The 8th Armoured Brigade was an
armoured
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
formed in August 1941, during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and active until 1956. The brigade was formed by the renaming of
6th Cavalry Brigade, when the
1st Cavalry Division based in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
(of which it was part) converted from a motorised formation (having been horse-mounted until January 1940) to an armoured unit, becoming
10th Armoured Division.
North Africa
Operation Supercharge
![2 Battle of El Alamein 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/2_Battle_of_El_Alamein_001.png)
In February 1942, the 8th Armoured Brigade moved to the
Khatatba
Khatatba is a town in the Monufia Governorate in Lower Egypt, 43 kilometers north of the Egyptian capital Cairo. It is just above the Khatatba Canal which branches off the Nile River.
History
Historically, the town served the role of a departure ...
region of the Western Desert. After a period of training, the Brigade first went into action at the end of August 1942 at Bir Ridge at the
Battle of Alam el Halfa
The Battle of Alam el Halfa took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942 south of El Alamein during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. '' Panzerarmee Afrika'' (''Generalfeldmarschall'' Erwin Rommel), attempted an envelopme ...
.
The
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...
lasted from 23 October to 5 November 1942 and was a watershed in the
Western Desert Campaign. the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
victory at El Alamein ended
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
*Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinate ...
hopes of occupying
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, controlling access to the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
and gaining access to Middle Eastern oil fields. The defeat at El Alamein marked the end of Axis expansion in Africa. Following the
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert campaign of the Second World War, fought in Egypt between Axis (German and Italian) forces of the Panzer Army Africa—which included the under Field Marshal ...
, which had stalled the Axis advance,
Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Bernard Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...
took command of the
British Eighth Army
The Eighth Army was an Allied field army formation of the British Army during the Second World War, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns. Units came from Australia, British India, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Free French Forces, ...
from
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, (21 June 1884 – 23 March 1981), was a British Army commander during the Second World War. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he rose to become Commande ...
in August 1942.
For the first night of the offensive, Montgomery planned that four infantry divisions from Lieutenant-General
Oliver Leese
Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Baronet, (27 October 1894 – 22 January 1978) was a senior British Army officer who saw distinguished active service during both the world wars. He is probably most notable during the ...
's
XXX Corps would advance on a front, to an objective codenamed the Oxalic Line, over-running the forward Axis defences. The
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
would clear and mark two lanes through the minefields, through which the armoured divisions from Lieutenant-General
Herbert Lumsden
Lieutenant-General Herbert William Lumsden, & Bar, MC (8 April 1897 – 6 January 1945) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both the First and Second World Wars. He commanded the 1st Armoured Division in the Western Desert campai ...
's
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
would pass to gain the Skinflint Report Line, where they would check and report their progress, and the Pierson Bound, where they would rally and temporarily consolidate their position in the Axis defences until the infantry battle had been won.
[Dear (2005), p.254] Commanded by
Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
Edward C. N. Custance, the 8th Armoured Brigade was equipped with and when it took part in Operation Supercharge, better known as the Battle of El Alamein.
Order of Battle, October 1942
*
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (3 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army in existence from 1917 until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corp ...
*
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...
*
Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment)
The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) was a unit of the British Army. Raised in 1794 following Prime Minister William Pitt's order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain from foreign invasion, the Staffordshir ...
* 1st Battalion,
Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...
*
1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
*
97th (Kent Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
The Kent Yeomanry was an artillery regiment of the Territorial Army (TA) formed in 1920 by the amalgamation of the Royal East Kent (The Duke of Connaught's Own) Yeomanry (Mounted Rifles) and West Kent Yeomanry (Queen's Own). For the Second Wor ...
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry found a gap in the Axis defences and an attack was made that broke through and started the rout of the ''
Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
''. The Brigade was then ordered to find the southern flank of the Axis defences. Driving across country it moved into the desert reaching the coast road at Galal and the German retreat was cut in two. Here, the Brigade destroyed a large number of enemy guns and transport without loss and took 1,000 prisoners.
Early in November, the Brigade reached the defences of
Mersa Matruh
Mersa Matruh ( ar, مرسى مطروح, translit=Marsā Maṭrūḥ, ), also transliterated as ''Marsa Matruh'', is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located west of Alexandria and east of Sallum on the main highway ...
and was ordered to halt; the rest of Eighth Army moved past. The 10th Armoured Division was ordered back to Egypt taking, 1st Royal Horse Artillery (1st R. H. A.) with them, leaving the 8th Armoured Brigade to become an independent brigade.
At the end of November, the brigade came under the command of the
7th Armoured Division, the famous
Desert Rats
The 7th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War, where its exploits in the Western Desert Campaign gained it the ''Desert Rats'' nickname.
After the Muni ...
and was involved in the battles around
El Agheila
El Agheila ( ar, العقيلة, translit=al-ʿUqayla ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from ...
. This battle opened the road past Marble Arch to
Nofaliya
Nofaliya or Nawfaliya ( ar, النوفلية ''Nawfalīyah'') is a town in the desert in the Sirte District of Libya. It is west of Libya's major oil ports.
It is located in the former Bin Jawad District, around 20 km west of Bin Jawad and 1 ...
, which was entered without opposition.
On 15 January, the attack on the
Buerat
Buerat, or Buerat el Hussoun ( ar, بويرات الحسون), is a village in western Libya, some west of Sirte.Salem Mohammed ez Zawwam, "Al Mu'jam Al Jughrafi lil Amakin Allibiya", Dar wa Maktabat Ash Sha'b lin Nashr wa Tazee', Misrata, Libya, ...
–
Bungem line was launched. Then followed battles against a series of rear-guard positions at
Wadi Zem Zem, where anti-tank guns and tanks were dug in on the reverse slope,
Sedada and
Tarhuna
Tarhuna (; ar, ترهونة), also Tarhoona or Tarhunah, is a Libyan town to the southeast of Tripoli, in the Murqub District. The city derives its name from that of its pre- Roman-era inhabitants, a Berber tribe. The city was known as al-Bo ...
