4th Canadian Armoured Division, 1944

M5A1 half-track of a divisional motorized infantry battalion.

M5A1 half-track and infantry of the Motor Battalion attached to the Armoured Brigade. Motorized infantry travelled in lightly armoured half-tracked vehicles which allowed them to accompany the tanks into battle. When infantry battalions of the divisional infantry brigade were cross-attached with armoured regiments to form battlegroups, they typically rode the tanks into battle. Vehicles carried numbered and colour-coded Tac Signs on the right fender. The two-coloured tac signs shown below were actually arranged with the first colour above the second colour, not adjacent to each other.

4th Canadian Armoured Division 1944

  • Divisional Headquarters (white tactical signs) 40
  • Divisional Troops (white tactical signs)
    • 29th Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment,
      The South Alberta Regiment 45
      Similarly organised as the armoured regiments of the division, but with the main difference that the unit was equipped with three Cromwells and one A30 Challenger tank per troop. Later in the campaign the Challengers were gradually replaced by Firefly tanks.
    • Royal Canadian Artillery
      • Headquarters 40
      • 15th Field Regiment (towed) 74
      • 23rd Field Regiment (self-propelled) 76
      • 5th Anti-Tank Regiment 77
      • 8th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 73
    • Royal Canadian Engineers
      • Headquarters 40
      • 8th Field Squadon 41
      • 9th Field Squadon 46
      • 6th Field Park Squadron 42
      • Bridging Company 52
  • 4th Armoured Brigade
    • Brigade Headquarters 50
    • 21st Canadian Armoured Regiment, The Governor General’s Foot Guards (red tactical signs) 51
    • 22nd Canadian Armoured Regiment, The Canadian Grenadier Guards (yellow tactical signs) 52
    • 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment, The British Columbia Regiment (blue tactical signs) 53
    • The Lake Superior Regiment, Motor Battalion (green tactical signs) 54
      • Battalion Headquarters
      • Support Company
      • 3 Motor Companies (Infantry in half-tracks)
        • Company Headquarters
        • 3 Motor Platoons
        • 1 Scout Platoon (mounted in 13 Bren Carriers)
  • 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade
    • Brigade Headquarters 60
    • The Lincoln and Welland Regiment 61
    • The Algonquin Regiment 62
    • The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada 63
      • Battalion Headquarters
      • Headquarters Company
        • Motor Platoon
        • Carrier Platoon (mounted in 13 Bren Carriers)
        • Anti-tank Platoon
        • Engineer Platoon
      • 4 Rifle Companies
        • Company Headquarters
        • 3 Infantry Platoons
    • 10th Independent Machinegun Company, The New Brunswick Rangers 64

Troop and vehicle numbers were normally displayed inside the colourcoded squadron tactical sign. Some vehicles carried only the squadron tactical sign, others displayed the troop/vehicle numbers on the rear of the turret stowage bins.

British Miniatures of World War Two