2/11th Armoured Car Regiment (Australia)
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| 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment | |
|---|---|
 A Rover Light Armoured Car in the 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment's markings |
|
| Active | 1941-1944 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Part of | 1st Armoured Division, 2nd Division |
| Battle honours | None |
The 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment was an Australian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of World War II. The Regiment was formed in 1941 and disbanded in 1944 without seeing action.
[edit] History
The 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment was formed in Cowra, New South Wales during August 1941 as part of the 1st Armoured Division. The Regiment was gradually brought up to full strength and was expanded to four 'sabre' squadrons following the outbreak of the Pacific War. For the first 11 months of its existence the Regiment was equipped with a small number of obsolete Australian-built armoured cars which were suitable only for training purposes. In July 1942 these vehicles were replaced with more modern Australian designed vehicles such as the Rover Light Armoured Car and Dingo scout car. The Regiment participated in the 1st Armoured Division's large-scale exercises which were held near Narrabri, New South Wales in late 1942. In October 1942 the Regiment was reduced in size when 'D' Squadron was used to form the 2/4th Armoured Regiment.
In November the 2/11th Armoured Car Regiment moved to West Australia with the 1st Armoured Division. During 1943 the Regiment conducted reconnaissance patrols across much of West Australia. The Regiment survived the 1st Armoured Division's disbandment in September 1943 and became part of the 2nd Division. Although the Regiment was reequipped with Staghound armoured cars in early 1944 it was disbanded in New South Wales in March 1944.
[edit] References
- Paul Handel (2003). Dust, Sand & Jungle: A History of Australian Armour During Training and Operations, 1927-1948. RAAC Memorial and Army Tank Museum.
- Major General R.N. Hopkins (Retired) (1978). Australian Armour. A History of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 1927-1972. Australian Government Publishing Service.
- Australian-armour.com 2nd/11th Australian Armoured Regiment. Accessed 22 April 2007.