, where the hilly nature of the country assisted Axis delaying tactics. Tarhuna was the first civilian-occupied town to be captured by the brigade and it was surrendered by the Burgomaster to the Staffordshire Yeomanry. On 23 January, the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment entered Tripoli in the wake of the 11th Hussars. On 24 January, a composite force consisting of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, 1st Buffs,
5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...
and 7th Medium Regiment RA advanced to the
Zavia area, south-west of Tripoli.
The Brigade was then rested before starting the campaign in Tunisia.
Tunisia and the Mareth Line
![Tunisia30Janto10Apr1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Tunisia30Janto10Apr1943.jpg)
The Brigade took advantage of new equipment and it became normal for the brigade to allocate infantry companies to armoured regiments, forming Armoured Regimental groups. At the start of operations at the
Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by France in southern Tunisia in the late 1930s. The line was intended to protect Tunisia against an Italian invasion from its colony in Libya. The line occupied a point where the routes into T ...
, the Brigade was formed as follows:
On 14 March 1943, the Brigade passed from the command of
XXX Corps to the
New Zealand Corps
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-Ge ...
, joining the
2nd New Zealand Division
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry Division (military), division of the New Zealand Army, New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the World War II, Second World War. The division was ...
, the
Free French
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
, General
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque
Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque (22 November 1902 – 28 November 1947) was a Free-French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal ...
's forces from
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
(L Force) and the
1st Free French Brigade.
Following the failure of the frontal attack on the
Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by France in southern Tunisia in the late 1930s. The line was intended to protect Tunisia against an Italian invasion from its colony in Libya. The line occupied a point where the routes into T ...
during the
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisian campaign (also known as the Battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the World War II, Second World War, between Axis powers, Axis and Allies of World War II, Allied ...
by XXX Corps, an attempt was made by the New Zealand Corps to outflank the Axis positions in
Operation Supercharge II. Initially unsuccessful, the
1st Armoured Division was despatched to reinforce this "Left-Hook". On 26 March, the brigade was launched towards
El Hamma
El Hamma ( ar, الحامة ') is an oasis town located in the Gabès Governorate, 30 kilometers west of Gabès, Tunisia and near the eastern end of Chott el Fejej. Its population in 2014 was 73,512.
Etymology
The Arabic name ( حامة ) come ...
and penetrated deep into the
Switch Line.
Having gained all their objectives, the brigade drove through the gap and the Axis forces, pressed by a fresh frontal attack and in danger of being encircled, withdrew some north-westwards to defensive positions around Wadi Akarit.
At the
Battle of Wadi Akarit
The Battle of Wadi Akarit (Operation Scipio) was an Allied attack from 6 to 7 April 1943, to dislodge Axis forces from positions along the Wadi Akarit in Tunisia during the Tunisia Campaign of the Second World War. The Gabès Gap, north of the tow ...
, which occurred from the brigade first came up against the
Tiger I
The Tiger I () was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted ...
(''Panzerkampfwagen'' VI Tiger I). The Brigade, still supporting 2nd New Zealand Division, was next involved in the battles at
Enfidaville and
Takrouna Takrouna ( Berber: ⵜⴰⴽⵔⵓⵏⴰ ; Arabic: تكرونة) also spelled as ''Ta Kurunna'', is a small village in the Sahel region of Tunisia. It stands on a hill at approximately 200 metres above sea level, overlooking the Gulf of Hammamet, ...
. Following the capitulation of the Axis forces in North Africa on 13 May, the Brigade slowly made its way back to the Nile delta and then was transferred to Britain, arriving on 9 December 1943. After an extended leave, the brigade reassembled in the New Year and was informed of its role in the forthcoming
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
.
The high level of experience gained by the brigade in North Africa contrasted with many of the other armoured units earmarked for the invasion; some of whom had not seen action since the fall of France in 1940. In an attempt to equalise the level of experience across the brigades, an exchange of units took place in February 1944, the
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (3 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army in existence from 1917 until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corp ...
was exchanged with the
29th Armoured Brigade, part of the inexperienced
11th Armoured Division
The 11th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army which was created in March 1941 during the Second World War. The division was formed in response to the unanticipated success of the German panzer divisions. The 11th Armou ...
, for the
24th Lancers
The 24th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army that existed from late 1940 to mid-1944. Assigned to the 8th Armoured Brigade, the regiment fought during the Invasion of Normandy before being disbanded in July 1944. After disbandme ...
and the
Staffordshire Yeomanry
The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) was a unit of the British Army. Raised in 1794 following Prime Minister William Pitt's order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain from foreign invasion, the Staffordshir ...
was exchanged with the
27th Armoured Brigade for the
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change ...
. Shortly thereafter, Brigadier
Bernard Cracroft assumed command of the brigade, which now comprised:
Order of Battle D-Day
*
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change ...
(4/7 DG)
*
24th Lancers
The 24th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army that existed from late 1940 to mid-1944. Assigned to the 8th Armoured Brigade, the regiment fought during the Invasion of Normandy before being disbanded in July 1944. After disbandme ...
(24L)
*
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...
(SRY)
*
147th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
The Essex Yeomanry was a Reserve unit of the British Army that originated in 1797 as local Yeomanry Cavalry Troops in Essex. Reformed after the experience gained in the Second Boer War, it saw active service as cavalry in World War I and as ar ...
* 12th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
* 168th (City of London) Light Field Ambulance
* 552nd Company
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and dom ...
* 8th Armoured Brigade Workshops R.E.M.E.
* 265th Forward Delivery Squadron.
While the staffs were involved in the planning of the invasion, the men took part in intensive training exercises.
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
Gold Beach
Gold Beach
Gold, commonly known as Gold Beach, was the code name for one of the five areas of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. Gold, the central of the five areas, was lo ...
was the Allied codename for the centre invasion beach during the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
on 6 June 1944. It lay between
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach was one of five beach landing sectors designated for the amphibious assault component of operation Overlord during the Second World War. On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded German-occupied France with the Normandy landings. "Omaha" r ...
and
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five beaches of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War. The beach spanned from Courseulles, a village just east of the British beach Gold ...
, was 8 km wide and divided into four sectors. From west to east they were How, Item, Jig, and King.
The landing area was defended by elements of Generalleutnant Wilhelm Richter's
716th Static Infantry Division and the 1st Battalion of the 916th Infantry Regiment, which had been detached from Generalleutnant Dietrich Kraiss's
352nd Infantry Division.
