- 33rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 33rd Armoured Brigade
abbreviation= 33rd Armd Bde
Caption=
dates=17,March,1944 - 22 August 1945 World War II
1 January 1980 - 1 December 1992
country=Great Britain
allegiance=
branch=British Army
type= Armoured
role=
size= Brigade
command_structure= Independent Brigade
79th Armoured Division British 3rd Armoured Division 1980-1992
equipment=M4 Sherman LVT 4
Past Commanders=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
notable_commanders=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_2=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=D Day Le Mesnil-Patry Operation Charnwood Operation Pomegranate Operation Totalize Rhine Crossing
anniversaries=
decorations=
battle_honours=History
The 33rd Armoured Brigade was a
Second World War British Army independent brigade,Formed in the UK on 17 March 1944 by redesignation ofBritish 33rd Tank Brigade . Brigade HQ was disbanded in NW Europe on 22 August 1945.The brigade's three regiments landed onGold Beach in Normandy onD Day 6th June. Their role was to support any infantry who were in need of armour support, therefore the Brigade rarely fought as one entity. One of the occasions when the Brigade did undertake an operation on its own was atLe Mesnil-Patry ,Rots on 11 June 1944. The battle ended with only partial success and severe losses to the Canadians.further battles they were involved in was aroundCaen includedOperation Charnwood 7th July, the battle to capture Caen. On the 16th July 1944 it was involved inOperation Pomegranate , where it come under the command of the59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division . On 8th August 1944 it was involved inOperation Totalize , a planned breakout from the Caen Salient. Heavy German counter-attacks prevented exploitation of the early successes and tank losses were heavy.Rhine Crossing
The Brigade was reformed and re-equipped with
LVT 4 (Buffalo , amphibious armoured fighting vehicles) , for the Rhine crossing and was placed under the command of the 79th Armoured Division.Post War
On 1 December 1977, the Brigade was renamed "Task Force Echo". However, only three years later, on 1 January 1980 Task Force Echol was redesiginated the 33rd Armoured Brigade and.Following the fall of the Berlin Wall , the Brigade merged with the 20th Armoured Brigade,(as 20th Armoured Brigade) , in December 1992 as part of 'Options for Change', moving to Barker Barracks, Paderborn, where it came under the command of the
1st (UK) Armoured Division .Formation
1940 - 1944
*1st
Northamptonshire Yeomanry (Sherman I & Firefly VC)
*144th BattalionRoyal Armoured Corps (Sherman I & Firefly VC)
*148th Battalion Royal Armoured Corps (Sherman I & Firefly VC)Rhine Crossing
*1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry
*East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry
*4thRoyal Tank Regiment
*11th Royal Tank Regiment1980 - 1992
The Following served with the Brigade during this time.
*
Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
*15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
*1st Btn Black watch
*3rd BtnRoyal Regiment of Fusiliers
*1st BtnQueens Regiment External links
*http://59div.morssweb.com/?bnoyers
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