108th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps 108th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps ( The Lancashire Fusiliers ) ( 108 RAC ) was an armoured regiment of the British Army ' s Royal Armoured Corps during World War II . Origin and traditions . 108th Regiment RAC was formed at Barnard Castle on 1 November 1941 by the conversion to the armoured role of 1 / 5th ( Bury ) Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers , a first line Territorial Army infantry battalion . 1 / 5th Battalion had been serving in 125th Infantry Brigade of 42nd ( East Lancashire ) Infantry Division , which were redesignated 10th Armoured Brigade and 42nd Armoured Division respectively . All three regiments in the brigade were drawn from the Lancashire Fusiliers and underwent simultaneous conversion ( the other two became 109 RAC and 143 RAC ) . The regiment was intensely proud of its Lancashire Fusiliers heritage , and always included the name in its RAC designation . Soon after its conversion , the 108th ' s officers were ordered to wear the black beret of the RAC with their battledress uniform ; but in common with other infantry units transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps , personnel would have continued to wear their Lancashire Fusiliers cap badge on the beret . 108 RAC also continued the Lancashire Fusiliers ' commemoration of Gallipoli Day ( 25 April ) and Minden Day ( 1 August ) . Minden Day was celebrated by Trooping the Colour , a drum - head service , and regimental sports , followed by the officers visiting the men at dinner . Training . In January and February 1942 the regiment began to receive its first Covenanter tanks , some ' in extremely poor condition ' . In May 1942 , 10th Armoured Brigade was converted into 10th Tank Brigade . This meant that its role was changed from Cruiser to Infantry tank s , and 108 RAC began to receive Valentines and Churchills in place of Covenanters , which were passed on to the newly formed 1st Polish Armoured Division . The brigade also moved to the ' Dukeries ' area of Nottinghamshire where RAC infantry tank training was carried out : 108 RAC moved to Rufford Abbey in June 1942 . In October 1942 , 10th Tank Brigade was attached to 48th ( South Midland ) Division , a Reserve infantry division tasked with holding and training reinforcements . In December the Brigade and its regiments were given the role of producing drafts for RAC units serving overseas . Consequently , in January 1943 108 RAC reorganised into three training wings : The regiment now held a very mixed collection of tanks , including Cruiser Mk I , Cruiser Mk II , Cruiser Mk II a , Cruiser Mk III , Cruiser Mk IV , and Covenanters , Valentine and Churchill infantry tanks , and later some Sherman V s . Throughout 1943 , men were posted into the regiment from RAC training regiments , and posted out to drafts for overseas service . Disbandment . In August 1943 , rumours began to circulate that 10th Tank Brigade was scheduled for disbandment . Members of Parliament for the Lancashire towns complained about the possible loss of their TA battalions , and a recruiting team arrived to persuaded men to volunteer for the Parachute Regiment if the brigade disbanded . Although 10th Tank Brigade brigade moved to Wensleydale in September , with 108 RAC at Wensley village , the impending disbandment was confirmed shortly afterwards . On 22 November the final announcement was received that 108 RAC would be disbanded by the end of the year , and 1 / 5th Lancashire Fusiliers would go into a state of suspended animation . Some officers were sent for retraining as infantry officers , but most of the officers and other ranks were posted to other RAC units or training regiments , with a few wireless operators transferring to the Royal Corps of Signals and gunners to the Royal Artillery . Postwar , 5th Lancashire Fusiliers was reconstituted in the TA 1947 .