255th Indian Tank Brigade

255th Indian Tank Brigade

9th Deccan Horse, Burma
Active 1941–1946
Country British India
Allegiance British Crown
Branch British Indian Army
Part of part of Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)
Equipment Stuart tank
M4 Sherman tank
Engagements Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay
Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations
Battle honours Burma 1944–1945

The 255th Indian Tank Brigade was an armoured brigade of the Indian Army during World War II. It was part of the Fourteenth Army and saw action in the Burma Campaign. 255th Tank Brigade's tactical sign was a black bull, with yellow horns and red eyes, on a royal blue triangle. The Brigade fought with the 17th Indian Infantry Division in Burma and was involved in the Battle of Meiktila, the Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations and during Operation Dracula.[1]

The brigade was raised in June 1941 as 5th Indian Armoured Brigade and redesignated 255th Indian Armoured Brigade in October 1941. The name was changed again to 255th Indian Tank Brigade in August 1944. In October 1944 it moved to the Imphal plain and came under command of IV Corps. The brigade crossed the Irrawaddy under command of the 17th Indian Division in February 1945.[2]

The brigade was redesignated in June 1946 as 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to the 1st Armoured Division, with which it was serving at Secunderabad when the Partition of India took place in August 1947.[3]

Component units (February 1945) [4]

Commander

See also

Notes and references

  1. M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45 By Steven J. Zaloga, Hugh Johnson
  2. Loyalty & Honour The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947 volume 2 Brigades. p. 3.
  3. Renaldi and Rikhye (2011), p.166
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Loyalty & Honour The Indian Army September 1939 – August 1947 volume 2 Brigades. p. 4.
  5. "fireandfury" (pdf). http://www.fireandfury.com. External link in |work= (help)

Further reading

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