23rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)

A Second World War British Territorial Army Brigade. It was converted from the British 23rd Army Tank Brigade on November 1 1940 . [Holland (2005), p. ?page number|date=September 2008] page number|date=September 2008

History

The 23rd Armoured Brigade was created in 1940 to form part of the newly-formed 8th Armoured Division. The division was based in the United Kingdom until May 1942 when it was sent to the Middle East to join the Eighth Army, becoming active there in early July. In mid July the brigade was detached from 8th Armoured Division and with the addition of an artillery regiment became known as the 23rd Armoured Brigade Group. The brigade also received a new commander, Brigadier George Richards. During the Battle of Alam el Halfa in September the brigade fought under XIII Corps' 10th Armoured Division. For most of the rest of the North African Campaign the brigade served as an independent armoured formation under XXX Corps within the Eight Army.

After the Axis surrender in Tunisia in May 1943, XXX Corps took part in July 1943 in the Allied invasion of Sicily although 23rd Armoured did not fight as a brigade, its units being detached to support other formations. In July Richards was promoted and the brigade came under the command of Brigadier Robert Arkwright who was an Eighth Army staff brigadier. By October 1943 the brigade had consolidated once more and had joined X Corps, on the left wing of US Sixth Army, taking part in the fighting from the Volturno Line to the Gustav Line.

In March 1944 the brigade was switched to V Corps which had a holding role on the eastern side of the Gustav Line by the Adriatic Sea while Eighth and Sixth Armies combined to launch Operation Diadem in the Cassino sector and finally break the German defenses there after three unsuccessful attempts since January.

In late May 1944 the brigade was withdrawn from Italy and returned to Egypt. In August 1944 the brigade was dismounted from its tanks and sent as infantry to Greece as part of the peacekeeping force keeping order when the Germans withdrew. The brigade remained in Greece until the end of the war, having been restored to their tanks in early 1945. In 1946 Arkwright was promoted to command the 2nd Armoured Division and was later to command both 56th (London) Infantry Division and 7th Armoured Division before retiring.

Component Units

*40th Royal Tank Regiment
*46th Royal Tank Regiment
*50th Royal Tank Regiment

Attached

*1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Dec 1940—Jan 1941)
*7th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Jan 1941—Aug 1941)
*11th Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps (Nov 1942—Aug 1945)
*5th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery (Jul 1942—Sep 1942)
*121st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (Sep 1942—Nov 1942)

Citations and notes

References

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*cite book|first=James| last=Holland| title=Together we stand : turning the tide in the West: North Africa 1942 - 1943| publisher=Harper Collins| location=London| year=2005| isbn=0007176473
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