1st Armoured Brigade (Australia)

Formation of the Australian Army November 2019 1st Armoured Brigade HQ1ArmdBde.gif Colour Patch of HQ 1st Armoured Brigade A two-toned organisational symbol 1941–1944 1948–1957 Australia Australian Armoured Corps Armoured Brigade 1st Armoured Division (1941–1943)III Corps (1943–1944)Eastern Command (1948–1957) Tank Brigadier RH NimmoBrigadier D Macarthur-Onslow 240px The 1st Armoured Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in July 1941, at Greta, New South Wales from volunteers for the Second Australian Imperial Force and was assigned to the 1st Armoured Division. Raised initially for service in the Middle East, following Japan's entry into the war, the brigade was assigned to the defence of Australia in case of an invasion. After garrison duties in New South Wales and Western Australia, it was disbanded in November 1944 without seeing active service, although some of its former units saw action later with other formations. It was re-raised in the postwar period, serving in the Citizens Military Force between 1948 and 1957. During this period, the brigade was based in New South Wales and formed part of Eastern Command. The brigade's headquarters was broken up when the Australian Army determined that there was no need for large-scale armoured formations as the focus shifted to jungle operations and close infantry-armoured cooperation. Its constituent units were subsequently dispersed to other formations. History World War II Formation In June 1940, the Australian government decided to form an armoured division, designated the 1st Armoured Division. This formation included two armoured brigades drawn from the all-volunteer Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF), and was intended for deployment to the Middle East.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2474Lambert 2012 90Hopkins 1978 51 This was by far the largest armoured unit the Australian Army had established, with interwar experimentation being limited to a single armoured car regiment.Palazzo 2001 182 The armoured division was considered necessary to enable the formation of a self-contained Australian corps including the four infantry divisions that had previously been formed.Hopkins 1978 38 As a result, the 1st Armoured Brigade was formed on 19 July 1941 when its headquarters opened at Victoria Barracks, Sydney.Handel 2004 9 In line with the standard British Army structure for armoured divisions at the time, it was to command three 2nd AIF armoured regiments and a regiment of motorised infantry; each armoured regiment had an authorised strength of 10 scout cars, 46 cruiser tanks and 6 support tanks.Hopkins 1978 52Handel 2004 8 The brigade's first commander was Brigadier Frederick Hinton, a World War I veteran who had served with the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli, and then as a machine gun officer on the Western Front. During the interwar years, he had risen through the ranks as a cavalry officer in the part-time forces.Hopkins 1978 51 & 315 The regiments assigned to the brigade were the 2/5th, 2/6th and 2/7th Armoured Regiments, which were formed in Queensland and New South Wales after the brigade headquarters was raised. After undertaking individual training, the three regiments and the brigade headquarters were brought together at Greta, New South Wales, in November 1941.Handel 2004 9McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 The brigade moved as a formation to Tamworth, in December 1941 to begin more complex collective training.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 In early 1942, the brigade moved again to Singleton where training facilities for an armoured brigade were being rapidly constructed.Handel 2004 39–40 It had initially been planned to raise a new 2nd AIF infantry battalion – the 2/34th – as a motorised unit, but instead it was decided to utilise the existing Militia light horse units as motor regiments. As a result, the 15th Motor Regiment joined the brigade.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 Deployments, 1942 – 1943 thumb|A 2/6th Armoured Regiment tank supporting infantry during the Battle of Buna–Gona.|alt=An armoured vehicle and infantrymen advance through thick grass and palm trees Early war plans were made for the brigade to deploy to the Middle East in early 1942; however, Japan's entry into the war in December 1941 meant that this move was cancelled and instead the brigade was reallocated to the defence of Australia in the case of invasion.Hopkins 1978 90Lambert 2012 93 A small element – the 2/1st Independent Light Tank Squadron – was formed from the brigade to deploy to Malaya around this time, but this deployment was also cancelled in February 1942 after the fall of Singapore, and the detachment was reassigned to the 1st Armoured Brigade, adopting the designation of the 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 In April 1942, Brigadier Robert Nimmo assumed command of the brigade. He held the position only for a short period, and was replaced by Brigadier Denzil Macarthur-Onslow in July.Hopkins 1978 315 The delivery of tanks to the brigade was slow, and until April 1942 its armoured regiments were equipped only with machine gun carriers. