The 32nd Army Tank Brigade was an armoured brigade of the British Army created during the Second World War. It was formed, under the command of Brigadier Arthur Cecil Willison, in Egypt on 15 September 1941. The brigade HQ was sent to Tobruk to take command of all Royal Armoured Corps units stationed there and was attached to the 70th Infantry Division for Operation Crusader, where Captain Philip Gardner of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross. In June 1942, during the Battle of Gazala, a composite brigade was formed in Tobruk with surviving elements of the 1st Army Tank Brigade, which surrendered on 22 June after the fall of Tobruk.[2] The brigade was not reformed.
| 32nd Army Tank Brigade | |
|---|---|
 Formation sign of the 32nd Army Tank Brigade[1] | |
| Active | 1941–1942 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Armoured warfare |
| Role | Infantry support |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements | Western Desert Campaign |
Order of battle
editThe 32nd Army Tank Brigade was composed of
- 1st Royal Tank Regiment (from 18 September 1941, left 21 January 1942)
- 4th Royal Tank Regiment (from 19 September 1941)
- 7th Royal Tank Regiment (from 18 September 1941, left 22 January 1942, rejoined 10 April 1942)[3]
See also
edit
Footnotes
edit- ^ Cole 1973, p. 125.
- ^ "32 Tank Brigade". Order of Battle. Retrieved 23 October 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "32 Tank Brigade". Order of Battle. p. Unit Subordinates. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
References
edit- Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2. Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 978-0-85368-078-9.
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