22nd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
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The 22nd 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 f ...
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 ...
that saw service during and after 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 ...
. The brigade was formed on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939 from Territorial Army (TA) armoured regiments. It saw a considerable amount of action during the war, beginning with the Western Desert Campaign where it was engaged in
Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...
and at the Battles of
Gazala Gazala, or ʿAyn al-Ġazāla ( ), is a small Libyan village near the coast in the northeastern portion of the country. It is located west of Tobruk. History In the late 1930s (during the Italian occupation of Libya), the village was the site 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 ...
, First Alamein and Alam el Halfa. It then joined the 7th Armoured Division (the 'Desert Rats') for 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 ...
. It remained part of 7th Armoured for the rest of the war, including the campaigns in
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
North West Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...
. It continued in the postwar TA until 1956. The brigade's identity was re-established in the
Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregulars, irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenary, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the ...
between 1981 and 1993.


Mobilisation

22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade (the 'Heavy' was dropped on 14 April 1940) was formed at the outbreak of 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 ...
on 3 September 1939 with the mobilisation of three part-time
Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...
regiments of the Territorial Army (TA):
2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a volunteer yeomanry regiment which, in the 20th century, became part of the British Army Reserve. It traced its origins to the First or Cheltenham Troop of Gloucestershire Gentleman and Yeomanry raised in ...
(RGH), 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) and 4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) (CLY).Joslen, pp. 168–9. On 15 January 1940 it joined 2nd Armoured Division in Northern Command. Because 1st Armoured Division in France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) had first call on scarce resources, the equipment of 2nd Armoured Division and its units proceeded slowly during the
Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germa ...
period. When the
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
was lost and the BEF was being evacuated from Dunkirk (without its equipment) at the end of May, the incomplete 2nd Armoured Division was the only armoured formation available to Home Forces. It was moved into the area between
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
and
Newmarket, Suffolk Newmarket is a market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk, England. Located (14 miles) west of Bury St Edmunds and (14 miles) northeast of Cambridge. It is considered the birthplace and global centre of thoroughbred hor ...
, to be ready to counter-attack in the event of invasion.Joslen, p. 16. As the threat of invasion of the United Kingdom receded, it became possible to spare more troops and equipment to reinforce Middle East Forces facing the Italians. Most of 2nd Armoured Division was sent out on 26 October 1940, but 22nd Armoured Brigade remained in the UK, having been transferred to 1st Armoured Division. It adopted the new organisation for an armoured brigade, which included a battalion of motorised infantry (2nd
Kings 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 ...
). 10th 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 ...
provided the brigade's transport.


North Africa

By the summer of 1941 the Italians in
Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
had been reinforced by General
Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
's
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 ...
and the tide had turned against the British forces (most of 2nd Armoured Division was captured on 8 April). The Defence Committee of the British
War Cabinet A war cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war to efficiently and effectively conduct that war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers, although it is quite common for a war cabinet to have senior ...
decided to send out 22nd Armoured Brigade as soon as possible. It was recognised that the brigade had been trained in an anti-invasion role and would require a certain amount of preparation on arrival – in desert navigation, for instance. Its new
Crusader tank Crusader, in full "Tank, Cruiser Mk VI, Crusader", also known by its General Staff number A.15, was one of the primary British cruiser tanks during the early part of the Second World War. Over 5,000 tanks were manufactured and they made imp ...
s would also require modification for desert conditions. But the Defence Committee hoped that the brigade would reach
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 ...
by mid-September and be ready for action by 1 November. In fact, the convoy carrying 22nd Armoured Brigade sailed (without its motor battalion) on 15 August, and after rounding the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
it finally arrived in Egypt on 2 October. The start of Eighth Army's counter-offensive (
Operation Crusader Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert Campaign during the Second World War by the British Eighth Army (United Kingdom), Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) ...
) had to be put off until mid-November.


