[Barry Churcher]

Hi Kevin
To try and help you out here I went right to the source. I hope this info answers some of your queries.
Cheers,
Barry

Gunner C:
The 23rd arrived in the UK in July 1943. ( I erred, we did receive the Sextons in Sussex NB in April 1943.) As an O.P assistant, we always had a Sherman minus the gun ( to make room in the turret for an artillery plotting board.) for our O P vehicle. Our guns were always mounted on the Ram chassis ( a good old reliable Canadian tank ). I DO NOT remember us converting to the Sherman for an O.P. vehicle.
We embarked for Normandie from the Tilberry docks in old London town on 21 July 1944. After several days at anchor in the Thames estuary the convoy slipped down to the open sea on the evening of 24 July. On 26 July we disembarked at Arromanches in Normandie and our concentration point was near Banville, several miles inland.
To explain the markings on our SP's.
Firstly: There were 3 batteries in our Regiment.
31st, 36th, and the 83rd. (A.K.A.) Peter, Queen and Roger.
The two troops in Peter Battery were Able ( A ),Baker( B )
Two Troops in Queen Battery were Charlie ( C ) Dog ( D - my battery)
Two Troops in Roger Battery: Easy ( E ) and Fox ( F )
Each troop had 4 guns, and were named as ;
in Able troop AA ( or A 1) AB ( or A2) AC (or A3 ) and AD(or A4)
and in Baker troop BA (or B1 ) etc,
so this goes for the two troops in Queen Battery (i.e.) Charlie troop (i.e.) C A ( C1 ) CB ( C2 ) etc
and in Dog Troop DA ( D1 ) etc.
Easy Troop EA ( E 1 ) etc.
Fox Troop FA ( F1) etc
I hope this explains all, please peruse and call me if you require any more info.
UBIQUE
Gunner D