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Re: it may have been a carrier but what is it now?

The most produced armoured vehicle of WW2 had many uses, The are lots of accounts written both by Commonwealth troops and Germans that speak of carriers being in the front of attacks, they were also used as Taxi`s and a whole host of other stuff too. From 1940 to 45 on all fronts, apart from Tank on tank, almost any situation, and tank on tank so to speak did happen,but never by design on the carriers crews part, Villers Bocage being a case in point.

Re: it may have been a carrier but what is it now?

I can't speak in general but certainly in the British 11th Armoured Division the carrier was a maid-of-all-work/battlefield taxi/ambulance etc. Accounts from the regimental history describe carrier platoons being used to bring up ammunition and supplies, evacuation of casualties to Regimental Aid Stations and a myriad of other tasks. However there don't seem to be any accounts of infantry riding into actual contact - that wasn;t really British doctrine at the time.
Riding into battle on vehicles was actually prescribed by the British but once in Normandy the situation was such that the 11 Armd's CO Maj-Gen 'Pip' Roberts, allowed it, because with the bocage giving the Germans cover the armour found it needed infantry support and the best way was to have the foot sloggers ride with the tanks.
Epsom saw the ban on tank-riders re-affirmed - where it probably would have been useful - and it was relaxed again once the pursuit towards Palaise began.
Having said all that, once contact was made the infantry went in on foot.
It would be nice to image carriers steaming into contact and the infantry jumping off - and it may have happened - but generally I would say, no, it didn't.
With everything else they were needed for, it was probably a good idea not to lose the vehicles during the assault.