Major-General Dan Spry
Royal Canadian Regiment
1st & 12th Infantry Brigades
3rd Canadian Division

During the war, one of the big lessons I learned was that it was possible to bring together soldiers or sailors or airmen from every part of Canada, from every walk of life, every religion, every political viewpoint, and make them over into platoons, divisions, and corps, etc., and somehow or other, under proper leadership, they would fight as well as any other soldiers anywhere at any time. Perhaps we were all striving for something, some common objective.

(Maj-Gen. Spry to Boy Scouts’ Canadian General Council, June 1946)

Born in Winnipeg on 4 February 1913, Daniel Charles Spry was the son of a First World War colonel and the prewar army director of personnel. After dropping out of Dalhousie University, he followed his father in a Permanent Force career in 1933 and earned a commission in the RCR. On mobilization in September 1939, Spry was promoted captain and soon became the regimental adjutant. After two years in England, aside from the brief foray to France in June 1940, Spry left the RCR to the staff of 1st Canadian Division headquarters.

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