page_title: 8th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)
section_title: Operation Plunder
hierarchical_section_title: 8th Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) / Into Germany / Operation Plunder
caption_attribution_description: THE BRITISH ARMY IN ITALY 1945; A Priest Kangaroo personnel carrier of 209th Self-Propelled Battery, Royal Artillery, transports infantry of 78th Division near Conselice,
context_page_description: The 8th Armoured Brigade was an armoured brigade of the British Army formed in August 1941, during the Second World War and active until 1956. The brigade was formed by the renaming of 6th Cavalry Brigade, when the 1st Cavalry Division based in Palestine converted from a motorised formation to an armoured unit, becoming 10th Armoured Division.
context_section_description: Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the Rhine river at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe Canal by the British Second Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey (Operation Turnscrew, Operation Widgeon, and Operation Torchlight), and the US Ninth Army, (Operation Flashpoint), under Lieutenant General William Simpson. XVIII US Airborne Corps, consisting of British 6th Airborne Division and US 17th Airborne Division, conducted Operation Varsity. All of these formations were part of the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery. This was part of a coordinated set of Rhine crossings.
  The 8th Armoured Brigade now had four Armoured Regiments, as the Staffordshire Yeomanry returned under Brigade command after they had converted to Duplex Drive tanks under the 79th Armoured Division. The Brigade was to support 51st (Highland) Division in the Rhine crossing.
  On 23 March, at 2100 hours, the leading elements of 51st (Highland) Division crossed the Rhine in assault craft just north of Rees. They were followed by the DD tanks of C Sqn, Staffordshire Yeomanry. The remainder of the Regiment crossed at first light and were up with the infantry before any enemy counter-attack could be launched. On the evening of 24 March, the 4/7 DG began to cross, followed in the next two days by the 13/18 H and the SRY. On 27 March, Brigade HQ, 12th K.R.R.C. and the Essex Yeomanry made the crossing. For seven days the Brigade then supported 51st (Highland) Division, 43rd Division and the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, who were involved in fighting within the bridgehead. On 28 March, Ijsselburg was captured and the road from Anhoh to Gendringen was in allied hands.
  On 30 March, the Brigade moved forward with 4th Somerset Light Infantry in Kangaroo personnel carriers under command. By evening, the outskirts of Varsseveld were reached and 12th K.R.R.C. were in Silvolde.
  The next objective was to seize a crossing of the Twente Canal at Lochem. At dawn on 31 March, a battle took place at Ruurlo, but the advance continued to Lochem and the Brigade covered 25 miles during the day. The next objective was to capture crossings south of Delden. The 12th K.R.R.C. advanced towards Delden, and the next day linked up with the forward troops of 4th Canadian Armoured Division advancing from their bridge-head over the Twente Canal. The advance continued with the objective being Bremen, still over 100 miles distant. The Brigade was next deployed to support 214th Infantry Brigade with 13/18 H and 129th Infantry Brigade with 4/7 DG. The SRY was placed in reserve with 130th Infantry Brigade.
  On 11 April, 130 Infantry Brigade and the SRY took the lead and two days later were on the outskirts of Kloppenburg, where fighting continued into the night before the town fell. The last main road from Bremen to the Netherlands had been severed. On the same day the 8th Armoured Brigade, with 4/7 DG, 12th K.R.R.C. and Essex Yeomanry, was placed under command of British 3rd Infantry Division, which was some 75 miles away to the east. The SRY and 13/18 H were left with 43rd (Wessex) Division.
  3rd Division were engaged with the enemy in the numerous villages south of Bremen and on 15 April a series of attacks began. After several days of fighting, 3rd Division had captured all the ground south of the flooded area. It was now decided to cross the Weser upstream at Verden, where a bridge had been secured, and to attack Bremen from the east. The 52nd (Lowland) Division were to attack with their left on the river, while 43rd Division were to be on their right supported by 8th Armoured Brigade, less 4/7 DG who were to remain with 3rd Division.
  On 4 May, Brigade HQ was at the village of Rhadereistedt, when the following message was received from the Commander XXX Corps: ‘’Germans surrendered unconditionally at 1820 hours. Hostilities on all Second Army front will cease at 0800 hours tomorrow 5 May 45. NO repeat NO advance beyond present front line without orders from me.’’
caption: Kangaroo carrying troops
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