2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade The 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade was composed of the 6th , 10th and 27th Canadian Armoured Regiments and saw service in north - west Europe during the Second World War , landing in Normandy on D - Day and remaining in combat up to VE - Day . History . Soon after 3rd Canadian Tank Brigade assumed the designation in summer 1943 of the original 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade , the new 2nd Tank was redesignated and reorganized as 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade . Although reorganized as an armoured brigade , no motor battalion served under its command . The brigade was assigned to the British 2nd Army in January 1944 to train for the upcoming amphibious assault in Normandy . This formation rarely fought as an entity . Its primary role was infantry support and thus its regiments were usually individually tasked out to infantry units to participate in particular operations . One of the occasions when the Brigade did undertake an operation on its own , Le Mesnil - Patry / Rots on 11 June 1944 , ended with only a partial success and severe losses to the Canadians . Following the landing in Normandy , the brigade fought at Caen , advanced across France and Belgium , and took part in operations in the Netherlands and Germany while supporting operations of the Canadian 1st Army and the British 2nd Army . Formation . Formed as the 2nd Canadian Army Tank Brigade on 26 January 1942 , this formation consisted of the 24th Army Tank Battalion ( Les Voltigeurs de Québec ) ( replaced in June 1942 by the 20th Army Tank Regiment ( 16 / 22 Saskatchewan Horse ) ) , 23rd Army Tank Battalion ( The Halifax Rifles ) , and the 26th Army Tank Battalion ( The Grey and Simcoe Foresters ) . Equipped with Ram II tank s , in the autumn of 1942 the brigade trained at the newly opened Meaford AFV range on Georgian Bay where the Halifax Rifles had the honour of conducting the first field exercise . European deployments . United Kingdom . In June 1943 the brigade was dispatched to the United Kingdom . The following month came an intensive inspection of the units of this brigade and of the 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade by Lieutenant - General Harry Crerar , the commander of I Canadian Corps . The purpose of the inspection was to determine which of the two brigades would remain on the order of battle since there was only room for one such formation . The brigade chosen was the 3rd : The 1st Hussars , The Fort Garry Horse , and The Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment . The 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade was raised on 1 January 1943 following a reorganization of the Canadian Armoured Corps in Britain . It adopted the designation 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade ( 2 CAB ) after it was selected by Lieutenant - General Crerar to remain on the order of battle . In August 1943 it was selected to be part of the D - Day invasion force in support of the units of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division . D - Day . The brigade ' s three regiments landed in Normandy on D - Day . Unlike their peers in the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade , who were usually paired with their division ' s 10th Canadian Infantry Brigade , the 2nd was paired with any infantry who were in need of armour support . This formation rarely fought as an entity . Its primary role was infantry support and thus its regiments were usually individually tasked out to infantry units to participate in particular operations . One of the occasions when the Brigade did undertake an operation on its own , Le Mesnil - Patry / Rots on 11 June 1944 , ended with only a partial success and severe losses to the Canadians . 2 CAB fought in the North West Europe Campaign longer than any other armoured formation , from D - Day to VE Day , suffering 435 fatal casualties in total .