The 255th Indian Tank Brigade was an

armoured Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

of the

Indian Army during World War II The Indian Army during World War II, a British force also referred to as the British Indian Army, began the war, in 1939, numbering just under 200,000 men.Sumner, p.25 By the end of the war, it had become the largest volunteer army in history, ...

. It was part of the Fourteenth Army and saw action in the

Burma Campaign The Burma campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of British rule in Burma, Burma as part of the South-East Asian theatre of World War II. It primarily involved forces of the Allies of World War II, Allies (mainly from ...

. The 255th Tank Brigade's tactical sign was a black bull, with yellow horns and red eyes, on a

royal blue Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by a consortium of mills in Rode, Wiltshire (in Somerset as of 1937), which won a competition to make a robe for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. I ...

triangle. The brigade fought with the

17th Indian Infantry Division The 17th Infantry Division is a formation of the Indian Army. During the Second World War, it had the distinction of being continually in combat during the three-year-long Burma Campaign (except for brief periods of refit). The division was re-rai ...

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

and was involved in the

Battle of Meiktila A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

, the

Battle of Pokoku and Irrawaddy River operations The Battle of Pakokku and Irrawaddy River operations were a series of battles fought between the British Indian Army and the Imperial Japanese Army and allied forces over the successful Allied Burma campaign on the China Burma India Theater d ...

and during

Operation Dracula Operation Dracula was a World War II-airborne and amphibious attack on Rangoon by British and Anglo-Indian forces during the Burma Campaign. The plan was first proposed in mid-1944 when the Allied South East Asia Command was preparing to reoccup ...

. 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 the 255th Indian Tank Brigade in August 1944. In October 1944 it moved to the Imphal plain and came under command of

IV Corps 4 Corps, 4th Corps, Fourth Corps, or IV Corps may refer to: France * 4th Army Corps (France) * IV Cavalry Corps (Grande Armée), a cavalry unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * IV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperi ...

. The brigade crossed the Irrawaddy under command of the 17th Indian Infantry Division in February 1945. The brigade was redesignated in June 1946 as the 1st Armoured Brigade and assigned to the 1st Armoured Division, with which it was serving at

Secunderabad Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...

when the

Partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

took place in August 1947.

Component units (February 1945)

16th Light Cavalry The 16th Light Cavalry is a regiment of the Armoured Corps, a primary combat arm of the Indian Army. Prior to India gaining independence from the British in 1947, it was a regular cavalry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in 1 ...

, Armoured Cars *116th Royal Armoured Corps (Gordon Highlanders), Sherman tanks * 5th King Edward's Own Probyn's Horse,

Stuart tank 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 ...

s * 9th Royal Deccan Horse, Sherman tanks *4th Battalion,

4th Bombay Grenadiers The Grenadiers is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, formerly part of the Bombay Army and later the pre-independence British Indian Army, when the regiment was known as the 4th Bombay Grenadiers. It has distinguished itself during the two ...

(motor infantry battalion) *6th Battalion,

7th Rajput Regiment Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season ep ...

(HQ/Defence battalion 17th Indian Division, attached) *36th Field Squadron, Q.V.O. Madras Sappers & Miners Group, Indian Engineers *3rd Independent Bridging Troop, R.A.C *9th Light Field Ambulance, I. A. M. C. * Elements of 18th Field Regiment RA - SP Guns

Commander

*Brigadier H. H. Stable (June 1941 - November 1943) *Brigadier C. E. Pert (November 1943 - May 1945) *Brigadier R. Younger (May - November 1945) *Brigadier J. M. W. Martin (November 1945 - November 1947)The Army Gradation List February 1956. Appointed second in command 255th Indian Tank Brigade May 1945 *Brigadier Tara Singh Bal (November 1947 - March 1948)

Component units (February 1945)

Commander

See also

Notes and references

Further reading