Operation Crusader

The brigade joined 7th Armoured Division for Operation Crusader. Reinforced by C Battery, 4th
Royal Horse Artillery The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) was formed in 1793 as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery (commonly termed Royal Artillery) to provide horse artillery support to the cavalry units of the British Army. (Although the cavalry link ...
and a Troop of D Battery, 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, the brigade's role was to find and destroy the enemy armour. Eighth Army's advance began at dawn on 18 November and had approximately reached its first day's objectives by evening, but mechanical breakdowns had already reduced 22nd Armd Bde's tank strength from 155 to 136 runners. Next day it was reconnoitring forward towards Bir el Gub when the divisional commander arrived and ordered it to attack the Italian
Ariete Division The C1 Ariete ( en, battering ram) is the main battle tank of the Italian Army, developed by Consorzio Iveco Oto Melara (CIO), a consortium formed by IVECO and OTO Melara. The chassis and engine were produced by Iveco, while the turret and fir ...
. The inexperienced Yeomanry attacked impetuously, and after driving in the Italian covering troops came under heavy fire from the prepared positions behind. When it broke off the attack the brigade had lost 25 tanks, but had destroyed 34 Italian medium tanks, damaged 12 others and knocked out 12 guns. On 20 November the Afrika Korps counter-attacked and 22nd Armoured Bde was recalled from Bir el Gub to take part in the imminent armoured battle. It arrived too late to influence the indecisive battle. The garrison of
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
began its breakout next day, and the Afrika Korps hurried north to prevent this, pursued by Eighth Army's armour, including 22nd Armoured Bde. However the pursuers were held up by rearguards, boggy ground, and the need to refuel. Over the next few days there was confused fighting round Sidi Rezegh airfield that reduced 22nd Armd Bde's fighting strength from 79 to 34 tanks by the end of 22 November. Next day it did its best to hold off a renewed
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-coordinat ...
attack, but lost another third of its tanks. The fighting round Sidi Rezegh ended when Rommel sent the Afrika Korps on a 'Dash to the Wire', driving eastwards behind Eighth Army towards the Egyptian frontier. The crippled British armoured formations could do little about it, though Tobruk was relieved. By the time the brigade rejoined the fighting on 22 December it had received fresh tanks: 3rd and 4th CLY had 80 Crusaders between them, while 2nd RGH had 30
M3 Stuart The M3 Stuart/Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version of the tank entered service as the M5 in 1942 to be supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. ...
light tanks. It was now under the direct command of XIII Corps (the rest of 1st Armoured Division had now arrived in Egypt but was still training for desert warfare). 22 to 25 December was spent regaining contact with the enemy's new positions. Then on 27 December Gen
Ludwig Crüwell Ludwig Crüwell (20 March 1892 – 25 September 1958) was a German army general who served in the Afrika Korps of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Crüwell surrendered to ...
commanding the armour of the Afrika Korps noticed a gap between 22nd Armd Bde at Chor es Sufan and
22nd Guards Brigade The 22nd Guards Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw distinguished active service during the Second World War. History The 22nd Infantry Brigade was formed by the redesignation of the 29th Infantry Brigade on 3 Septemb ...
north of Agedabia. Rommel approved Crüwell's proposal to defeat the British armour in detail, and he attacked the following day with 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions comprising 60 tanks (of which 44 were
Panzer III The ''Panzerkampfwagen III'', commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight oth ...
s and IVs), against 22nd Armd Bde's 90 available tanks (35 Stuarts, the rest Crusaders). 22nd Armoured Brigade also had under its command 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) (two 8-gun 25-pounder batteries), 102nd (NH) Anti-Tank Regiment (three 12-gun batteries of 2-pounders), 122 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (12 x
Bofors 40 mm gun Bofors 40 mm gun is a name or designation given to two models of 40 mm calibre anti-aircraft guns designed and developed by the Swedish company Bofors: *Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun - developed in the 1930s, widely used in World War II and into the 1990s ...
s) and the motorised infantry of 9th Battalion Rifle Brigade (Tower Hamlets Rifles). The German attack was a notable success, 22nd Armd Bde being driven back across the Wadi Faregh with the loss of 37 tanks (many to mechanical breakdown) against only seven German tanks knocked out. The brigade with its supporting troops was attacked again on 30 December and was again mauled, losing another 23 tanks. Having won a respite the Germans withdrew to El Agheilia, while 22nd Armd Bde, having lost nearly all its Crusaders, was also withdrawn to refit.


