First Canadian Armoured Brigade

[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.