1st Armored Regiment (Italy)
The 1st Armored Regiment (Italian: 1° Reggimento Corazzato) is an armored regiment of the Italian Army based in Teulada in Sardinia. Originally the regiment, like all Italian tank units, was part of the infantry, but since 1 June 1999 it is part of the cavalry. The regiment is a training unit under the Army Military Command "Sardegna" and tasked to manage the Capo Teulada Training Range and provide the opposing force for visiting units.


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, Formation
The regiment was formed on 15 September 1936 in Vercelli as 1st Tank Infantry Regiment with four battalions: I, II, and III assault tanks battalions and the IV Breach Tank Battalion. The assault tanks battalions fielded L3/35 tankettes, while the breach tanks battalion fielded Fiat 3000 light tanks. The regiment's initial structure was:


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, Formation
On 1 January 1938 the regiment received the XXIII Assault Tanks Battalion "Stennio", which had returned from Libya and on 30 November 1938 it ceded the IV Breach Tanks Battalion to the forming 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment, while receiving on the same date the IV Assault Tanks Battalion "Monti" from the 2nd Tank Infantry Regiment, the V Breach Tanks Battalion from the 4th Tank Infantry Regiment, and the XXII Assault Tanks Battalion "Coralli", which had returned from Libya.


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, Formation
In 1939 the regiment ceded the III Assault Tanks Battalion "Paselli" to the 31st Tank Infantry Regiment, and the IV Assault Tanks Battalion "Monti" to the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. On 6 November 1939 the regiment ceded the XXII Assault Tanks Battalion "Coralli" and XXIII Assault Tanks Battalion "Stennio" to the forming 33rd Tank Infantry Regiment, and renamed the V Breach Tanks Battalion as CCCXXIII Breach Tanks Battalion, which soon after moved to Riva del Garda and was ceded to the 32nd Tank Infantry Regiment. In April 1940 tank battalions were renamed and the regiment entered World War II with the following structure:


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, World War II
The regiment's baptism of fire came during the Italian invasion of France, when the regiment advanced with its battalion into Southern France. In early summer 1940 the regiment's I Tank Battalion "L" was sent to North Africa for the upcoming Italian invasion of Egypt, where it joined the X Army Corps.


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, World War II
The regimental headquarters arrived in Libya in early July and on 20 July 1940 the 1st Armored Infantry Regiment's headquarter arrived in Mechili, where it remained and fulfilled administrative and logistic duties, while the regiment's commanding officer Colonel Pietro Aresca led the Babini Group's I Tankers Grouping (also known as "Aresca Group"). The regiment's headquarter remained in Mechili until 24 January 1941, when advancing British forces drove the Italians out of Mechili. As the regimental command had been destroyed during the British advance the regiment was declared disbanded on 8 February 1941.


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, World War II
The regiment was reformed on 15 March 1941 in Vercelli as training unit. For the remainder of the war the regiment trained replacement tank crews for the deployed units and occasionally also new battalions:


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, World War II
On 1 August the regiment began with the formation of the I Tank Battalion "P" with new P 40 tanks, but after Italy changed sides with the Armistice of Cassibile on 8 September 1943 the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment was disbanded by the Germans and its materiel transferred to Wehrmacht units.


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, Cold War
Immediately after ratification of the peace treaty between the allies and Italy on 15 September 1947 the Italians began to rebuild their army. A first tank battalion with M4 Sherman tanks was raised in spring 1948 in Rome, which moved in June to Casarsa della Delizia to make room for a second M4 Sherman tank battalion. On 10 July 1948 the two battalions were used to form the 1st Tankers Regiment in Rome, which joined the Armored Brigade "Ariete" on 7 September 1948. The brigade had been reformed earlier on 1 June 1948 without units. Regiment and brigade moved in fall 1948 to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region - the regiment to Casarsa della Delizia and the brigade headquarters to Pordenone. On 1 April 1949 the 1st Tankers Regiment was renamed 132nd Tankers Regiment "Ariete".


1st Armored Regiment (Italy), History, Cold War
On 11 May 1959 the army activated the Armored Units Training Center in Teulada. On 1 May 1974 the center was renamed 1st Armored Infantry Regiment and received the war flag and traditions of the 1st Tank Infantry Regiment. On 9 March 1993 the name was changed to 1st Armored Regiment.


1st Armored Regiment (Lebanon)
The 1st Armored Regiment was a regiment in the Lebanese Armed Forces. It was disbanded in 2005. Its mission was to fight Israeli troops, fight smugglers, support other security forces, and increase the stability of the nation, among other tasks.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia)
The 1st Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Greta, New South Wales from volunteers for the Second Australian Imperial Force and was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division. Raised initially for service in the Middle East, following Japan's entry into the war, the brigade was assigned to the defence of Australia in case of an invasion. After garrison duties in New South Wales and Western Australia, it was disbanded in November 1944 without seeing active service, although some of its former units saw action later with other formations.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia)
It was re-raised in the postwar period, serving in the  Citizens Military Force between 1948 and 1957. During this period, the brigade was based in New South Wales and formed part of Eastern Command. The brigade's headquarters was broken up when the Australian Army determined that there was no need for large-scale armoured formations as the focus shifted to jungle operations and close infantry-armoured cooperation. Its constituent units were subsequently dispersed to other formations.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
In June 1940, the Australian government decided to form an armoured division, designated the 1st Armoured Division. This formation included two armoured brigades drawn from the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), and was intended for deployment to the Middle East. This was by far the largest armoured unit the Australian Army had established, with interwar experimentation being limited to a single armoured car regiment. The armoured division was considered necessary to enable the formation of a self-contained Australian corps including the four infantry divisions that had previously been formed.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
As a result, the 1st Armoured Brigade was formed on 19 July 1941 when its headquarters opened at Victoria Barracks, Sydney. In line with the standard British Army structure for armoured divisions at the time, it was to command three 2nd AIF armoured regiments and a regiment of motorised infantry; each armoured regiment had an authorised strength of 10 scout cars, 46 cruiser tanks and 6 support tanks.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
The brigade's first commander was Brigadier Frederick Hinton, a  World War I veteran who had served with the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli, and then as a machine gun officer on the Western Front. During the interwar years, he had risen through the ranks as a cavalry officer in the part-time forces.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
The regiments assigned to the brigade were the 2/5th, 2/6th and 2/7th Armoured Regiments, which were formed in Queensland and New South Wales after the brigade headquarters was raised. After undertaking individual training, the three regiments and the brigade headquarters were brought together at Greta, New South Wales, in November 1941. The brigade moved as a formation to Tamworth, in December 1941 to begin more complex collective training. In early 1942, the brigade moved again to Singleton where training facilities for an armoured brigade were being rapidly constructed. It had initially been planned to raise a new 2nd AIF infantry battalion – the 2/34th – as a motorised unit, but instead it was decided to utilise the existing Militia light horse units as motor regiments. As a result, the 15th Motor Regiment joined the brigade.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
Early war plans were made for the brigade to deploy to the Middle East in early 1942; however, Japan's entry into the war in December 1941 meant that this move was cancelled and instead the brigade was reallocated to the defence of Australia in the case of invasion. A small element – the 2/1st Independent Light Tank Squadron – was formed from the brigade to deploy to Malaya around this time, but this deployment was also cancelled in February 1942 after the fall of Singapore, and the detachment was reassigned to the 1st Armoured Brigade, adopting the designation of the 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron. In April 1942, Brigadier Robert Nimmo assumed command of the brigade. He held the position only for a short period, and was replaced by Brigadier Denzil Macarthur-Onslow in July.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
The delivery of tanks to the brigade was slow, and until April 1942 its armoured regiments were equipped only with machine gun carriers. US-made M3 Grant medium tanks and Stuart light tanks were delivered throughout the first half of 1942. Divisional exercises were undertaken in August 1942 around Narrabri, during which time the brigade occupied a position around Edgeroi Station. The following month,  the 2/6th Armoured Regiment was detached and deployed to New Guinea to fight against the Japanese, and subsequently took part in the Battle of Buna–Gona.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
Meanwhile, in October 1942, the 1st Armoured Division was reorganised to provide some of its more experienced personnel to help raise the 2nd and 3rd Armoured Divisions. Once this was complete, the 1st Armoured Division was ordered to begin moving to Western Australia to undertake garrison duties. The 15th Motor Regiment transferred to the 2nd Armoured Division at this time, while the 2/10th Armoured Regiment, which had been raised in Western Australia, was transferred to the 1st Armoured Brigade to make up for the loss of the 2/6th to combat operations in New Guinea.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
The 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron was broken up and used to form part of the 2/4th Armoured Regiment, which was assigned to the 2nd Armoured Brigade. The brigade's move to Western Australia began in December 1942, after a preliminary move to Gunnedah. In January 1943, Nimmo resumed command, taking over from Macarthur-Onslow. The following month, the 1st Armoured Brigade had concentrated at Mingenew, and a divisional exercise took place in March 1943.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
As the tide of war in the Pacific turned in favour of the Allies, the threat of invasion passed. The Australian government decided to reallocate some of the manpower that had been tied up in the armoured divisions to other formations that would be utilised for jungle warfare, or civilian industry. As a result, in April 1943, the 15th Motor Regiment returned to the 1st Armoured Brigade when the 2nd Armoured Division was disbanded. The 1st Armoured Division was retained in Western Australia, though, and Brigadier Frank Wells assumed command of the brigade in June.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
In August, the 1st Armoured Brigade was moved to Moora. The following month, the 1st Armoured Division ceased to exist as a formation and was broken up. The 1st Armoured Brigade was retained as an independent brigade group and reported directly to III Corps. It received the new 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron, which was formed from the 1st Armoured Division's headquarters, as well as artillery from the 16th Field Regiment and the 112th Anti-Tank Regiment and engineers from the 2/3rd Independent Field Company. Various other support units were also attached during this time. Brigade headquarters remained at Moora while the brigade's units undertook training at various locations.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
Throughout 1944,  Australia's armoured forces continued to be reduced. The combat units in Western Australia were also disbanded or transferred as the threat to the state declined. On 8 March, all elements of III Corps were placed on six hours notice to respond to a Japanese naval force which was believed to be headed for the Fremantle–Perth area. This proved to be a false alarm, and all units returned to normal duties on 14 March. The 2/6th Armoured Regiment returned to the brigade in March 1944, releasing the 2/5th Armoured Regiment to join the 4th Armoured Brigade.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
Following this, further reductions took place as the 2/7th Armoured Regiment was disbanded in May, followed by the 112th Anti-Tank Regiment in June. In June 1944, the brigade's strength was reported as 5,338 personnel. Brigade headquarters moved to Northam that month, at which time III Corps headquarters was redesignated as Western Command as the process of converting it into a line of communications formation began. Nevertheless, the 1st