Battle of Gazala

On 4 March 1942 22nd Armd Bde was reorganised as an independent Brigade Group, with supporting artillery, engineer, transport and medical units. It returned to the front on 17 April 1942 under XXX Corps, coming under the command of 1st Armd Division on 23 April. The
Battle of Gazala The Battle of Gazala (near the village of ) was fought during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, west of the port of Tobruk in Libya, from 26 May to 21 June 1942. Axis troops of the ( Erwin Rommel) consisting of German and I ...
began on 26 May when Rommel tried to outflank the Gazala Line of defensive 'boxes'. XXX Corps moved south to give battle the following day. Before 22nd Armd Bde had got far it was attacked by both of the Afrika Korps' Panzer divisions, and it was ordered to fall back to the 'Knightsbridge' box, with the loss of 30 tanks and several guns. From Knightsbridge the brigade was able to attack the Germans' right flank, dealing some sharp blows. 22nd Armoured Bde spent the next day watching the immobile 15th Panzer Division (which was out of fuel). On 29 May the Axis armour began to close in around Knightsbridge, and 22nd Armd Bde sent two regiments to help 2nd Armd Bde in a fierce armour and artillery action fought in a sandstorm. By evening both sides were battered and exhausted. On 30 May 22nd Armd Bde made unsuccessful attacks on the enemy anti-tank (A/T) screen. By now the battle had become a succession of confused armoured actions in the 'Cauldron' amidst the defensive boxes occupied by the infantry. Eight Army made a new attack on the Cauldon on 4/5 June: 22nd Armd Bde had simultaneously to attack enemy armour and assist 9th Indian Infantry Bde. The attack began in moonlight at 02.50 and at first went well, 9th Indian Bde and 107th Rgt RHA of 22nd Armd Bde taking its opening positions, but the Axis positions were further back than realised, and the brigade's armour (156 Crusader, Stuart 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 ...
tanks) ran into the concentrated fire of the enemy's artillery and a panzer counter-attack. The tanks could give no aid to 9th Indian Bde, which was pushed off its objectives, and at the end of the day 22nd Armd Bde withdrew to Leaguer with the loss of some 60 tanks. The following day the infantry and artillery, including 107th Rgt RHA, were overrun in the Cauldron. Replacing tanks after the Cauldron battle was complicated by the different tank types used by different regiments in the armoured brigades. By 12 June 22nd Armd Bde had 27 Grants, 5 Stuarts and 34 Crusaders. Disruption was also caused by the frequent exchanges of brigades between different armoured division HQs – 22nd Armd fought under the command alternately of 1st and 7th Armd Divisions. The final phase of the Battle of Gazala began on 12 June, and British tank losses were again heavy. The following day Eighth Army began to withdraw. In a rearguard action 22nd Armd Bde foiled Rommel's attempt to cut the coast road, but the retreat went back to position around
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 ...
.


Mersa Matruh and First Alamein

1st Armoured Division, including 22nd Armd Bde, was positioned a few miles south west of Mersa Matruh when Rommel began probing the position on the evening of 26 June. 22nd Armoured Bde only had 3rd and 4th CLY in the line, though it was reinforced by the re-equipped 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) of 2nd Armd Bde on 28 June while the
Battle of Mersa Matruh The Battle of Mersa Matruh was fought from 26 to 29 June 1942, following the defeat of the Eighth Army (General Sir Claude Auchinleck) at the Battle of Gazala and was part of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The combatant ...
continued. Rommel got between the Eighth Army's formations and forced them to retreat again, and by 30 June they were back at the
El Alamein El Alamein ( ar, العلمين, translit=al-ʿAlamayn, lit=the two flags, ) is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Arab's Gulf, Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. , it had ...
position. The Axis advance was halted by the British armoured brigades and artillery on 1–2 July in 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 ...
. By 3 July 22nd Armd Bde was down to 20 Grants, 29 Stuarts and 8 Crusaders, but with 4th Armd Bde it awaited the enemy attack south of the Ruweisat Ridge and stopped it after a sharp engagement lasting half an hour. Eighth Army was counter-attacking by 15 July, 22nd Armd Bde supporting 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 ...
. In this attack the brigade consisted solely of 3rd CLY, but was joined during the afternoon by the newly-arrived
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 ...
(RSG) in their first tank action, giving a total of 31 Grants, 21 Stuarts and 23 Crusaders. The fighting died down by the end of July.


