The Evolution Of WWII Canadian Armoured Formations

August 1940

Creation Of The Canadian Armoured Corps

Formation of the 1st Armoured Brigade consisting of:

10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse)
11th Army Tank Battalion (The Ontario Regiment (Tank))
12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank))
First Canadian Cavalry Regiment (Attached), consisting of squadrons from the 1st Hussars, Lord Strathcona Horse and the Royal Canadian Dragoons.

March 1941

Conversion of 1st Armoured Brigade to 1st Army Tank Brigade consisting of:

11th Army Tank Battalion (The Ontario Regiment (Tank))
12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank))
14th Army Tank Battalion (The Calgary Regiment (Tank))

June 1941

Formation of 1st Canadian Armoured Division later renumbered as the:

5th Canadian Armoured Division which was made up by:

1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons)

1st Armoured Brigade

2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona Horse (Royal Canadians))
6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)
10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse)

2nd Armoured Brigade

3rd Armoured Regiment (The Governor General's Horse Guards)
5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars)
9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons)

Headquarters squadrons for divisional and the armoured brigade headquarters were created from the 6th Duke of Connaught's Royal Canadian Hussars (Armoured Car), the Prince Edward Island Light Horse and the 7/11th Hussars.

January 1942

4th Infantry Division (originally authorized 27 May 1940) converted to:

4th Canadian Armoured Division consisting of:

18th (Manitoba) Armoured Car Regiment

3rd Armoured Brigade

25th Armoured regiment (The Elgin Regiment)
28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment)
29th Armoured Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment)

4th Armoured Brigade

21st Armoured Regiment (The Governor General's Foot Guards)
22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards)
27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment)

2nd Army Tank Brigade

23rd Army Tank Battalion (The Halifax Rifles)
24th Army Tank Battalion (Les Voltigeurs de Quebec)
26th Army Tank Battalion (The Grey and Simcoe Foresters)

January 1943

Following the British example, Canadian armoured formations underwent major re-organization during the early months of 1943. This resulted in the Establishments that would see action in the Mediterranean and North-West Europe campaigns.

First Canadian Army Troops

25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment)

I Corps Troops

1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons)

II Corps Troops

18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons)

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, (formerly 1st Army Tank Brigade)

11th Armoured Regiment (The Ontario Regiment)
12th Armoured Regiment (The Three Rivers Regiment)
14th Armoured Regiment (The Calgary Regiment)

2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, (formerly 2nd Army Tank Brigade)

6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars)
10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse)
27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment)

4th Canadian Armoured Division

29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment)

4th Armoured Brigade

21st Armoured Regiment (The Governor General's Foot Guards)
22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards)
28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment)

5th Canadian Armoured Division

3rd Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The Governor General's Horse Guards)

5th Armoured Brigade

2nd Armoured Regiment (Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians))
5th Armoured Regiment (8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars)
9th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Dragoons)

3rd Army Tank Brigade (created in January 1943: disbanded in November 1943)

20th Army Tank Regiment (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse)
23rd Army Tank Regiment (The Halifax Rifles)
26th Army Tank Regiment (The Grey and Simcoe Foresters)

See also:

4th Canadian Armoured Division

5th Canadian Armoured Division

Return to CANADIAN ARMOUR PROFILE main page

Site Map

Steel Chariots Title Page	Casualties	Panthers Demise	Armour Profiles	Armoured Regiments
Tactical Markings	The Fort Garry Horse	Evolution of Armd Formations	Death of a Battlegroup
For Valour	Ram Badger	Armour Graphics	Churchills at Dieppe
Photo Credits	Le Mesnil-Patry	Gallantry Awards	Battle of Keppeln