; the second scoring a direct hit. I moved up to the gun emplacement and shot all the crew of 14 cowering in the trench." "The German machine gunners in the dunes were stupefied to see a tank emerge from the sea. Some ran away or just stared, mouths wide open." Meanwhile the 1st Hussars were losing tanks and crew commanders during some intense street fighting. Sgt. Leo Gariepy learned a sniper had killed three commanders and was narrowly missed by a shot ringing from an attic. He and his driver dismounted and ran up to the house where an elderly couple waved them inside. Gariepy rushed up the stairs to the attic to find the sniper was a 19-year-old girl holding a Mauser rifle. Without hesitation he shot her dead. Gariepy remarked later: "We learned from the old people that this girl's 'fiancé' had been shot by a Canadian tank that morning and she swore she would liquidate all crew commanders."
'"I witnessed a real carnage of troops (German) in a field close to Carpiquet," wrote Sergeant Gariepy. "The Germans had succeeded in infiltrating the advance post of the Regiment de la Chaudiere, tough, rugged French-Canadians who brawl on weekends for diversion, at home. We were very close by when the alarm sounded at around 0400 hours. The Regiment de la Chaudiere scurried in the semi-darkness and actually slit the throats of most soldiers they found, wounded as well as dead. This horrible carnage I actually saw from the turret of my tank at first light. These boys were actually crazed by some frenzy at being caught napping; the officers of the Regiment had to draw their pistols against their own men to make them come back to reason..."'
