History of the 12e Régiment blindé du Canada, from 1871 to today

In 1869, four independent infantry companies were authorized in the region: at Trois-Rivières, Rivière-du-Loup-en-Haut (now Louiseville), Berthier-en-Haut (now Berthierville) and Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon. On March 24, 1871, they were grouped to form the Three Rivers Provisional Battalion of Infantry, authorized at Trois-Rivières: the regiment's date of birth.

The battalion became the 86th "Three Rivers" Battalion of Infantry on June 4, 1880, then the 86th Three Rivers Regiment on May 8, 1900. The regiment also perpetuates two units that served in the War of 1812, the 8th Battalion, Select Embodied Militia, and the Trois-Rivières Division: as a result, it carries the honorary distinction DEFENCE OF CANADA – 1812-1815.

The First World War

The regiment was not mobilized under its own name during the First World War, but it perpetuates two battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The 178th (French-Canadian) Battalion sailed for Britain on March 3, 1917; its men were absorbed by the 10th Reserve Battalion, which supplied reinforcements to the Canadian Corps on the Western Front. The 259th Battalion, Canadian Rifles, served in Siberia in 1918–1919. These perpetuations earned the regiment the battle honours AMIENS and SIBERIA 1918-19.

Between the wars

On March 29, 1920, the unit became The Three Rivers Regiment. On December 15, 1936, it was renamed The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank), one of six tank regiments created by the Canadian Army, even though these new regiments did not yet have any tanks or motor vehicles.

On September 1, 1939, the Three Rivers Regiment (Tank) was mobilized. Officially converted to armour in November 1940, it became the 12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)) on February 11, 1941, part of the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade. It sailed for Britain in June 1941 and trained there on Churchill tanks, before receiving, in 1943, the Sherman tanks it would take into battle.

Sicily, 1943

On July 10, 1943, the regiment landed in Sicily with the 1st Canadian Division's assault force during Operation Husky. On July 15, its tanks supported the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade in taking Grammichele; the regiment went on to fight at Piazza Armerina, Valguarnera, Agira, Adrano and in the Troina Valley. On August 26, 1943, it was renamed the 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment), a number still echoed today in the name of the 12^e RBC.

Italy, 1943–1945

In September 1943, the regiment crossed to Italy. In October, at Termoli, its tanks supported the British 78th Division. In December, at Ortona, they backed The Loyal Edmonton Regiment and The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada in fierce street fighting; the Canadian Army's official historian, C. P. Stacey, noted the invaluable support they provided. In the spring of 1944, the regiment fought on the Gustav Line, at Cassino and on the Hitler Line in the Liri Valley, then in June on the Trasimene Line alongside the British 4th Division. Arezzo, the advance to Florence, Monte La Pieve and Monte Spaduro followed.

The Netherlands, 1945

In March 1945, the regiment left Italy with I Canadian Corps for North-West Europe. In April, its A Squadron supported Canadian infantry in the fighting for Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands. The overseas regiment was disbanded on November 30, 1945.

In front of the armoury, a Sherman tank named "Cathy" honours the members of the regiment who died in the Second World War. The memorial was unveiled on November 13, 1955, by the veterans' association of the 12th Canadian Armoured Regiment.

The regiment went through the post-war years under several names: 46th Anti-Tank Regiment, RCA (Three Rivers Regiment) in 1946, 24th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment) in 1947, Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières (24th Armoured Regiment) in 1949 and Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières (RCAC) in 1958.

In 1968, the federal government approved the creation of French-language units in the Canadian Forces, a policy championed by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jean Victor Allard, himself a former officer of the regiment. On May 2, 1968, Le Régiment de Trois-Rivières (RCAC) was renamed the 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada. On May 6, 1968, a Regular Force component was authorized at Valcartier to give the Forces a French-speaking armoured unit: that date is now the regiment's birthday. The 12^e RBC was among the first units designated as French-language units, and the Trois-Rivières reserve component carries the suffix "(Milice)".

General Allard was Colonel of the Regiment from 1969 to 1979. In 1978, the City of Trois-Rivières granted the regiment the Freedom of the City.

