188:
371:
49:
66:
429:
341:
Next, the Grant CDLs were returned to the training unit at
Lowther. The whole of 1st Tank Brigade was being broken up to provide drafts to other regiments, and it appeared that 49 RTR was to share that fate. However, reduced to two squadrons ('A' and 'C'), the regiment was redesignated "49th Armoured
398:, later wrote that Kangaroos 'proved a great boon in the closing stages of the war... I once saw a whole brigade of the 51st Highland Division in these vehicles being heavily shelled by the Germans. I thought their casualties were bound to be high, but they had only two men wounded'.
278:
tanks. It finally adopted the usual 'A', 'B' and 'C' designations for its squadrons. Later in 1941, the regiment came once more under 25th Army Tank
Brigade, which had reconverted from the motor machine gun role and moved to the South Coast.
463:
Once over the Rhine and until the end of the campaign, Kangaroos were used extensively to move infantry forward rapidly over territory recaptured from the enemy. 49 APCR formed 'F' Squadron to increase the number of vehicles available.
455:, 49 APCR formed 'B' Independent Squadron. This was equipped with Grant CDLs, brought back from Lowther. The operation was carried out under 'artificial moonlight' (searchlights shining onto the cloud cover) and during the assault on
425:) close to their objectives and, although some Kangaroos were disabled by mines, the squadrons returned for two more battalions. In the words of the Official History, 'from that point the taking of the town proved to be a walk-over'.
777:
459:
by the 51st (Highland) Division the Grants both illuminated the crossing and engaged the enemy on the far bank with their 75mm guns. Meanwhile, A and C Sqns ferried
Highlanders forward to the crossing points.
326:
gun tanks in addition to their Grant CDLs, and during
October, 49 RTR supplied Sherman crews to other regiments that required reinforcements; 3 complete troops (about 40 men and 2 officers) to the
684:, "History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West", Vol II: "The Defeat of Germany", London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004,
770:
1461:
322:
49 RTR landed in France on 12 August 1944 as part of 1st Tank
Brigade in 79th Armoured, but there was no call for CDLs in the Normandy campaign. The regiment was issued with conventional
763:
1471:
786:
161:
as their depot. While 43 RTR used the conventional 'A', 'B' and 'C' squadron designations, 49 RTR adopted 'X', 'Y' and 'Z' for its squadrons. Both regiments were part of
335:
1365:
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299:(CDLs). These carried a powerful searchlight fitted to a Matilda tank, replacing the turret and main armament. In July 1943, the Matilda CDLs were replaced by
1425:
216:
and its regiments reorganised accordingly. Each MMG squadron consisted of three troops, each with six Austin
Utility ('Tilly') two-seat cars, two carrying
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205:
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312:
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730:
49th
Unparalleled: the Story of the 49th Battalion Royal Tank Regiment, later designated as an Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment, 1939-1945
712:
343:
812:
467:
As a hostilities-only unit, 49 RTR was quickly disbanded after the end of World War II, a process that was complete by 13 December 1945.
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350:, similar to Shermans, with their turrets removed to transport an infantry section). Each squadron could carry one battalion.
142:
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to guard the coastline with machine gun posts along the cliffs and sand dunes. In
November 1940, the brigade moved to the
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413:. The Kangaroos advanced behind a creeping barrage along lanes cut through the minefields and anti-tank ditch by
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Nottinghamshire (Sherwood
Rangers) Yeomanry War Diary October 1944, The National Archives, Kew, file WO 171/861
150:
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on guard duty in North East
England. In April 1940, it finally received a few old tanks for instruction (one
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2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade War Diary October–December 1940, The National Archives, Kew, file WO 166/1135.
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In August 1939, 49 RTR had still not received any tanks, so it mobilised as an infantry unit, and spent the
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153:, or '43 RTR' for short. During 1939, it formed 49 RTR as a duplicate regiment. The regiments shared
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2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade War Diary August 1940, The National Archives, Kew, file WO 166/1135.
