originally formed as the canadian cavalry corps in 1910, canada's first tank units were not raised until late in 1918. initially these units were considered to be part of the machine gun corps and the 1st canadian tank battalion, 2nd canadian tank battalion and the 3e bataillon de chars d'assaut were all too late to join the fighting in the first world war. however, the 1st canadian tank battalion was still training in mark v tanks in the u.k. when the canadian tank corps was finally authorized two days after the armistice. it seems like tanks were forgotten by the cavalry after the war. although, in the 1930s there were some small attempts at mechanization with motorcycles, experimental armoured cars and the purchase of a few tracked carden-loyd machine gun carriers for training. however, the first tanks since the first world war did not arrive until a few machine gun armed vickers mark vi light tanks appeared just one year before canada went to war with germany again. from these modest beginnings the modern canadian armoured corps began on 13 august 1940 with major-general (then colonel) f. f. worthington as its first colonel-commandant. over the course of the war from 1939 to 1944, the armoured corps gradually took over responsibilities from other corps, such as tank regiments all being converted to armoured regiments, the transition of infantry reconnaissance battalions to the armoured corps, as well as anti-armour responsibilities from the artillery corps. towards the close of the second world war, the corps was subsequently bestowed the honour of the 'royal' designation by king george vi in 1945.