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, World War II
Armoured Brigade's order of battle remained steady until October when the 15th Motor Regiment was disbanded and both the 2/6th Armoured Regiment and the brigade reconnaissance squadron were transferred to the 4th Armoured Brigade in Queensland. The 16th Field Regiment was also transferred to the east coast, moving to Sydney. Finally, in October – November 1944, the brigade ceased to exist – having never seen combat – being  broken up to provide reinforcements for forces deployed elsewhere. At this time, both 2/10th Armoured Regiment and the 1st Armoured Brigade's headquarters were disbanded at Northam. The 1st Armoured Brigade Group was the last combat unit to be stationed in Western Australia during the war. From its disbandment until the end of the war, the 4th Armoured Brigade commanded the Army's remaining armoured forces.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
In the postwar period, the Australian Army re-raised two armoured brigades  – the 1st and the 2nd – in April 1948 within the part-time Citizens Military Force (CMF). The 1st Armoured Brigade was formed in New South Wales as part of Eastern Command, and was placed under the command of  Macarthur-Onslow, who had previously held the post during the war. At this time, the brigade consisted of two armoured regiments – the 1st and 12th/16th – and the 6th Motor Regiment. The two armoured regiments operated reconditioned Matilda II infantry tanks in the post-war period.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
These tanks were considered obsolete, and were later supplemented with small numbers of Centurion main battle tanks which were issued only for training. The 6th Motor Regiment was issued M3 Scout Cars, which were also obsolete. The 1st Armoured Regiment was based at Parramatta, while the 12th/16th Armoured Regiment was spread across regional New South Wales with depots in Muswellbrook, Armidale, Tamworth, and North Maitland. ' A' Squadron of the Newcastle-based 15th Amphibian Assault Regiment, was assigned to the brigade to provide an amphibious capability, and operated LVT(A)4s. As of 1953, the 1st Armoured Brigade's headquarters were located in Lancer Barracks at Parramatta.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
Throughout the early 1950s, the brigade's elderly vehicles and equipment became rundown. Plans to purchase Centurion tanks for the CMF armoured regiments were abandoned in 1954 due to the pressure the National Service scheme was placing on the Army's budget. The Matildas were withdrawn from service in 1955, and the 1st Armoured Brigade's two armoured regiments used Staghound armoured cars for training that year. From 1956, tank training was centralised at Puckapunyal, Victoria with units rotating through the Armoured Centre.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
In 1953, Brigadier Kenneth Arnott took over command of the brigade, remaining in the position until 1956 when Brigadier John James replaced him. In 1957, the director of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) noted that the poor state of the CMF armoured regiments' equipment meant that it was no longer possible for them to become proficient in cooperation between infantry and tanks.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
The brigade ceased to exist in September 1957, following a reassessment of the role of armour within the Australian Army. This resulted in a focus upon infantry support in jungle conditions, rather than large-scale armoured warfare. As a result, armoured brigade headquarters were no longer considered unnecessary. Nevertheless, a small armoured headquarters staff was retained underneath the Brigadier, RAAC cell that was established within both Southern and Eastern Commands at this time. This staff was intended as a cadre from which to form a brigade headquarters in an emergency, but represented only about half of the 105 personnel that had previously undertaken the role. It did not command any units, and had an advisory function. The headquarters was disbanded in 1960.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), History, Postwar
The individual regiments previously assigned to the brigade were also affected by the change. The 1st and 15th being amalgamated to form the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers. The 6th Motor Regiment was converted into an infantry unit designated the 6th Royal New South Wales Rifles, retaining the lineage of its predecessor mounted unit. By 1960, with the introduction of the pentropic establishment, the 1st/15th had been assigned to the 3rd Division as a tank unit, while the 6th Royal New South Wales Rifles had ceased to exist, being subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment.


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), Brigade units
The following units served with the brigade during the war:


1st Armoured Brigade (Australia), Brigade units
In the postwar period, the following units were assigned to the brigade:


1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 1st Armoured Brigade, raised as the 1st Light Armoured, later the 1st Armoured Brigade Group, was an armoured formation of the British Army.


1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), History
At the start of the war, the brigade was based in the United Kingdom, initially as part of the 1st Armoured Division and then as part of the newly formed 2nd Armoured Division. In November 1940, it was shipped to Egypt, arriving on 1 January 1941. In March 1941, the brigade was dispatched to Greece as part of General Maitland Wilson's unsuccessful attempt at stopping the German invasion. On 29 April 1941, the brigade was evacuated to Egypt.


1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), History
The 1st Armoured Brigade served in the Western Desert Campaign with the 7th Armoured Division at the Battle of El Alamein. The brigade was disbanded on 21 November 1942.


1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), Order of Battle
The Order of battle of the brigade during the war was: (day/month/year), units in order of precedence.


1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom), Order of Battle
Greece Deployment Group (The following units were attached when the brigade was engaged in Greece between 26/02/41–1/05/41)


1st Armoured Car Squadron (Australia)
The Australian 1st Armoured Car Squadron was an Australian Army unit formed as part of Australia's contribution to the occupation of Japan. Upon its return to Australia in 1948 the Squadron was expanded and re-equipped to form the 1st Armoured Regiment.


1st Armoured Car Squadron (Australia), History
The 1st Armoured Car Squadron was raised at Puckapunyal, Victoria in January 1946 to form part of the Australian 34th Brigade which was forming at Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies prior to its deployment to Japan. The Squadron was manned by volunteers from the 4th Armoured Brigade and was equipped with 18 Staghound armoured cars and 8 Canadian Scout Cars. After a brief period of training the Squadron embarked for Japan in late March 1946, arriving at Hiroshima on 12 April 1946.


1st Armoured Car Squadron (Australia), History
Following the arrival of its armoured cars in early June the 1st Armoured Car Squadron began conducting patrols across the 34th Brigade's area of responsibility. These patrols were generally uneventful and, like almost all of the Allied occupation force, the Squadron did not experience combat. Due to the unsuitability of the Staghounds for Japan's roads the Squadron was completely equipped with Canadian Scout Cars in 1947.


1st Armoured Car Squadron (Australia), History
The 1st Armoured Car Squadron returned to Australia in December 1948. In July 1949 the Squadron was expanded and re-equipped with Churchill tanks to form the 1st Armoured Regiment.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland)
The 1st Armoured Corps (Polish: 1 Korpus Pancerny) was an armoured formation of the Polish People's Army during 1944 - 1945. The corps saw combat in Germany in 1945. Later that year, the subordinate units of the corps were dispersed to garrisons in Poland and the corps itself was inactivated in October 1945.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland)
The 1st Armoured Corps (comparable in size to an armoured division of western armies of the same period) completed its formation in September 1944 and was then subordinated to the supreme command of the Polish forces that had been established by the U.S.S.R. on the eastern front. Training of the unit continued until February 1945 at Chełm. The organisation of the corps was that of a Soviet tank corps.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland)
The corps supported Polish 2nd Army attacks in the direction of Dresden starting on April 16, 1945. The corps had almost reached Dresden when it was recalled on April 22 to counter-attack German units attacking at Bautzen. The corps then assisted in sealing the western flank of the German penetration.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland)
From 4 to 11 May 1945, the corps took part in the Prague Offensive, a major Soviet operation that forced the surrender of German Army Group Center. At the end of the operation, the corps had crossed the border into Czechoslovakia and was near the town of Mělník. Following the end of combat operations, the 1st Armoured Corps was redeployed to Görlitz. The corps re-entered Poland during 20–21 May. Its subordinate units were subsequently dispersed and the corps itself was inactivated on October 5, 1945.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland)
From 1949 until 1952, and from 1955 until 1957, another formation in the Polish Army was designated "1st Armoured Corps". This unit, however, did not carry the traditions of the wartime 1st "Dresden" Armoured Corps. Unlike the wartime unit, the second formation was an actual corps in structure, commanding two divisions.