Battle of Alam el Halfa

By the time Rommel made a renewed attack on the British positions at Alam el Halfa on 30 August, Eighth Army had been reinforced and was under fresh commanders, including
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 ...
at Eighth Army, Lt-Gen
Brian Horrocks Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, (7 September 1895 – 4 January 1985) was a British Army officer, chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World W ...
at XIII Corps, and
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 ...
Philip 'Pip' Roberts, who took command of 22nd Armd Bde on 27 July. The brigade group (operating under 10th Armd Division) now had four armoured regiments (three of them composite): RSG, 1st/6th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), 5th RTR/2nd RGH, and 3rd/4th CLY. Each had a light squadron of Stuarts or Crusaders and two heavy squadrons of Grants, totalling 40 Stuarts, 34 Crusaders and 92 Grants. The Grants with their 75mm guns (known as 'Egypt's last hope') were dug around Point 102 in front of the Alam el Halfa ridge alongside the 6-pounder A/T guns of the brigade's motor battalion, 1st Rifle Brigade (RB). Two squadrons of Crusaders were stationed to the south, to lure the Afrika Korps onto this line. On the morning of 31 August 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions did not take this bait but headed eastwards past the brigade's position. 22nd Armoured Bde therefore showed some of its tanks, which caused 21st Panzer to swing round and head for 3rd/4th CLY in the centre. A fierce duel began, in which the RSGs, 1st and 104th RHA and
44th (Home Counties) Division The Home Counties Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Force, part of the British Army, that was raised in 1908. As the name suggests, the division recruited in the Home Counties, particularly Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex. ...
's artillery all joined in. 15th Panzer circled round to threaten 5th RTR/2nd RGH, but darkness was falling and the panzers were running short of fuel after the heavy going. Once Montgomery was satisfied that the Afrika Korps was committed, he launched a limited attack southwards and on 2 September Rommel called off the attack and retreated back to his starting position with severe casualties. 22nd Armoured Bde had only lost five of its Grants destroyed.


Second Alamein

22nd Armoured Brigade Group now reverted to being a normal armoured brigade as a permanent part of 7th Armoured Division. Its tank strength on the eve of 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 ...
was: * Brigade HQ – 4 Crusaders * 1st RTR –24 Grants, 19 Stuarts * 5th RTR – 24 Grants, 18 Crusaders * 4th CLY – 9 Grants, 29 Crusaders These included 8 of the new Crusader Mark III equipped with the 6-pdr gun. The Motor Battalion was 1st RB. Montgomery's plan for Eighth Army's night attack at Alamein (
Operation Lightfoot 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 ...
) on 23/24 October required XIII Corps to penetrate the enemy's two belts of
minefields A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
(codenamed 'January' and 'February') and then pass the armoured brigades through. For 22nd Armd Bde this involved an approach march of and then an advance of through four gaps, with its flank covered by 131st Infantry Bde. 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 ...
' mine-clearing parties moved forward when the artillery barrage began at 21.40 and had cleared the two southern gaps through 'January' by 02.30, but 1st RB's two advance guard companies had to subdue enemy post before the northern gaps could be completed. By 05.00 5th RTR and the two 1st RB companies were through 'January' by one gap or another, but the mine-clearing parties had suffered heavy casualties; they could only attempt two gaps through 'February', and these were frustrated by heavy fire and daylight. 22nd Armoured Brigade's casualties during the night were 200. The following morning the tanks had to sit in open formation under steady shellfire. Horrocks decided that as 7th Armd Division could not punch a hole through 'February', 131st Bde would have to make a night attack on 24/25 October supported by 22nd Armd Bde. The infantry got through the minefield but were pinned down just beyond it. 22nd Armoured Bde then attempted to pass along the two cleared lanes in bright moonlight but came under heavy A/T fire; 31 tanks were disabled and the attempt was called off. Montgomery then decided to concentrate on the more important attack by XXX Corps and turn XIII Corps over to the defensive. The attacks had achieved their purpose, however, pinning down 21st Panzer Division so that it did not move north to face XXX Corps until 26/27 October. XIII Corps was then 'milked' to reinforce XXX Corps, so that by 1 November when the second phase of the battle ( Operation Supercharge) began, 22nd Armd Bde only had 54 Grants, 16 Crusader IIs and 10 Crusader IIIs. Once again, its role was to feint.