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U54342 2/6 Armoured Regiment Australian War Memorial 25 May 2019Handel 2004 45 US-made M3 Grant medium tanks and Stuart light tanks were delivered throughout the first half of 1942. Divisional exercises were undertaken in August 1942 around Narrabri, during which time the brigade occupied a position around Edgeroi Station. The following month, the 2/6th Armoured Regiment was detached and deployed to New Guinea to fight against the Japanese,McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 and subsequently took part in the Battle of Buna–Gona.Handel 2003 155 Meanwhile, in October 1942, the 1st Armoured Division was reorganised to provide some of its more experienced personnel to help raise the 2nd and 3rd Armoured Divisions. Once this was complete, the 1st Armoured Division was ordered to begin moving to Western Australia to undertake garrison duties. The 15th Motor Regiment transferred to the 2nd Armoured Division at this time, while the 2/10th Armoured Regiment, which had been raised in Western Australia, was transferred to the 1st Armoured Brigade to make up for the loss of the 2/6th to combat operations in New Guinea. The 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron was broken up and used to form part of the 2/4th Armoured Regiment, which was assigned to the 2nd Armoured Brigade. The brigade's move to Western Australia began in December 1942, after a preliminary move to Gunnedah.Hopkins 1978 315 In January 1943, Nimmo resumed command, taking over from Macarthur-Onslow.Hopkins 1978 315 The following month, the 1st Armoured Brigade had concentrated at Mingenew, and a divisional exercise took place in March 1943.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 The 2/10th Armoured Regiment during a training exercise, near Mingenew, Western Australia in 1943.|thumb|alt=Several columns of tanks advance across an arid landscape, churning up clouds of dust Reorganisation, 1943 – 1944 As the tide of war in the Pacific turned in favour of the Allies, the threat of invasion passed. The Australian government decided to reallocate some of the manpower that had been tied up in the armoured divisions to other formations that would be utilised for jungle warfare, or civilian industry.Hopkins 1978 125Handel 2003 37 As a result, in April 1943, the 15th Motor Regiment returned to the 1st Armoured Brigade when the 2nd Armoured Division was disbanded. The 1st Armoured Division was retained in Western Australia, though, and Brigadier Frank Wells assumed command of the brigade in June.Hopkins 1978 315 In August, the 1st Armoured Brigade was moved to Moora. The following month, the 1st Armoured Division ceased to exist as a formation and was broken up.Dexter 1961 227 The 1st Armoured Brigade was retained as an independent brigade group and reported directly to III Corps. It received the new 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron, which was formed from the 1st Armoured Division's headquarters, as well as artillery from the 16th Field Regiment and the 112th Anti-Tank Regiment and engineers from the 2/3rd Independent Field Company.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122Beale 2011 191Hopkins 1978 129 Various other support units were also attached during this time. Brigade headquarters remained at Moora while the brigade's units undertook training at various locations.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 Throughout 1944, Australia's armoured forces continued to be reduced.Dexter 1961 227 The combat units in Western Australia were also disbanded or transferred as the threat to the state declined.McKenzie-Smith 2009 27 On 8 March, all elements of III Corps were placed on six hours notice to respond to a Japanese naval force which was believed to be headed for the Fremantle–Perth area. This proved to be a false alarm, and all units returned to normal duties on 14 March.McKenzie-Smith 2009 28–29 The 2/6th Armoured Regiment returned to the brigade in March 1944, releasing the 2/5th Armoured Regiment to join the 4th Armoured Brigade. Following this, further reductions took place as the 2/7th Armoured Regiment was disbanded in May, followed by the 112th Anti-Tank Regiment in June.