1st Armoured Corps (Poland), Order of battle
The 1st corps was composed of the following units (equipment listed as it was just before the corps entered combat in April 1945):


1st Armoured Division (Australia)
The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Australian Army, raised in 1941 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War II. While the Division was originally to be deployed to North Africa in late 1941, it was retained in Australia following the outbreak of the Pacific War. The 1st Armoured Division formed a key element of Australia's defences against a feared Japanese invasion and was disbanded in Western Australia in September 1943.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Formation
The decision to form the 1st Armoured Division was inspired by the success of mass tank tactics in Europe during the early stages of World War II. The Australian War Cabinet approved the formation of an armoured division in July 1940, and 1st Armoured Division was established on 1 July 1941, under the command of Major General John Northcott. The Australian Armoured Corps was established at the same time, with the corps being formally gazetted on 9 July 1941.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Formation
The Division was established with two armoured brigades, 1st and 2nd, each of three armoured regiments. These were supported by various corps troops including an armoured car regiment, a motor regiment (converted from a light horse formation), engineers, a field artillery regiment, an anti-tank battery, and a logistics support group. On paper, each armoured regiment was to be equipped with 10 scout cars, 46 cruiser tanks, and six support tanks; while the motor regiment was to be established with 14 scout cars and 44 Universal Carriers, and the armoured car regiment 12 scout cars and 58 armoured cars.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Formation
During its early existence, the division faced several key challenges. The formation of an armoured division involved a massive expansion of Australia's armoured forces, so the great majority of the division's officers and soldiers had to be trained from scratch in newly established armoured warfare schools. This process was greatly complicated by the limited number of tanks available to the division, with the entire division having only eight light and 10 cruiser tanks by December, and having to utilise 30 Universal Carriers for training. While the number of tanks available to the division slowly increased, it did not receive its full allocation until May 1942.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Defence of Australia
Prior to the commencement of hostilities with Japan the 1st Armoured Division had been scheduled to deploy to the Middle East where it would be fully equipped and complete its training: the 1st Armoured Brigade was to embark for the Middle East in December 1941, with 2nd Armoured Brigade embarking in March 1942. These plans were, however, dropped in early December 1941 when it was decided to retain the division in Australia to defend against the feared Japanese landings on the Australian mainland. As an emergency measure the division's armoured regiments were equipped with Bren Carriers until sufficient tanks arrived.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Defence of Australia
Major General Horace Robertson replaced Northcott in April 1942 when Northcott was promoted to command the newly established II Corps. The 1st Armoured Division's armoured regiments were equipped with M3 Grant medium tanks and M3 Stuart light tanks in April and May 1942. Following this, the division was concentrated in northern New South Wales where it completed its training with a series of large exercises around Narrabri. In January 1943, the division was moved to the area between Perth and Geraldton, Western Australia, where it formed part of III Corps to counter the perceived threat of a Japanese invasion of Western Australia.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Disbandment
Due to the end of the Japanese threat to Australia and the unsuitability of large armoured formations in jungle warfare the 1st Armoured Division no longer had any real role by 1943. By this time, there was a manpower shortage in the Australian Army, which required a re-allocation of personnel and the gradual reduction of Australia's armoured units. While the division was disbanded in September 1943, its 1st Armoured Brigade and other units was retained as the independent 1st Armoured Brigade Group. This brigade group unit remained part of III Corps in Western Australia until its disbandment in September 1944. The 4th Armoured Brigade, which was established in March 1943 and included several regiments which had previously formed part of the 1st Armoured Division, provided all the Australian armoured units which saw action from 1943 until the end of the war.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Former elements in action
While 1st Armoured Division never saw action as a complete formation, three regiments which were part of the division saw action in the South West Pacific Area, either while assigned to the division, or later. In September 1942, the 2/6th Armoured Regiment, equipped with M3 Stuart light tanks, was deployed to New Guinea, and subsequently saw action during the Battle of Buna–Gona. During 1944–1945, the 2/4th Armoured Regiment contributed squadron-sized elements to both the Bougainville campaign and Aitape–Wewak campaigns, equipped with Matilda tanks. The 2/9th


1st Armoured Division (Australia), History, Former elements in action
Armoured Regiment, also using Matildas, served in the Borneo campaign, including the Australian amphibious landings at Tarakan, Sarawak, Brunei, Labuan and British Borneo in 1945. Other armoured units, such as the 1st Armoured Regiment, which also took part in the Borneo campaign, were Militia units which had not formed part of the 1st Armoured Division.


1st Armoured Division (Australia), Order of battle, Order of battle upon formation
At the time of its formation in July 1941, 1st Armoured Division consisted of:


1st Armoured Division (Australia), Order of battle, Order of battle upon disbandment
At the time of the division's disbandment in September 1943 it consisted of:


1st Armoured Division (Australia), Order of battle, 1st Armoured Brigade Group
From September 1943 to September 1944 the division's former 1st Armoured Brigade group served as an independent brigade. In September 1943 the Brigade Group consisted of:


1st Armoured Division (India)
The 1st Armoured Division is an armoured division of the Indian Army. It is part of II Corps and is headquartered at Patiala, Punjab. It is part of the Indian Army Western Command.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The division was formed when the 31st Indian Armoured Division was redesignated on September 1, 1945.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The 1st Armoured Division was one of two divisional headquarters transferred from the British Indian Army to the Indian Army upon the partition of British India in August 1947. At the time it had its divisional headquarters at Secunderabad and the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade away with the Punjab Boundary Force. In June 1946, the wartime 255th Indian Tank Brigade was redesignated as 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to 1st Armoured Division.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The division played a major role in Operation Polo, the integration of Hyderabad into the Indian Union in 1948. During this time Major General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri was serving as the division's commander, also serving as Military Governor of the state in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. For the Hyderabad operation, the division controlled the 1st Armoured Brigade and the 7th and 9th Infantry Brigades.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The 1st Armoured Division played an important role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The Division, also nicknamed the 'Black Elephant' or 'Airawat' Division, consisted in 1965 of the 17th Cavalry, The Poona Horse, the 4th Hodson's Horse, the 16th 'Black Elephant' Cavalry, the 7th Light Cavalry, the 2nd Royal Lancers, the 18th Cavalry and the 62nd Cavalry, the two first named being equipped with Centurion tanks. During the war Major General Rajinder Singh Sparrow was GOC of the Division, he won the Mahavir Chakra for his role.


1st Armoured Division (India)
After the war the division still consisted of the 1st Armoured Brigade and the 43rd Lorried Infantry Brigade. The Armoured Brigade consisted of the 16th Cavalry, Hodson's Horse and the Poona Horse equipped with upgraded Sherman and Centurion tanks.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The 16th Light Cavalry was also equipped with Centurion tanks. The regiment was the leading element and suffered one officer casualty only. During the 1971 war the 16th's two squadrons stayed in defences, while its A Squadron took part in operations in a supporting role of an infantry brigade in Shakargarh sector and was highly decorated. Three out of the four officers of Alfa Squadron went on to become Lieutenant Generals in the Indian Army.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The 68th Armoured Regiment was made part of the division on 30 March 1970.


1st Armoured Division (India)
Following the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war, the division was reorganised with the 1st and 43rd Armoured Brigades and relocated in 1972 to Ambala. In 1984, it was reorganized with the 1st, 43rd and 98th Armoured Brigades.


1st Armoured Division (India)
The division may also include the 5 Armoured Regiment. 63 Cavalry may also be with the 43 Armoured Brigade.


1st Armoured Division (Poland)
The Polish 1st Armoured Division (Polish 1 Dywizja Pancerna) was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Created in February 1942 at Duns in Scotland, it was commanded by Major General Stanisław Maczek and at its peak numbered approximately 18,000 soldiers. The division served in the final phases of the Battle of Normandy in August 1944 during Operation Totalize and the Battle of Chambois and then continued to fight throughout the campaign in Northern Europe, mainly as part of the First Canadian Army.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History
After the fall of Poland and then France in 1940, the remaining Poles that had fought in both campaigns retreated with the British Army to the United Kingdom.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Formation
Stationed in Scotland the Polish 1st Armoured Division was formed as part of the Polish I Corps under Wladyslaw Sikorski, which guarded approximately 200 kilometres of British coast in 1940-1941. The commander of the Division, General Stanislaw Maczek, was Poland’s premier mechanized commander, and many of his subordinate officers from the unit he commanded in 1939, the 10th Mechanized Brigade, had made their way to Britain with him. They were organized on the British Armoured Division model, equipped with British uniforms, weapons and tanks. They were initially equipped and trained on Crusader tanks but in late 1943 and early 1944 these were replaced with Sherman tanks and Cromwell tanks. They then participated in war games together with the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Normandy
By the end of July 1944, the 1st Armoured had been transferred to Normandy, its final elements arriving on 1 August. The unit was attached to the First Canadian Army as part of the 21st Army Group. This may have been done to help in communication, as the vast majority of Poles did not speak English when they arrived in United Kingdom from 1940 onwards. The Division joined combat on 8 August during Operation Totalize.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Normandy
It twice suffered serious casualties as a result of "friendly fire" from Allied aircraft, but achieved a victory against the Wehrmacht in the battles for Mont Ormel, and the town of Chambois. This series of offensive and defensive operations came to be known as the Battle of Falaise, in which a large number of German Army and SS divisions were trapped in the Falaise Pocket and subsequently destroyed.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Normandy
Maczek's division had the crucial role of closing the pocket at the escape route of the trapped German divisions, hence the fighting was desperate and the 2nd Polish Armoured Regiment, 24th Polish Lancers and 10th Dragoons, supported by the 8th and 9th Infantry Battalions, took the brunt of German attacks by units attempting to break free from the pocket. Surrounded and running out of ammunition, they withstood incessant attacks from multiple fleeing panzer divisions for 48 hours until they were relieved. The total losses of the division from August 7 when it entered combat until the end of the battle of Falaise on August 22 were 446 killed, 1501 wounded, and 150 missing, or 2097 soldiers in total during about two weeks of fighting.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Belgium and the Netherlands
After the Allied armies broke out from Normandy, the Polish 1st Armoured Division pursued the Germans along the coast of the English Channel. It liberated, among others, the towns of Saint-Omer, Ypres, Oostnieuwkerke, Roeselare, Tielt, Ruislede, and Ghent. During Operation Pheasant a successful outflanking manoeuvre planned and performed by General Maczek allowed the liberation of the city of Breda without any civilian casualties (29 October 1944). The Division spent the winter of 1944-1945 on the south bank of the river Rhine, guarding a sector around Moerdijk, Netherlands. In early 1945, it was transferred to the province of Overijssel and started to push with the Allies along the Dutch-German border, liberating the eastern parts of the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen including the towns of Emmen, Coevorden and Stadskanaal.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), History, Germany
In April 1945, the 1st Armoured entered Germany in the area of Emsland. On 6 May, the Division seized the Kriegsmarine naval base in Wilhelmshaven, where General Maczek accepted the capitulation of the fortress, naval base, East Frisian Fleet and more than 10 infantry divisions. There the Division ended the war and, joined by the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, undertook occupation duties until it was disbanded in 1947; it, together with the many Polish displaced persons in the Western occupied territories, formed a Polish enclave at Haren in Germany, which was for a while known as "Maczków". The majority of its soldiers opted not to return to Poland, which fell under Soviet occupation, preferring instead to remain in exile. Many artefacts and memorabilia belonging to Maczek and the 1st Polish Armoured Division are on display in the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London.


