Later it served in the Middle East and was overrun and forced to surrender during the Battle of Gazala in the North African Campaign.

For almost 72 hours (29–31 May 1942) during the battle the 150th Brigade and the 44th Royal Tank Regiment held out against Erwin Rommel's concentrated attacks, without any support.

It fought its way out of Arras via Douai that night as the BEF scrambled to form a defensive ring round Dunkirk.

[1] 50th (N) Division spent almost a year re-equipping and training in the UK, taking its place in the anti-invasion defences, before it was chosen for renewed overseas service.

However, the WDF's Operation Battleaxe had failed, 150th Bde was not immediately required, and in August it rejoined 50th (N) Division in Cyprus.

By the afternoon, the German attack had shattered the 7th Armoured Division and they were in position to assault the 201st Guards Motor Brigade, in the Knightsbridge Box.

Accompanied by heavy artillery fire the Panzers swarmed in, swiftly overrunning the 9th KRRC, with the rest of the garrison then moving back to east of Bir El Gubi.

The Germans now pushed their Panzers on to the north, moving behind the Gazala Boxes, where British resistance stiffened in what became known as the Battle of the Cauldron.

The brigade kept the supply lines under artillery fire and, although it was unable to stop the flow of traffic, it made the route so ineffective that the enemy armoured divisions to the east of the minefields were reduced to a parlous state for petrol, ammunition and food.

[citation needed] Early on 30 May elements of the Afrika Korps attempted to break through the brigade's position but drew off after taking losses.

On 1 June Rommel reinforced the attackers with the 21st Panzer Division and more artillery, and the assault was resumed after heavy dive-bombing.