149th Regiment RAC was formed on 22 November 1941 by the conversion to the armoured role of 7th Battalion of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI).

[1] Raised in 1940, 7th KOYLI had been serving with 207th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), a Home Defence formation in Essex that was broken up in August 1941 and its battalions transferred to the RAC.

[2] In common with other infantry units transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, all personnel would have continued to wear their KOYLI cap badge on the black beret of the RAC.

[1][4] The Brigade fought with the 5th Indian Division and the 7th Indian Infantry Divisions in Burma and was involved in the Battles at Imphal, Kohima, Kyaumaung Bridgehead, Meiktila, and Rangoon Road.

[5] In August 1944 149 RAC returned to Bombay in India, and then in April 1945 moved to Ahmednagar where it came once again under command of 50th Indian Tank Brigade and remained in India for the remainder of the war.