Pursuit to Tripoli

Once the rest of Eighth Army had broken through, 7th Armd Division was launched in pursuit of the broken enemy, with 22nd Armd Bde in the lead. On 5 November it covered more than , but ended the day still short of its objective, having encountered a dummy minefield and halted until it could be investigated. Moving off at first light next morning the brigade encountered German reconnaissance troops and then 21st Panzer Division, whose tanks were too short of fuel to manoeuvre. In a series of actions lasting most of 6 November, in heavy rain, the brigade inflicted considerable casualties; in the evening the enemy fled towards Matruh. After waiting for its own fuel, 22nd Armd Bde reached the Libyan frontier near El Beida on 10 November, ignoring fleeing German tanks as it closed on its objective of
Fort Capuzzo Fort Capuzzo it, (Ridotta Capuzzo) was a fort in the colony of Italian Libya, near the Libyan-Egyptian border, next to the Italian Frontier Wire. The '' Litoranea Balbo'' ran south from Bardia to Fort Capuzzo, inland, west of Sollum, then ea ...
. Next day the enemy were fleeing towards
Bardia Bardia, also El Burdi or Barydiyah ( ar, البردية, lit=, translit=al-Bardiyya or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''. ...
too fast to be caught. After the victory of Alamein, Eighth Army advanced more slowly towards
Tripoli Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to: Cities and other geographic units Greece *Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece * Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, with 22nd Armd Bde in Army Reserve. Montgomery then decided to 'crash' through to Tripoli itself. On the night of 20/21 January 1943 Eighth Army made a thrust along the coast road towards the city with
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 22nd Armd Bde. The Highlanders were closing on the city on 22 January and 2nd Armd came up 'pell-mell' to take the lead. Tripoli fell without fighting next day.


Tunisia

After Eighth Army had closed up to
Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...
7th Armd Division was in the line when Panzer Army Afrika attacked XXX Corps at
Medenine Medenine ( ar, مدنين ) is the major town in south-eastern Tunisia, south of the port of Gabès and the Island of Djerba, on the main route to Libya. It is the capital of Medenine Governorate. Overview In pre-colonial times, Medenine wa ...
on 6 March. 22nd Armoured Bde was deployed in depth behind the division's infantry, but the Germans' clumsy armoured attack was mainly defeated by the British artillery and A/T guns. In the Battle of Wadi Akarit on 6 April Eighth Army's infantry had to breach a formidable anti-tank obstacle. 51st (Highland) and 50th (Northumbrian) Divisions were each supported by a squadron provided by 4th CLY, which was now equipped with 29
Sherman tank } The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It w ...
s along with its 21 Crusaders. The assembly of the infantry divisions in the dark was complicated, but 51st (H) achieved its first objective easily. 50th (N) Division had a harder task, but 4th CLY's squadron was ordered round by a gap made by 51st (H) and was able to cut in behind the enemy. For the second phase 51st (H) Division's supporting infantry tanks were gradually picked off, and 4th CLY's squadron had to pass through to help out, but 50th (N) Division's squadron was able to pass its Shermans through its gap by 09.30. XXX Corps then settled down to consolidate the gap that it had made, and the enemy withdrew during the night. The final phase of the Tunisian campaign began on 6 May with Operation Strike directed towards
Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
. After the infantry had broken into the Axis defence lines 7th Armoured Division was directed to dash ahead and break through the inner defences before the enemy had time to man them. 22nd Armoured Bde set off at 10.30 after 4th Indian Division had secured a vital knoll, and headed for the high ground. However the advance got slowed up, and by 17.00 7th Armoured had settled into a position about beyond the infantry. Next morning 22nd Armd Bde engaged a few scattered tanks and 88mm guns and disposed of them by 14.00. At 15.15 7th Armoured was ordered to close in on Tunis. Armoured car patrols reached the city centre at 15.40, closely followed by 1st RTR with 1/7th Bn Queen's from 131st Bde. They quelled any scattered resistance, secured all important building and bridges, and restored order. All remaining Axis forces in Tunisia were rounded up and surrendered unconditionally on 13 May.