Gold Beach was allocated to the
British Second Army
The British Second Army was a field army active during the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front throughout most of the war and later active in Italy. During the Second World War the army ...
's
XXX Corps. The actual assault was to be made by
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...
, which had been reinforced with
56th Independent Infantry Brigade and supported by the 8th Armoured Brigade. The Division's primary objective was to seize the town of Bayeux, the Caen-Bayeux road, and the port of Arromanches; the secondary objectives being to make contact with the Americans landing at Omaha Beach to the West and the Canadians landing at Juno Beach to the East.
The
231st Infantry Brigade
The 231st Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in both the First and the Second World Wars. In each case it was formed by redesignation of existing formations. In the First World War, it fought in Palestine ...
, followed by the 56th Infantry Brigade, landed in the west, with
DD tank
DD or Duplex Drive tanks, nicknamed "Donald Duck tanks", were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War. The phrase is mostly used for the Duplex Drive variant of the M4 Sherman medium tank, that w ...
s from the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers) in support. The assault battalions were the 1st Battalion,
Hampshire Regiment
The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regi ...
on Jig Green (west side) and the 1st Battalion,
Dorset Regiment
The Dorset Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958, being the county regiment of Dorset. Until 1951, it was formally called the Dorsetshire Regiment, although usually known as "The Dorsets". In 1 ...
on Jig Green (east side).
The
69th Infantry Brigade, followed by
151st Infantry Brigade, landed in the east with DD tanks from the
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change ...
in support. The assault battalions were the 5th Battalion,
East Yorkshire Regiment
The East Yorkshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1685 as Sir William Clifton's Regiment of Foot and later renamed the 15th Regiment of Foot. It saw service for three centuries, before eventually being ...
on King Red and the 6th Battalion,
Green Howards
The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under vario ...
on King Green.
The Landings
![Sherman tank of 24th Lancers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Sherman_tank_of_24th_Lancers.jpg)
H-Hour for the Gold beach landing was set for 0725 hours. For the first time in history, tanks were to lead an assault from the sea on all sectors of the beaches. The secret of the "Duplex Drive" had been well kept, for the German appreciation was that they would have no tanks thrown against them during the first five hours. Unfortunately, the sea conditions in the 50th Division sector were adjudged too rough and the tanks were not launched 2 miles out as planned, but a couple of hundred yards from the shore. In spite of this, the 4/7 DG lost 5 and the SRY 8 in the breakers. Throughout the day both Regiments had all three squadrons continually committed, supporting in turn 231st Infantry Brigade, 151st Infantry Brigade and 69th Infantry Brigades. Night fell with all objectives obtained, all tanks committed and no reserves on shore.
Operation Perch
Following the failure of the
British 3rd Infantry Division to capture Caen on 6–7 June, the new plan envisioned
I Corps I Corps, 1st Corps, or First Corps may refer to:
France
* 1st Army Corps (France)
* I Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* I Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French A ...
and XXX Corps striking south to encircle the city and for the landing of the
1st Airborne Division, codenamed Operation Wild Oats. I Corps would form the eastern pincer, XXX Corps the western and the paratroopers would land between the two to complete the encirclement of the city and to prevent any German withdrawal from Caen. The
51st (Highland) Infantry Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
from I Corps was to push south out of the Orne bridgehead to capture the town of Cagny six miles southeast of Caen.
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...
and 8th Armoured Brigade were ordered to strike south from their lodgement created on 6 June to capture the town of Bayeux (another D-Day objective which had not been captured) and then capture the town of
Tilly-sur-Seulles
Tilly-sur-Seulles (, literally ''Tilly on Seulles'') is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
Events
Each year, the international motocross takes place.
See also
*Communes of the Cal ...
. Once Tilly-sur-Seulles had been captured, the
7th Armoured Division would pass through the 50th (Northumbrian) and push south to capture the town of
Villers-Bocage before turning east to capture the town of
Évrecy
Évrecy () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions ...
.
[Forty (2004), p. 36][Ford, p. 32]
During the remainder of the month, the brigade was deployed in support of
49th and 50th Divisions. Fighting was almost continuous in the area from
Rauray,
Vendes
Vendes () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, o ...
,
Tessel Wood and
Fontenay,
Lingèvres
Lingèvres () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regi ...
,
Cristot and
Le Parc du Bois Londes.
Casualties were heavy and 124 tanks were put out of action in 25 days. The brigade claimed 86 tanks and Self Propelled Guns destroyed, knocked out or captured during the same period.
One of the casualties during the early
fighting in Normandy was the English war poet,
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Keith C. Douglas, killed by mortar fire on 9 June.
Race for the Seine and beyond
Order of Battle 1944–1945
*
4th/7th Dragoon Guards (4/7 DG)
*
13th/18th Hussars (13/18 H)
*
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...
(SRY)
*
147th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
The Essex Yeomanry was a Reserve unit of the British Army that originated in 1797 as local Yeomanry Cavalry Troops in Essex. Reformed after the experience gained in the Second Boer War, it saw active service as cavalry in World War I and as ar ...
* 12th (
Queen's Westminsters
The Queen's Westminsters were an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originally formed from Rifle Volunteer Corps, which were established after a French invasion scare of 1859. The unit became part of the newly e ...
) Battalion,
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...
(K.R.R.C.)
The 13th/18th Hussars had now joined the Brigade from the disbanded
27th Armoured Brigade, replacing the disbanded 24th Lancers. Brigadier
Erroll Prior-Palmer, the former commander of the disbanded 27th Armoured Brigade, assumed command of 8th Armoured Brigade.
The orders for the next battle were being given out. The Brigade, less 13th/18th Hussars, was to support the
43rd (Wessex) Division
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...
. The 13th/18th Hussars were to support the 50th (Northumbrian) Division, whose objective was the ridge known as
Butte du Mont a Vent, ground which dominated that over which the rest of the Brigade were to fight. The 13/18 H and 50th Division captured
Amaye-sur-Seulles, while the SRY, with the 7th Battalion,
Hampshire Regiment
The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regi ...
mounted on their tanks, captured
Jurques.
