AFV/WEAPONS SERIES 1 BYDUNCAN CROWContents Page British Armoured Units and Armoured Formations (1919-1940) 1 British Armoured Units and Armoured Formations (1940-1946) 33 Commonwealth Armoured Units and ‘Armoured Formations (to 1946) AUSTRALIA 51 CANADA 54 INDIA 61 NEW ZEALAND 73 SOUTH AFRICA 76 Survey of AFVs in British and ‘Commonwealth Service during World Wer II 79 Colour illustration: Badges of Regiments which served as Armoured Units during all or part of World War Il 6/7 Badges of Guards and Infantry Regiments which had at least one Battalion converted to Armour during World War I! 14/15 British and Commonwealth Higher Formations and Armies 1939-45 66 Formation Signs ~ Corps 67 British and Commonwealth Armoured Divisions 1939-45 70 Armoured Formation Signs, Brigades and (Army) Tank Brigades n About the Author DUNCAN CROW is a miltary and social historian. Since January 1969 he has been the Editor of Profl's AFV/Weapons series and also acts a3 General Miltary Editor for the Publisher. Duncan Crow wos born in Aberdeen (Scotland), educated in Edinburgh, Grenoble, London, and the ‘Aemy. He Served throughout the 1938-45 war, joining the Royal Armoured Corps in September 1939. He served with the Mine Design Department, HMS Vernon: then withthe Royal Tank Regiment: was commissioned in the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. He wos in charge of the Wireless Wing at the 56th Training Regt. RAC, and then Assistont Chief Instructor of the Regiment, He sorved with the famous Phantom Intelligence (GHQ. Liaison Regt.) in the North-West Europe campaign from Normandy to Hamburg, atached to First Canadian Army and Third U.S. Army. Was present ‘at the liberation of Buchenwald and Ohrdrut Camps, April 1945. On staff of Khaki University of Canada in England, 1945-46, Subsequently Duncan Crow became a professional writer and researcher, Gaining wide experience and a high reputation. From 1958 to 1970 he worked with Granada Television as writer, researcher, producer, executive. One of the original World in Action producers, 1963. Has written and had published eleven books to date, covering # wide range of subjects — both fiction and non-fiction.RES RES ae Medlin Mark Hsia the cearre ofthe picture The firs armoured formation in the world the Experimemal Armoured Force drawn up in review order on Salisbury, Plain 1928 Gimnperial War Museum) British Armoured Units and Armoured Formations (1919-1940) by Duncan Crow (Late 5th Royal Innis! DESPITE the immobilization of cavalry by the machine-gun during the Great War, as it was called in those days, the horse survived on the military scene. The traditions of a thousand years of cavalry dom nance on the battlefield were t00 strong to be rejected simply because of experience in Flanders during the years of trench warfare from September 1914 to November 1918, Indeed those die-hards who refuted predictions of the enlightened minority of cavalry officers that there was no future for the horse in warfare could point to Allenby’s brilliant cavalry suevess in Palestine in 1918 as proof that cavalry was still the dominant arm, Thus in the post-war reduction of the army the cavalry was not disbanded-—an unthinkable suxges- tion! —nor was it mechanized to take the place of the youthful Tank Corps which was thereby allowed to survive, Even so the cavalry did not escape untouched. Its 30 regular regiments were reduced to 22 by amalgamating a number of them in 1922. The 22 regiments were The Life Guards Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) Ist King’s Dragoon Guards The Queen's Bays 2nd Dragoon Guards) 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards) Formed by the amalgamation of 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales's) and The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) ing Dragoon Guards) 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Formed by the amalgamation of 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards and 7th Dragoon Guards (Princess Royal's) Sth Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Formed by the amalgamation of Sth Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) and ‘The Inniskillings (6th Dragoons) Ist The Royal Dragoons The Royal Scots Greys 2nd Dragoons) 3rd ‘The King’s Own Hussars 4th Queen's Own Hussars 7th Queen’s Own Hussars 8th King’s Royal Irish Hu 9th Queen’s Royal Lancers. 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) Ith Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) Formed by the amalgamation of 13th Hussars and 18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) 14th/20th Hussars Formed by the amalgamation of 14th King’s Hussars and 20th Hussars 15th/19th The King’s Royal Hussars ‘ormed by the amalgamation of 15th ‘The King’s Hussars and 19th Royal Hussars (Queen Alexandra's Own) ars