It saw a considerable amount of action during the war, beginning with the Western Desert Campaign where it was engaged in Operation Crusader and at the Battles of Gazala, Mersa Matruh, First Alamein and Alam el Halfa.

[4][5][6][7] As the threat of invasion of the United Kingdom receded, it became possible to spare more troops and equipment to reinforce Middle East Forces facing the Italians.

[1][4][8] It adopted the new organisation for an armoured brigade, which included a battalion of motorised infantry (2nd Kings Royal Rifle Corps).

[9] By the summer of 1941 the Italians in Libya had been reinforced by General Rommel's Afrika Korps and the tide had turned against the British forces (most of 2nd Armoured Division was captured on 8 April[4]).

In fact, the convoy carrying 22nd Armoured Brigade sailed (without its motor battalion) on 15 August, and after rounding the Cape of Good Hope it finally arrived in Egypt on 2 October.

Eighth Army's advance began at dawn on 18 November and had approximately reached its first day's objectives by evening, but mechanical breakdowns had already reduced 22nd Armd Bde's tank strength from 155 to 136 runners.

Next day it was reconnoitring forward towards Bir el Gub when the divisional commander arrived and ordered it to attack the Italian Ariete Division.

The fighting round Sidi Rezegh ended when Rommel sent the Afrika Korps on a 'Dash to the Wire', driving eastwards behind Eighth Army towards the Egyptian frontier.

Then on 27 December Gen Ludwig Crüwell commanding the armour of the Afrika Korps noticed a gap between 22nd Armd Bde at Chor es Sufan and 22nd Guards Brigade north of Agedabia.

[1][15][16] On 4 March 1942 22nd Armd Bde was reorganised as an independent Brigade Group, with supporting artillery, engineer, transport and medical units.

Before 22nd Armd Bde had got far it was attacked by both of the Afrika Korps' Panzer divisions, and it was ordered to fall back to the 'Knightsbridge' box, with the loss of 30 tanks and several guns.

In a rearguard action 22nd Armd Bde foiled Rommel's attempt to cut the coast road, but the retreat went back to position around Mersa Matruh.

In this attack the brigade consisted solely of 3rd CLY, but was joined during the afternoon by the newly-arrived Royal Scots Greys (RSG) in their first tank action, giving a total of 31 Grants, 21 Stuarts and 23 Crusaders.

[21] By the time Rommel made a renewed attack on the British positions at Alam el Halfa on 30 August, Eighth Army had been reinforced and was under fresh commanders, including Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery at Eighth Army, Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks at XIII Corps, and Brigadier Philip 'Pip' Roberts, who took command of 22nd Armd Bde on 27 July.

Montgomery's plan for Eighth Army's night attack at Alamein (Operation Lightfoot) on 23/24 October required XIII Corps to penetrate the enemy's two belts of minefields (codenamed 'January' and 'February') and then pass the armoured brigades through.

Moving off at first light next morning the brigade encountered German reconnaissance troops and then 21st Panzer Division, whose tanks were too short of fuel to manoeuvre.

In a series of actions lasting most of 6 November, in heavy rain, the brigade inflicted considerable casualties; in the evening the enemy fled towards Matruh.

After waiting for its own fuel, 22nd Armd Bde reached the Libyan frontier near El Beida on 10 November, ignoring fleeing German tanks as it closed on its objective of Fort Capuzzo.

On the night of 20/21 January 1943 Eighth Army made a thrust along the coast road towards the city with 51st (Highland) Division and 22nd Armd Bde.

1st RTR found a way through the 'mass of rubble and demolitions' at Somma Vesuviana and over the next two days fought a series of actions with 1st RB to flush the enemy out of a number of towns.

As the engineers worked on a bridge, the water level fell, and a suitable ford appeared, so a squadron of 4th CLY shovelled away the river bank and struggled across to support the infantry.

[42][43] At the end of October, 7th Armoured Division was shifted to the left flank, nearest the sea, which entailed a tedious journey through Capua, where the bridge could only take one tank at a time.

Reconnaissance revealed a fordable crossing near the beach, so a squadron of 5th RTR advanced by this route on 1 November while the rest of the regiment supported 131st Bde's attack on Mondragone.

A few tanks were lost to mines on the beach, but Mondragone was found to be clear and the Massico ridge was occupied at small cost, while the enemy withdrew across the Garigliano river.

Next day the tanks, thogh heavily shelled and hampered by enemy demolitions, worked between the mountain and the sea and captured Cicola after a sharp fight.

[44][45] The brigade had fought its last battle in Italy: shortly afterwards 7th Armd Division was withdrawn to the UK to take part in Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

[1][46][47] 22nd Armoured Bde was re-equipped with Cromwell tanks and trained in the area round Brandon, Suffolk, to take part in the Allied landings in Normandy.

[1][48] On 10 June, 22nd Armoured Brigade led the division's advance towards Villers-Bocage during Operation Perch, but progress was slow through the restricted Bocage country.

[1][53][54] The division came into its own after the breakout from the Normandy beachhead, when it advanced rapidly across northern France and Belgium, liberating towns as they went, including Ghent on 5 September.

At first progress was slow, but on 29 March 22nd Armoured Brigade fanned out leading the advance; the division made 120 miles (190 km) by 2 April, only halted by the River Ems.