La Bigne
La Bigne () is a former commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of oversea ...
and
Loisonniers were also both secured and, in fighting around
Le Plessis Grimault, the Brigade captured a
Tiger II
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,'' Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: "armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...
.
Under the command of 50th Northumbrian, the 4/7 DG were involved in very heavy fighting in the capture of
St Pierre La Vieille. The drive south to
Conde sur Noireau or
Operation Black-water followed. The continuous fighting in support, alternately, of two divisions had its effect; casualties had been heavy. The
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922 by the amalgamation of the 5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons. It served in the Second World W ...
and the
86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery who, like the Essex Yeomanry, had
Sexton self-propelled 25 pounders, were placed under command.
On 17 August, again under 43rd Division, the Sherwood Rangers were involved in the crossing of the
River Noireau. By the evening of the 17th, the infantry had joined them in the
St Honorine area, well beyond the river, and a great battle which had lasted for nineteen days and had caused many casualties, came to an end.
Crossing the Seine
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards carried out an operation to clear the forest of Laigle and then pressed on to the Seine at Vernon. For three whole days the remainder of the Brigade remained static. The river-crossing operation that followed was mounted from a point 120 miles west of the river. The 43rd Division completed the approach march in 36 hours, crossing the 200-yard wide river from the centre of
Vernon within 2 hours of their arrival. The assault, led by the tanks of the 4/7 DG on rafts, was launched at 1900hrs on 25 August under an intense artillery barrage and smoke screen. Other tanks drove down all streets leading to the West bank at zero hour, opening fire at point blank range across the river.
Casualties in men and equipment were considerable, but within 72 hours the bridgehead was over 4 miles deep and the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
had constructed a 680-foot folding bridge over which the remaining tanks of the 4/7 DG were able to cross.
Now the Brigade was again to be given an independent role. Instructions from
General Horrocks were to cross the river immediately, to fork right and open up the route to the
Somme for the
Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was created in the United Kingdom on 17 June 1941 during the Second World War from elements of the Guards units, the Grenadier G ...
.
The SRY, 12th K.R.R.C and 13/18 H were moved across on the afternoon of 28 August, at the same time the 4/7 DG reverted to Brigade command. At dawn on the 29th, the Brigade advanced. The axis lay along the valley of the tributary river
Epte
The Epte () is a river in Seine-Maritime and Eure, in Normandy, France. It is a right tributary of the Seine, long. The river rises in Seine-Maritime in the Pays de Bray, near Forges-les-Eaux. The river empties into the Seine not far from Givern ...
towards
Dangu and
Gisors
Gisors () is a Communes of France, commune of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, France. It is located northwest from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris.
Gisors, together with the neighbouring communes of Trie-Château and Trie-la-Vill ...
, the road dominated by high ground on both sides. The SRY made a left flanking attack through the
Bois de Baquet to come in behind the enemy at
St Remy, the 13/18 H reached Dangu by nightfall. The next morning the 4/7 DG took the lead and entered
Gisors
Gisors () is a Communes of France, commune of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, France. It is located northwest from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris.
Gisors, together with the neighbouring communes of Trie-Château and Trie-la-Vill ...
unopposed.
On 31 August, the Brigade joined up with
11th Armoured Division
The 11th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army which was created in March 1941 during the Second World War. The division was formed in response to the unanticipated success of the German panzer divisions. The 11th Armou ...
on the Somme at
Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
and next morning the Brigade crossed on a narrow bridge to the west of Amiens and continued the advance on the left of the 11th Armoured Division. By evening, the 13/18 H were through
Doullens
Doullens (; pcd, Dourlin; former nl, Dorland) is a commune in the Somme department, Hauts-de-France, France.
Its inhabitants are called ''Doullennais'' and ''Doullennaises''.
Geography
Doullens is situated on the N25 road, in the northern ...
, where a rearguard action had been fought at the crossing of the river
Authie. The 4/7 DG had experienced some fighting at
Vignacourt
Vignacourt () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Vignacourt is situated northwest of Amiens, on the D12 and D49 junction.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Somme department
The follow ...
and
Canapples on the left but, by evening, they too were up to the
Authie.
XXX Corps continued its advance, with Guards Armoured Division to the right and 11th Armoured Division to the left. A column composed of 8th Armoured Brigade, with 50th
Reconnaissance Regiment and the 9th
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...
under command, provided left flank protection. Two squadrons of the 4/7 DG and two companies of the 12th K.R.R.C reached the centre of
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
, the fourth biggest town in France, without further enemy opposition.
Beyond Brussel and Antwerp
While Brussels and Antwerp had been liberated by the Guards Armoured Division and 11th Armoured Division, German troops were reported moving east in northern Belgium. The 8th Armoured Brigade, with elements of 50th Northumbrian Division, were deployed to form a flank guard screen between
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
and
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
.
On 7 September, orders were received for the Brigade to march with all speed to the
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal (, ) is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, which was named for King Albert I of Belgium. The Albert Canal connects Antwerp with Liège, and also the Meuse river with the Scheldt river. It also connects with the Dessel ...
at
Beringen, where they were to support the Guards Armoured Division in an attempt to turn the left flank of
German 719th Division, who were holding the north bank. The Sherwood Rangers were placed under the command of 50th Northumbrian Division to assault across the Canal further west at
Gheel
Geel () is a city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp, which acquired city status in the 1980s. It comprises Central-Geel which is constituted of 4 old parishes a/o towns: Sint-Amand, Sint-Dimpna, Holven and Elsum. Further on around the cen ...
. By midday on 8 September, the leading elements of the 4/7 DG and 12th K.R.R.C were over the canal. The Brigade was now stood down for the first period of rest since D-Day.
Market Garden
![Market-Garden - Karte Plan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Market-Garden_-_Karte_Plan.png)
Operation Market Garden (17–25 September 1944) was intended to secure a series of bridges over the main rivers of the German-occupied Netherlands to allow rapid advance by armoured units through large-scale use of airborne forces.
The operation was initially successful, with the capture of the Waal bridge at
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
on 20 September. But it was a failure overall, since the planned Allied advance across the Rhine at
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
had to be abandoned. The
British 1st Airborne Division did not secure the bridge at Arnhem and, although they managed to hold out near the bridge far longer than planned, the British XXX Corps failed to relieve them.