1st Armoured Division (Poland), Organization during 1944–45, Numbers
Memorial in Saint Omer to the Polish 1st Armoured Division


1st Armoured Division (Syria)
The 1st Armoured Division is a division of the Syrian Arab Army. It was established before 1973.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), Yom Kippur War
During the Syrian Army's assault on the Israeli held Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1st Division was held in reserve until a breakthrough was made on the front line. On the evening of the first day of battle, 6 October, the division was sent forward to follow the success of the 5th Division in the southern part of the line. Dunstan writes that on the evening of the next day, the division commander, Colonel Tewfiq Juhni, had established a supply and administrative complex in the Khishniyah area.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), Yom Kippur War
During the next two days, elements of the division fought along the Syrian salient in the southern Golan, taking part in the battles around Nafach, Khishniyah and the area around Al-‘Al. On 10 October, alongside with other elements of the Syrian Army, the last remnants of the Division finally withdrew after hard fighting against the Israeli defenders.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 1982 Lebanon War
At the outbreak of the Lebanon War, the entire division was stationed in the Bekaa Valley. At the time, it was composed of the 91st Armoured Brigade, the 76th Armoured Brigade and the 58th Mechanized Brigade. Each armoured brigade contained about 160 tanks, and the mechanized brigade consisted of about 40, which added up to a division total of about 360 tanks (usually T-62s). In addition to these units, the 20th Commando Regiment was under the command of the division. It which was primarily used in the anti-tank role.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 1982 Lebanon War
The first clash between Syrian forces and the Israeli army forces occurred near the town of Jezzine, in the southern part of the valley. To protect the town against the advancing Israeli forces, infantry units and elements of the 76th Armoured Brigade were dispatched. In the ensuing battle, the IDF managed to defeat the Syrian forces and occupy the town.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 1982 Lebanon War
A few days later, the division again fought forces of the IDF, who attacked the division on 11 June 1982, in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub. During this battle, the 91st and 76th Brigades were in the line while the 58th remained in reserve. At the same time forces of the 3rd Armoured Division began moving south along the Bekaa Valley to help against the Israeli attack. Finally, after heavy fighting, the division successfully staved off the Israeli troops and continued to hold the eastern part of the Beirut - Damascus line. Despite the losses the Syrians suffered, this battle is considered a great success because the Israeli effort was curbed.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 21st century
The division was subordinate to the Second Corps, whose headquarters are in Al-Zabadani, north-west of Damascus, on the border of Lebanon. The corps has responsibility for the entire area north of Damascus to Homs including Lebanon. Corps forces were set up in Lebanon during the Syrian presence there, which lasted from 1976 to 2005. The 1st Division itself is currently headquartered at the Al-Kiswah base, south of Damascus.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 21st century
In 2001, according to Richard Bennett, the division was composed of three brigades, the 44th Armoured, 46th Armoured, and the 42nd Mechanized.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 21st century
According to Holliday, by the beginning of 2012, the division consisted of the 76th, 91st, and 153rd Armoured Brigades, the 58th Mechanized Brigade, and an artillery regiment. Between February and April 2012, the 76th Armoured Brigade '..conducted a series of violent clearance operations in rural Idlib Governorate, during which its soldiers committed numerous atrocities across a swath of Syrian villages and left behind graffiti proclaiming the work of the "Death Brigade".


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 21st century
According to Gregory Waters, circa 2017-18 the division consists of the 57th, 58th, 61st, 68th, 91st and 171st Brigades, plus artillery and smaller units, with only the 58th and 91st Brigades dating from before 2011.


1st Armoured Division (Syria), 21st century
The Divisions' brigades (57th, 76th, 91st tank and 58th mechanized) lost between 40%-65% of their heavy equipment (e.g. tanks and armoured vehicles). In mid-2018 reports indicated that the Division is being reorganized and rebuilt under Russian supervision.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom)
1st Armoured Division Signals was a unit of Britain's Royal Corps of Signals providing communications for the 1st Armoured Division during World War II. It was present during the Battle of France, the Western Desert Campaign, including the battles of Gazala and Alamein, the Tunisian Campaign, and the Battle of Coriano during the Italian Campaign.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Origins
The unit had its origins in a signal squadron of the Royal Engineers (RE) formed at Aldershot in 1912 for the Cavalry Division of the planned British Expeditionary Force (BEF). In the event of mobilisation of the BEF, the Cavalry Division would comprise the permanent 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Cavalry Brigades. These had each been provided with an RE signal Troop since 1907, which were now brought together:


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Origins
The BEF and its Cavalry Division were duly mobilised on the outbreak of World War I on 4 August 1914 and proceeded to France, taking part in the Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat. As reinforcements arrived, the Cavalry Division was divided, 3rd and 4th Brigades with their signal troops transferring to a new 2nd Cavalry Division in September and October. The original formation, now 1st Cavalry Division, was joined by a newly formed 9th Cavalry Brigade and its 9th Signal Troop on 14 April 1915. The division served on the Western Front throughout the war.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Interwar
In 1920 the RE Signal Service became the Royal Corps of Signals (RCS), and when the Cavalry Division was reformed its communications were provided by Cavalry Divisional Signals, RCS at Bramshott with 1st Signal Troop at Aldershot and 2nd Signal Troop at Tidworth. (3rd Signal Troop was at the Curragh until Irish Independence.) By 1930, the unit was organised with HQ, B, C and E Trps at Tidworth, C Trp at Aldershot.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Interwar
There were also Tank Signal Sections of the RCS with each of the four battalions of the Royal Tank Corps, and that year these combined with HQ Squadron of the cavalry signals at Tidworth to form Armoured Fighting Vehicle Signals (1st Tank Brigade Signals from 1935). In 1937 the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Brigades were converted into light armoured brigades and combined with 1st Tank Brigade to form the 'Mobile Division', each brigade with its associated signal unit. An HQ Sqn for Mobile Divisional Signals was formed the following year. The division was renamed as 1st Armoured Division in 1939.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, France
1st Armoured Division was still incomplete when the German offensive in the west opened on 10 May, but was rushed to France piecemeal as reinforcements. The main body of the division landed at Cherbourg but never managed to join the British Expeditionary Force. It fought under French command south of the River Somme, suffering heavy casualties, and the remnants were evacuated through Cherbourg on 16 June in Operation Aerial.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, North Africa
The division reformed in the UK and served on anti-invasion defence duties, regularly having to give up its tanks and tank brigades to be sent to the  Middle East. This continued until August 1941 when the bulk of the division embarked for Egypt. Having sailed round South Africa It began to disembark at Suez in late November and began desert training. It went into the line under Eighth Army in late December during Operation Crusader, but once again was employed piecemeal, and suffered badly during the fighting and retreat of January 1942 and the Battle of Gazala in May. It fought in the defence of the El Alamein position in July.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, North Africa
Re -equipped, 1st Armoured Division played a major role in the successful attack at the Second Battle of El Alamein and the subsequent pursuit to El Agheila and Tripoli. In February 1943 the division participated in the Battle of Mareth and subsequent fighting in the Tunisian Campaign culminating in the capture of Tunis in May.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, Italy
1st Armoured Division was non-operational for a year, until it was shipped to the Italian Front at the end of May 1944 (Divisional HQ was transported by air). It concentrated at Altamura near Bari and was brought up to take part in the battle for the Gothic Line in August. The division was recognised as a weak element in the plan: Divisional HQ had not commanded in action for over a year, and its subordinate brigades had been assembled piecemeal. Nevertheless it was selected for an important role in Operation Olive, making an attack on Coriano.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, Italy
The division's axis of advance was up bad mountain tracks and the German defence was strong: the attack on 4 September was a failure, and progress the following day was slow. A second attack (the Second Battle of Coriano) began on the afternoon of 13 September and the division forced its way through to Ceriano Ridge, which was captured on 18/19 September. Further progress was halted by heavy rain.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, Italy
Casualties among the division's infantry had been heavy and reinforcements were scarce at this stage of the war, so the decision was made to break up 1st Armoured Division. Divisional HQ was used to command an ad hoc group of units to screen the assembly of II Polish Corps at the front by 28 October. After that, Divisional HQ had no formations under its command and its last remaining unit, 1st Armoured Divisional Signals, was disbanded on 7 December 1944. No 1 Squadron was converted into a Line of Communication company, some of the personnel remained attached to their brigades and units, many of the rest were transferred to 6th Armoured Division.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), World War II, Organisation
The organisation of an armoured divisional signal unit in late World War II was as follows:


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Later units
In July 1946, while stationed in Trieste, 6th Armoured Division was redesignated 1st Armoured Division and its signal unit became 1st Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment; it went to Palestine in 1947 but disbanded in September that year.