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infantry battalion, was converted to the armoured role on 1 November 1938, under the designation
386:
49 RTR finally went into action on the night of 13/14 November 1944, ferrying forward troops of
212:
and the imminent threat of German invasion of England, 25th Army Tank Brigade was redesignated
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228:. In July 1940, volunteers from the units of 25th Army Tank Brigade formed No 5 Troop of
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As part of the rearmament of the British Army before World War II, the 6th Battalion
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for the regimental headquarters) plus some old cars. In May, the regiment moved to
126:
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151:
43rd (6th City) Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, Royal Tank Regiment
485:"6th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers at regiments.org by T.F.Mills"
444:, and made newspaper headlines by the manner in which they forced their way into
418:
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and bridgelaying tanks. They delivered the attacking infantry (8th Battalion
742:
509:
43 RTR War Diary August 1940, The National Archives, Kew, file WO 166/1414.
295:, to train in a new role as a night fighting tank battalion equipped with
390:. The value of the new vehicles was soon appreciated. Lieutenant-General
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315:, which concentrated all the specialised armour units training for the
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of 49 RTR advances through a smoke screen during an exercise near
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Now 49 RTR returned its 'Tillies' to store and began intensive
342:
Personnel Carrier Regiment" (49 APCR) and re-equipped with
723:
Operation Punder: The British and Canadian Rhine Crossing
307:
main gun in a sponson. During this period, 49 RTR joined
235:
In August, 49 RTR and the rest of the brigade moved to
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Westminster Dragoons (2nd County of London Yeomanry)
1313:
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958:
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Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
707:. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press.
568:2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade War Diary July 1940,
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42:
34:
26:
21:
436:During February 1945 49 APCR was kept busy during
1462:Military units and formations established in 1939
610:
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409:, a heavily defended suburb of the Dutch town of
336:3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
818:3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales Dragoon Guards)
251:but soon afterwards left the brigade and joined
358:), and 49 APCR would perform the same role for
787:RAC armoured regiments of the Second World War
1472:Regiments of the British Army in World War II
1366:4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
1361:3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters)
1053:43rd (6th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) RTR
771:
705:Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945
8:
589:
587:
247:for armoured training; 49 RTR was posted to
797:
778:
764:
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889:13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Marys Own)
432:Ram Kangaroo at the Bovington Tank Museum
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111:49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment
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451:For the assault crossing of the Rhine,
378:in a Ram Kangaroo on the outskirts of
356:1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment
18:
7:
401:On 3 December, 49 APCR took part in
899:15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
14:
1336:2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
1331:1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
884:11th Hussars (Prince Alberts Own)
813:2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
725:, Barnelsey: Pen and Sword, 2006.
388:51st (Highland) Infantry Division
287:In January 1942, 49 RTR moved to
204:At the end of May 1940, with the
22:49th Regiment Royal Tank Regiment
64:
47:
828:5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
1411:Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons
1146:108 (Lancashire Fusiliers) RAC
874:8th King's Royal Irish Hussars
330:on 7 October; 10 crews to the
143:Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
115:49th Armoured Carrier Regiment
1:
1376:2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry
1371:1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry
1346:2nd Lothians and Border Horse
1341:1st Lothians and Border Horse
354:already had an APC regiment (
311:, which later formed part of
214:2nd Motor Machine Gun Brigade
1356:2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
1351:1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
184:to begin armoured training.
695:Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks,
218:Vickers medium machine guns
206:British Expeditionary Force
1488:
1048:42nd (7th East Surrey) RTR
859:3rd The King's Own Hussars
131:armoured fighting vehicles
129:that operated specialised
1421:Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
1206:144 (East Lancashire) RAC
925:9th Queen's Royal Lancers
808:1st King's Dragoon Guards
346:(obsolete Canadian-built
328:Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry
303:CDLs, which retained the
1416:Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
1386:2nd East Riding Yeomanry
1381:1st East Riding Yeomanry
894:14th/20th King's Hussars
699:, London: Collins, 1960.
572:, Kew, file WO 166/1135.
117:, was a regiment of the
107:49th Royal Tank Regiment
1406:North Somerset Yeomanry
1326:2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry
1321:1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
869:7th Queen's Own Hussars
864:4th Queen's Own Hussars
703:Joslen, H. F. (2003) .
382:, Germany, 3 April 1945
222:Bren light machine guns
1426:Staffordshire Yeomanry
1396:Inns of Court Regiment
823:4th/7th Dragoon Guards
750:(Brian Gill's website)
433:
383:
334:and 12 drivers to the
313:79th Armoured Division
309:35th Army Tank Brigade
201:
176:per squadron, and one
163:25th Army Tank Brigade
155:St George's Drill Hall
133:in North West Europe.
1431:Warwickshire Yeomanry
570:The National Archives
559:Joslen, pp. 203, 211.