After four days of rest, the Brigade moved off after the Guards Armoured Division, who were to link up with the Airborne forces that had dropped at
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[Grave
A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...]
,
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
and
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
in operation "Market Garden". A night march brought the 4/7 DG to Nijmegen, where the bridges over the Waal had been captured the previous day by the
82nd Airborne Division
The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...
supported by the Guards Armoured Division.
On the evening of 23 September, B Sqn of the 4/7 DG, carrying troops from the 5th
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry (DCLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1959.
The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, by the merger of the 32nd (Cornwall Light ...
on their tanks, formed a column and having broken the ring round the Nijmegen bridge moved at speed round the west of Elst for the north edge of "The Island" opposite Arnhem. The plan succeeded and, shortly after dark, the leading Troop made contact with the Polish paratroops, who were on the south bank of the Neder Rijn, and the much needed stores and ammunition were handed over in
DUKW
The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the -ton CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military during World War II and the Korean War.
Designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Step ...
s.
The 13/18 H was involved in operations against the village of
Elst with the 4th
Wiltshire Regiment
The Wiltshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 62nd (Wiltshire) Regiment of Foot and the 99th Duke of Edinburgh's (Lanarkshire) Regiment of Foot.
The r ...
, and also in the clearing of ground to the West with
130th Infantry Brigade. To the southeast of Nijmegen, the SRY made history, in company with the US 82nd Airborne Division, by capturing the village of Beek and establishing itself as the first British troops to enter Germany.
The Brigade now became responsible for the "Western Approaches"; the 12th K.R.R.C. and 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment were deployed in defence along an extended front, which was subject to frequent raids.
October was spent on the defensive, which included
blunting the German counterattack against the Nijmegen salient. On 18 October, the formation handed over the responsibilities for the "Western Approaches" to the US
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
and took over a similar responsibility on the "Western Approaches" to Nijmegen. Throughout the period, one regiment supported the 43rd Division to the southeast of Nijmegen overlooking the Reichswald Forest, one regiment remained with the US
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
and the third rested west of the town.
The line held by 8th Armoured Brigade stretched approximately 15 miles along the Maas and the Waal. The troops consisted of the 12th K.R.R.C., 43rd Reconnaissance Regiment, a Sqn of the
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regiment) is part of the Royal Air Force and functions as a specialist corps. Founded by royal warrant in 1942, the Corps carries out soldiering tasks relating to the delivery of air power. Examples of such ta ...
and members of the
Dutch Resistance.
At the conclusion of the battle, the Brigade now became Corps mobile reserve.
Into Germany
Operation Clipper
Operation Clipper was the code name for an assault on the Siegfried line. It was conducted by the British XXX Corps (which included the U.S. 84th Infantry Division) to reduce the Geilenkirchen salient between 18 and 22 November 1944. The operation was carried out by two divisions, the
43rd (Wessex) Division
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...
, and the
83rd Infantry Division (United States)
The 83rd Infantry Division ("Thunderbolt") was a formation of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.
World War I
The division was activated in September 1917 at Camp Sherman, Ohio. It was initially made up of enlisted draftees ...
(Railsplitters) supported by the brigade. Extensive use was made of specialised tanks,
Sherman Crab
A mine flail is a vehicle-mounted device that makes a safe path through a minefield by deliberately detonating land mines in front of the vehicle that carries it. They were first used by the British during World War II.
The mine flail consists of ...
'Flails' of the
Lothians and Border Horse
The Lothians and Border Horse was a Yeomanry regiment, part of the British Territorial Army. It was ranked 36th in the Yeomanry order of precedence and was based in the Scottish Lowland area, recruiting in the Lothians – East Lothian (Had ...
to clear minefields,
Churchill Tank
The Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22) Churchill was a British infantry tank used in the Second World War, best known for its heavy armour, large longitudinal chassis with all-around tracks with multiple bogies, its ability to climb steep slopes, a ...
'Crocodiles' to attack pillboxes and
Grant
Grant or Grants may refer to:
Places
*Grant County (disambiguation)
Australia
* Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia
United Kingdom
*Castle Grant
United States
* Grant, Alabama
*Grant, Inyo County, C ...
Canal Defence Light
The Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War, based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on a tank. It was intended to be used during night-time attacks, when the light would allow enem ...
tanks to assist night operations. Heavy rain hampered operations in particular armoured mobility. Despite all original objectives not being taken, the purpose of the attack was achieved, allowing US forces room to manoeuvre as part of
Operation Queen
Operation Queen was an American operation during World War II on the Western Front at the German Siegfried Line.
The operation was aimed against the Rur River, as a staging point for a subsequent thrust over the river to the Rhine into Germany ...
.
Operation Blackcock
![Roer Triangle Map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Roer_Triangle_Map.jpg)
Operation Blackcock was the code name for the clearing of the Roer Triangle formed by the towns of Roermond, Sittard and Heinsberg. It was conducted by the British Second Army between 14 and 26 January 1945. The objective was to drive the German 15th Army back across the Rivers Rur and Wurm and move the frontline further into Germany. The operation was carried out under command of Lieutenant General
Neil Ritchie
General Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie, (29 July 1897 – 11 December 1983) was a British Army officer who saw service during both the world wars. He is most notable during the Second World War for commanding the British Eighth Army in the North Af ...
's
XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
, by three divisions, the
7th Armoured Division, the
52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was originally formed as the Lowland Division, in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It later became the 52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland ...
and the
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...
. The operation, named after the Scottish black male grouse, is relatively unknown despite the sometimes fierce battles that were fought for each and every village and hamlet within the "Roer Triangle".
The brigade was now under the command of XII Corps. The next operation, known as "Blackcock", was to begin as soon as the ground, by now completely snow-covered, would carry tanks. Its object was to destroy all German troops east of the Koer between Roermond, Geilenkirchen and Sittard. The SRY was to support the 52nd (Lowland) Division in a frontal attack, while the rest of the brigade, with the
155th Infantry Brigade under command, was to operate independently under 7th Armoured Division. The plan was to follow close on the heels of the 7th Armoured Division, break-out at the northern end of the line and then to turn sharp right, coming down behind all the German positions confronting the 52nd (Lowland) Division.