1st Armoured Division Signals (United Kingdom), Later units
In April 1978, 1st Infantry Division in British Army of the Rhine was converted to the armoured role and 1 Signal Regiment became 1st (UK) Armoured Division HQ and Signal Regiment.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade is an infantry brigade of the British Army with a long history including service during both the First and the Second World Wars. It is based at Tidworth Camp. Previously, it has been designated 1st (Guards) Brigade, 1st Infantry Brigade, 1st Mechanised Brigade (from the 1990s), and under the initial Army 2020 reforms assumed the title of 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Early history
Following the end of the Second Boer War in 1902, the army was restructured and the 1st Guards Brigade was established permanently as part of the 1st Division in the 1st Army Corps, stationed at Aldershot Garrison.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), First World War
Initially designated as the 1st (Guards) Brigade, the brigade was part of 1st Division during the First World War. Upon creation of the Guards Division in August 1915, the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards and 1st Battalion, Scots Guards moved to 2nd Guards Brigade, and the brigade was redesignated as the 1st Brigade. It was with the 1st Division on the Western Front throughout the war.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), First World War
It saw action at the Battle of Mons and subsequent Great Retreat, the First Battle of the Marne, the First Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Loos, the Battle of Aubers Ridge, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Passchendaele, the Battle of Pozières and the Battle of Épehy, part of the final Hundred Days Offensive, which broke the back of the German Army, leading to an Armistice.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Second World War
Remaining active during the interwar period as the 1st (Guards) Brigade, the brigade, still part of the 1st Infantry Division, was sent to France in September 1939 during the Second World War as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and it later took part in the Battle of France in May–June 1940 and the subsequent Battle of Dunkirk and were evacuated to England, spending the next few years on home defence anticipating a German invasion of England.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Second World War
On 11 April 1942, the brigade was redesignated and reorganised as 1st Independent Brigade Group (Guards), with its own support units, until August when it was transferred to the 78th Infantry Division. In late 1942, it took part in the North African Campaign in Operation Torch: the Allied landings in French North Africa, arriving in Algiers in November 1942.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Second World War
The brigade participated in the Run for Tunis and was transferred to the 6th Armoured Division in early 1943 and saw action in the Tunisia Campaign at the Battle of Fondouk, Battle of El Kourzia and Battle of Tunis in April and May 1943. Subsequently, the 1st (Guards) Brigade served on the Italian Front for the rest of the war under command of various divisions, seeing action in the Battle of Monte Cassino (where the brigade played a holding "hinge" role during Operation Diadem) and the Battle of Liri Valley in May 1944. The brigade then fought on the Gothic Line and in the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Second World War, Order of battle
The 1st (Guards) Brigade was constituted as follows during the war:


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Second World War, Order of battle
Between 11 April 1942 and 7 August 1942 the following units formed the 1st Independent Brigade Group (Guards):


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
After the War, the brigade, having lost its 'Guards' title, was transferred to Palestine for internal security duties and then to Egypt for a few months before going back to Palestine in April 1946. Two years later, as the British mandate over Palestine ended, the brigade and division returned to Egypt. In October 1951, British forces pulled out of Egypt outside of the Suez Canal Zone, and later the brigade returned to the United Kingdom, though it was in Cyprus during the EOKA insurgency for a period in 1957–8.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
In 1968 the dispatch of the entire 3rd Infantry Division began to be planned, as part of the United Kingdom Mobile Force, to reinforce Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland (LANDJUT). By the mid-1980s the British Army force earmarked as part of the UKMF to reinforce LANDJUT had shrunk to the 1st Infantry Brigade, as it had become.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
In 1991 just before the end of the Cold War, the brigade's structure was as follows.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
1st (United Kingdom Mobile Force) Infantry Brigade, at Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth Camp


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
After the end of the Cold War, the brigade was reassigned to the new 3rd (UK) Division and subsequently became a Mechanised Brigade. In 1996, it was deployed to the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, with Multi-National Division (South-West); in 2000, it was deployed to Sierra Leone and, in 2002, to Kosovo.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
The brigade was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick XVIII. It was deployed again in 2014, commanded by Brigadier Rupert Jones.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Current formation
Under Army 2020, it was renamed as 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade and remained at Tidworth Camp, forming part of the Reaction Force. The 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade will form up as a Strike Brigade by 2021. The Defence in a Competitive Age Command Paper however mentions the formations of Brigade Combat Teams.


1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom), Brigade commanders
The following officers commanded the brigade during the Second World War and since:


1st Armoured Medical Regiment
1 Armoured Medical Regiment is a medical regiment of the British Army's Royal Army Medical Corps currently based at Bhurtpore Barracks, Tidworth Camp, Wiltshire.


1st Armoured Medical Regiment, History
The regiment was formed as 1 Close Support Medical Regiment on 1 April 2000, by the amalgamation of 2 and 3 armoured field ambulances. It was initially based in York Barracks in Munster, becoming 1 Medical Regiment on 1 April 2008, moving to Haig Barracks in Bergen-Hohne Garrison on 4 July 2012. It became 1 Armoured Medical Regiment on 1 April 2014, with the formation parade held in Bergen-Hohne on 5 July 2014. The Regiment moved to Dempsey Barracks in Sennelager in September 2015, supporting 20th Armoured Brigade.


1st Armoured Medical Regiment, History
The regiment deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 15 in October 2011 for six months, and for Operation Herrick 20, 30 Squadron deployed to provide the core of the last medical regiment in Afghanistan.


1st Armoured Medical Regiment, History
The Regiment is paired with 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment, a specialist Army Reserve unit.


1st Armoured Medical Regiment, History
In 2019 the regiment was due to move to Bhurtpore Barracks.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia)
The 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (1 APC Sqn) was an armoured unit of the Australian Army raised for service during the Vietnam War. Raised in 1965, the unit was deployed to South Vietnam in May 1966 to join the 1st Australian Task Force. After that 1 APC Sqn was involved in numerous operations in support of the 5th and 6th Battalions, the Royal Australian Regiment, with the most notable action coming on 18 August 1966 when the squadron was involved in the Battle of Long Tan. In January 1967, 1 APC Sqn was redesignated as 'A' Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Formation
1 APC Sqn has a convoluted history. Officially the unit was first raised at Puckapunyal, Victoria, on 1 July 1965; however, the squadron also draws lineage from 1 Troop, 'A' Squadron, 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse (1 Tp A Sqn 4/19 PWLH). 1 Tp A Sqn 4/19 PWLH was a Regular sub unit of a primarily Citizens Military Force light cavalry regiment. In June 1965, this unit was converted from Saladin armoured cars and Saracen armoured personnel carriers (APCs) to M113s and sent to South Vietnam as part of Australia's initial commitment to the Vietnam War. Working primarily with 1 RAR, the troop was placed under the control of the US 173rd Airborne Brigade, operating in an area to the north of Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Formation
Under the command of Lieutenant (later Captain) Robert Hill, initially the troop was deployed with only eight carriers as at the start of the Australian commitment to the ground war in Vietnam, the Australian government intended to limit the size of Australia's forces to a single infantry battalion tasked with maintaining security around the American base at Bien Hoa.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Formation
In September, however, as it became clearer that there was a wider role for Australian ground forces the size of the troop was increased to 13 personnel carriers and two mortar carriers and after that the troop was used in a variety of roles including infantry mobility, manoeuvre, direct and indirect fire support, casualty evacuation and providing a medium lift stores transportation capability.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Formation
In March 1966, 1 Tp A Sqn 4/19 PWLH was redesignated as the "1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Troop" (1 APC Troop) and it subsequently completed its tour of Vietnam in June 1966. At that time, 1 APC Sqn arrived and all of 1 Troop's vehicles and some of its personnel were subsumed into the squadron.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Formation
While 1 APC Troop had been conducting operations in Vietnam, 1 APC Sqn had been training in Australia in preparation to relieve the overworked troop. On 9 March 1966, the Australian government announced that it would increase the size of Australia's ground forces in Vietnam to a task force consisting of two infantry battalions, a squadron of armoured personnel carriers and a number of ancillary units. Additionally, it was also announced that the Australian Task Force, known as 1 ATF, would operate as an independent force from the Americans and would take primary responsibility for an area inside Phuoc Tuy province.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
In May 1966, an advanced party from the squadron arrived to take over 1 APC Troop's vehicles, while the rest of the squadron, travelling upon the troop carrier HMAS Sydney, arrived at the 1 ATF base at Nui Dat on 9 June 1966. Under the command of Major Robert Hagerty, who had previously served in Vietnam with the AATTV, the squadron consisted of seven officers and 109 other ranks. Some of these men were national servicemen, although most of the officers and NCOs were regulars drawn from the 1st Armoured Regiment and from 'A' Squadron, 4/19 PWLH.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
Upon its arrival, 1 APC Sqn's first task was to help secure the task force base at Nui Dat by erecting defences and clearing the area; however, once this had been done, the squadron took on primary responsibility for ensuring that the road between Vung Tau and Saigon remained open. In order to achieve this, a number of cordon and search operations were undertaken focusing on the villages surrounding Nui Dat. On 21 June 1966, 3 Troop was deployed with 6 RAR on Operation Enoggera, a search and destroy mission that focused upon the village of Long Phuoc, which had long been a haven for the Viet Cong (VC).


