Guards Armoured Division

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Guards Armoured Division
Guards tanks cross the road bridge at Nijmegen during its capture.
Active	17 June 1941–12 June 1945
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Armoured Division
Battles/wars	Operation Market Garden
Commanders
Notable commanders	Oliver Leese

The Guards Armoured Division was a World War II British Army formation.

The Guards Armoured Division was formed on 17 June 1941. The division remained in the United Kingdom, training, until 26 June 1944, when it landed in France. The division existed until 12 June 1945, when it was reorganised as an infantry division, the Guards Division. It took part in the campaigns of Bourguebus Ridge, Mont Pincon, The Nederrijn and The Rhineland. It also fought in Operation Market Garden as part of the XXX Corps. During the battle of the Bulge, it was sent to the Meuse as a reserve in case the Germans broke through the American lines. During the British occupation of Germany, they were stationed in the Ruhleben Barracks in Plön, Holstein, Germany.

[edit] Order of Battle

5th Guards Armoured Brigade

• 2nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards
• 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
• 2nd Battalion, Irish Guards
• 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards (Mechanized)

32nd Guards Brigade

• 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards
• 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards
• 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards

Support Units

• 2nd Battalion, Welsh Guards (Recce)
• 14th Field Company, Royal Engineers
• 615th Field Company, Royal Engineers
• 53rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 153rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
• 94th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.

[edit] See also

• List of senior officers of British Guards Armoured Division
• List of component units of British Guards Armoured Division
• List of higher formations British Guards Armoured Division served under