Italy

7th Armoured Division was not involved in the
Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...
(Operation Husky), instead it re-equipped and trained at Homs, east of Tripoli, before taking part in the landings at
Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...
on the Italian mainland (
Operation Avalanche Operation Avalanche was the codename for the Allied landings near the port of Salerno, executed on 9 September 1943, part of the Allied invasion of Italy during World War II. The Italians withdrew from the war the day before the invasion, but ...
). Leading elements of 7th Armd Division landed from the first follow-up convoy on 15 September, six days after the initial assault. 5th RTR accompanied the lorried infantry of 131st Bde in the division's first wave. However, there was still heavy fighting around the beachhead and the brigade group was unable to begin the intended breakout. The bulk of the division had arrived by 28 September when the advance began. 131st Brigade with 5th RTR took the lead through the close country, making slow progress, then after
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
had fallen to Allied troops 22nd Armd Bde took the lead on 2 October. 1st RTR found a way through the 'mass of rubble and demolitions' at
Somma Vesuviana Somma Vesuviana is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. History Before the Roman colonisation, the area of today's Somma Vesuviana was probably inhabited by Italic peoples like Samnites and Oscans ...
and over the next two days fought a series of actions with 1st RB to flush the enemy out of a number of towns. Despite all the bridges being blown, 1st RTR forced a crossing of the
Regi Lagni The Regi Lagni are a set of rectilinear and mostly man-made channels covering 1.095 km2 in 99 towns in the Province of Caserta, Province of Avellino, Province of Benevento and the Metropolitan City of Naples. They were built as part of canali ...
drainage canal and closed up to the River Volturno. The Royal Engineers could not find a suitable tank ford over the Volturno, so the infantry of 131st Bde had to force a bridgehead while 22nd Armd Bde waited. As the engineers worked on a bridge, the water level fell, and a suitable ford appeared, so a squadron of 4th CLY shovelled away the river bank and struggled across to support the infantry. However, torrential rain and mud made armoured action impossible off the roads. The Volturno was successfully bridged elsewhere and the Allied advance continued. On 22 October 5th RTR found Sparanise unoccupied and 1st RB cleared enemy observation posts from the hills above. At the end of October, 7th Armoured Division was shifted to the left flank, nearest the sea, which entailed a tedious journey through
Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...
, where the bridge could only take one tank at a time. 1st Rifle Brigade took over the outpost line in front of the main enemy position on
Monte Massico Monte Massico (Latin: ''Mons Massicus'') is a mountain situated in the Italian Province of Caserta (Campania) between the rivers Volturno and Garigliano. Description Monte Massico is an Italian mountain ridge. In antiquity, it was described a ...
. If 7th Armoured could get along the coast road towards Mondragone it would outflank Monte Massico. Reconnaissance revealed a fordable crossing near the beach, so a squadron of 5th RTR advanced by this route on 1 November while the rest of the regiment supported 131st Bde's attack on Mondragone. A few tanks were lost to mines on the beach, but Mondragone was found to be clear and the Massico ridge was occupied at small cost, while the enemy withdrew across the
Garigliano The Garigliano () is a river in central Italy. It forms at the confluence of the rivers Gari (also known as the Rapido) and Liri. Garigliano is actually a deformation of "Gari-Lirano" (which in Italian means something like "Gari from the Liri") ...
river. Next day the tanks, thogh heavily shelled and hampered by enemy demolitions, worked between the mountain and the sea and captured Cicola after a sharp fight. The brigade had fought its last battle in Italy: shortly afterwards 7th Armd Division was withdrawn to the UK to take part in
Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
, the Allied invasion of Normandy. It transferred its equipment to 5th Canadian Armoured Division and the personnel sailed from Naples to
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, docking on 7 January 1944.


North-West Europe

22nd Armoured Bde was re-equipped with
Cromwell tank The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Named after the English Civil War-era military leader Oliver Cromwell, the Cromwell was th ...
s and trained in the area round
Brandon, Suffolk Brandon is a town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. Brandon is located in the Breckland area of Suffolk, close to the adjoining county of Norfolk. It lies between the towns of Bury St Edmunds, Thetford, Mildenhall, Downham ...
, to take part in the Allied landings in Normandy. The brigade was to sail in assault landing craft and land on
D Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
and D + 1, followed by the rest of 7th Armd Division. It embarked on
Landing Craft Tank The Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) (or Tank Landing Craft TLC) was an amphibious assault craft for landing tanks on beachheads. They were initially developed by the Royal Navy and later by the United States Navy during World War II in a series of ver ...
(LCTs) at
Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northeast of London. His ...
on 4 June and landed successfully on
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 ...
during the morning of D + 1 (7 June).


