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The Tank Badge was to be worn on the left sleeve
of uniform jackets and Battle Dress Blouses by men serving in Tank Regiments. At the
start of the Second World War, only four regiments were classified as Tank Regiments, and these
units were considered Infantry.
As the war
progressed, cavalry units and infantry units alike were converted to armour, with a
distinction being made between Armoured Regiments, (generally equipped with Sherman or Ram
tanks), and Tank Regiments, (generally equipped with the Churchill).
A tank badge had been authorized in 1938,
and during the war it was ordered that all personnel of Army Tank Battalions, Canadian
Armoured Corps Training Centres and Tank Regiments (Reserve Army) were to wear the tank
badge on the right arm of "blouses and jackets". Commanding Officers of
Armoured Regiments could also opt for their units to wear this badge.
The badge was issued in both melton and
khaki drill form; often before affixing to the uniform, the backing was removed leaving
only the tank design itself on the sleeve.
When
formation patches were being adopted for the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division, a proposal to wear the tank badge on the division patch
was rejected (for more information, see Distinguishing Patches by Clive Law.)
The 5th
Canadian (Armoured) Division then rejected
the use of the tank badge, since the regiments making up the armoured brigade were cavalry
units, and the tank badge was originally a mark of an Infantry (Tank) battalion.
The 4th
Canadian (Armoured) Division, however, was
made up of former infantry units and adopted the tank badge for wear on Battle Dress.
There were also two independent tank
brigades; both wore the tank badge.
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