1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment ( 1CACR ) ( also known as the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment ) was an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army formed during the late stages of World War II in the European theatre . It was formed in October 1944 at Tilburg with the original 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron as its core . It was the only Canadian regiment to be both formed and disbanded overseas . The new regiment ’ s purpose was to serve as a specialized armoured unit equipped with modified tanks used to safely carry infantry to their objectives . The concept of such armoured personnel carriers was an entirely new innovation , and it was through the 1CACR ’ s efforts that their effectiveness was proven , revolutionizing the tactical handling of infantry in battle . Background . The decision to convert redundant tanks into personnel carriers was inspired by allied experiences during the D - Day landings , where British and Canadian forces experienced much lower rates of casualty by leading their attack on German lines with armour than did the Americans , who led their attack with an infantry assault . To General Guy Simonds , who was ordered to follow up the D - Day attacks with an assault on Falaise , this experience suggested both the usefulness of such armour - first tactics as well as the further benefits of using armoured vehicles to transport troops , leading him to stress the issue while planning his assault , deeming it essential " … that the infantry must be carried in bullet - proof and splinter - proof vehicles to the actual objectives . " No such vehicles existed at that time , and this idea thus marked the advent of what are now called armoured personnel carriers . Carriers were made on the spot from extra M7 Priest 105 mm self - propelled guns by removing the guns and welding steel plates across the gaps this left in the armour . These modified tanks were entitled “ Kangaroos ” partially after the codename of the Army Workshops Detachment that produced them , and partially because of the idea that infantry would be carried in the belly of the tank as safely as a young kangaroo in its mother ' s pouch . The order to convert 72 Priests into carriers by the commencement of Operation Totalize on August 9 was given on July 31 by Brigadier C . M . Grant , the Deputy Director of Mechanical Engineering at Headquarters . Ultimately , 78 would be converted prior to the first engagement , in spite of the fact that the Operation ' s start date had been advanced to August 7 – an impressive feat , as just one part of the conversion process was generally a seven - day operation . The drivers for the new vehicles were swiftly and secretly recruited from the Armoured Corps reinforcements , Artillery Units , and the Elgin Regiment , and were rushed into service with almost no training , first seeing action during the attack on Falaise on the night of 7 – 8 August 1944 . The attack on Falaise was carried out successfully , resulting in the capture of 200 tanks , 60 assault guns , 250 towed guns , and 2500 motored vehicles from the Germans , as well as an unhindered six - day advance . The lead brigades of the assault had all been carried in the new Kangaroos , allowing them to progress swiftly and providing interesting results regarding the comparative casualties of the seven Canadian infantry battalions involved : Impressed by the carriers ' performance , General Guy Simonds thus began petitioning for the formation of a permanent carrier unit . Formation . On August 28 , 1944 , General Simonds ' requests were granted and the 1st Armoured Carrier Squadron was formed . The unit was established as four troops of 25 carriers ( though only 55 vehicles were then available ) , with personnel consisting of one commanding officer , four troop commanders , and 100 drivers , and was attached to the 25th Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment ( The Elgin Regiment ) for administrative purposes . When engaged in an operation , it would come " under command of various Infantry Brigades in turn . " Each carrier had a . 50 - inch Browning machine gun , and approximately 60 % of the vehicles were equipped with radios – however there was no co - driver to fire the gun or operate the wireless set . After several months of operation , 21st Army Group concluded that the 1st Armoured Carrier Squadron was the best means to seize objectives and reduce infantry casualties , leading to their decision to form two armoured personnel carrier regiments – the British 49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment , and the 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment , both of which would belong to the 79th Armoured Division , with the 1CAPCR serving as the only Canadian regiment in the division . Official recognition of the change was delivered via the following proclamation : Due to the inclusion of the 1CAPCR in the 79th , known for its wide array of speciality vehicles , the regiment was also included in the 79th ' s classification as a secret operation – a principal reason for the scarcity of information regarding its activities . After further petitioning on the part of Lieutenant Colonel Churchill , the regiment was given its final title of the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment on January 1 , 1945 . The regiment was both formed and ultimately disbanded in Holland , without attachment to any regimental home , city , or province , and its personnel were drawn from all over Canada . In spite of its lack of a personal history , however , the regiment ’ s high degree of success quickly moulded them into a cohesive unit of high morale . Disdbandment . The secret , foreign - born Canadian regiment that few would ever hear of ended its short history in the Canadian army as of 11 : 59pm ( 2359 hours ) on June 20 , 1945 . Battle honours . In spite of their brief existence , the Kangaroos were granted the right to display the following battle honours : The Presentation of their Regimental ( replica ) Guidon was finally presented on the 10th of September 2011 at a drum head ceremony at the Elgin Regiment Armoury , St . Thomas , Ontario , Canada . The Guidon shows these battle honours : Attached organizations . The 123 Light Aid Detachment , Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers , under the command of Captain E . Duncan , were initially formed on an ad hoc basis in August 1944 to provide maintenance services to the carriers . When the Regiment was formed , the LAD became an integral part of it and had a strength of 52 men . The 1st Canadian Armoured Personnel Carrier Signal Troop was assigned to the regiment on November 1 , 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Donald H . Simpson of the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals .