First Canadian Armoured Brigade

[Michael Boire]

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am writing the operational history of the First Canadian Armoured Brigade (1CAB) in World War 2, and I need your support.
Though nearly ten thousand young Canadians served in the Brigade's thirteen units , its story has yet to be told. This history will set the record straight.
There is much to tell about the performance of 1CAB. No other brigade in the Canadian Army, infantry or armoured, saw more action. 1 CAB's tank squadrons fought for 532 of a possible 657 combat days from 10 July (Invasion of Sicily) to 8 May 45 (V.E. Day). Though 1CAB never fought in a battle as a complete formation, it did support Canadian, British, New Zealand, and American units in every Allied offensive fought in Sicily and Italy. In Northwest Europe, 1CAB arrived at the end of the campaign but took part in many of the decisive operations mounted by First Canadian Army in 1945, where once again it supported various Commonwealth formations.
Because their recollections are a key element in the story, I would be honored to speak or correspond with any of the Brigade's veterans prepared to share their experiences. They fought a long war against a resolute enemy in three very different places: Sicily, Italy and Northwest Europe. I need to capture the meaning of that experience through their reminiscences. Information from relatives of veterans would be important contributions, as well. The Brigade's units are listed below the signature block.
In addition, recommendations from students of Canada's military history on books to read, archives to visit, and personalities to interview would be most welcome. I am interested in all aspects of 1CAB as well as any wider issues influencing its performance. All contributions are welcome. My numbers and addresses are below. Thank you for your support in telling this great story of brave Canadians serving their country on distant battlefields long ago.

Major Michael Boire, C.D., M.A., bems/ESG.
Assistant Professor, History Department
Royal Military College of Canada
PO Box 17000, Station Forces
Kingston Ontario, Canada K7K 7B4
Tel: (613)-541-6000 x 8781
Fax: (613)-536-4801 E- mail: "boire-m@rmc.ca"

These units formed the First Canadian Armoured brigade (1 CAB):

Headquarters Squadron, 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade (1CAB)
The Ontario Regiment (11 Canadian Armoured Regiment)
The Three Rivers Regiment (12 Canadian Armoured Regiment)
The Calgary Regiment (14 Canadian Armoured Regiment)
1 CAB Signals (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals)
1 CAB Company, 83 Company RCASC (Royal Canadian Army Service Corps)
2 Light Field Ambulance RCAMC (Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps)
1 CAB Workshop (RCEME) (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)
1CAB Ordnance Field Park (Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps)
1 Canadian Heavy Recovery Section (RCEME)
1 Canadian Tank Troops Workshop (RCEME)
A Squadron, 25 Canadian Armoured Delivery Regiment
1 Canadian Assault Troop, Canadian Armoured Corps

[Mark W. Tonner]

Michael;

Regarding the Orbat for 1 CAB, you may want to go through the General Orders for the Canadian Army from 1939 to 1945, there is a lot of information therein concerning the authorizations, disbandments, designations, re-designations and converions of the various units, that at one time or another, made up the whole Brigade package.

Cheers

[Michael Boire]

Thanks very much. JUST WHAT I NEED.!!
Would you have a reference for that publication???

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Michael,

I also show the following for your 1st CAB, with similar available for all other I Corps units serving in Italy. This is dated 1944:

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade
**Serving with 13 British Corps
11th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Ontario Regiment)
12th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment)
14th Canadian Armoured Regiment (Calgary Regiment)

1st Canadian Armoured Brigade Troops
1st Armoured Brigade Signals, RCCS
1st Armoured Brigade Company, RCASC
1st Armoured Brigade Workshop, RCEME
No. 59 Light Aid Detachment (C), 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment, RCEME
No. 60 Light Aid Detachment (C), 12th Canadian Armoured Regiment, RCEME
No. 61 Light Aid Detachment (C), 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment, RCEME
No. 2 Light Field Ambulance, RCAMC
1st Armoured Brigade Ordnance Field Park, RCOC
No. 3 Provost Section, C Pro C

I can provide sources later as required.

Geoff

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally posted by Michael Boire
Thanks very much. JUST WHAT I NEED.!!
Would you have a reference for that publication???

Michael;

The RMC Library may hold a set of these publications, or the Base Library (CFB Kingston). General Orders, were the forerunner of today's C.F.A.O.'s, with C.A.O.'s (Canadian Army Orders) being in between the two.

Cheers

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

The thought occurs to me... how much do you think will be indexed with the British 8th Army archives? Were the British fairly meticulous with their daily returns? If so, the chances are there might be quite a bit of objective and subjective material available.

I've been wondering the same ref our 1CACR records with the 79th British Armoured Division, but will have to find the time to look into that.

[Michael Boire]

THANKS VERY MUCH INDEED. WILL DO!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Keep in touch, Major... we'll give you what we can as we find it. And perhaps assist you in making contact with the vets... would a good contact with the ONTARS help for a start? I can probably get you someone with the Calgarys as well.

Regardless, keep us posted on your progress! Needless to say, you're very welcome here.

Geoff

[Michael Boire]

THANKS. NOW I HAVE SOMETHING TO DO TOMORROW.
KEEP IT COMING!!!!!!

[Mark W. Tonner]

Michael;

Sorry, was away for a few hours, if either Library that I quoted earlier does not have a set of G.O.'s for the period 1939 to 1946, or you cannot find them elsewhere, let me know what you require and I'll see what I can find, I probably have what your looking for anyways.

Geoff;

Good point about the 8th Army and 79th Armd. The thought had crossed my mind before, there probably is information to be had from both formation archives, but the problem is access to them.
We'll figure it out.

Cheers

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Mark W. Tonner
Geoff;

Good point about the 8th Army and 79th Armd. The thought had crossed my mind before, there probably is information to be had from both formation archives, but the problem is access to them.
We'll figure it out.

Mark... the info on both will be with the British Public Records office. The problem is getting there with the necessary time to do proper research!

Ref the Kangaroos, what's available through the Canadian Archives is woefully inadequate. Clive was kind enough to draw copies of their War Diaries for me, but they're incomplete - hell, we don't even have a full personnel roster! I've personally met and drunk beer with several Kangaroos not on the list Clive managed to compile, and have corroborated others through personal contacts. We know, of course, the list of the dead, but we don't have a full list of the WIAs.

Furthermore, we don't have a complete list of those in on the very first Kangaroos in August 1944, although I know some of them personally. Needless to say, our records are incomplete.

I suspect the 79th AD has more complete records than we do (ref the Regiment anyway), because of daily returns through 31 Brigade. We just need someone to dig...

Major... the above most likely applies to you too. 1CAB went into action independently and under British command, with our own staff (1 Corps) woefully inexperienced. I suggest that you're going to have to dig deeply for everything you need. Good luck.

G.

[Bill Alexander]

Please remember to include the unique formations that the 1st Canadian Armoured Bde and the 5th Canadian Armoured Division created while in Italy. The armoured units of each formation contributed a number of men and vehicles (said to be turretless Honey's) to act as "combat armoured engineers". These groups in each brigade followed along immediately behind the assaulting tanks and worked on tasks including filling mine craters, obstacles, etc. They were named 1st Canadian Assault Troop and 5th Canadian Assault Troop respectively. These formations were authorized in the summer of 1944 and reduced in strength when the two formations arrived in NW Europe in early 1945.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Michael;

Some other sources of information that came to mind:

From DHH:

CMHQ Report No. 132 - Canadian Operations in Sicily, Jul-Aug 1943, Part III: The Story of 1 Cdn Army Tk Bde

CMHQ Report No. 158 - Operations of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy, May 1944 to February 1945, Part I: The Gustav and Hitler Lines

CMHQ Report No. 160 - Operations of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy, May 1944 to February 1945, Part II: The Advance to Florence, 3 Jun - 1 Sep 44

CMHQ Report No. 165 - Operations of 1 Cdn Inf Div and 1 Cdn Armd Bde in Italy - 25 Nov 43 - 4 Jan 44

CMHQ Report No. 175 - Operations of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy, May 1944 to February 1945, Part III: The Gothic Line

CMHQ Reprt No. 181 - OPERATION GOLDFLAKE - the move of 1 Cdn Corps from Italy to North-West Europe, Feb-Mar 1945.

There are more CMHQ Reports dealing with Sicily, Italy and NWE, but the above are the ones I can think of in relation to your subject. Also a source of information are the various AHQ Reports dealing with Sicily/Italy/NWE, also available from DHH.

Another source of information, is the book:

DRAGONS OF STEEL, Canadian Armour in Two World Wars by John F. Wallace, MC, published in 1995, ISBN 1-896182-04-0, and of course, the 3 Volumes of the Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War (which were written in part, from the information from both CMHQ and AHQ Reports).

Cheers