British 61st Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 61st Infantry Brigade was a Second World War
British Army
brigade
that fought mainly in Italy
under the British 6th Armoured Division
.
and the 6th Armoured Division. It fought in the Liri Valley, Arezzo, advance to Florence
, on the Gothic Line
and the Argenta Gap.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
that fought mainly in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
under the British 6th Armoured Division
British 6th Armoured Division
The 6th Armoured Division was a Second World War, British Army formation, created on 12 September 1940. The unit was initially supplied with Matilda and Valentine Tanks, which were replaced by Crusader tanks and then finally with the M4 Sherman Tank...
.
History
This unit was created in Italy on 21 May 1944. From May 1944 to August 1945 it was part of Eighth ArmyEighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
and the 6th Armoured Division. It fought in the Liri Valley, Arezzo, advance to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
and the Argenta Gap.
Commanding officers
- 21 May 1944–25 May 1944 — Lieut.Col. D. Darling
- 25 May 1944–11 January 1945 — Brig. A.C. Gore
- 11 January 1945–5 February 1945 — Lieut.Col. R.A. FyffeRichard FyffeLieutenant-General Sir Richard Alan Fyffe KBE CB DSO MC was Deputy Chief of Defence Staff .-Military career:Fyffe was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1932....
- 5 February 1945–27 July 1945 — Brig. A.C. Gore
Structure
- 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
- 7th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
- 10th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
- 1st Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps