4th Canadian (Armoured) Division

4th Canadian (Armoured) Division
4th Canadian Armoured Division formation patch
Active	1940–1946
Country	Canada
Allegiance	British 21st Army Group.
Branch	Canadian Army
Type	Armoured Division
Engagements	Battle of Normandy Battle of the Scheldt
Commanders
Notable commanders	George Kitching Chris Vokes

The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division was created by the conversion of the 4th Canadian Infantry Division at the beginning of 1942 in Canada. The division proceeded overseas in 1942, with its two main convoys reaching the United Kingdom in August and October.

The division spent almost two years training in the UK before crossing to Normandy in July 1944. In UK, it did participate in war games together with the 1st Armoured Division (Poland), and in France, Low Countries, and Germany, both divisions followed very close paths. It participated in the battle of the Falaise pocket, the advance from Normandy and spent almost two months engaged at the Breskens pocket. It wintered in the Netherlands and took part in the final advance across northern Germany.

Formation

1944–1945

4th Canadian Armoured Brigade 

• 21st Armoured Regiment (The Governor General's Foot Guards)
• 22nd Armoured Regiment (The Canadian Grenadier Guards)
• 28th Armoured Regiment (The British Columbia Regiment)
• The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor)

Formation sign used to identify vehicles of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division

10th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Lincoln and Welland Regiment
• The Algonquin Regiment
• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise's)
• 10 Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)

Other units 

• 29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (The South Alberta Regiment)
• "D" Squadron, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment (The Elgin Regiment), Canadian Armoured Corps
• 15th Field Regiment, RCA
• 23rd Field Regiment, RCA
• 5th Anti-tank Regiment, RCA
• 8th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, RCA
• 4th Canadian (Armoured) Divisional Signals, R.C. Sigs
• No. 4 Defence and Employment Platoon (Lorne Scots)
• 12 Light Field Ambulance, RCAMC
• No. 8 Provost Company, Canadian Provost Corps

Commanding Officers

Date	General Officer Commanding
10 Jun 1941 - 24 Dec 1941	Major General L.F. Page, DSO
2 Feb 1942 - 29 Feb 1944	Major General F.F. Worthington, CB, MC, MM
1 Mar 1944 - 21 Aug 1944	Major General George Kitching, DSO
22 Aug 1944 - 30 Nov 1944	Harry W. Foster, CBE, DSO
1 Dec 1944 - 5 Jun 1945	Major General Chris Vokes, CBE, DSO

David Vivian Currie VC

David Vivian Currie VC was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in command of a battle group of tanks from The South Alberta Regiment, artillery, and infantry of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada at St. Lambert-sur-Dives, during the final actions to close the Falaise Gap. This was the only Victoria Cross awarded to a Canadian soldier during the Normandy campaign (from 6 June 1944 to the end of August 1944), and the only VC ever awarded to a member of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.

The then 32 year-old Currie was a Major in The South Alberta Regiment. During the Battle of Falaise, Normandy, between 18–20 August 1944, Currie was in command of a small mixed force of tanks, self-propelled anti-tank guns and infantry which had been ordered to cut off one of the Germans' main escape routes.

After Currie led the attack on the village of St. Lambert-sur-Dives and consolidated a position halfway inside it, he repulsed repeated enemy attacks over the next day and a half. Despite heavy casualties, Major Currie's command destroyed seven enemy tanks, twelve 88 mm guns and 40 vehicles, which led to the deaths of 300 German soldiers, 500 wounded and 1,100 captured. The remnants of two German armies were denied an escape route.

Gallery

• 

  Members of the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division demonstrating the use of flame throwers across a canal, Maldegem, October 1944.

• 

  Armoured cars in the Belgian-Dutch border town of Putte – 11 October 1944

• 

  Major David V. Curry (with pistol), accepting the surrender of German troops at St. Lambert-sur-Dives, France, 19 August 1944. This photo captures the actions that led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross

• 

  Canadians enter Bergen-op-Zoom, early November 1944

• 

  War Memorial in Moerbrugge

• 

  Plaque on the World War II Memorial in Moerbrugge

See also

• Friesoythe
• Christopher Vokes

External links

• Lieutenant Charles Pearson: The Lincoln and Welland Regiment's WWII Campaign