The 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade was an
armoured
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It was part of the
4th Canadian (Armoured) Division
The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the World War I, First World War. During the World War II, Second World War the division was reactivated ...
.
Organization
As of 1942 the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade comprised:
*
21st Armoured Regiment (The Governor General's Foot Guards)
*
22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards)
*
28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment)
*
And their supporting units, including:
*
4th Canadian Brigade Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps;
*
12 Canadian Field Ambulance
12 (Vancouver) Field Ambulance is a Canadian Forces Primary Reserve medical unit in Vancouver, British Columbia.
History
This unit has a long and distinguished history that lives up to the medical corps tradition of being faithful in adversity. It ...
Arriving in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
in July 1944, the brigade saw service in the battles that took the Canadians from
Caen
Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,[Falaise
Falaise may refer to:
Places
* Falaise, Ardennes, France
* Falaise, Calvados, France
** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War
* La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France
* The Falaise escarpment in Quebe ...]
(and the
Falaise Pocket). Unlike their peers in the
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, the 4th Armoured Brigade almost always fought in support of its affiliated
10th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade was a formation of the Canadian Army in both World War I and World War II. The brigade fought on the Western Front during World War I, and in Normandy and north-west Europe during World War II. It formed part o ...
.
Following the
Normandy campaign
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...
the brigade saw service in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
before being disbanded in the Netherlands in 1946.
Commanders
*
E. L. M. Burns (1942–1943)
*
Desmond Smith (1943–1944)
*
Eric Leslie Booth (1944)
*
Robert Moncel
Robert William Moncel, (April 9, 1917 – December 10, 2007) was a Canadian army officer. Moncel was Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Army and former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. He was the youngest general officer in the Canadian Army ...
(1944–1946)
References
Armoured brigades of Canada
Canadian World War II brigades
Military units and formations disestablished in 1946
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