Canadian Armoured Corps ‘1st Canadian Corps’ – Battle Dress 1943

Original WWII Canadian Armoured Corps ‘1st Canadian Corps’ Battle Dress jacket. The battle dress jacket belonged to a Major in the Canadian Armoured Corps of the 1st Canadian Corps, the tunic is a 1943 dated example with the early plastic shoulder strap buttons. All the insignia are machine applied and the badges have nicely sunken into the wool. To both sides English-made embroidered Canadian Armoured Corps titles and 1st Canadian Corps patches made of wool with paper-backing, very nice! The right sleeve features a four-years overseas service chevrons. And to both shoulder straps the Major rank insignia in yellow for Armoured Corps. The collar has been opened up for a more stylish look, as worn with a shirt and tie.

This original tunic looks even better in person than in the photos—its quality and details are hard to fully capture in images.

1st Canadian Corps into battle:
On 28 January 1944, 1st Canadian Corps Headquarters (now as part of the British Eighth Army) moved north to Rocca San Giovanni in the Ortona sector and relieved 5th British Corps in its defensive mission, with 1st Canadian Division and 8th Indian Division under command. When the 5th Canadian (Armoured) Division arrived in late February 1944, the 8th Indian Division moved to the British 13th Corps. In March and April 1944, the corps moved to the Foggia Plain, and rested and trained for the Liri Valley battle.

After action in the Liri Valley in May and June 1944, the corps went into reserve, and a second infantry brigade was created within the 5th Armoured Division. The corps returned to the Adriatic sector in August 1944 and saw action at the Gothic Line, and the Rimini Line during August and September, with the corps finally going into reserve at the end of October. Action followed again in December, with the corps assuming a defensive posture on 30 December. Small attacks were continued into January, however, to provide a satisfactory winter defensive line. After the first week of January, a 27 mile front was settled into. On 10 February 1945, the corps received instructions to move into Army Group reserve, and 1st Division passed into the control of V British Corps, being relieved by 27 February 1945.

Northwest Europe
The Corps was now ordered to rejoin the First Canadian Army in NW Europe, and the headquarters moved from Ravenna to Naples by road on 13 February, sailing for Marseilles, France on 22 February and disembarking on the 24th. The headquarters then travelled by convoy to Renaix, Belgium, and came under command of First Canadian Army once again, itself becoming operational on 15 March 1945. 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade came under corps command once more. 5th Canadian Armoured Division came under command in February, and when 1st Canadian Division arrived in March, came under 2nd Canadian Corps for its first operation before coming back under command of 1st Corps on 13 April 1945.

Major operations of 1st Canadian Corps in the last month of the war included the liberation of Arnhem and the crossing of the Ijssel.

The corps headquarters moved to Hilversum, Netherlands after VE-Day, helping control the repatriation of German forces from their area of responsibility, and was officially disbanded by General Order 388/45 effective 17 July 1945.