Tactical Signs - Armoured Regiments

Tactical markings on tanks were a type of vehicle marking used during the Second World War. They took the form of coloured shapes painted on the tank, usually the turret sides, though sometimes on the hull front, sides and/or rear. The shape and colour denoted the unit the tank belonged to. Canadian armoured brigades consisted of three armoured regiments. An armoured division had one such brigade, with an armoured reconnaissance regiment also under command. Each regiment was divided into Squadrons, "A", "B", "C" and Headquarters.

Not all units used the marking scheme shown below.

Squadron Armoured Recce Regiment Senior Regiment in Brigade Middle Regiment in Brigade Junior Regiment in Brigade
"HQ"
"A"
"B"
"C"

1 Bde
nil 11th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Ontario Regiment )
12th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Three Rivers Regiment )
14th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Calgary Regiment )

2 Bde
nil 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(1st Hussars )
10th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(Fort Garry Horse)
27th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment)

4 Div
29th Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
(The South Alberta Regiment)
21st Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Governor General's Foot Guards)
22nd Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The Canadian Grenadier Guards)
28th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The British Columbia Regiment)

5 Div
3rd Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
(The Governor General's Horse Guards)
2nd Canadian Armoured Regiment
(Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians))
5th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(8th Princess Louise's (New Brunswick) Hussars)
9th Canadian Armoured Regiment
(The British Columbia Dragoons)
Lieutenant Colonel J.G. Vining, Commanding Officer, The Three Rivers Regiment, and the crew of his Churchill tank, Worthing, England, 22 Jul 1942. Note the diamond on the turret side denoting Headquarters Squadron. LAC Photo.
Unidentified crewmen standing next to a Sherman Tank in England. Some units used a system of number and letter codes as tactical markings in place of the geometric codes. LAC Photo.

 

 


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