The second most important artifact from the Second World War, after the guidon, is a Sherman tank named "Bomb" which landed in Normandy on 6 June and served on the front lines throughout the campaigns until May 1945 in Germany without being destroyed or knocked out.

With about three hours of daylight remaining and three companies of North Nova Scotias riding on their tanks, the SFR passed through the assault battalions’ forward lines and fought their way southward toward their D-Day objectives.

Travelling by Jeep, Brown, his batman and driver Lt Grainger, and a passenger LCpl Greenwood, turned a corner and immediately encountered a German patrol.

However, this action and the next month of skirmishing blunted half an enemy division, prevented them from attacking into the beachhead, and remained a preoccupation for the German leadership.

[17] Modern-day researchers, writing in French, have identified numerous crossings pushed by Canadian engineers over the Orne River, including photo comparisons to the Ogilivie work.

Over two weeks’ of fighting in mid-July, Canadian infantry were thrown toward the small towns and dominating high features south of Caen, including Verrières Ridge.

While the overall operation did not achieve all of its objectives, the Germans had had to contain aggressive attacks across a wide front and were left so badly weakened that the next battles were decisive.

The Sherbrooke tanks were placed behind stone walls with holes knocked out for firing positions about 300 m broadside to the German platoon's axis of advance.

However this claim is unsupported with no documentation and is dismissed as speculative by most historians The 1985 investigation of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeonanry included a War Diary entry were Tiger tank numbers 312, 007 and 314 were recorded after the battle.

Therefore, on 18 August, the SFR could field 38 fit tanks not including the two at the regimental Light Aid Detachment (LAD) on two-days availability.

Other regiments involved in heavy combat equally received large numbers of replacement tanks in short order.

The Liaison was a series of leapfrog battles to clear a long narrow river valley further west of the Caen to Falaise road.

After reviewing the last two months of fighting, the commander of II Canadian Corps, Lieutenant General Guy Simonds decided that to keep the enemy off balance, he needed to leapfrog German lines with half-squadrons of tanks, mechanized engineers, self-propelled artillery and infantry in armoured personnel carriers, grouped into fighting columns.

By 21 August, SFR tanks and infantry of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, closed one of the last routes in or out of the pocket near Hill 258 northeast of Trun, near Les Champeaux.

In the weeks that followed, the SFR refitted with replacement tanks and crews, worked on lessons learned, and halted when ordered due to fuel shortages.

Despite the teamwork of the British, Polish and Canadians to clear the banks of the Scheldt, the enemy consolidated their resistance along the only axis available.

[30] Canadian and British forces, mostly infantry supported by artillery, and direct fire from tanks, struggled across terrible conditions to clear German defenders little by little from the shores and islands between Antwerp and the North Sea.

Through November and December after the intense actions to clear the Scheldt, the Canadians were ordered to move towards the Meuse (Maas) delta, a comparatively quiet sector held by the American 82nd Airborne and replace a British Guards regiment, which gave the SFR time to rest and receive training on new techniques.

The front was still active, but generally static due to badly damaged roads, large flooded areas, and winter conditions.

Throughout January and February 1945, the whole regiment or individual squadrons were moved around the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Division areas, and were often assigned direct and indirect fire tasks against enemy positions.

As late winter arrived, significant Canadian forces, with attached British divisions mounted Operations Veritable and Blockbuster to push into heavily defended German territory.

[31] Early in the morning on 1 March 1945, supported by artillery fire and a troop of tanks from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, The Essex Scottish Regiment attacked the northern part of the forest.

Squadrons of the SFR supported Canadian infantry clearing the German town of Emmerich on the eastern shores of the Rhine River (March – April 1945).

Zutphen was notable for the close cooperation between pioneers and tankers to create small water crossings which were then successfully exploited.

The Dutch town of Deventer was cleared by Canadian infantry and a handful of SFR tanks from B Squadron; the enemy quickly fled.

[35] Although this was the last battle honour awarded the SFR, the remainder of April and May saw sharp enemy defensive actions and Canadian dashes to seize territory, with the associated drain on lives, men and material.

This tank survived from D-Day to VE-Day without being knocked out, an improbable achievement given the high casualty rate amongst front-line combat equipment.

In 2003, it received expert refinishing and repainting by Canadian Forces maintainers from CFB Valcartier,[39] but by 2011 that work had deteriorated, and Bomb was removed from her plinth.

Extensive cleaning and repainting with the correct markings was completed at 202 Workshop Depot in Longue-Pointe Garrison, and in September 2011 Bomb was relocated to the front lawns of the William Street Armoury in Sherbrooke.

[40] Bomb was the subject of a Canadian Army Film and Photographic Unit production entitled Green Fields Beyond (number 2090) in 1945.