Monday, March 07, 2005
The Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division took part in Operation Goodwood over July 18-20, 1944, when an entire British armoured corps was assembled. There were a large number of Cromwells involved. Duncan Crow has a good picture of a sister division, the 7th Armoured Division with Cromwells. The Guards Armoured Division were formed in June 1941 the 5th and 6th Guards Armoured Brigades with the 2nd Household Cavalry as the armoured car regiment. The 5th Guards Ar. Bre. had the 2/Grenadier Guards, the 1/Coldstream Guards, and the 2/Irish Guards with the 1st Motor battalion of Grenadier Guards. The 6th Guards Armoured Brigade had the 4/Grenadier Guards, 3/Scots Guards, the 2/Welsh Guards, with the 4th motor battalion of the Coldstream Guards. That did not last, as the armoured divisions were reorganized in 1942 to have only one armoured brigade. The 6th Guards Armoured Brigade became an independent tank brigade. In Europe in 1944, the Guards had the 32nd Guards Brigade as their motor brigade. The Guards Armoured Division was disestablished at the end of the war. I continue to rely on Duncan Crow for this, as I still don't own a copy of "Joslen", but need to buy one.