Order of Battle, Armoured Brigades, El Alamein

Discussion in 'North Africa & the Med' started by Obergefreiter, Jan 9, 2012.

  1. Obergefreiter

    Obergefreiter Junior Member

    Good evening,

    in an old Osprey Book, Montgomery's Desert Army, I found the Order of Battle of 8th Army on October 23, 1942. It seems as if the Armoured Brigades were organised at this time the same way as 2 years later in NW Europe: three Armoured Regiments (RTR, Cavalry or Yeomanry) and a Motor Battalion, mostly from Rifle Brigade or KRRC, but the Buffs with 8th Armoured Brigade and the Sherwood Foresters with 9th.

    An exception seems to be the All-Cavalry 2nd Armoured Brigade in the 1st Armoured Division. It comprised the Queen's Bays, 9th Lancers, 10th Hussars and the Yorkshire Dragoons, obviously a Yeomanry Regiment.

    My question is: had this Brigade really four Armoured Regiments, or were the Yorkshire Dragoons converted to a Motor Battalion?

    Many thanks in advance,
    Obergefreiter
     
  2. sol

    sol Very Senior Member

    The Yorkshire Dragoons wasn't armoured regiment. It served through the war mostly as a lorried infantry battalion

    Intensive conversion training to becoming an Armoured Regiment was carried out, whilst in May part of the Regiment went up to the desert, taking part in the Battle of Gazala by holding the defensive box called “Knightsbridge”. They then subsequently withdrew to El Alamein where they carried out the camouflage and deception plans particularly the representation of dummy tanks. In July the Regiment was hurriedly reunited and incorporated into "Delta Force" which was formed as the last line of defence in the event of the Alamein Line breaking.

    Owing to heavy losses in armour in the recent battles it was impossible to fulfil the Commander-in-Chief's promise that the Yorkshire Dragoons should become an Armoured Regiment, instead they were equipped with Bren Carriers, 3 inch mortars and 6 pounder anti-tank guns and placed under command 2nd Armoured Brigade, 1st Armoured Division together with The Bays, 9th Lancers and 10th Hussars. Each motor squadron was under command of an armoured regiment, whilst the anti-tank guns were under command of Brigade.
    Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     
  3. Obergefreiter

    Obergefreiter Junior Member

    Thanks a lot!
     

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