3rd Canadian Tank Brigade

3rd Canadian Tank Brigade Authorized: Created from 3rd Armoured Brigade 1 January 1943 (General Order 223/43) Disbanded: 1943

The 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade was an ad hoc unit formed from three surplus armoured regiments when armoured division establishments were changed in January 1943 from two brigades of armour to just one. The 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars), 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse), (both previously of the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division) and 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) (previously of 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division). The headquarters of the 3rd Canadian Armoured Brigade was redesignated 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade by General Order 223/1943 on 1 January 1943, with the 3rd and 4th Armoured Brigade headquarters disbanding officially on the same date by General Order 225/1943.

In July 1943 both the 2nd and 3rd Army Tank Brigades were inspected to select just one of them to remain on the order of battle, as a change in the order of battle of armoured divisions meant that only one armoured brigade would be required. Lieutenant General Harry Crerar, General Officer Commanding I Canadian Corps, selected the 2nd Brigade and units of the 3rd Brigade were reassigned to become the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade.

Uniform Insignia

At the start of the Second World War, it was felt that colourful unit and formation insignia would be too easily seen, and a very austere set of insignia was designed for the new Battle Dress uniform, consisting solely of rank badges and drab worsted Slip-on Shoulder Titles. In 1941, however, the trend was reversed, and a new system of formation patches, based on the battle patches of the First World War, was introduced. However, the use of lettered unit titles (at first won as Slip-on Shoulder Titles and later, as more colourful designs worn directly above the divisional patches) was also introduced - a privilege previously extended only to the Brigade of Guards in England, and in the Canadian Army to just four units: Governor General's Foot Guards, Canadian Grenadier Guards, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry and the Canadian Provost Corps.

The new formation patches were made from three materials mainly; felt and wool being most common, and canvas patches were adopted in the late war period as an economy measure.

Members of various corps serving in support units came to wear formation patches with letters added directly to the patch. A formation patch with a maroon coloured strip in the middle was worn by some members of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC).

The Formation Patch of the 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade was a black diamond bisected by a French-grey stripe.

 

Image and artifacts at right courtesy Mark Giroux, Ontario Regiment Museum. Photos and artifacts below courtesy Bill Alexander.