Description
Physical description
badge
An upward curve of grey-blue printed "waterproof" cotton with a rectangular extension centrally below, (Waring shape 6), on which red printed sans serif capital letters, FIRST HUSSARS, with CANADA in smaller capitals below.
Label
This particular title dates to after November 1942, which is when the printed cotton material was introduced. Versions of this title exist in embroidered form.
This particular badge dates from after July 1943, the date on which the Regiment joined 2nd Armoured Brigade and adopted unit shoulder titles.
Unit history: Regimental motto: 'Hodie non cras'. (Today not tomorrow). At the outbreak of war this Ontario Regiment was one of seventeen militia cavalry regiments. It was mobilized on 1 September 1939 as a horsed cavalry unit and was assigned as divisional cavalry to 1st Infantry Division. Horsed units were recognized as being of unlikely value in modern warfare and the Regiment was left behind when the Division departed for the UK in December 1939. In January 1940 the Regiment provided C and HQ Squadrons of the newly formed 1 Canadian Cavalry Regiment (Mechanized), A Squadron being provided by the Royal Canadian Dragoons and B Squadron by the Lord Strathcona's Horse. In January 1941 the 1 Hussars Squadrons returned to Regimental command and the unit was mobilized in its own right as an armoured regiment, becoming in February 1941 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) of the Canadian Armoured Corps. They were assigned to 1 Canadian Armoured Brigade, part of what was then the 1st Armoured Division, re-numbered 5th on 5 June of that year. They trained initially on obsolete Carden Loyd Machine Gun Carriers, Renault FT17 tanks and some more 'modern' Vickers Mk. VIB light tanks.
The Division went to the UK in autumn 1941, the Regiment arriving in October. They moved to Aldershot where in 1942 they trained on Lee and Ram tanks. When armoured divisions were re-organised on a one armoured, one infantry brigade basis in early 1943, the Regiment was one of those displaced and came under an ad hoc 3rd. Armoured Brigade, formed in the UK specifically to administer the three displaced armoured regiments. 2nd Tank Brigade had meanwhile formed in Canada and was sent to the UK in June 1943. On arrival it was disbanded and the ad hoc 3rd Armoured Brigade was re-badged as 2nd Armoured Brigade. The Regiment fought in this formation throughout the North West Europe campaign.
2nd Brigade was designated for the assault phase in the European invasion and assigned a DD tank role. A & B Squadrons 1st Hussars were DD equipped and were in support of 7th Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. A Squadron was to support the Royal Winnipeg Rifles on Juno Beach, Mike Green and Red sectors, and B Squadron the Regina Rifles on Juno, Nan Green. Thereafter they fought as a conventional armoured unit in an infantry support role.
Rough seas led to the decision not to launch the DD tanks at the intended 7,000 yards from the shore.
On the right, A Squadron in support of the Winnipegs, launched about 1,500 yards out but only 10 tanks reached the beach, six minutes after the infantry.
B Squadron in support of the Reginas launched at about 4,000 yards and all 19 touched down at 07.58, about 17 minutes before the infantry.
Later in the day A Squadron supported the Winnipegs' successful attack on the inland village of St. Croix. One Troop of this Squadron pushed on with the infantry to Creully and then swung south east to Camilly and again south west to the northern edge of Secqueville-en-Bessin, nearly 2 miles forward of what was to be the final front line at the end of the day, before withdrawing to rejoin the Regiment.
B Squadron appear to have done excellent execution on at least three of the gun positions in the beach defences. The Regiment harboured overnight at Pierrepont, a village on the intermediate objective line, Elm.
Losses had been such that the Regiment had to spend most of 7 June re-organizing onto a two squadron basis.
On the evening of 7 June, one squadron with some anti-tanks guns and a company from the Canadian Scottish moved to the area around Bray and Cairon to secure the gap between 7 and 8 Brigades.
At around 20.30 on 8 June one squadron supported the Canadian Scottish in a successful counter-attack to re-take the village of Putot-en-Bessin.
On 11 June, B and C Squadrons with the Queen's Own Rifles were involved in a hasty and ultimately abortive attack on Le Mesnil Patry. B Squadron was all but annihilated, losing all of its officers, all but three of its NCOs and all but two of its tanks. Overall the Regiment suffered 80 casualties.
Operation Atlantic was launched on 18 July aimed at clearing the outer suburbs of Caen on the east side of the Orne. Tanks of the Regiment supported the Queen's Own in taking Giberville. In the final phase of Atlantic, the action had moved west and south to Verrieres ridge. On the evening of 21 June tanks from the Regiment supported a successful counter-attack against a dangerous salient the Germans had driven into 6 Brigade's positions between Troteval Farm and St. Andre.
Operation Spring, 25 July, was an attack against the same general area and the Regiment moved up to May sur Orne to provide fire support to the Black Watch attack on Fontenay le Marmion. The operation was a complete failure (May sur Orne was still in enemy hands) and the Regiment lost more tanks and all but one officer from the squadron.
The Regiment did not participate with the rest of the 2nd Armoured Brigade in the main attack down the Falaise Road, Operation Totalize on the night of 7 –8 August. On the afternoon of 8 August one squadron was committed with the South Saskatchewens on the ridge north of Fontenay and cleared the old German front line. A second squadron was further forward and also attacked that afternoon, supporting the Calgaries and the Maisonneuves in the capture of Brettville-sur-Laize.
