Daniel Spry

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title: "Daniel Spry" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1913-births", "1989-deaths", "burials-at-beechwood-cemetery-(ottawa)", "canadian-companions-of-the-distinguished-service-order", "canadian-commanders-of-the-order-of-the-british-empire", "recipients-of-the-bronze-wolf-award", "canadian-army-generals-of-world-war-ii", "royal-canadian-regiment-officers", "canadian-military-personnel-from-manitoba"] description: "Canadian Army officer" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Spry" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Canadian Army officer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military person"]

Field	Value
name	Daniel Charles Spry
birth_date	February 4, 1913
death_date
placeofburial	Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
birth_place	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
death_place	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
image	Daniel_Spry.jpg
image_size	150px
rank	Major General
allegiance	Canada
branch
serviceyears	1932−1946
unit	The Royal Canadian Regiment
commands	1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
1st Canadian Infantry Brigade
11th Canadian Infantry Brigade
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
battles	Sicily
Italy
Normandy
Boulogne
Scheldt
Rhineland
awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Canadian Forces' Decoration
laterwork	Chief Executive Commissioner of the Scout Movement in Canada
::

|name= Daniel Charles Spry |birth_date= February 4, 1913 |death_date= |placeofburial = Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |birth_place= Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |death_place= Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |image= Daniel_Spry.jpg |image_size=150px |caption= |rank= Major General |allegiance=Canada |branch= |serviceyears= 1932−1946 |unit=The Royal Canadian Regiment |commands= 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade 11th Canadian Infantry Brigade 3rd Canadian Infantry Division |battles= Sicily Italy Normandy Boulogne Scheldt Rhineland |awards= Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Canadian Forces' Decoration |laterwork= Chief Executive Commissioner of the Scout Movement in Canada Major General Daniel Charles Spry CBE DSO CD (February 4, 1913 – April 2, 1989) was a senior Canadian Army officer who commanded the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division during Operation Veritable in World War II.{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = Major-General D.C. Spry | work = Canada in WWII | publisher = | url = http://www.junobeach.org/e/3/can-pep-can-spry-e.htm | doi = | access-date = June 1, 2009 }}

Second World War

By 1943 and the fourth year of the Second World War, Spry had commanded the 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment and then the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade, both of which had fought in Sicily and, later, Italy. In 1944, now a brigadier, he commanded the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division, which was also serving in Italy.

Later, in August, he took charge of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, in Northwest Europe, commanding the division after Major General Rod Keller was wounded, leading it until the end of the Rhineland campaign in March 1945.{{cite web | last = Ammentorp | first = Steen | authorlink = | title = Major-General D.C. Spry | work = Canadian Generals | publisher = generals.dk | date = 2000–2009 | url = http://www.generals.dk/general/Spry/Daniel_Charles/Canada.html | doi = | access-date = June 1, 2009 }} The commander of the 3rd Division's parent formation, II Canadian Corps, Lieutenant General Guy Simonds, was dissatisfied with Spry's performance during the assaults on heavily defended woodland near Moyland, southeast of Kleve and later on the Hochwald, saying that he "lacked quick tactical appreciation and robust drive in ... urgent tactical situations". In turn, Spry felt that neither Simonds nor the latter's superior, General Harry Crerar, commanding the First Canadian Army, fully understood the situation "at the sharp end of battle". Simonds was adamant that Spry should go but Crerar was more sympathetic and he campaigned for Spry's appointment to the Canadian Reinforcement Units in Britain, appreciating Spry's ability as a trainer of soldiers (endorsed by Simonds) and the value of having a battle experienced officer in that role.{{cite book|last=Dickson|first=Paul Douglas|authorlink=|title=A thoroughly Canadian general|publisher=University of Toronto Press|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qs-J7xMH5-0C&q=dan+spry+moyland+1945&pg=RA2-PA402 | format = | doi = | access-date = June 3, 2009 | isbn = 9780802008022 | last = Copp | first = J. T. | authorlink = |author2=Richard Nielsen | title = No price too high: Canadians and the Second World War | publisher = McGraw-Hill Ryerson | year = 1996 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Uvh-4rXVpvEC&q=dan+spry+moyland+1945&pg=PA204 | format = | doi = | access-date = June 3, 2009 | isbn = 9780075527138

Postwar

In 1946, Spry became Vice-Chief of the General Staff at National Defence HQ in Ottawa and retired later that year.

In 1969, Spry presented the Major-General D. C. Spry Trophy, an annual small arms competition for The Royal Canadian Regiment.{{cite web |last= |first= |authorlink= |title=The Major-General D.C. Spry Trophy |publisher=Royal Canadian Regiment |year=2009 |url=http://www.theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/customs_traditions/spry_trophy.htm |doi= |access-date=June 1, 2009

Scouting

Spry became Director of the Boy Scouts World Bureau and was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting, in 1961. In 1956 he also received the highest distinction of the Scout Association of Japan, the Golden Pheasant Award.

References

References

1. {{London Gazette. (28 December 1945)
2. {{London Gazette. (22 August 1944)
3. John S. Wilson (1959), Scouting Round the World. First edition, Blandford Press. p. 133, 190, 194, 218, 219, 239, 256, 262, 266, 271, 276, 281
4. (2014-05-23). link

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