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 In June 1944, the brigade's strength was reported as 5,338 personnel.Long 1963 22 Brigade headquarters moved to Northam that month,McKenzie-Smith 2009 27 at which time III Corps headquarters was redesignated as Western Command as the process of converting it into a line of communications formation began.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2028 Nevertheless, the 1st Armoured Brigade's order of battle remained steady until October when the 15th Motor Regiment was disbanded and both the 2/6th Armoured Regiment and the brigade reconnaissance squadron were transferred to the 4th Armoured Brigade in Queensland. The 16th Field Regiment was also transferred to the east coast, moving to Sydney. Finally, in October–November 1944, the brigade ceased to exist – having never seen combat – being broken up to provide reinforcements for forces deployed elsewhere.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122Long 1963 32 At this time, both 2/10th Armoured Regiment and the 1st Armoured Brigade's headquarters were disbanded at Northam.McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122 The 1st Armoured Brigade Group was the last combat unit to be stationed in Western Australia during the war.McKenzie-Smith 2009 27 From its disbandment until the end of the war, the 4th Armoured Brigade commanded the Army's remaining armoured forces.Beale 2011 193 Postwar thumb|alt=Colour photo of a tank|A former Australian Army Matilda II tank; the 1st Armoured Brigade operated this type between 1948 and 1955 In the postwar period, the Australian Army re-raised two armoured brigades – the 1st and the 2nd – in April 1948 within the part-time Citizens Military Force (CMF). The 1st Armoured Brigade was formed in New South Wales as part of Eastern Command, and was placed under the command of Macarthur-Onslow, who had previously held the post during the war. At this time, the brigade consisted of two armoured regiments – the 1st and 12th/16th – and the 6th Motor Regiment. The two armoured regiments operated reconditioned Matilda II infantry tanks in the post-war period. These tanks were considered obsolete, and were later supplemented with small numbers of Centurion main battle tanks which were issued only for training. The 6th Motor Regiment was issued M3 Scout Cars, which were also obsolete. The 1st Armoured Regiment was based at Parramatta, while the 12th/16th Armoured Regiment was spread across regional New South Wales with depots in Muswellbrook, Armidale, Tamworth, and North Maitland. 'A' Squadron of the Newcastle-based 15th Amphibian Assault Regiment, was assigned to the brigade to provide an amphibious capability, and operated LVT(A)4s.Hopkins 1978 181–185Handel 1998 11–12 As of 1953, the 1st Armoured Brigade's headquarters were located in Lancer Barracks at Parramatta.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18517956 A Place In History The Sunday Herald 2 August 1953 2 November 2019 13 National Library of Australia Throughout the early 1950s, the brigade's elderly vehicles and equipment became rundown.Hopkins 1978 202–203 Plans to purchase Centurion tanks for the CMF armoured regiments were abandoned in 1954 due to the pressure the National Service scheme was placing on the Army's budget.McCarthy 2003 66 The Matildas were withdrawn from service in 1955, and the 1st Armoured Brigade's two armoured regiments used Staghound armoured cars for training that year.Handel 1998 19 From 1956, tank training was centralised at Puckapunyal, Victoria with units rotating through the Armoured Centre.Handel 1998 20 In 1953, Brigadier Kenneth Arnott took over command of the brigade, remaining in the position until 1956 when Brigadier John James replaced him.Hopkins 1978 322 In 1957, the director of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps (RAAC) noted that the poor state of the CMF armoured regiments' equipment meant that it was no longer possible for them to become proficient in cooperation between infantry and tanks.McCarthy 2003 66 The brigade ceased to exist in September 1957,Hopkins 1978 322 following a reassessment of the role of armour within the Australian Army. This resulted in a focus upon infantry support in jungle conditions, rather than large-scale armoured warfare. As a result, armoured brigade headquarters were no longer considered unnecessary.Hopkins 1978 206 Nevertheless, a small armoured headquarters staff was retained underneath the Brigadier, RAAC cell that was established within both Southern and Eastern Commands at this time. This staff was intended as a cadre from which to form a brigade headquarters in an emergency, but represented only about half of the 105 personnel that had previously undertaken the role. It did not command any units, and had an advisory function. The headquarters was disbanded in 1960.McCarthy 2003 66–67Hopkins 1978 207–208 The