1st Armoured Brigade (Australia)
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.
| 1st Armoured Brigade | |
|---|---|
Colour Patch of HQ 1st Armoured Brigade | |
| Active | 1941–1944 1948–1957 |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Armoured Corps |
| Type | Armoured |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 1st Armoured Division (1941–1943) III Corps (1943–1944) Eastern Command (1948–1957) |
| Equipment | Tank |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Brigadier RH Nimmo Brigadier D Macarthur-Onslow |
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.