to deal with the Germans, consisting of Hoban's I Trp, two Churchill Crocodiles of 141st Regiment, RAC, and a few men of the Royal Artillery and Royal Signals to act as infantry. The Crocodiles 'flamed' a pillbox, the Crabs engaged dugouts with HE and machine gun fire, and 100 Germans surrendered with five guns. The Crabs were used later that day to round up prisoners of war round Crépon. By D+2 (8 June), B and C Sqns were at Saint-Gabriel-Brécy, with nine fit Crabs: seven were damaged beyond repair and 10 were repairable. On D+2 four of A Sqn's Crabs assisted 3rd British Division at Lion-sur-Mer, clearing lanes through mines and barbed wire and engaging strongpoints with their main guns and machine guns. The following day A Sqn and a troop of AVREs helped 1st East Riding Yeomanry and 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles in an attempt to advance beyond Périers. They had of open country to cross under shell, mortar and machine gun fire, the 2nd Bn RUR losing almost 200 men and the 1st EYR four tanks. The Crabs performed well in the unaccustomed role of infantry tanks, but all the AVREs were knocked out. The Westminster Dragoons continued to serve as part of 79th Armoured Division throughout the campaign in Normandy and North West Europe, usually detached to assist other formations of 21st Army Group as required. Operation Constellation and The Netherlands For example, during Operation Constellation to capture Overloon and Venray, the Crabs of A and C Sqns deployed with the AVREs 617 Assault Sqn, RE, to support 3rd British Division and 6th Guards Tank Brigade. At noon on 12 October 4th (Tank) Bn Coldstream Guards advanced to Overloon, where it encountered a minefield and A Sqn was ordered up to flail a path. One Crab (Lt Sutton) was disabled by a mine, and Sjt Harmston flailed a diversion round the wreck; other Crabs flailed two other lanes, and the Guards' Churchills advanced to take the town. Next day the Crabs continued flailing in front of the Coldstreamers, without finding any mines, but Lt Hall's tank engaged an enemy Panther tank. On 14 October the Crabs flailed a path where RE mine-lifting parties had previously come under fire, but the advance was halted by a Tiger I that 'brewed up' seven Coldstream Churchills before starting on Lt Cooper's partly Hull-down Crab, which was subjected to a