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
As 1 ATF did not possess any tanks at that stage, the APCs of 1 APC Sqn were in high demand and were required to undertake many different roles in this time. These included both cavalry and armoured personnel roles, such as fire support, reconnaissance and offensive manoeuvre, as well as serving as infantry command and control vehicles, troop transport, stores portage, and casualty evacuation.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
Whilst 1 APC Sqn was involved in many operations in the six months that it was in existence, probably its most notable action was on 18 August 1966 in what later became known as the Battle of Long Tan. 1 APC Sqn's involvement at Long Tan came at a very crucial moment in battle, but nevertheless their involvement in this battle has received little acknowledgement.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
1 APC Sqn's first task during the battle was to transport 'A' Company, 6 RAR to the battlefield to relieve 'D' Company, which was holding out against desperate odds in a rubber plantation to the west of Long Tan. This task fell to ten APCs from 3 Troop under the command of Lieutenant Adrian Roberts. Having picked up 'A' Company from their lines at Nui Dat, the column received permission and set off across country in the pouring rain at 18:00 hours. Fording a flooded creek, they shook out into assault formation astride the plantation road. The move took just over an hour, as the column had to fight its way through pockets of enemy and brave the heavy defensive artillery barrage that was being put down around 'D' Company; however, by 19:00 hours they reached the beleaguered company.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
Upon arriving at the plantation, 3 Troop advanced through 'D' Company's position, carrying out a quick sweep of the area through which the attacking Vietnamese were forming up for another attack, catching the enemy on their flanks and inflicting heavy casualties. Upon seeing the arrival of the APCs the enemy broke off its attack, the survivors melting away back into the jungle and leaving the Australians in possession of the battlefield. The Australians suffered 18 men killed and 24 wounded. Of these, one of the men that had been killed was from 3 Troop. The man was Corporal Peter Clements, who died on 27 August 1966 after succumbing to the serious gunshot wounds he received during the battle.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Deployment to Vietnam
For their actions during the battle, two men from 3 Troop received gallantry awards. Corporal John Carter received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions in neutralising an enemy anti-tank weapon, while Lieutenant Adrian Roberts received a Mention in Despatches for his leadership of the troop during the battle. Following the battle, 1 APC Sqn continued to operate in the area, supporting 5 and 6 RAR. As a part of the follow-up operations, during Operation Crows Nest, one troop operated in a cavalry role as part of a combined infantry/armour sweep either side of Route 2. They continued to operate in this role, providing fire support and transporting troops across the battlefield for the rest of the year.


1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron (Australia), History, Redesignation
In January 1967, after a re-organisation of units of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, 1 APC Sqn was re-designated as 'A' Squadron, 3rd Cavalry Regiment. This squadron subsequently rotated with the regiment's second squadron, 'B' Squadron, as the 3rd Cavalry Regiment maintain a squadron on operations in Vietnam up until November 1971. 1 Troop remained even longer, staying on until March 1972.


1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade was a regular British Army unit during the Second World War.


1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (United Kingdom), History
Formed in France in 1940 from the RAC Regiments from the regular divisions. The brigade saw action during the Battle of France. On 26 November 1940 it was converted into the 27th Armoured Brigade.


1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade (United Kingdom), Order of Battle
The Order of battle of the brigade during the war was: (day/month/year), units in order of precedence.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia)
1st Armoured Regiment is an armoured regiment of the Australian Army and is the senior regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. Formed as a tank unit in the new Australian Regular Army on 7 July 1949, the regiment subsequently saw service during the Vietnam War operating Centurion tanks. Currently the unit is based in Edinburgh, South Australia as part of the 1st Brigade. As part of the Plan Beersheba reorganisation, the unit has become one of three Armoured Cavalry Regiments (ACRs) assigned to the Army's multirole combat brigades in Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville. Each ACR is equipped with M1A1 tanks and ASLAV light armoured vehicles.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
The 1st Armoured Regiment was raised as a regular unit on 7 July 1949 at Puckapunyal in Victoria when the 1st Armoured Car Squadron, which had returned from occupation duties in Japan a few months earlier, was converted to a tank unit.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
The formation occurred following the renaming of a reserve unit of the Citizens Military Forces (CMF) of the same name, which subsequently became the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers and its battle honours and history perpetuated by this unit, in order to reallocate the name to the tank regiment that was to be established in the new Australian Regular Army. At first only one squadron strong, planning commenced to expand to full strength as soon as possible under the command of Major Cecil Ives.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
Formal affiliation with the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) was recognised two years later and the regiment adopted their regimental colours of Brown, Red and Green, which date back to the Battle of Cambrai during the First World War in 1917. These same colours had also been used by the Australian Tank Corps prior to the Second World War.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
Initially the new regiment was equipped with Churchill tanks, although this was only a temporary measure until Centurion tanks could be acquired. However, due to the perceived unsuitability of the Churchill and the late arrival of the new platform, the regiment was not deployed as part of Australia's commitment to the Korean War, although a number of officers served on exchange with British and US formations and the unit provided machine-gunners and signalers to Australian infantry battalions as reinforcements. The first Centurions finally began arriving in June 1952, with the regiment receiving 39 tanks. With the numbers of regular personnel steadily growing, it was possible to raise Regimental Headquarters, Headquarters Squadron and B Squadron, and the regiment was fully raised by 8 September 1952 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Graham.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
Meanwhile, in September 1952 another tank squadron was raised. This was known as Nucleus Squadron and, based in Holsworthy, New South Wales, with the purpose of forming the basis of a second tank unit which was to be named the 2nd Armoured Regiment. In 1954 the regiment received it first Ferret MK 1 Scout Car, enabling the raising of Reconnaissance Troop. The following year 1st Armoured Regiment received the Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier, and it was at this time that the intention to form another tank unit was abandoned, and Nucleus Squadron subsequently returned to the regiment as its third squadron, designated C Squadron.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Formation
On 6 February 1956, the then Governor General, Field Marshal Sir William Slim, presented the regiment with its Guidon at a Regimental Parade held in Puckapunyal. Also in 1956 the regiment was equipped with the Centurion armoured recovery vehicle, allowing the retirement of the Churchill recovery vehicle. Following the expansion of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) in 1960, A Squadron was disbanded, reducing the regiment to two squadrons, and the majority of its personnel formed regular squadrons in the 4th/19th Prince of Wales' Light Horse and the 2nd/14th Light Horse (Queensland Mounted Infantry), which were predominantly CMF formations. These squadrons subsequently became part of the 1st Cavalry Regiment, which was later redesignated the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and in turn provided the nucleus for the newly raised 3rd Cavalry Regiment.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
During 1964–65 the regiment provided most of the men for 1 Troop, A Squadron, 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse, which was subsequently equipped with the new M113A1 Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and was deployed on active service to South Vietnam in May 1965. In October 1967 the Australian government announced it would increase the size of the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province from two to three infantry battalions, while additional supporting arms, including a tank squadron would also be added to the force.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
As such in February 1968, C Squadron was sent to Vietnam, with a total strength of 20 Centurion tanks which would work closely with the M113s of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. However, two of the four tank troops were initially held back until the Centurions had proved themselves capable of operating in the conditions. The tank squadron reached full strength on 5 September 1968. Meanwhile, in May the regiment had again reached full strength, with A Squadron re-raised in order to meet the ongoing operational commitment.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
Over the next four years all three of the regiment's operational squadrons eventually served in Vietnam, providing invaluable close support to the infantry, particularly during the clearance of Viet Cong bunker systems. Although their value in Vietnam was originally questioned by some, they proved a powerful weapon in both offence and defence, and were responsible for limiting infantry casualties. The Centurions were able to move through the countryside more easily than expected and although they were vulnerable to anti-tank weapons and mines, their firepower and shock action had a decisive effect on the battlefield.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
In late-May 1968 the tanks played a significant role in the Battle of Coral–Balmoral. Occupying blocking positions in an attempt to thwart an impending communist offensive aimed at influencing the peace-talks, 1ATF deployed two battalions away from its base in Phuoc Tuy, subsequently developing Fire Support Base Coral north-east of Saigon, just east of Lai Khe on 12 May.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
Following several regimental-sized assaults on Coral which were successfully repelled by the Australians with heavy casualties on both sides, 1ATF moved to establish Fire Support Base Balmoral on 24–25 May, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Coral. The infantry were this time supported by Centurion tanks which had been called forward by road from Nui Dat and had arrived just hours before Balmoral was subjected to a two battalion attack. Following a very accurate rocket and mortar barrage at 03:45 hours on 26 May, the base was assaulted by North Vietnamese infantry.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
The attack was repelled with heavy casualties by the combined firepower of the tanks and infantry. The next day the Australians at Coral assaulted a number of bunkers located just outside the base, with a troop of Centurions supported by infantry destroying the bunkers and their occupants without loss. A second attack, again of regimental strength, was made against Balmoral at 02:30 hours on 28 May but was called off after only 30 minutes. The North Vietnamese were soundly defeated—again by the supporting fires of tanks, artillery and mortars—leaving 55 dead and resulted in six prisoners.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
Australian losses were one killed and six wounded. This performance demonstrated the advantage of using armour in Vietnam, and whereas before the battle some infantry had doubted the usefulness or necessity of the Centurions, after the battle the infantry did not like working without them. For its involvement in the fighting at Coral–Balmoral, 'C' Squadron was awarded a Unit Citation for Gallantry in 2018.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
In February 1969, C Squadron was relieved by B Squadron. On 6–7 June, B Squadron was involved in a fierce action during the Battle of Binh Ba, a village 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Nui Dat. The attack began on the morning of 6 June when Australian tanks and APCs advanced with infantry from D Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5 RAR) towards the village which was being occupied by the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. As the battle continued, B Company, 5 RAR took up a blocking position to prevent them from escaping.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
During fierce urban fighting the infantry were forced to clear each house, while the Communist troops occupying the houses fired on them from the windows and doorways before retreating into tunnels as the Australians passed. Each time the infantry were fired on, the tanks would blast a hole in the wall of the building, through which small teams could then enter and clear the structure of any opposition. The fighting continued throughout the afternoon, and resumed the next day before the Australians successfully cleared the village, the bulk of which was destroyed. One Australian was killed and 10 wounded, while communist losses included at least 107 killed, six wounded and eight captured.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Vietnam War
In December 1969, B Squadron was re-designated A Squadron, while in December 1970 A Squadron was in turn re-designated C Squadron. By late-1970 Australia was beginning to reduce its commitment to the war and the size of 1ATF was again reduced from three infantry battalions to two. The tanks, however, continued operations and were involved in heavy fighting at Long Khanh on 6–7 June 1971, as well as numerous smaller actions. The last elements of the regiment were subsequently withdrawn from Vietnam in September 1971. A total of 58 Centurions had served in Vietnam; 42 had suffered battle damage, of which six were beyond repair, while two crewmen had been killed in action.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Post-Vietnam to the present
The following years were traumatic for the regiment, and for the Australian Army, with the abolition of National Service after the end of Australian involvement in Vietnam depleting its strength to the point where training was severely restricted until it was reinforced during 1974. B Squadron was re-designated as the Medium Tank Trials Unit in 1972 and subsequently carried out extensive user and technical trials to evaluate the replacement for the ageing Centurions. In 1977 the Centurion was replaced in service by the Leopard 1, which had been selected over the American built M60 Patton. On 21 April 1981, the Colonel-in-Chief of the RAAC, The Prince of Wales, presented the unit with its first Regimental Standard. In 1995 the 1st Armoured Regiment moved from Puckapunyal to Darwin.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Post-Vietnam to the present
On 13 July 2002, the regiment was presented with its current Standard by the then Governor General, Dr. Peter Hollingworth. On 26 July 2007, after 31 years of service the Leopard was replaced by 59 M1A1 Abrams AIM, with 41 being delivered to the regiment and the remaining vehicles issued to the School of Armour for use for training purposes. Seven M88A2 Hercules Armoured Recovery Vehicles were also acquired, two being delivered to the regiment.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Post-Vietnam to the present
The Leopards never saw operational service, although during the 1999 East Timor crisis the regiment was placed on standby to deploy in the event the conflict escalated, while the regiment was not deployed during Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Members of the unit later deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as Bushmaster PMV crews, while others have also served in East Timor and the Solomon Islands. During this period the regiment was the only main battle tank unit in the Australian Army and was based at Robertson Barracks, in Darwin. Until 2013 it provided the basis for one of three battlegroups within the mechanised 1st Brigade, which included two mechanised infantry battalions, one cavalry regiment, one tank regiment, and a medium artillery regiment.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Post-Vietnam to the present
As part of the Plan Beersheba reorganisation, the unit has become one of three Armoured Cavalry Regiments (ACRs) assigned to the Army's multirole combat brigades in Brisbane, Darwin and Townsville. As an ACR, the unit was to be equipped with M1A1 tanks, ASLAV light armoured vehicles, and M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers.