![The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 B13924](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/The_British_Army_in_North-west_Europe_1944-45_B13924.jpg)
The 4/7 DG fought their way forward throughout the night of the 18 and crossed the brook with success, by morning they were on the outskirts of
Konigsbosch. Further efforts were made to cross throughout the day but they had to be abandoned due to enemy resistance. The operations of the 4/7 DG with the 4th Battalion,
King's Own Scottish Borderers
The King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSBs) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. On 28 March 2006 the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own ...
in the rear of the German line had great effect and the frontal attack by 52nd (Lowland) Division met with little resistance. On the evening of 19 January the SRY made contact with the 4/7 DG.
The remainder of the brigade was withdrawn and came under command of the 52nd (Lowland) Division, and the 13/18 H were pushed through to exploit the success of the other two regiments.
Reichwald Forest
The
Reichswald Forest lies in Germany, to the east of
Nijmegen
Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...
and between the Rivers Rhine and
Maas. The area is wooded and liable to flooding. In 1945, the winter had been wet and the German defenders had allowed the rivers to flood, thus negating the Allied advantages in armour and manpower. They had also had some weeks to prepare their defences and towns had been turned into fortresses.
The Brigade reverted to the command of
XXX Corps and moved north via
Turnhout
Turnhout () is a Belgium, Belgian Municipalities in Belgium, municipality and city located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the city of Turnhout proper. ...
. Within a week, the concentration of troops was complete and at 0530 hours on the morning of 8 February the greatest bombardment in history was opened up. Every type and size of weapon took part in a bombardment, which lasted five hours. The Brigade's tanks fired an average of 300 rounds per gun. Progress was made on all fronts for the first six miles. but
53rd (Welsh) Division
The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...
failed to capture
Cleves
Kleve (; traditional en, Cleves ; nl, Kleef; french: Clèves; es, Cléveris; la, Clivia; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century ...
and the important
Marterborn feature. The 43rd Division, with the 8th Armoured Brigade in support, was brought up and, after a fight, Cleve was in British hands. The 4/7 DG and the
214th Infantry Brigade fought through
Marterborn to the ground overlooking the Cleve – Goch Railway.
The German reaction was to blow the dykes along the Rhine and masses of water swept across the flat valley, subsidiary dykes burst and the link with Nijmegen, the road through
Kranenburg, was flooded to a depth of 3 feet.
To the east of the Cleve, during four days and four nights, the Brigade supported each Infantry Brigade of the 43rd Division in turn in a continuous assault on the position. On the fifth day, the German resistance broke and the 4/7 DG with 214th Infantry Brigade took over 1,000 prisoners.
The Brigade, together with the 53rd (Welsh) division, began operations on 24 February to drive southeast astride the river Niers and to capture
Weeze
Weeze (, Dutch: ''Wees'') is a municipality in the Lower Rhine (Niederrhein) region, in the northwestern part of North Rhine-Westphalia in the district of Kleve in the region of Düsseldorf.
The municipality consists of the town of Weeze and th ...
. Under difficult going, a halt was called until the
51st (Highland) Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
and
British 3rd Division came up level. Two days later, a further assault upon the Weeze defences was launched, supported by flame-throwing tanks. By dark, the town was surrounded on three sides and during the night patrols entered the outskirts.
The Brigade, less 13/18 H, and with 1st Battalion,
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II.
The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...
under command advanced through Weeze by early afternoon and entered
Kevelaer
Kevelaer ( Low Rhenish: ''Käwela'') is a town in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is the largest Catholic pilgrimage location within north-western Europe. More than 1 million pilgrims, mostly from Germany and t ...
early next morning and the 4/7 DG with 1st Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry pushed on to
Geldern
Geldern ( nl, Gelderen, archaic English: ''Guelder(s)'') is a city in the federal German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is part of the district of Kleve, which is part of the Düsseldorf
administrative region.
Geography
Location
Geldern l ...
. On the outskirts of Geldern, the 4/7 DG and B Coy,
12th
12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6.
It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...
encountered tank fire on the outskirts of Geldern and then discovered that their opponents were the leading elements of the
Ninth United States Army
The Ninth Army is a field army of the United States Army, garrisoned at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States Army Service Component Command of United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM or AFRICOM).
Activated just eight weeks bef ...
. This constituted the first link-up between the British and American forces.
The following day the Brigade was informed they were required for Operation "Plunder", the crossing of the Rhine.
Operation Plunder
Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir
Miles Dempsey
General Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey, (15 December 1896 – 5 June 1969) was a senior British Army officer who served in both world wars. During the Second World War he commanded the Second Army in north west Europe. A highly professional an ...
(
Operation Turnscrew,
Operation Widgeon, and
Operation Torchlight), and the US
Ninth Army, (
Operation Flashpoint
''Operation Flashpoint'' (also ''Arma: Cold War Assault'') is a series of military simulation games. The first game, '' Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis'' and its expansion '' Operation Flashpoint: Resistance'', was developed by Bohemia In ...
), under Lieutenant General
William Simpson. XVIII US Airborne Corps, consisting of
British 6th Airborne Division
The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...
and US
17th Airborne Division, conducted
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest air ...
. All of these formations were part of the
21st Army Group
The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...
under Field Marshal Sir
Bernard Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and t ...
. This was part of a coordinated set of Rhine crossings.
The 8th Armoured Brigade now had four Armoured Regiments, as the Staffordshire Yeomanry returned under Brigade command after they had converted to Duplex Drive tanks under the
79th Armoured Division
The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist armoured division of the British Army created during the Second World War. The division was created as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944, D-Day.
Major-General Percy Hob ...
. The Brigade was to support
51st (Highland) Division
The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front in France during the First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was raised in 1908, upon the creation of the Territorial Force, as ...
in the Rhine crossing.
