Here is some more information from the Strathcona’s history that may be of interest (p43-44).
(Jan. 1944) “Under the establishment policy laid down by Eighth Army, armoured regiments in Italy operated with 52 Shermans, 2 recovery tanks, and 11 Stuart or "Honey" tanks. This meant that the fifth troop in each of the fighting squadrons had to be eliminated; after some argument, it was decided that the 3-tank troop would be retained (some British units worked with 4 tanks to the troop) and so the fighting echelon of the Regiment contained 3 squadrons each with 4 tanks on its headquarters and 4 troops, Regimental Headquarters with 4 tanks (the command tank "Strathcona" having two wireless sets and a dummy wooden gun), and the Reconnaissance Troop of 11 Stuarts with turrets removed.”
(p199) “The 10th of March (1945 in Belgium) was an important day, too, because of the arrival of a huge batch of mail from home, the first one since the departure from Italy; because of the arrival of new 17 pounder tanks; and because of the arrival of a new war establishment, the one used by the armoured divisions in 21st Army Group. In Italy, each squadron had consisted of four troops, each of three tanks, now it was to have four troops, each of four: two 75 mm. and two 17 pounders. The squadron headquarters was to remain unchanged with two "control" tanks mounting 75 mm. guns and two 105 mm. Regimental H.Q. was to be unchanged, with four tanks, one with dummy gun. The Recce Troop would retain the same number of tanks but it was decided that they would be General Stuarts with turrets, instead of the "cut-down", turretless jobs they had had previously. Further, we were to keep some of the turretless tanks, seven of them, for carrying ammunition. Our total, including the perennial "RAM" and "ROD", the two recovery tanks which were always on the job, was now to be 84 tanks, compared to 65 in Italy.”
(p210) “The "L.O.B." policy was to be enforced to a greater extent than ever before: there was to be one full troop of tanks per squadron left out of battle. The object was to provide protection for the "A1" and "A" Echelons as they followed along: Lieutenant Ted Grand's troop was assigned to "A" Echelon, Lieutenants Gaunt and O'Connor to "A1". As usual, "A" Echelon was to move on orders from Brigade, while "A1" was to be directly under our own C.O. This forward supply element, which we dubbed the "hard A1", had been stripped of all unessential vehicles and was now composed of only 30: 6 ammunition-carrying tanks each carrying a standard mixed load, the 4 squadron fitters' armoured 15 cwt. "White" scout cars, the squadron commanders' scout cars, the Intelligence Officer, the Technical Adjutant and M.Q.M.S., the M.O. with his fleet of armoured "Whites" and carriers, and 6, 3-ton lorries filled with petrol and oil. This "flying column", with its two troops of Shermans interspersed between other vehicles, was commanded by Captain Brathwaite. The two dozen other vehicles which had been taken out of "A1" (commanded by Captain Cadham) became a part of "A" Echelon for this operation.”
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