1st Armoured Regiment (Australia), History, Post-Vietnam to the present
Under the reforms announced in 2011 and confirmed in the 2013 Defence White Paper, the three Regular Army brigades will be restructured between 2014 and 2017 into three Combat Brigades with a similar structure and capabilities, each consisting of: a Brigade Headquarters, an Armoured Cavalry Regiment, two Standard Infantry Battalions, an Artillery Regiment, a Combat Engineer Regiment, a Combat Service Support Battalion and a Combat Signals Regiment. In late 2015, one of the 1st Armoured Regiment's two tank squadrons was transferred to the Townsville-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment, with 14 of the tanks relocating. In 2017, the ACR structure was changed as part of what was named the workforce alignment of Plan Beersheba with the APCs transferred to infantry battalions. In October 2017, the 1st Armoured Regiment moved from Robertson Barracks in Darwin to RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland)
The 1st Armoured Regiment (Polish: 1 Pułk Pancerny) was an armoured regiment of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II, part of the 1st Armoured Division.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
The 1st Polish Armoured Regiment of the 1st Polish Armoured Division has its origins in France. After the Russian Army invaded from the East, with the German Army invading from the West, the Polish government went into exile and the Polish Army in units, and as individuals, made their way to France to regroup. Some Polish soldiers came from Poland through enemy territory. Others took a roundabout route through neighbouring countries by any means available, some after being interned for a period of time. They all made their way to the camp at Coëtquidan in Brittany. This camp became the centre of the Polish Army in exile. Additional Poles came from the large émigré community in France and Belgium to enlist.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
On 20 November 1939, the Armoured Group was formed under the command of Major L. Furs-Żyrkiewicz. It was made up mostly of soldiers from the former armoured units of Poland. The 1st Tank Battalion was formed from these former armoured units on 2 December 1939 and left the camp at Coëtquidan for the village of Campenéac. On this day, it became an independent unit. Its name would change (65th Tank Battalion, 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment), but it could trace its roots to this date as its birth.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
Living conditions at both camps were poor. The soldiers' morale was low because of the harsh winter conditions, lack of equipment, and poor living quarters. During February 1940, the Battalion left Campenéac for St. Cécile-les-Vignes. Here the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade was formed from all the armoured units. The Battalion fell under the Brigade in the chain of command. Soon afterwards, the first Renault FT tanks arrived, and training with these vintage and obsolete World War I tanks began.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
The German offensive on 10 May caused the Battalion to accelerate its preparations and training for battle. On 27 May 1940, under the command of Major Stanisław Gliński, it moved to Versailles, where it received modern tanks and equipment. Also on this day, the 1st Company was transferred to airfield protection duties and the Finnish Company took its place. The Battalion had only ten days to learn how to operate the new Renault R35 and R39 tanks.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
On 8 June 1940, the Battalion was deployed to Champagne, where the 10th Motorized Cavalry Brigade, under the command of General Maczek, was located. The situation at the front, as a result of the German offensive on 10 June, was hopeless. The Germans had infiltrated behind the French lines. Champagne and Burgundy were being surrounded from the west. The units in this pocket were being systematically destroyed from the air. The Battalion, from the day it arrived in Champagne on 12 June 1940, sustained heavy losses, due to German air attacks. Enemy aircraft broke the Battalion's first attack attempt. In the chaos that ensued, the Battalion retreated to the south while under constant assault from the air.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
Lt-Col. Tadeusz Majewski took command of the Battalion on 15 June 1940. The Battalion was made the Brigade's spearhead for the breakout from the pocket created by the enemy. The attack began on the night of 16 June 1940 with the 4th Motorized Division in the town of Montbard in Burgandy. As a result of heavy losses inflicted during the night, the enemy withdrew from Montbard. This victory was short-lived, however, for the Battalion was out of ammunition and fuel. The next day, orders were issued for the crews to destroy their tanks, to prevent them falling into enemy hands, and disband The men were ordered to make their way south as best they could. The temporary disbandment of the Battalion ended its part in the French campaign.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
The fates of these men were varied. The French people often risked their lives to help. Some made it across the German lines and reached French ports, in time to leave on the last ships leaving for England. Some were taken prisoner. Some were interned in the Spanish concentration camp of Miranda del Ebro after crossing the Spanish border. Others made it to North Africa, where they were interned and forced to work on the construction of the Trans-Sahara Railroad.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1939
The majority, however, after overcoming many obstacles (lack of money, lack of papers, lack of transportation etc. ), in some cases taking years (some made their way  through Russia to Japan to the U.S./Canada/South America to England; literally travelling around the world), made it back to their units regrouping in Britain.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
The arrival in Great Britain was in stark contrast to their previous arrival in France from Poland. They were welcomed into people's homes till permanent quarters were arranged, which were an improvement over those in France. The living conditions alone were enough to boost morale. This would aid them during the 4 years it would take to prepare and train for the upcoming battles on the continent.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
The Battalion reported to Crawford in Lanarkshire. The camp was located in the Clyde River valley in Scotland. During its 4 months there, the Battalion was reorganized and brought to full strength by the return of 1st Company, but it still lacked equipment. Maj. Henryk Świetlicki took command in August 1940.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
The start of the Battle of Britain highlighted the threat of invasion of the British Isles. The Battalion was now on a high state of alert. It patrolled the area and established guard posts in the surrounding hills. On 22 October 1940, the Battalion was moved to Blairgowrie in Pertshire, where it was stationed for 17 months. A close bond formed between the soldiers and the local population. Blairgowrie became the adopted home of the Battalion. Its men would never forget the kindness and hospitality of the people.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
Infantry training took place during the winter of 1940 and preparations made for the anticipated invasion. Tanks finally arrived in the spring of 1941. The first to arrive were Valentines. A few months later, they received Mark I's. Their arrival boosted morale. In the summer of 1941, the Battalion's duties included: protecting nearby airfields; guarding Broughty Ferry on the Scottish East Coast; and building anti-invasion obstacles around Dundee. In addition to their military duties, the Battalion assisted the local population with the harvesting of wheat and potatoes.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
During the autumn of 1941, the Battalion received the new 40-ton Churchill tanks. The Churchill was later followed by three other tank models. As a result, the Poles were experienced in various types of armoured vehicles (not just tanks).


