Armour School

The founder and first Commandant of what is now the Armour School was the late Major-General F.F. Worthington, CB, MC, MM, CD.

On 1 November 1936, the Canadian Tank School (CTS) was created at Wolseley Barracks in London, Ontario. It consisted of seven officers and twelve NCOs but had no tanks. The officers were rotated to Britain for training at the Royal Tank Corps School in Bovington, while the instructors attended engine maintenance courses at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario. In 1937, due to the lack of mechanized training resources in London, the entire school was moved to Camp Borden. Along with the move came a change in name. The CTS was re-designated the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicles School (CAFVS).

In 1939, following the outbreak of the Second World War, the School was renamed the Canadian Armoured Fighting Vehicles Training Centre (CAFVTC). In June 1940, the Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel Worthington, was tasked with creating an Armoured Corps for the Canadian Army. This task was well under way when, on l3 August l940, the order creating the Canadian Armoured Corps came into effect. As a result of his years of dedication and fruitful labour, Lieutenant-Colonel "Worthy" Worthington is now known as the "Father of the Armoured Corps".

During World War II the CAFVTC trained over 20,000 officers and men for the Armoured Corps. Following the war in l946, the CAFVTC in Camp Borden was re-named the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps School. In 1966, it was absorbed into the Combat Arms School (CAS) and then, in 1970, it was re-located to CFB Gagetown.

In l977, the School re-emerged as the Armour School and regained its status as a separate unit in l978. In September l986, the Armour School celebrated its 50th anniversary with parades and ceremonies in Gagetown, Borden and London.

The School is currently composed of Training Squadron, Depot Squadron, Headquarters Squadron, and a School Headquarters.

Training Squadron offers basic and advanced courses to the officers and the NCMs of the Armoured Corps in AFV gunnery, communications and driving and maintenance. As well the squadron is responsible for teaching leadership and low-level armour and reconnaissance tactics to the officers and senior NCOs of the Armoured Corps.

Headquarters Squadron is responsible for the coordination and provision of administrative and logistical support to the Armour School. Headquarters Squadron provides the AFVs and drivers to courses.

The Armour School is the "Centre of Excellence" for armour training in the Canadian Forces. Its instructors take pride in training the finest officers and crewmen to take their places in the regiments of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.