Description
Physical description
badge
A horizontally oriented red diamond, printed centrally on which a dark blue tablet (H .5in x W 1.3in), on which the sans-serif letters RCD in gold, no stops between the letters.
Label
The badge is that of 1st Canadian Corps with the unit abbreviation superimposed on a central tablet.
This badge probably dates to the first period when the RCD were 1st Corps troops, January 1942 to July 1944. By March 1945 when they again became 1 Corps troops a unit distinction of this kind would not have been the officially preferred style even if it were not actually contrary to regulations.
This badge uses yellow (gold) letters because the unit was unbrigaded and part of Corps Troops, formation HQ Troops usually wearing distinctions in yellow / gold letters.
The use of distinctions superimposed onto formation patches to denote the arm of service to which units of a formation's corps and services belonged (ie: Signals, Engineers, Ordnance, Service, etc.) was a uniquely Canadian practice. The first such distinctions were granted at the end of 1940 and beginning of 1941 to the Ordnance Corps and the Engineers, followed by the Signals and Service Corps. As the number of these distinctions grew it appears that the general rule was for the corps' or service's initials to be superimposed onto the parent formation's basic patch in yellow (gold) letters. Notable exceptions were the use of a cherry bar to denote RCAMC units, the use of red and blue for RCE and the white on blue lettering for RCCS.
In April 1942 National Defence HQ in Canada notified the overseas army that shoulder titles had been approved for corps and services units (ie: RCE, RCOC, RCASC, RCAPC, RCAMC and CProC (Provost)) and recommended that these be used in conjunction with plain formation patches. This was not taken up immediately and the switch to the officially favoured style was piecemeal across the various corps and services and formations. It is worth noting that the RCEME, formed in February 1944 (some sixteen months after the British counterpart), never wore a distinction on a formation patch. By summer of 1944 distinctions on formation patches were probably the exception rather than the rule, certainly at divisional level. Notable officially sanctioned exemptions were the RCCS white letters on blue and the Army and Corps Artillery zig-zags, all of which retained their distinctions to the end of the war.
Being of printed cotton, this particular badge will date from after November 1942.
Formation patches and unit shoulder titles were produced in three materials, woollen cloth, felt and printed cotton. Of these, felt was probably the least common. Both Canadian and British firms produced the woollen versions but, particularly in Britain, there were problems with supply and with the colour-fastness of the dyes. From November 1942 a printed cotton material with a strong backing became available in the UK, often now referred to as 'canvas'. After initial production problems with skewed shapes and letters, most patches and titles produced in the UK were in this material. It was supposed not to fray, run or fade but complaints about quality began to emerge around October 1944. A request to return to wool does not appear to have been possible before the end of the war.
Unit history.
Regimental motto: none in Second World War?
The Regiment was the senior cavalry Regiment of Canada's Permanent Force and was placed on active service in September 1938. In March 1940 it provided A Squadron of the 1st Canadian Calvary Regiment (Mechanized) (1CCR(M), based in London, Ontario, a composite unit with Lord Strathcona's Horse providing B Squadron and 1 Hussars HQ and C Squadrons. In July 1940 the Regiment formed, with Lord Strathcona's Horse, the 1st Canadian Motor Cycle Regiment.
On 21 September 1940 the Regiment was mobilised as an armoured car unit, recalling its squadron from the 1CCR(M), and on 15 November 1940 was allocated to the Canadian Armoured Corps. On 11 February 1941 it was designated 1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons).
Their initial deployment was in March 1941 to the armoured division that was then forming at Camp Borden, soon to become 5th Canadian Armoured Division. They embarked with that Division for UK on 13 November 1941. In January 1942 the Regiment became the armoured car regiment of 1st Canadian Corps and after two years training went to the Mediterranean in that role, landing in Sicily on 22 October 1943.
They transferred to Italy on 5 January 1944 where they fought for a month as infantry, holding the bank of the Anielli River. Remounted, they were involved in the break through of the Hitler Line in May 1944, under command of 1st Canadian Infantry Division, becoming the reconnaissance regiment of that Division in July 1944. They took part in the attack on the Gothic Line in September then again fought as infantry from 3 December 1944 until mid January 1945.
They moved as part of Operation Goldflake to North West Europe in March 1945 where they reverted to the role of 1st Canadian Corps' armoured car regiment. On 15th April, 1945 the Dragoons liberated the city of Leeuwarden, Holland.
The Regiment returned to Canada on 15 January 1946 and remained on active service.
During Second World War the Regiment was awarded 5 DSOs, 4 MCs, 2 DCMs and 12 MMs.
History note
Associated person: John Tiffin Murray Stewart b. 1917, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. d. 6 August 1964, 47 yrs., heart attack. Service record: Gunner M 4044 RCA. 1942: Reg. H2, HQ RCA, 1st Administration Corps. RCA CASF (Canadian Active Service Force) 1st Division. 1943: Reg. H3, 3rd Field Regt. RCA CASF 1st Division. 1944: 1st A Wing. No. 1 CARU (Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit).
Family history: 11 December 1942, married Elfreda Joan, nee Knight, at Congregational Church West Wickham, Kent. 15 June 1945, returned Canada. 27 June 1946, joined by family (on board 'Letitia'). August 1948, all family return to UK ('Queen Mary'). Moved to family home, Cavendish Way, West Wickham, Kent. Subsequently bought house, Oak Avenue, Shirley, Croydon.
History note
Bibliographical sources: DISTINGUISHING PATCHES: Formation Patches of the Canadian Army. Clive M. Law. (Private) Service Publications, Nepean, Ontario, 1996. CANADA'S ARMY IN WORLD WAR II: Badges and Histories of the Corps and Regiments. F. R. Tripp. Unitrade Press, Toronto, 1983. www.army.dnd.ca/RCD/rcd/history/ww2a-e.htm (January 2006) www.rcaca.org/r-RCD.htm (January 2006)
Inscription
none