individual regiments previously assigned to the brigade were also affected by the change. The 1st and 15th being amalgamated to form the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers.Hopkins 1978 206 & 322 The 6th Motor Regiment was converted into an infantry unit designated the 6th Royal New South Wales Rifles, retaining the lineage of its predecessor mounted unit.Hall 1968 Appendix 1Festberg 1972 37 & 42 By 1960, with the introduction of the pentropic establishment, the 1st/15th had been assigned to the 3rd Division as a tank unit,Palazzo 2001 262–263Hopkins 1978 218–219 while the 6th Royal New South Wales Rifles had ceased to exist, being subsumed into the Royal New South Wales Regiment.Festberg 1972 27 Brigade units The following units served with the brigade during the war:McKenzie-Smith 2018 2122Hopkins 1978 325–328 2/5th Armoured Regiment 2/6th Armoured Regiment 2/7th Armoured Regiment 15th Motor Regiment 2/10th Armoured Regiment 2/1st Armoured Regiment Reconnaissance Squadron 2/1st Armoured Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron 16th Field Regiment In the postwar period, the following units were assigned to the brigade:Hopkins 1978 180 & 183 1st Armoured Regiment (Royal New South Wales Lancers) 12th/16th Armoured Regiment (Hunter River Lancers) 6th Motor Regiment (New South Wales Mounted Rifles) 'A' Squadron, 15th Amphibian Assault Regiment (Northern River Lancers) Commanders The following officers commanded the 1st Armoured Brigade:Hopkins 1978 315 & 322 Brigadier FB Hinton (1941–1942) Brigadier RH Nimmo (1942–1943) Brigadier D Macarthur-Onslow (1942–1943) Brigadier FE Wells (1943–1944) Brigadier D Macarthur-Onslow (1948–1953) Brigadier KMH Arnott (1953–1956) Brigadier JA James (1956–1957) See also List of Australian Army brigades References Citations 30em Bibliography Beale Peter Fallen Sentinel: Australian Tanks in World War II 2011 Big Sky Publishing Newport, New South Wales 978-1-92194-102-3 Dexter David The New Guinea Offensives Australia in the War of 1939–1945 Series 1 – Army. Volume VI Canberra Australian War Memorial 1961 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070205/ 2028994 Festberg Alfred The Lineage of the Australian Army 1972 Allara Publishing Melbourne, Victoria 978-0-85887-024-6 Hall Richard John The Australian Light Horse 1968 W.D. Joynt & Co. Blackburn, Victoria 59504 Handel Paul Fifty Years of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, 1948 to 1998 1998 Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 222940907 Paul Handel 2003 Dust, Sand & Jungle: A History of Australian Armour During Training and Operations, 1927–1948 RAAC Memorial and Army Tank Museum Puckapunyal, Victoria 1-876439-75-0 Handel Paul The Vital Factor: A History of 2/6th Australian Armoured Regiment 1941–1946 2004 Australian Military History Publications Loftus, New South Wales 1-876439-61-0 Hopkins Ronald Ronald Hopkins Australian Armour: A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927–1972 1978 Australian Government Publishing Service Canberra 978-0-642-99414-1 Lambert Zach The Birth, Life and Death of the 1st Australian Armoured Division 2012 Australian Army Journal Land Warfare Studies Centre Canberra, Australian Capital Territory IX 1 89–103 1448-2843 http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/LWSC/Our-publications/Australian-Army-Journal/Past-issues/~/media/Files/Our%20future/LWSC%20Publications/AAJ/2012Autumn/08-TheBirthLifeAndDeathOfT.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20131102010340/http://www.army.gov.au/Our-future/LWSC/Our-publications/Australian-Army-Journal/Past-issues/~/media/Files/Our%20future/LWSC%20Publications/AAJ/2012Autumn/08-TheBirthLifeAndDeathOfT.pdf 2 November 2013 Long Gavin Gavin Long The Final Campaigns https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070206/ Australia in the War of 1939–1945 Series 1 – Army. Volume VII 1963 Australian War Memorial Canberra 1297619 McCarthy Dayton The Once and Future Army: A History of the Citizen Military Forces, 1947–1974 2003 Oxford University Press Melbourne, Victoria 978-0-19551-569-5 McKenzie-Smith Graham Graham McKenzie-Smith Defending Fremantle, Albany and Bunbury: 1939–1945 2009 Grimwade Publications Mount Pleasant, Western Australia 978-0-98062-910-1 McKenzie-Smith Graham 2018 The Unit Guide: The Australian Army 1939–1945, Volume 2 Big Sky Publishing Warriewood, New South Wales 978-1-925675-146 Palazzo Albert The Australian Army: A History of its Organisation 1901 to 2001 2001 Oxford University Press South Melbourne, Victoria 978-0-19-551506-0 Category:Armoured brigades of Australia Category:Military units and formations established in 1941 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1957 Category:Military units and formations established in 1948