Normandy

On 10 June, 22nd Armoured Brigade led the division's advance towards Villers-Bocage during
Operation Perch Operation Perch was a British offensive of the Second World War which took place from 7 to 14 June 1944, during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to encircle and seize the German occupied city of Caen, which ...
, but progress was slow through the restricted
Bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may als ...
country. In an attempt to move around the flank of the
Panzer Lehr Division The Panzer-Lehr-Division (in the meaning of: Armoured training division) was an elite German armoured division during World War II. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (''Lehr'' = "teach") stationed in Germany, ...
, the division became embroiled the
Battle of Villers-Bocage The Battle of Villers-Bocage took place during the Second World War on 13 June 1944, one week after the Normandy Landings, which had begun the Western Allies' conquest of German-occupied France. The battle was the result of a British attempt to ...
on 13 June. The brigade was ambushed by
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 ...
tanks of 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion, and the 4th CLY lost around 14 tanks within a 15-minute period. A bitter battle then developed in and around the town before the brigade withdrew before nightfall. In July, the division was moved to the area north of
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Operation Goodwood Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
. The armour of
VIII Corps 8th Corps, Eighth Corps, or VIII Corps may refer to: * VIII Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VIII Army Corps (German Confederation) * VIII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Ar ...
crossed the
River Orne The Orne () is a river in Normandy, within northwestern France. It is long. It discharges into the English Channel at the port of Ouistreham. Its source is in Aunou-sur-Orne, east of Sées. Its main tributaries are the Odon and the Rouvre. The ...
on 18 July and attacked behind a massive artillery and air bombardment, but the 7th Armoured Division was caught in traffic congestion and barely got into action. The division was shifted west again to take part in
Operation Bluecoat Operation Bluecoat was a British offensive in the Battle of Normandy, from 30 July until 7 August 1944, during the Second World War. The geographical objectives of the attack, undertaken by VIII Corps and XXX Corps of the British Second Army (L ...
(1–2 August), but failed to gain its objective, the commanders of 7th Armoured Division and 22nd Armoured Brigade being sacked after this failure. The division came into its own after the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, when it advanced rapidly across northern France and Belgium, liberating towns as they went, including
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 5 September.


Low Countries and Germany

The rest of September and October was spent in probing operations while
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 ...
's emphasis shifted to
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
and
Operation Market Garden Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...
, where the division was called in to clear XXX Corps' severed supply lines. 22nd Armoured Brigade cooperated with
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 ...
around
's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...
, but much of the country was unsuitable for tanks. It was not until 13 January 1945 that the division participated in a major attack (
Operation Blackcock Operation Blackcock was an operation to clear German troops from the Roer Triangle, formed by the towns of Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. It was ...
) towards
Roermond Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Roer ...
. The division then rested and prepared for the crossing of the
Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...
,
Operation Plunder Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Li ...
. The infantry began their assault crossing on the night of 23/24 March, followed by an airborne landing (
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 ...
) next day. By 27 March the engineers had bridged the river and 7th Armd began to cross. At first progress was slow, but on 29 March 22nd Armoured Brigade fanned out leading the advance; the division made by 2 April, only halted by the River Ems. 11th Armoured Division having captured a bridge intact, 22nd Armoured Brigade resumed its advance, now a pursuit.
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
surrendered to 7th Armoured Division on 3 May, and the
German surrender at Lüneburg Heath On 4 May 1945, at 18:30 British Double Summer Time, at Lüneburg Heath, south of Hamburg, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany including all i ...
followed next day.


Second World War Order of Battle

The 22nd Armoured Brigade commanded the following units in the war: Supporting units of 22nd Armoured Brigade Group while an independent formation May–September 1942: * 107th (South Nottinghamshire Hussars) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery * 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery * 1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery * Troop, 7 Field Squadron,
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 ...
(RE) * 13/7 Field Squadron, RE * 20 Field Troop, RE * Troop, 4 Field Squadron, RE * 67 and 432 Companies,
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 ...
* 2 Light Field Ambulance,
Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...


Brigade commanders

The following officers commanded the brigade during the Second World War: * Brigadier J. Scott-Cockburn, 3 September 1939 * Brigadier W.G. Carr, 8 February 1942 * Brigadier A.F. Fisher, 7 July 1942 * Brigadier G.P.B. 'Pip' Roberts, 27 July 1942 * Colonel D.S. Newton-King 20 January 1943 (acting) * Brigadier W.R.N. 'Loony' Hinde, 23 January 1943 * Lieutenant-Colonel G.P. Gregson, 7 August 1944 (acting) * Brigadier H.R. Mackeson, 10 August 1944 * Lieutenant-Colonel J.E. Swetenham, 11 September 1944 (acting) * Brigadier H.T.B. Cracroft, 16 September 1944 * Lieutenant-Colonel A. G. V. Paley, 7 October 1944 (acting) * Brigadier A.D.R. 'Tony' Wingfield, 18 October 1944


