7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) Matruh, Egypt. Over 359 troops were killed and 560 others were wounded. The Western Desert Force later became HQ XIII Corps, one of the major parts of the British Eighth Army which, from August 1942 was commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Montgomery. The 7th Armoured Division took part in most of the major battles of the North African Campaign, including both battles of El Alamein (the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942, which stopped the Axis advance, and the Second Battle of El Alamein in October/November 1942, which turned the tide of the war in North Africa). The
23rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) Brigadier W. F. Murrogh. The brigade had only a few light armoured vehicles during its existence as an Army Tank Brigade. It was reorganised and renamed the 23rd Armoured Brigade on 1 November 1940, when it was assigned to the new 8th Armoured Division (Major General Richard McCreery). As part of the reorganisation it was reinforced with the 1st Battalion, London Rifle Brigade, this motorised infantry battalion was renamed the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) on 19 January 1941. It began to receive significant numbers of tanks as a consequence of its assignment to the 8th Armoured