The Regular Force 12^e RBC, the youngest of the Canadian Army's three regular armoured regiments, has served at home and abroad. In Quebec, it provided security during the October Crisis in 1970, the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the Oka Crisis in 1990, and helped out during the 1998 ice storm. It provided a squadron for peacekeeping in Cyprus in 1973, then served three tours there between 1977 and 1991. A battle group and several reconnaissance squadrons served in the Balkans from 1992 to 1996.

In Afghanistan, between 2004 and 2011, the regiment provided five reconnaissance squadrons and one tank squadron. On April 13, 2009, Trooper Karine Blais, 21, was killed when her armoured vehicle struck an explosive device; she was the second Canadian woman to die in combat. The regiment received the theatre honour AFGHANISTAN in 2014. In 2019, the 12^e RBC led NATO's enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia.

In Trois-Rivières, the 12^e RBC (Milice) is today an Army Reserve reconnaissance unit. Its part-time soldiers train at the armoury and in the field, notably on G-Wagon vehicles and Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicles (TAPV).

In 2021, the regiment celebrated its 150th anniversary; Canada Post issued a stamp and a commemorative envelope for the occasion. The following year saw the publication of Histoire du 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada. L'héritage militaire de Trois-Rivières (Septentrion), edited by Stéphan LeBlanc. At the armoury, the Trois-Rivières Military Museum keeps the regiment's memory alive.

• Motto: Adsum ("Present")
• Quick march: Marianne s'en va-t-au moulin
• Slow march: Quand vous mourrez de nos amours
• Alliance: Royal Tank Regiment (United Kingdom)

Battle honours in capital letters are emblazoned on the regiment's guidon.

War of 1812

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

First World War

AMIENS; SIBERIA 1918-19

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

• March 24, 1871 – The Three Rivers Provisional Battalion of Infantry is authorized at Trois-Rivières.
• June 4, 1880 – The battalion becomes the 86th "Three Rivers" Battalion of Infantry.
• May 8, 1900 – It becomes the 86th Three Rivers Regiment.
• 1905–1906 – The Trois-Rivières armoury is built.
• March 3, 1917 – The 178th Battalion, perpetuated by the regiment, sails for Britain.
• March 29, 1920 – The Three Rivers Regiment.
• December 15, 1936 – The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank).
• September 1, 1939 – The regiment is mobilized.
• February 11, 1941 – 12th Army Tank Battalion (The Three Rivers Regiment (Tank)).
• July 10, 1943 – Landing in Sicily.
• August 26, 1943 – 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment).
• December 1943 – Battle of Ortona.
• May 1944 – Fighting on the Gustav Line, at Cassino and on the Hitler Line in the Liri Valley.
• April 1945 – Fighting for Apeldoorn, in the Netherlands.
• November 30, 1945 – The overseas regiment is disbanded.
• November 13, 1955 – The Sherman tank "Cathy" memorial is unveiled in front of the armoury.
• May 2, 1968 – The regiment becomes the 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada.
• May 6, 1968 – The Regular Force component is created at Valcartier.
• 1978 – Freedom of the City granted by Trois-Rivières.
• November 2000 – The armoury is named the Général Jean-Victor Allard Armoury.
• 2014 – Theatre honour AFGHANISTAN.
• 2019 – The regiment leads NATO's battle group in Latvia.
• 2021 – The regiment's 150th anniversary.

This page is based on the following sources:

Directorate of History and Heritage, National Defence, official lineage of the 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada

The Canadian Encyclopedia, "12^e Régiment blindé du Canada"

C. P. Stacey, The Canadian Army 1939-1945, official historical summary, 1948

Canadian Army, 12^e Régiment blindé du Canada (Milice)

J. Pariseau and S. Bernier, Les Canadiens français et le bilinguisme dans les Forces armées canadiennes, vol. I, National Defence, 1987 (PDF, in French)

Veterans Affairs Canada, Three Rivers Regiment memorial

12^e Régiment blindé du Canada Association, history and traditions (in French)