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
On 27 September 1941 the Battalion was renamed the 65th Tank Battalion. During December 1941, volunteers arriving from the United States and South America were inducted into the Battalion. In early April 1942, the Battalion left Blairgowrie for Camp Langton near Duns in Berwickshire. The local population, here again, welcomed the soldiers of the Battalion into their homes. In both Blairgowrie and Duns, the Battalion left commemorative plaques, thanking the local population for their hospitality. Shortly after arriving at Camp Langton, the Battalion's Churchills were replaced by Covenanters. On 25 March 1942, General Maczek was appointed Division Commander.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
The 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade and 16th Armoured Brigade formed the core of the division. Maj Bolesław Sokołowski assumed command of the Battalion in June 1942. On 12 August 1942, 16th Tank Brigade was renamed 16th Armoured Brigade. As a result, the 65th Tank Battalion on  13 August 1942, as a result of the formation of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, the Battalion was renamed the 1st Armoured Regiment. In the autumn of 1942, Crusader tanks arrived. Now training was mainly focused on the Covenanter tanks  and the Crusaders. During 1943, more Polish soldiers arrived from the Middle East.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
These men, making their way from Russian internment camps under General Anders, helped to make up the shortfall in manpower in the division. From May till the end of September 1943, the Regiment participated in Divisional manoeuvers in south-east England near Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk. Afterwards, the regiment returned to Camp Langton. On 21 September 1943, the 16th Armoured Headquarters was absorbed into the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. On 12 October 1943, the combined Brigade was renamed the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade. The 1st Armoured Regiment was now under the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Britain 1940
Maj Aleksander Stefanowicz assumed command of the Regiment in November 1943. At this time, the Regiment had begun to receive its final allocation of equipment, which included Sherman and Stuart tanks. The winter of 1943 was spent training on these new tanks. This included practice on the gunnery range at Kirkcudbright. In May 1944, the Regiment left Duns for Bridlington in Yorkshire, where it remained for 2 months. In mid July 1944, it moved to Aldershot, south west of London. This was the Regiment's last staging area for the continent. Having made the final preparations and received its final equipment, the Regiment left for the marshalling area in Portsmouth for embarkation.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The Regiment disembarked at the artificial Mulberry Harbor near Arromanches in Normandy. On 1 August 1944, the Regiment assembled in France.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The Regiment's first battle on the continent occurred on 8 August 1944 south east of Caen. As part of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, it was ordered to attack the heavily defended German lines at Falaise.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The regiment distinguished itself in the battle for Renemesnil on 9 August 1944. Around 1200hrs, it received heavy artillery and mortar fire in the neighbourhood of the church. Between 1220 and 1255hrs, the Regiment reached the western outskirts of Cauvicourt. In area 84 (S Renemesnil), Tiger tanks appeared with very effective supporting artillery fire. Attacking, the Regiment took Hill 84 by about 1600hrs, but was stopped on the south slope by very fierce anti-tank defences. At 1300hrs, the Commanding Officer of the Regiment decided to attack Hill 111 (along the axis 84 Chein Hausse).


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
Second Squadron of the Regiment captured the hill. The enemy had put up a very heavy fire of mortars, artillery and anti-tank guns. The 1st Armoured Regiment had broken the German defences by the Laison River and reached Hill 111. In this operation, the Regiment suffered heavy losses: 3 officers killed (including the 2 in command) and 10 other ranks; 4 officers wounded and 11 other ranks; 1 officer missing and 7 other ranks. During the action on Hill 111, the 1st Armoured Regiment freed from the Germans about 100 Canadian soldiers who had been without food and ammunition for 2 days. Captured German prisoners confessed that the attack had demoralized the German infantry garrison.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
On 15 August, the Regiment took part in the crossing of the Dives River near Jort. On 16 August 1944, 3rd Rifle Brigade less 8th Rifle Battalion held the bridgeheads in Jort (1st Mountain Rifle Battalion) and Morieres (9th Rifle Battalion) reinforced by the 1st Armoured Regiment, which reconnoitered in the direction of the woods of Courcy.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
On 18 August 1944,  10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade Command ordered the 1st Armoured Regiment to attack in the direction of Bourdon to enable the resupply of Lt-Col. Koszutski's group. This did not occur due to Allied aircraft mistakenly bombing them. On 19 August 1944 by 1539hrs, the 1st Armoured Regiment reported that with all their forces, they had taken the area of Coudehard and they were heavily engaged with Panther tanks and heavy enemy artillery fire. By nightfall, the 1st Armoured Regiment, 1st Mountain Rifle Battalion, and one anti-tank battery occupied both Hill 262  and Hill 252 (Maczuga). The 1st Polish Armoured Division had borne the whole burden of battle this day against a superior enemy force consisting of units of the 1st and 2nd SS Corps.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The enemy attacked the 1st and 2nd Armoured Regiments the entire day of 20 August 1944 from all sides. The Germans attacked from the West, where they were trapped in the gap, and from the East where the 21st Panzer Division tried to open a path for their comrades trapped in the gap. The battle closed to a distance of 50 meters.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
That night, Lt-Col. Stefanowicz, doubtful of his men's chances of survival due to lack of food and ammunition, told his men:"Gentlemen. Everything is lost. I do not believe the Canadians will manage to help us. We have only 110 men left, with 50 rounds per gun and 5 rounds per tank... Fight to the end! To surrender to the SS is senseless, you know it well. Gentlemen! Good luck – tonight, we will die for Poland and civilization. We will fight to the last platoon, to the last tank, then to the last man." On 21 August  1944, a platoon of the Regiment's 3rd Squadron reconnoitred the German positions below the Zameczek ( a hunting lodge on the ridge of Hill 262's northern slope).


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
By 1045 hrs, the Canadians had linked up with the 2nd Armoured Regiment. In the afternoon, a Canadian Brigade arrived in the area of Hill 262 MACZUGA. They brought supplies for the armoured regiments.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The final German effort was launched at around 1100hrs by SS remnants that had infiltrated through the wooded hills to the rear of the 1st Armoured Regiment's dressing station. This "suicidal" assault was defeated at point-blank range by the 9th Infantry Battalion, with the 1st Armoured Regiment's tanks using their anti-aircraft machine guns in support. The machine gun's tracer set fire to the grass amongst the German troops, killing the wounded men on the slope. As the final infantry assaults melted away, the German artillery and mortar fire targeting the hill finally subsided as well.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
On 22 August 1944, the disposition of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade consisted of: 1st Armoured Regiment, 24th Lancers, 1st Mountain Rifle Battalion, 10th Dragoons and one Anti-Tank Battery. Their area of responsibility consisted of Mount Ormel, Hill 262, and Chambois. Their task was: to defend the area to the East and the North; to link up and maintain contact with the 4th Canadian Armoured Division in St Lambert Sur Dives and to link up and maintain contact with the American troops South of Frenes. In the evening, General Crear of the Canadian Army Command commended the 1st Armoured Division for their actions.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The period between 19 and 21 August 1944 saw a life and death struggle for the Germans trapped in the Falaise Pocket and for the Regiment. It had to fend off the desperate attacks of infantry and tanks of the elite German armoured divisions of the 1st SS and the 12th SS. The hllform known as 'the Mace' was a very bloody scene of carnage and destruction. The roads leading to it were covered with dead German soldiers; dead horses; and hundreds of destroyed vehicles, tanks, and guns. Here the Poles had their revenge on the Germans for the invasion and destruction of their homeland. The seizure and defence of the Mace denied the Germans the north-eastern routes of retreat. The battle of the Mace was a total defeat for the Germans.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The German forces in the Falaise Pocket were destroyed. Field Marshal Montgomery later described the Mace as the cork in the bottle that was the Falaise Pocket. The American, British and Canadian forces were the bottle and the Polish forces were the cork that kept the Germans from escaping. The 2 weeks, from 16–23 August 1944 were highly successful, but at a high cost in men and equipment. For this reason, 19 August, the day the Regiment seized the Mace in the region of Coudehart near Chambois, became the Regimental Day afterwards.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
Due to its heavy losses, the Regiment was relieved on 23 August 1944 to recover. It was able to reconstitute its manpower from the POWs it had captured during the battle of the Mace. Among the POWs were Poles who had been conscripted to serve in the German Army. They quickly volunteered to join in the defeat of the Axis and the liberation of Poland. This pattern was followed throughout the war. This was the only reserve available to the entire 1st Armoured Division. If not for these conscripted soldiers, the 1st Armoured Division would have been broken up and its men used as replacements in other British units.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
After a few days, the pursuit of the German Army continued. During the Regiment's pursuit, it engaged the rear-guard of the fleeing German Army. It fought for the crossing of the Somme River below Abbeville.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), France 1944
The 1st Armoured Regiment was part of the vanguard for this action. At 1200hrs on 1 September 1944, the vanguard moved out under the command of Major Zgorzelski, 10th Dragoons, which also consisted of 10th Dragoons minus one squadron, one Battery Artillery Support, and one Battery Anti-Tank Support. At 1835hrs due to enemy resistance, supported by artillery, the vanguard engaged the enemy. At 1930hrs, the vanguard crossed the bridge at Blangy.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Belgium 1944
It then fought its way to the Neuf Fosse Canal, where it entered Belgium on 6 September 1944.


1st Armoured Regiment (Poland), Belgium 1944
At 2200hrs, 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, 1st and 2nd Armoured Regiments, 10th Dragoons, 10th Mounted Rifles, 10th Coy Engineers, two batteries Anti Tank Support moved to a protected night bivouac 3 kilometers northeast of Ypres.