| 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Formation patch worn by the members of the brigade | |
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | First Canadian Army British Second Army |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major-GeneralGeorge Pearkes VCPCCCCBDSOMCCD (February 28, 1888 - May 30, 1984) |
The2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade was anarmouredbrigade of theCanadian Army that saw active service duringWorld War II. The brigade was composed of the 6th, 10th and 27th Canadian Armoured regiments and saw service in northwest Europe, landing in Normandy onD-Day and remaining in combat up toVictory in Europe Day.
Soon after the3rd Canadian Tank Brigade assumed the designation in summer 1943 of the original2nd Canadian Tank Brigade, the new 2nd Tank was redesignated and reorganized as2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. Although reorganized as an armoured brigade, no motor battalion served under its command. The brigade was assigned to theBritish 2nd Army in January 1944 to train for the upcomingamphibious assault inNormandy.
This formation rarely fought as an entity. Its primary role was infantry support and thus its regiments were usually individually tasked out to infantry units to participate in particular operations. One of the occasions when the Brigade did undertake an operation on its own, theBattle of Le Mesnil-Patry on 11 June 1944, ended with only a partial success and severe losses to the Canadians.
Following the landing in Normandy, the brigade fought atCaen, advanced across France and Belgium, and took part in operations in the Netherlands and Germany while supporting operations of theCanadian 1st Army and theBritish 2nd Army.
Formed as the2nd Canadian Army Tank Brigade on 26 January 1942, this formation consisted of the24th Army Tank Battalion (Les Voltigeurs de Québec) (replaced in June 1942 by the20th Army Tank Regiment (16/22 Saskatchewan Horse)),23rd Army Tank Battalion (The Halifax Rifles), and the26th Army Tank Battalion (The Grey and Simcoe Foresters). Equipped withRam II tanks, in the autumn of 1942 the brigade trained at the newly openedMeaford AFV range onGeorgian Bay where the Halifax Rifles had the honour of conducting the first field exercise.
In June 1943 the brigade was dispatched to theUnited Kingdom. The following month came an intensive inspection of the units of this brigade and of the3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade byLieutenant-GeneralHarry Crerar, the commander ofI Canadian Corps. The purpose of the inspection was to determine which of the two brigades would remain on the order of battle since there was only room for one such formation.[2] The brigade chosen was the 3rd with its component units of the1st Hussars,Fort Garry Horse, andSherbrooke Fusilier Regiment.
The 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade was raised on 1 January 1943 following a reorganization of theCanadian Armoured Corps in Britain. It adopted the designation 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade (2 CAB) after it was selected by Lieutenant-General Crerar to remain on the order of battle. In August 1943 it was selected to be part of theD-Day invasion force in support of the units of the3rd Canadian Infantry Division.[3]
The brigade's three regimentslanded in Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944. Unlike their peers in the4th Canadian Armoured Brigade, who were usually paired with their division's10th Canadian Infantry Brigade, the 2nd was paired with any infantry who needed armour support.
On 31 July 1944, following a series of battles with heavy infantry losses, Canadian Lieutenant GeneralGuy Simonds ordered the creation of an armoured carrier regiment and the modification of underused American-madeM7 Priest self-propelled guns. The 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Squadron was formed, and administered as a squadron of 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment until October 19, 1944, when the squadron was converted to a regiment.[4]
This formation rarely fought as an entity. Its primary role was infantry support and thus its regiments were usually individually tasked out to infantry units to participate in particular operations. One of the occasions when the brigade did undertake an operation on its own,Le Mesnil-Patry / Rots on 11 June 1944, ended with only a partial success and severe losses to the Canadians. 2 CAB fought in theNorth West Europe Campaign, longer than any other armoured formation, from D-Day toV-E Day, suffering 435 fatal casualties in total. Two of the brigade's tanks,Holy Roller of the 1st Hussars,[5] andBomb of the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, fought continuously from D-Day to the end of the war, the only Canadian tanks to fight unscathed across Northwest Europe.Holy Roller remains the memorial of the Hussars in London, Ontario, andBomb is preserved today at the William Street Armoury of the Sherbrooke Hussars inSherbrooke, Quebec.[6]
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