Permission was granted from King George VI and the Colonels of the Regiments involved and, over the summer of 1941, the Infantry of the Guards converted into an armoured formation and the Guards Armoured Division was formed, containing the 5th and 6th Guards Armoured Brigades, together with supporting units. The 6th Brigade, was converted from the 30th Independent (Guards) Infantry Brigade[2]
In 1942, all British armoured divisions were reorganised to have one armoured brigade and one motorised infantry brigade. The 6th Guards Armoured Brigade thus became an independent tank brigade, being renamed as the 6th Guards Tank Brigade.[3]
The brigade, now equipped with the Churchill tank,[4] served in the North West Europe campaign landing in Normandy on 20 July 1944.[5]
Correspondence in Winston Churchill's The Second World War (Volume V: Closing the Ring, Annex C) in April 1944 appears to indicate there was consideration of breaking the brigade up and making its personnel available as replacements for other army formations. Churchill was opposed to this, and nothing appears to have been done.[6]
Prior to Operation Plunder and after Operations Veritable and Blackcock, the 6th Guards had units of Artillery, Engineer and other units added to their formation. The Brigade then became known as the 6th Guards Armoured Brigade through to V. E. Day.
Commanders
The following officers commanded 6th Guards Tank Brigade during the war:[10]
15 January 1943 – 3 August 1944 Brigadier GL Verney
3 August 1944 – 16 August 1944 Brigadier Sir Walter Bartellot, Bt
18 August 1944 – 2 February 1945 Brigadier WDC Greenacre
United Kingdom
British Army
