7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) and the 131st Brigade. The fighting in North Africa came to an end just days later, with almost 250,000 Axis soldiers surrendering to the Allies and becoming POWs. The division was not an assault force in the invasion of Sicily, instead remaining in Homs, Syria for training in amphibious warfare, but did participate in the early stages of the Italian Campaign. The 7th Armoured Division came ashore at Salerno, on 15 September 1943, to help repel heavy German counterattacks during the Battle for the Salerno beachhead (Operation Avalanche). Shortly after landing on the 18th the 131st (Queen's) Infantry Brigade (which
9th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) 9th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) The 9th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army, raised during the Second World War. The 9th Armoured was created on 1 December 1940 and dispersed and disbanded on 31 July 1944. The division never saw active service during the war. This formation's only use during the war was either as a training formation or when it was used to experiment with specialised armour. The 9th Armoured Division had three men who held the position of General Officer Commanding during the Second World War. 27th Armoured Brigade "(transferred from division on 10