Tactical Numbers & Colours

Black Watch and Kangaroo

Black Watch and Kangaroo

show info

Description:

On the night of 23rd March 1945 men of the three Black Watch battalions in the 51st Highland Division were ferried across the Rhine under cover of artillery barrage and a massive smoke screen. They are seen here moving forward in 'Kangaroos'. The HD 69 signifies the 7th Battalion. Little opposition was met before they were established on the far bank. The credit for being the first British troops across the Rhine fell to this battalion. The term 'Kangaroo' was applied to converted tanks and gun platforms like the hulls of Shermans and Priests which were converted into infantry armoured personal carries from Normandy onwards.

Copyright:

Queens Own Highlanders Museum

Tags:

1945 . Black Watch . Normandy . Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders . Rhine Crossing - Op. Plunder . Tanks

Tactical Numbers and colours were painted onto vehicles, signs and flags to distinguish the units and formations.

Unit No. Colour/Flag/Sign
HQ 51 (H) Div 40 Black
HQ R.A 40 Red-Blue (Headquarters Royal Artillery)
120 Fd Regt 42 Red-Blue (126 Field Regiment Royal Artillery)
127 Fd Regt 43 Red-Blue
128 Fd Regt 44 Red-Blue
61 A/Tk Regt 46 Red-Blue (61 Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery)
49 L.A.A Regt 47 Red-Blue (49 Light Anti-aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery)
H.Q.R.E 40 Blue (Headquarters Royal Engineers)
239 Fd.Pk.Coy 48 Blue (Field Park Company Royal Engineers)
274 Fd.Coy 49 Blue (Field Company Royal Engineers)
275 Fd.Coy 50 Blue
276 Fd.Coy 51 Blue
DIV SIGs 40 White-Blue (Divisional Signals)
H.Q. 152 Bde 81 Scarlet (Headquarters 152 Brigade)
2 Seaforth 56 Scarlet (2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders)
5 Seaforth 57 Scarlet (5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders)
5 Camerons 58 Scarlet (5th Battalion Cameron Highlanders)
H.Q. 153 Bde 87 Green (Headquarters 153 Brigade)
5 Black Watch 60 Green (5th Battalion The Black Watch)
1 Gordons 61 Green (1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders)
5.7 Gordons 62 Green (5th/7th Battalion Gordon Highlanders)
H.Q. 154 Bde 94 Brown (Headquarters 154 Brigade)
1 Black Watch 67 Brown (1st Battalion The Black Watch)
7 Black Watch 69 Brown (7th Battalion The Black Watch)
7 Argyll & S.H 68 Brown (7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)
1/7 Middlesex 64 Black (1st/7th Battalion Middlesex Regiment)
H.Q. RASC 40 Red-Green (Headquarters Royal Army service Corps)
525 RASC Coy (152) 70 Red-Green (525 Company RASC with 152 Brigade)
526 RASC Coy (153) 71 Red-Green
527 RASC Coy (154) 72 Red-Green
458 Div. Tps Coy RASC 73 Red-Green (Divisional Transport Company)
H.Q. RAMC 40 Black (Headquarters Royal Army Medical Corps)
174 Fd.Amb 75 Black (Field Ambulance)
175 Fd.Amb 76 Black
176 Fd.Amb 77 Black
29 Fd. Hyg. Sec 78 Black (Field Hygiene Section)
A.D.O.S. HQ & DUM 40 Black (Army Depot Ordnance Supplies)
H.Q. REME 40 Black (Headquarters Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)
152 Bde W’Shops 88 Blue-Yellow–Red (152 Brigade Workshops)
153 Bde W’Shops 89 Blue-Yellow-Red
154 Bde W’Shops 90 Blue-Yellow-Red
Provost Company 79 Black (Military Police)
Postal Unit 80 Black
13 Fd. Sec. Sec 40 Black (Field Security Section)
2. D.Y. 41 Green-Blue (2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry)




AFFILIATIONS 152 BDE 153 BDE 154 BDE DIV RES TPS
Sqns 2 D.Y. A B C
Fd.Regts RA 128 127 126
Fd Coys RE 275 276 274
Coys 1/7 Mx D C B A
Btys 61 A/Tk. Regt 243 242 241 193
Fd.Amb 174 175 176
RASC Coys 525 526 527 458
Btys 40 LAA Regt 140 105 268