17th Duke of yorks Royal Canadian Hussars carriers

[stewart swinton]

1st post on forum, I am seeking help from members, does anyone have pictures of 7th recce vehicles or personnel they are willing to share ?.

My Uncle was a corporal in A Sqn 17thDYRCH, he was killed may 4th 1945, at a bridge on the Ems Jade canal, I have been researching his unit and have not come up with much at all on this side of the atlantic.

Any help would be much appreciated. Also any veterans of this unit in the forum ?, contact would be much appreciated.

I plan to attend the memorial service at Holten Canadian Military cemetary on 4th may of this year.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by stewart swinton
1st post on forum, I am seeking help from members, does anyone have pictures of 7th recce vehicles or personnel they are willing to share ?.

Hi Stewart;

Welcome to the Forum. From one of my earlier posts, on another thread:

A Wasp of the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), 3rd Cdn Inf Div - Dalfsen, The Netherlands - 13 April 1945. Note the .30 Cal MG mounted above the flame projector.

Cheers

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by stewart swinton
I have been researching his unit and have not come up with much at all on this side of the atlantic.

Stewart;

Some links to various sites dealing with the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars:

1. Their current home page: here, they are now titled: Royal Canadian Hussars
2. A brief history: here
3. Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Association page: here
4. Juno Beach - 6 June 1944: here
5. Canadian War Museum: here

Their authorization to mobilize through to disbandment (24 May 1940 to 15 Jan 1946):

Serial 1102 - 3rd Canadian Motorcycle Regiment, C.A.S.F., (17H.)
Authorized: GO 184/40 - Effective 24 May 40, C.A.S.F. designation dropped: GO 273/40 - Effective 7 Nov 40

Serial 1102 - 3rd Canadian Motorcycle Regiment (17H.)
Authorized: GO 273/40 - Effective 7 Nov 40, Converted & Redesignated: GO 60/41 - Effective 1 Feb 41
Converted to a Reconnaissance Battalion and Redesignated: Serial No. 1102 - 17th (Active) Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars - GO 60/41 - Effective 1 Feb 41

Serial 1102 - 17th (Active) Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars
Authorized: GO 60/41 - Effective 1 Feb 41, Allocated to the Canadian Armoured Corps as:
Serial No. 1102 - 17th (Active) Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars, C.A.C. under GO 79/41 - Effective 11 Feb 41

Serial 1102 - 17th (Active) Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars, C.A.C.
Authorized: GO 79/41 - Effective 11 Feb 41, Redesignated: GO 79/41 - Effective 11 Feb 41
Redesignated: Serial No. 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Battalion (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), C.A.C. - GO 79/41 - Effective 11 Feb 41

Serial 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Battalion (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), C.A.C.
Authorized: GO 79/41 - Effective 11 Feb 41, Converted & Redesignated: GO 455/42 - Effective 8 Jun 42
Converted & Redesignated: Serial No. 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), C.A.C. - GO 455/42 - Effective 8 Jun 42

Serial 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), C.A.C.
Authorized: GO 455/42 - Effective 8 Jun 42, Redesignated: CARO 6100 - Effective 3 Oct 45
Redesignated: Serial No. 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), R.C. Armd. C. - CARO 6100 - Effective 3 Oct 45

Serial 1102 - 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars), R.C. Armd. C.
Authorized: CARO 6100 - Effective 3 Oct 45, Disbanded: GO 85/46 - Effective 15 Jan 46

Cheers

[John McGillivray]

Hello Stewart, welcome aboard.

This is from the unit history “AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT of the 7th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment (17th DUKE OF YORK'S ROYAL CANADIAN HUSSARS) in the World War 1939 – 1945” By Capt. Walter G. Pavey


“FROM LEER TO THE NORTH SEA
On the morning of the 30th (April), with the Infantry holding a good bridgehead, the Regiment were given orders to move out in front of the Brigades once again and push on full speed ahead for the North Sea. The order of "March" was "B" Squadron LEFT, "A" Squadron RIGHT and "C" Squadron CENTRE.

The story of the Regiment from here until the end of the war, if it could be put down in terms of efforts exerted, would be very spectacular. However, the going was once again so slowed up by craters and water barriers that the telling makes poor reading.

During the advance from Leer to Oldersum on the left and the Ems Jade Canal on the right, the Regiment took some 250 prisoners and killed great numbers of Germans, over a period of 4 days.

The day before the war ended found "B" Squadron trying desperately to get to Emden through an absolute maze of canals; "C" Squadron waiting for the Engineers to build a bridge so that they could carry out their orders to push on to the North Sea and "A" Squadron, the most northerly troops of the 3rd Canadian Division, having a stiff fight with the enemy as they held the only two bridges over the Ems Jade canal giving access to Aurich. They had got up there after a day of brilliant manoeuver, only to find the old story of blown bridges covered by enemy fire. Unfortunately, though they had taken some 100 prisoners that day, they suffered casualties, themselves, losing Cpl. Morrison and Sgt. Dabbs to the Honour Roll. Shortly after this incident occurred, an envoy from Aurich appeared under a flag of truce and was conducted to 8th Brigade Headquarters. A few minutes later, the orders were given not to move on any further.”

Contact me by PM about this history

John