The Regiment had mixed fortunes during Operation Tractable, essentially a re-run of Totalize but in daylight, launched on 14 August. The two squadrons initially committed were mostly bogged trying to cross the Laison stream. The reserve squadron was brought forward and after finding a crossing at Rouvres moved on to occupy high ground west of Olendon, around Points 170 and 184. In a further attempt to reach Falaise the next afternoon the Regiment supported the Canadian Scottish against the tenaciously defended Point 168, south west of Epancy, although they were short of ammunition because enemy action had prevented replenishment. In the final actions to close the 'Falaise Gap', on 21 August the Regiment attacked Chambois from north west in support of the Highland Light Infantry.
The Regiment next deployed to the Calais area for Operation Undergo. In a preliminary and speculative operation, on the night of 16 –17 September they supported an abortive attack on the Cap Griz Nez batteries. They also took part in the main attack when, on 25 September, they supported the Reginas' attack towards the southern outskirts of Calais. On 29 September the Regiment was back at Cap Griz Nez when B Squadron supported a successful attack on the batteries.
Operations Veritable and Blockbuster were the names given to the battle for the Rhineland fought between 8 February and 10 March 1945. On the opening day of Blockbuster, 22 February, the Regiment supplied one squadron (half of which bogged before reaching the start line) to support the (2 Div., 5 Brigade) Black Watch's capture of a cross roads near Calcar. A second squadron was in support of the Queen's Own Rifles (3 Div., 8 Brigade) when they attacked the heavily fortified farm complex of Mooshof. During this remarkable engagement Sergeant Aubrey Cosens of the Queens mounted one of the Hussars tanks to direct its fire before ordering it to ram one of the buildings. He then cleared the buildings covered by the tank's fire. Cosens was awarded the VC for his actions that day, sadly posthumously. The third squadron, B, was also in action that day in support of the Chaudieres (3 Div., 8 Brigade) around the hamlet of Hollen on the southern flank.
On the morning of 2 March the Regiment supported the Chaudieres in a successful attack into the Tuschen Wald, on the southern edge of the Hochwald Gap. In the following two days the Regiment continued to offer the Battalion fire support, unable to do more because of the wooded terrain.
Following the Rhine crossing, advance northwards was rapid. On 6 April 1945 the Regiment had come under command of 1st Canadian Infantry Division for their advance on Apeldoorn. On the night of 13 –14 April a plan to use a squadron to help force a crossing of the Apeldoorn Canal was abandoned when the two leading tanks were knocked out.
On 27 April the Regiment, at that time the only 2 Armoured Brigade unit not away supporting some other formation, came under command of 4 Canadian Armoured Division. The Regiment formed the nucleus of 'Frank Force', named after the then commander of the Regiment, Lt.Col. F.E. White, to which were attached elements of the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) and the Belgian SAS Regiment, plus bulldozers and bridging equipment. The task was to thrust north on 4 Division's left flank directed on Godensholt, which town they reached on 30 April. This proved to be the final significant action of the Regiment.
During Second World War the Regiment was awarded 7 DSOs, 14 MCs, 2 DCM and 12 MM.
A 6th (Reserve) Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) served in the Reserve Army.
For an account of 2nd Armoured Brigade badges, see INS 46.
Formation history: for a summary history of 2nd Armoured Brigade see INS 46.
History note
Associated person: John Tiffin Murray Stewart b. 1917, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. d. 6 August 1964, 47 yrs., heart attack. Service record: Gunner M 4044 RCA. 1942: Reg. H2, HQ RCA, 1st Administration Corps. RCA CASF (Canadian Active Service Force) 1st Division. 1943: Reg. H3, 3rd Field Regt. RCA CASF 1st Division. 1944: 1st A Wing. No. 1 CARU (Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit).
Family history: 11 December 1942, married Elfreda Joan, nee Knight, at Congregational Church West Wickham, Kent. 15 June 1945, returned Canada. 27 June 1946, joined by family (on board 'Letitia'). August 1948, all family return to UK ('Queen Mary'). Moved to family home, Cavendish Way, West Wickham, Kent. Subsequently bought house, Oak Avenue, Shirley, Croydon.
History note
Bibliographical sources: CANADA'S ARMY IN WORLD WAR II: Badges and Histories of the Corps and Regiments. F. R. Tripp. Unitrade Press, Toronto, 1983. FORMATION AND UNIT SIGNS OF THE BRITISH REGULAR ARMY AND TERRITORIAL ARMY. Major John Waring. Identification Pamphlet No. 1. Privately published, no date (c. 1950s) Key to Shapes of Shoulder Titles. THE CANADIAN SOLDIER In North West Europe 1944 –1945. Jean Bouchery. Histoire & Collections, Paris, 2003. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. Volume III: THE VICTORY CAMPAIGN, Operations in North West Europe 1944 –1945. Col. C. P. Stacey. Ottawa, 1960. http://www.rcaca.org/includes/r-1-Hussars.asp (January 2007) http://www.answers.com/topic/1st-hussars (January 2007)
Inscription
FIRST HUSSARS / CANADA