The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group () was an armoured unit of expatriate Czechoslovaks organised and equipped by the United Kingdom during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1943. The brigade landed in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

in August 1944 and was given the mission of containing the German-held port of Dunkirk for the rest of the war in Europe. In May 1945, the brigade moved to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

and was absorbed into the Czechoslovak Army.

Formation

The 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade was created on 1 September 1943, when the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade (itself originally formed as 1st Czechoslovak Mixed Brigade in July 1940 from remnants of the 1st Czechoslovak Division serving in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

) converted to armour and was renamed the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group (this was often simplified to 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade or abbreviated 1st CIABG). The brigade was under the command of Major General Alois Liška. The motorised infantry battalion of the brigade traced its lineage back to Czechoslovak units that had fought in

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

and

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, notably the 11th Infantry Battalion which took part in the defence of Tobruk.Nase noviny - The port of Dunkirk in World War II - The Czechoslovaks at Dunkirk 1944-45

Siege of Dunkirk

The formation continued to train in the UK until the summer of 1944 when, with some 4,000 troops under command, it moved to

, joining

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

at Falaise on 30 August. On 6 October, the brigade advanced to

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

, northern France, and relieved the 154 (Highland) Infantry Brigade on the eastern side of fortress Dunkirk. The brigade was subordinated to the First Canadian Army, which was responsible for the conduct of the siege. The brigade's tank units were primarily equipped with the

Cromwell tank The Cromwell tank, officially Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell (A27M), was one of the series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second World War. Named after the English Civil War–era military leader Oliver Cromwell, the Cromwell was ...

and a number of 17-pounder Sherman tanks (

Sherman Firefly The Sherman Firefly was a medium tank used by the United Kingdom and some armoured formations of other Allies in World War II, Allies in the Second World War. It was based on the US M4 Sherman but was fitted with the more powerful British cal ...

), Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger tanks and

M5 Stuart The M3 Stuart/light tank M3, was a US light tank of World War II, first entered service in the British Army in early 1941 and saw action in the North African campaign in July 1941. Later an improved version of the tank entered service as the ...

light tanks. Crusader AA tanks were dispatched with the brigade but believed not to have been used. They were supported by a Motor Battalion in M5 Half-tracks and

Universal Carrier The Universal Carrier, a development of the earlier Bren Gun Carrier from its light machine gun armament, was one of a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other companies. The first carriers – the Br ...

s, an anti-tank battery of 12 Ordnance QF 17-pounder anti-tank guns and a Field Artillery Regiment of two batteries of Ordnance QF 25 pounder gun-howitzers. The unit was supported by a Reconnaissance Squadron that used Humber Light Reconnaissance Cars,

s, Humber scout cars and Cromwell tanks. 1st Brigade spent the remainder of the war at Dunkirk, alternately attacking and being attacked by the energetic German garrison, including a successful major raid on German positions on 28 October 1944, Czechoslovak Independence Day. During that time, the brigade was reinforced by French units formed from local

French Forces of the Interior The French Forces of the Interior (FFI; ) were French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as F ...

(FFI) troops; on 15 October, these were amalgamated into the 110th FFI Infantry Regiment with two battalions allocated for the Siege of Dunkirk. On 24 January 1945, the 110th FFI Regiment was disbanded, with two its battalions and two other FFI battalions used to re-form the French 51st Infantry Regiment, a unit of the regular army. Various British and Canadian formations also supported the siege at one time or another. In November, the brigade passed from the First Canadian Army to the

. In the spring of 1945, the 1st Armoured Brigade Group was expanded to 5,900 Czechoslovak officers and men, some of whom came from nationals recruited in liberated France and a significant group of a tank battalion, an artillery regiment, a motor transport company and a company of engineers from Czechs and Slovaks forced to serve in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

and who were captured by the Allies in Normandy.

Return to Czechoslovakia

On 23 April, a symbolic 140-men strong unit detached from the troops besieging Dunkirk, led by Major Sítek, joined with the 3rd US Army and raised the Czechoslovak flag on its homeland border crossing on 1 May 1945 at

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

. The Dunkirk garrison did not surrender until after the

surrender of Germany The German Instrument of Surrender was a legal document effecting the unconditional surrender of the remaining German armed forces to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe. It was signed at 22:43 CET on 8 May 1945 and took effect at 23 ...

, 9 May 1945, when 15,500 German troops and three

U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...

s were captured by the Czechoslovaks. The brigade then marched to

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, reaching the city on 18 May 1945, eight days after the arrival of Soviet-sponsored Czechoslovak troops commanded by

Ludvík Svoboda Ludvík Svoboda (; 25 November 1895 – 20 September 1979) was a Czech general and politician. He fought in both World Wars, for which he was regarded as a national hero,Czechoslovaks at Dunkirk 1944-45

{{Authority control 1A Military units and formations established in 1943 Czechoslovakia–United Kingdom relations Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Expatriate units and formations of Czechoslovakia