5th Royal Tank Regiment (5 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army in existence for 52 years, from 1917 until 1969. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as E Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917.
At the Battle of Cambrai in late 1917, during World War I, the squadron of tanks led by Arthur George Griffiths made a huge impact on the battle. The commanding general asked for the squadron of tanks to be doubled in size, and so Griffiths's squadron evolved into the 5th Tank Regiment.
The regiment saw wide-ranging service in World War II and fought in nearly all of the major allied campaigns, from the 1940 retreat from France through to the North African Campaign, Normandy and on into Germany.[1] It became part of the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the 7th Armoured Division.
[Acquisition]: Issued to members that are part of the 5th Royal Tank Regiment.