23rd Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom)

23rd Army Tank Brigade 23rd Armoured Brigade
Active	1939–1946
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Armoured
Size	Brigade
Engagements	World War II * Western Desert Campaign * Tunisian Campaign * Italian Campaign
Commanders
Notable commanders	Robert Arkwright

The 23rd Armoured Brigade, originally formed as the 23rd Army Tank Brigade, was an armoured brigade of the British Army that saw active service during the Second World War. The brigade was a 2nd Line Territorial Army (TA) formation. It was later reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Brigade when it was assigned to the 8th Armoured Division, although it never operated under that division's command.

The brigade was formed as the 23rd Army Tank Brigade on the outbreak of the Second World War as a 2nd Line Territorial Army (TA) unit, under the command of Brigadier W. F. Murrogh. The brigade had only a few light armoured vehicles during its existence as an Army Tank Brigade. It was reorganized and redesignated as the 23rd Armoured Brigade on 1 November 1940 when it was assigned to the newly formed 8th Armoured Division, under the command of Major General Richard McCreery. As part of this reorganization it was reinforced with the 1st Battalion, London Rifle Brigade, although this motorised infantry battalion was later renamed the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) on 19 January 1941. It finally began to receive significant numbers of tanks as a consequence of its assignment to the 8th Armoured Division, deliveries of the close-support version of the Matilda II and Valentine tanks beginning about that same time. By November 1941 the brigade had approximately 18 Matildas and 120 Valentines on hand.

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