AFV/WEAPONS SERIES
1 BYDUNCAN CROWContents
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