431:
423:Royal Scots Fusiliers
376:53rd (Welsh) Division
373:
253:1st Army Tank Brigade
226:Boys anti-tank rifles
208:being evacuated from
199:, UK, 23 October 1941
190:
16:British Army Regiment
1141:107 (King's Own) RAC
317:Invasion of Normandy
297:Canal Defence Lights
123:Royal Armoured Corps
96:Royal Armoured Corps
1467:Royal Tank Regiment
491:on 27 December 2005
438:Operation Veritable
403:Operation Guildford
360:Second British Army
352:First Canadian Army
159:Newcastle upon Tyne
137:Origin and training
930:12th Royal Lancers
879:10th Royal Hussars
434:
421:and 6th Battalion
384:
366:Operational career
283:Specialised armour
202:
87:Specialised armour
1449:
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1441:Yorkshire Hussars
1401:North Irish Horse
1391:Cheshire Yeomanry
1309:
1308:
940:17th/21st Lancers
843:Royal Scots Greys
714:978-1-84342-474-1
682:Major L. F. Ellis
641:Horrocks, p. 250.
453:Operation Plunder
440:, the advance on
405:, the assault on
332:Royal Scots Greys
101:
100:
79:Armoured regiment
1479:
1156:110 (Border) RAC
935:16th/5th Lancers
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668:Saunders, p. 58.
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487:. Archived from
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374:Infantry of the
338:on 17 October).
270:training on the
232:at Bridlington.
147:Territorial Army
109:(49 RTR), later
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38:13 December 1945
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230:No. 5 Commando
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174:Vickers Medium
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103:Military unit
97:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
71:
67:
63:
59:
56:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
25:
20:
1082:
950:27th Lancers
945:24th Lancers
909:26th Hussars
904:23rd Hussars
753:
729:
722:
704:
696:
664:
655:
646:
637:
628:
619:
598:
577:
564:
555:
546:
505:
493:. Retrieved
489:the original
479:
466:
462:
450:
435:
400:
385:
340:
321:
286:
265:
234:
203:
193:Matilda tank
167:
140:
127:World War II
119:British Army
114:
110:
106:
105:
92:Part of
70:British Army
697:A Full Life
495:27 December
419:Royal Scots
415:flail tanks
272:South Downs
1456:Categories
959:Royal Tank
676:References
301:Grant tank
276:Matilda II
170:Phoney War
1127:Regiments
1118:102nd RTR
1113:101st RTR
961:Regiments
396:XXX Corps
348:Ram tanks
274:with new
35:Disbanded
30:1939–1945
1108:65th RTR
1103:62nd RTR
1098:61st RTR
1093:51st RTR
1088:50th RTR
1083:49th RTR
1078:48th RTR
1073:47th RTR
1068:46th RTR
1063:45th RTR
1058:44th RTR
1043:41st RTR
1033:40th RTR
1028:39th RTR
1023:12th RTR
1018:11th RTR
1013:10th RTR
801:Dragoons
243:area of
241:Dukeries
224:and two
1314:Reserve
1301:163 RAC
1296:162 RAC
1291:161 RAC
1286:160 RAC
1281:159 RAC
1276:158 RAC
1271:157 RAC
1266:156 RAC
1261:155 RAC
1256:154 RAC
1251:153 RAC
1246:152 RAC
1241:151 RAC
1236:150 RAC
1231:149 RAC
1226:148 RAC
1221:147 RAC
1216:146 RAC
1211:145 RAC
1201:143 RAC
1196:142 RAC
1191:141 RAC
1186:116 RAC
1181:115 RAC
1176:114 RAC
1171:113 RAC
1166:112 RAC
1161:111 RAC
1151:109 RAC
1008:9th RTR
1003:8th RTR
998:7th RTR
993:6th RTR
988:5th RTR
983:4th RTR
978:3rd RTR
973:2nd RTR
968:1st RTR
918:Lancers
852:Hussars
794:Regular
732:, 2002.
407:Blerick
380:Ochtrup
324:Sherman
293:Penrith
291:, near
210:Dunkirk
178:Matilda
125:during
43:Country
1136:46 RAC
711:
688:
541:Scull.
261:Sussex
220:, two
61:Branch
52:
27:Active
593:Scull
471:Notes
442:Kleve
411:Venlo
305:75 mm
197:Dover
709:ISBN
686:ISBN
497:2005
457:Rees
446:Goch
145:, a
113:and
84:Role
76:Type
1129:RAC
259:in
255:at
157:in
121:'s
1458::
607:^
586:^
514:^
448:.
362:.
319:.
263:.
165:.
779:e
772:t
765:v
717:.
692:.
499:.
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