12e Régiment blindé du Canada The 12 Régiment blindé du Canada ( 12th Armoured Regiment of Canada ) is a Canadian Forces armoured regiment based in CFB Valcartier , on the outskirts of Quebec City . The regiment has both Regular Force and Primary Reserve components . The 12 Régiment blindé du Canada ' s abbreviation is 12 RBC . Both the regular and militia regiments serve mainly in the armoured reconnaissance role but a squadron of tanks is now being formed out of Valcartier . History . Its origins are in The Three Rivers Regiment , a militia ( Reserve Force ) regiment based in Trois - Rivières , a town halfway between Montreal and Quebec City . It originally formed in 1871 as the Three Rivers Provisional Battalion of Infantry . This was a new battalion headquarters that united four previously independent infantry companies that had been formed in 1869 at Trois - Rivières , Rivière - du - Loup - en - Haut , Berthier - en - Haut and Saint - Gabriel - de - Brandon . The battalion was given a number in 1880 ( 86th " Three Rivers " Battalion of Infantry ) and raised to regiment status in 1900 ( 86th Three Rivers Regiment ) . In the First World War , the Canadian militia infantry units were not mobilized , but instead new units were formed from volunteers from the militia and new recruits . The militia units generally became organizations for recruiting , induction and preliminary training . The 86th Regiment recruited the 178th " Overseas " Battalion , CEF , in 1916 . The 178th Battalion was broken up in England in 1917 , but enough of its former members fought at the Battle of Amiens ( 1918 ) that the battalion qualified for a battle honour , which the 12 RBC perpetuates . The regiment also perpetuates the 259th Battalion , Canadian Rifles , Canadian Expeditionary Force ( Siberia ) . In the post - war reorganization of the Militia , the 86th Regiment lost its number , becoming simply The Three Rivers Regiment . In the 1936 reorganization , it became an infantry tank unit , The Three Rivers Regiment ( Tank ) . In the Second World War , the regiment mobilized an armoured regiment , which sailed to England in 1941 . After two years of training , the 12th Armoured Regiment ( Three Rivers Regiment ) invaded Sicily , where it supported 1st Canadian Infantry Division throughout Operation Husky almost exclusively and gained a reputation for tenacity and courage . The 12th CTR was the first Canadian Armoured Corps unit to destroy panzers in battle ; a Panzer III and one of the Mark IV " Specials " were destroyed by its men at Grammichele on July 15 . The regiment also took part Operation Baytown , landings on the Italian mainland in September 1943 , as well and were often called upon to support British infantry battalions based on their quiet professionalism . Though the formation was originally known as 1st Tank Brigade the name was changed to 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade later on . After the war , the regiment was given a ( partially ) French name : Le Régiment de Trois - Rivières ( 24th Armoured Regiment ) . In 1968 the regiment was renamed and expanded to include a new Regular Force regiment in addition to the original Militia regiment . The Regular Force unit is called 12 Régiment blindé du Canada , and the Militia unit is named 12 Régiment blindé du Canada ( Militia ) ( or in French , " 12 Régiment blindé du Canada ( Milice ) " ) . The number in the regimental title commemorates the Second World War unit , 12th Armoured Regiment ( Three Rivers Regiment ) . Battle honours . The Great War : Amiens , Sibérie 1918 - 19 The Second World War : Débarquement en Sicile , Grammichele , Piazza Armerina , Valguarnera , Agira , Adrano , Vallée du Troina , Sicile 1943 , Termoli , Le Ravin , Ortona , Cassino II , Ligne Gustav , Vallée du Liri , Ligne Hitler , Ligne Trasimene , Arezzo , L ' Avance à Florence , Monte La Pieve , Monte Spaduro , Italie 1943 – 1945 , Apeldoorn , Nord - Ouest de L ' Europe 1945 1 . awarded for service of 178th ( Canadien - Français ) Battalion , CEF . Trois - Rivières Military Museum . The museum collects , preserves , researches , interprets and exhibits artifacts which reflect the military history of Trois - Rivières , the 12th Armoured Regiment ( Three Rivers Regiment ) story and the history of the Canadian Militia . The museum serves as a training medium to teach regimental history , and to stimulate and foster within the general public an ongoing interest in the regiment , its activities and accomplishments . The Museum is affiliated with : CMA , CHIN , OMMC and Virtual Museum of Canada . Order of precedence . Regular Force . While the regiment is the oldest of the Regular Force armoured regiments , its Regular Force component takes its precedence from its date of entry into the Regular Force ( 1968 ) . The Reserve Force component continues to take its precedence from 1871 within the Reserve Force .