On 23 March, at 2100 hours, the leading elements of 51st (Highland) Division crossed the Rhine in assault craft just north of
Rees. They were followed by the DD tanks of C Sqn, Staffordshire Yeomanry. The remainder of the Regiment crossed at first light and were up with the infantry before any enemy counter-attack could be launched. On the evening of 24 March, the 4/7 DG began to cross, followed in the next two days by the 13/18 H and the SRY. On 27 March, Brigade HQ, 12th K.R.R.C. and the Essex Yeomanry made the crossing. For seven days the Brigade then supported 51st (Highland) Division, 43rd Division and the
9th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that saw active service during World War I and World War II as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The brigade fought on the Western Front during World War I ...
, who were involved in fighting within the bridgehead. On 28 March,
Ijsselburg was captured and the road from
Anhoh to
Gendringen
Gendringen is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is in the municipality of Oude IJsselstreek, about southeast of Doetinchem and northwest of the German city Bocholt. It has approximately 4400 inhabitants.
In the Middle Ages, G ...
was in allied hands.
![IWM-NA-24043-Priest-Kangaroo-Conselice-19450413](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/IWM-NA-24043-Priest-Kangaroo-Conselice-19450413.jpg)
On 30 March, the Brigade moved forward with 4th
Somerset Light Infantry
The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Some ...
in
Kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
personnel carriers under command. By evening, the outskirts of
Varsseveld
Varsseveld is a town in the Netherlands, located in the Dutch municipality of Oude IJsselstreek.
History Middle Ages
At the start of the twelfth century, Varsseveld was part of the County of Lohn, a county within the Holy Roman Empire with its se ...
were reached and 12th K.R.R.C. were in
Silvolde
Silvolde (West Low German: ''Sillevolde'') is a village in the Achterhoek and is part of the municipality Oude IJsselstreek.
School
There are several schools in Silvolde, those are:
* de Plakkenberg (elementary school)
* de Drie Linden (elementar ...
.
The next objective was to seize a crossing of the
Twente Canal at
Lochem
Lochem () is a city and municipality in the province of Gelderland in the Eastern Netherlands. In 2005, it merged with the municipality of Gorssel, retaining the name of Lochem. As of 2019, it had a population of 33,590.
Population centres
The ...
. At dawn on 31 March, a battle took place at
Ruurlo
Ruurlo is a village and former municipality in the province of Gelderland in the eastern part of the Netherlands.
The town has a station on the Zutphen to Winterswijk railway line, and is served by trains every half-hour in both directions. In th ...
, but the advance continued to
Lochem
Lochem () is a city and municipality in the province of Gelderland in the Eastern Netherlands. In 2005, it merged with the municipality of Gorssel, retaining the name of Lochem. As of 2019, it had a population of 33,590.
Population centres
The ...
and the Brigade covered 25 miles during the day. The next objective was to capture crossings south of
Delden
Delden is a city in the Dutch province of Overijssel and, since 2001, in the municipality of Hof van Twente. It received city rights in 1333. Twickel Castle is a famous landmark near Delden.
Before it became a part of Hof van Twente in 2001, Del ...
. The 12th K.R.R.C. advanced towards Delden, and the next day linked up with the forward troops of
4th Canadian Armoured Division
Fourth or the fourth may refer to:
* the ordinal form of the number 4
* ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971
* Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision
* Fourth (music), a musical interval
* ''The Fourth'' (1972 film), a Sovie ...
advancing from their bridge-head over the Twente Canal. The advance continued with the objective being
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
, still over 100 miles distant. The Brigade was next deployed to support
214th Infantry Brigade with 13/18 H and
129th Infantry Brigade with 4/7 DG. The SRY was placed in reserve with
130th Infantry Brigade.
On 11 April, 130 Infantry Brigade and the SRY took the lead and two days later were on the outskirts of
Kloppenburg, where fighting continued into the night before the town fell. The last main road from Bremen to the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
had been severed. On the same day the 8th Armoured Brigade, with 4/7 DG, 12th K.R.R.C. and Essex Yeomanry, was placed under command of
British 3rd Infantry Division, which was some 75 miles away to the east. The SRY and 13/18 H were left with 43rd (Wessex) Division.
3rd Division were engaged with the enemy in the numerous villages south of Bremen and on 15 April a series of attacks began. After several days of fighting, 3rd Division had captured all the ground south of the flooded area. It was now decided to cross the
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
upstream at
Verden, where a bridge had been secured, and to attack
Bremen
Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
from the east. The 52nd (Lowland) Division were to attack with their left on the river, while 43rd Division were to be on their right supported by 8th Armoured Brigade, less 4/7 DG who were to remain with 3rd Division.
On 4 May, Brigade HQ was at the village of
Rhadereistedt, when the following message was received from the Commander XXX Corps: ‘’Germans surrendered unconditionally at 1820 hours. Hostilities on all Second Army front will cease at 0800 hours tomorrow 5 May 45. NO repeat NO advance beyond present front line without orders from me.’’
Occupation of Hannover
The 8th Armoured Brigade was to proceed south and take over Hannover from the United States Army. Brigade HQ moved to the city on 17 May, the Regiments on 19 May, and the Brigade took over the responsibility for Hannover Stadtkreis and Landkreis on 22 May, from the US
84th Infantry Division.
Hannover which had housed 475,000 inhabitants was now 75% destroyed and still held 300,000 Germans. All rail lines were severed and canals were filled with bridge wreckage, all important roads were cratered. A critical food situation was not simplified by the lack of officials, all prominent
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
having decamped.
When some order had been restored, it was found that the Brigade was responsible for 45,000 displaced persons of 22 nationalities in 361 camps. All were in rags and hungry, sanitation was a thing of the past and most of their huts were suffering from bomb damage. In addition, there were 2,000 Polish former prisoners of war, whose condition was hardly better than the displaced persons, and 22,000 German prisoners of war.
To replace losses and changes, the
107 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.A.,
113 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment R.A,
5th Reconnaissance Regiment and
4th (Durham) Survey Regiment R.A. came under command of the Brigade. The
Staffordshire Yeomanry
The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) was a unit of the British Army. Raised in 1794 following Prime Minister William Pitt's order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain from foreign invasion, the Staffordshir ...
returned to the Brigade and the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry also rejoined the formation at Hannover. The 13th/18th Hussars had left to join
5th Infantry Division in a permanent post-war role of Divisional Cavalry.
