THE LAISON

The Battle of Laison
The battle honour “The Laison” was awarded to the Governor General’s Foot Guards (operating as the 21st Canadian Armoured Regiment) for their heroic and difficult crossing of the Laison River during Operation Tractable.
The Deceptive Obstacle: Prior to the battle, aerial photographs and military intelligence suggested that the River Laison was a narrow, shallow stream that would pose no barrier to armoured vehicles. In reality, the river had exceptionally steep, muddy banks and stood as a formidable, highly challenging anti-tank obstacle.
Fierce Opposition: German forces anticipated the crossing locations and heavily defended them with anti-tank guns and thick mortar fire. As the Regiment advanced in a massive, parade-like armoured formation, they immediately took heavy fire. Before even reaching the river, the GGFG lost six tanks to mines and anti-tank guns, including the vehicle of their Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Scott.
Chaos at the River: When the surviving tanks reached the river bank, they were forced to scramble along the edge under continuous shelling to search for a safe ford. In the congestion, the faggot bridges (improvised from bundles of wood by the Engineers) became blocked. Lieutenant Dick Thompson’s tank rolled off the side of one of these bridges, turning completely over. Under intense fire, Thompson dismounted to coordinate its recovery but was seriously wounded. No. 3 Squadron ultimately lost seven tanks at this bottleneck.
A Daring Reconnaissance: Amidst the heavy losses, Major George Baylay (acting commander of No. 2 Squadron) made a courageous reconnaissance on foot under heavy fire. He discovered an alternative crossing point south of the village of Rouvres, which allowed GGFG tanks to successfully cross the river, push up the steep slopes, and secure the dominating high ground on the southern bank.
For this bloody but tactically brilliant operation, “The Laison” was proudly emblazoned on the Regimental Colours.