Postwar

When the Territorial Army was reconstituted in 1947, the 22nd Armoured Brigade was reformed as the armoured component of 56th (London) Armoured Division, with the following organisation: *
City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) was a yeomanry regiment of the British Territorial Army, formed in 1901 from veterans of the Second Boer War. In World War I it served dismounted in the Gallipoli Campaign but reverted to the mounted r ...
* Westminster Dragoons (2nd County of London Yeomanry) * 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) * 42nd Royal Tank Regiment *
Queen Victoria's Rifles The 9th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) was a Territorial Army infantry battalion of the British Army. The London Regiment was formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions ...
(
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 ...
) *
Inns of Court Regiment The Inns of Court Regiment (ICR) was a British Army regiment that existed under that name between May 1932 and May 1961. However, the unit traces its lineage back much further, to at least 1584, and its name lives on today within 68 (Inns of Cour ...
(armoured cars) * 303 Signal Squadron (Armoured Brigade),
Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...
56th (London) Armoured Division was reformed as an infantry division in 1956, and most of the Yeomanry regiments underwent mergers in the reduced TA. 22nd Armoured Brigade's identity was reinstated during the Cold War by converting Task Force Bravo (which had been created four years earlier from the 11th Armoured Brigade) into an armoured brigade in 1981. It was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division and based at Campbell Barracks in
Hohne Hohne is a municipality in the state of Lower Saxony in Germany, east of the county town of Celle. It includes the three former parishes of Hohne, Helmerkamp and Spechtshorn. It should not be confused with the British Army camp of Hohne (German: ' ...
. It disbanded in 1993 following the end of the Cold War. From November 1984 until the brigade disbanded, 1st Royal Tank Regiment once more formed part of 22nd Armoured Brigade, based at Tofrek Barracks Hildesheim, and equipped with Chieftain Tanks.


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 ...
*
British Army Order of Battle (September 1939) In September 1939, the British Army was in process of expanding their anti-aircraft and mobile (including armoured) assets. Among these new changes was the formation of Anti-Aircraft Command which was formed on 1 April 1939, and the 1st Armoured ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

*
Basil Collier, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Defence of the United Kingdom'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1957.
* L.F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol I: ''The Battle of Normandy'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . * L.F. Ellis, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West'', Vol II: ''The Defeat of Germany'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, . *
Martin Farndale General Sir Martin Baker Farndale, (6 January 1929 – 10 May 2000) was a British Army officer who reached high office in the 1980s. Military career Educated at Yorebridge Grammar School, Askrigg, and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Farnda ...
, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, . * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, . * Sir
Brian Horrocks Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, (7 September 1895 – 4 January 1985) was a British Army officer, chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World W ...
, ''A Full Life'', London: Collins, 1960. * Eric Hunt, ''Battleground Europe: Normandy: Mont Pinçon'', Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 2003, . * . * Martin Lindsay and Capt M..E. Johnstone, ''History of 7th Armoured Division June 1943–July 1945'', British Army of the Rhine, 1945. * Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, ''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents'', Solihull: Helion, 2003, . * C.J.C. Molony,''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol V: ''The Campaign in Sicily 1943 and the Campaign in Italy 3rd September 1943 to 31st March 1944'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1973/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, . * ''The Memoirs of Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein'', London: Collins, 1958.
Maj-Gen I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol I: ''The Early Successes against Italy (to May 1941)''
London: HM Stationery Office, 1954/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, .

London: HM Stationery Office, 1956/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, . * I.S.O. Playfair, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol III: ''(September 1941 to September 1942) British Fortunes reach their Lowest Ebb'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1960 /Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, . * I.S.O. Playfair & Brig C.J.C. Molony, ''History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: The Mediterranean and Middle East'', Vol IV: ''The Destruction of the Axis forces in Africa'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1966/Uckfield, Naval & Military Press, 2004, . * John Sutton (ed.), ''Wait for the Waggon: The Story of the Royal Corps of Transport and its Predecessors 1794–1993'', Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 1998, .


External links



{{British mobile brigades of the Second World War 22 22 Armoured Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1960 Military units and formations established in 1981 Military units and formations disestablished in 1993