12e Régiment blindé du Canada

Badge

Description

Gules the number 12e Or within an annulus Azure edged and inscribed ADSUM and REGIMENT BLINDE in letters Or, ensigned by the Royal Crown proper and flanked by two maple branches Or surmounted in base with a beaver on a log proper.

Symbolism

The maple leaves and the beaver represent service to Canada, and the Crown, service to the Sovereign. The ordinal number "12e" and the words "REGIMENT BLINDE" are a form of the regimental title and "ADSUM" is the motto of the regiment. The number 12 also represents the 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment) of the Second World War.

Devise

ADSUM (Present)

Marches

Quick March

Marianne s'en va-t-au moulin

Slow March

Quand vous mourrez de nos amours

Alliance

British Army

Royal Tank Regiment

Guidon

Camp flag

Battle honours

The War of 1812

Honorary Distinction

The non-emblazonable honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812-1815 – DÉFENSE DU CANADA

The First World War

AMIENS; SIBERIA 1918-19

The Second World War

LANDING IN SICILY; Grammichele; Piazza Armerina; Valguarnera; Agira; ADRANO; Troina Valley; SICILY, 1943; Termoli; The Gully; Ortona; CASSINO II; Gustav Line; LIRI VALLEY; Hitler Line; TRASIMENE LINE; AREZZO; ADVANCE TO FLORENCE; Monte La Pieve; Monte Spaduro; ITALY, 1943-1945; Apeldoorn; NORTH-WEST EUROPE, 1945.

South-West Asia

AFGHANISTAN

Lineage

This regiment originated on 24 March 1871 and incorporates both Regular and Reserve Force regiments.

The 12e Régiment blindé du Canada originated in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 24 March 1871, when the 'Three Rivers Provisional Battalion of Infantry' was authorized to be formed.^{Footnote 1} It was redesignated: '86th "Three Rivers" Battalion of Infantry' on 4 June 1880;^{Footnote 2} '86th Three Rivers Regiment' on 8 May 1900;^{Footnote 3} 'The Three Rivers Regiment' on 29 March 1920;^{Footnote 4} 'The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)' on 15 December 1936;^{Footnote 5} '2nd Regiment, The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)' on 13 August 1940;^{Footnote 6} '12th (Reserve) Army Tank Battalion, (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank))' on 1 April 1941;^{Footnote 7} and '12th (Reserve) Army Tank Regiment (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank))' on 15 August 1942.^{Footnote 8} The regiment was converted to artillery and redesignated the '46th Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA (Three Rivers Regiment)' on 1 April 1946.^{Footnote 9} The regiment was converted to armour and redesignated the '24th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment)' on 19 June 1947.^{Footnote 10} It was redesignated: 'Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières (24th Armoured Regiment)' on 4 February 1949;^{Footnote 11} 'Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières (RCAC)' on 19 May 1958;^{Footnote 12} and '12e Régiment blindé du Canada' on 2 May 1968.^{Footnote 13}

Perpetuations

‘8th Battalion, Select Embodied Militia’, ‘Trois-Rivières Division (1812-15), '178th Battalion, CEF', and '259th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, CEF (Siberia)'

Headquarters Location

Regular Forces: Valcartier, Quebec

Reserve Force: Trois-Rivières, Quebec

Operational history

The First World War

The First World War The 178th Battalion, which was authorized on 15 July 1916 as the '178th "Overseas" Battalion, CEF',^{Footnote 14} embarked for Britain on 3 March 1917.^{Footnote 15} Its personnel were absorbed by the '10th Reserve Battalion, CEF' on 16 March 1917 to provide reinforcements for the Canadian Corps in the field.^{Footnote 16} The battalion was disbanded on 21 May 1917.^{Footnote 17}

The 259th Battalion, which was authorized on 1 November 1918 as the '259th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, CEF (Siberia)',^{Footnote 18} embarked for Russia on 22 and 26 December 1918.^{Footnote 19} It served with the 16th Infantry Brigade as part of the Allied Forces in eastern Russia until 19 May 1919.^{Footnote 20} The battalion was disbanded on 6 November 1920.^{Footnote 21}

The Second World War

The regiment mobilized 'The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank), CASF' for active service on 1 September 1939.^{Footnote 22} It was redesignated 'The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank), CAC, CASF' on 13 August 1940.^{Footnote 23} It was converted to armour on 23 November 1940,^{Footnote 24} and an army tank battalion on 11 February 1941, under the designation '12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)), CAC, CASF'.^{Footnote 25} It was redesignated: '12th Army Tank Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)), CAC, CASF' on 15 May 1942;^{Footnote 26} '12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment), CAC, CASF' on 26 August 1943;^{Footnote 27} and '12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment), RCAC, CASF' on 2 August 1945.^{Footnote 28} On 21 June 1941 it embarked for Britain.^{Footnote 29} The regiment landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943 and in Italy on 12 September 1943 as part of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade.^{Footnote 30} On 8 March 1945 the regiment moved with the 1st Canadian Corps to North-West Europe, where it fought until the end of the war.^{Footnote 31} The overseas regiment was disbanded on 30 November 1945.^{Footnote 32}

South-West Asia

From 2002 to 2014, the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada reinforced various CAF units and provided several tank troops and Recce Sqaudrons to the Canadian Task Forces that served in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014.^{Footnote 33}