Soon the news was received that the Brigade was to disband and that the Yeomanry Regiments were to pass into a state of "suspended animation". At the end of January, the 12th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps disbanded and during February all ranks of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and the Staffordshire Yeomanry were posted away or discharged. The Headquarters disbanded on 20 March 1946.
After the reformation of the
Territorial Army in 1947, it joined the
49th Armoured Division as 8th (Yorkshire) Armoured Brigade. The Brigade left the 49th Division in 1956, and later disbanded.
Order of battle, Second World War
The Brigade was composed as follows during the war:
[Joslen, p. 160]
*
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry (SRY) was a British Yeomanry regiment. In 1967 it was amalgamated with other units to form the Royal Yeomanry (RY), a light cavalry regiment of the Army Reserve. Originally raised as the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cav ...
(''until 30 August 1945'')
*
Staffordshire Yeomanry
The Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen's Own Royal Regiment) was a unit of the British Army. Raised in 1794 following Prime Minister William Pitt's order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain from foreign invasion, the Staffordshir ...
(''until 13 February 1944'')
*
Royal Scots Greys
The Royal Scots Greys was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1707 until 1971, when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) to form the Royal Scots Dragoon Guard ...
(''until 30 June 1942'')
*
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (3 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army in existence from 1917 until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corp ...
(''from 12 July 1942 until 6 February 1944'')
*
24th Lancers
The 24th Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army that existed from late 1940 to mid-1944. Assigned to the 8th Armoured Brigade, the regiment fought during the Invasion of Normandy before being disbanded in July 1944. After disbandme ...
(''from 8 February 1944 until 29 July 1944'')
*
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment of the British Army formed in 1922. It served in the Second World War. However following the reduction of forces at the end of the Cold War and proposals contained in the Options for Change ...
(''from 27 February 1944'')
*
13th/18th Royal Hussars
The 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it amalgamated wit ...
(''from 29 July 1944'')
* 1st Battalion,
Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...
(''from 14 March 1942 until 17 June 1943'')
* 7th Battalion,
Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Rifle ...
(''from 1 July 1943 until 3 November 1943'')
* 12th (
Queen's Westminsters
The Queen's Westminsters were an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originally formed from Rifle Volunteer Corps, which were established after a French invasion scare of 1859. The unit became part of the newly e ...
) Battalion,
King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...
(''from 11 March 1944'')
Commanders
The following officers commanded the
Brigade during the war:
*
Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
L.S. Lloyd (''until 2 October 1941'')
*
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
R.C. Cooney (''
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad r ...
, from 2 to 21 October 1941'')
* Brigadier E.C.N. Cunstance (''from 21 October 1941 until 24 January 1943'')
* Brigadier C.B.C. Harvey (''from 24 January 1943 until 4 October 1943'')
* Brigadier O.L. Prior Palmer (''from 4 October 1943 until 12 November 1943'')
* Colonel R.C. Joy (''acting, from 12 November 1943 until 10 January 1944'')
* Brigadier J.H. Anstice (''from 10 January 1944 until 18 March 1944'')
* Brigadier H.F.S. Cracroft (''from 18 March 1944 until 3 July 1944'')
* Colonel A.D.R. Wingfield (''acting, from 3 to 18 July 1944'')
*
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...
R.G. Byron (''acting, from 18 to 29 July 1944'')
*
Brigadier G.E. Prior Palmer (''from 29 July 1944'')
Order of battle, 1947
*
Yorkshire Hussars
The Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) was an auxiliary unit of the British Army formed in 1794. The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry (Yeomanry) in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars and served in the Second Boe ...
, York
*
Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons
The Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons was a yeomanry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1794 to 1956. It was formed as a volunteer cavalry force in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars. Its volunteer companies played an active role ...
, Doncaster
*
East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry
The East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry was a unit of the British Army formed in 1902.
Units of Yeomanry Cavalry were raised in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the 18th and early 19th centuries at times of national emergency: the Jacobite Rising ...
, Hull
*
45th (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment
The 45th (Leeds Rifles) Royal Tank Regiment (45 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army that fought at the Battle of Alamein during World War II and continued to serve during the 1950s.
Origin
In April 1938, the 7th (Leed ...
Major Formations 8th Armoured Brigade served under
North Africa
*
Eighth Army
*
X Corps 10th Corps, Tenth Corps, or X Corps may refer to:
France
* 10th Army Corps (France)
* X Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
Germany
* X Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
*
XXX Corps
*
New Zealand Corps
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-Ge ...
*
10th Armoured Division
*
7th Armoured Division
*
2nd New Zealand Division
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry Division (military), division of the New Zealand Army, New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the World War II, Second World War. The division was ...
North West Europe
*
Second Army
* XXX Corps
*
XII Corps 12th Corps, Twelfth Corps, or XII Corps may refer to:
* 12th Army Corps (France)
* XII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XII (1st Royal Saxon) Corps, a unit of the Imperial German Army
* XII ...
*
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division
The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...
*
49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...
*
43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an infantry division of Britain's Territorial Army (TA). The division was first formed in 1908, as the Wessex Division. During the First World War, it was broken-up and never served as a complete formatio ...
*
52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
The 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was originally formed as the Lowland Division, in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. It later became the 52nd (Lowland) Division in 1915. The 52nd (Lowland ...
*
3rd Infantry Division
See also
*
British Armoured formations of World War II
During the Second World War the British Army deployed armoured divisions and independent armoured and tank brigades.
Background
During the interwar period, the British Army examined the lessons learnt from the First World War; and a need was seen ...
*
List of British brigades of the Second World War
This is a list of British Brigades in the Second World War. It is intended as a central place to access resources about formations of brigade size that served in the British Army during the Second World War.
* List of British airborne brigades o ...
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
* http://www.warlinks.com/armour/8th_armoured/chapter_1.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080621202423/http://warchronicle.com/staffsyeo/historiantales_wwii/northafricareg.htm
* https://web.archive.org/web/20080423181344/http://warchronicle.com/units/British/contents.htm
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:8 Armoured
Armoured brigades of the British Army
Armoured brigades of the British Army in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1941
Military units and formations disestablished in 1956