The 6th Armoured Brigade was a Militia, or Citizens Military Force (CMF), formation, the only one of its kind raised during the Second World War.

Following the invasion of Malaya, bombing of Pearl Harbor, and fall of Singapore, the 6th was called up for full-time service in Australia.

[6] The brigade was concentrated at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School, Puckapunyal, in July, where it received US M3 Medium Grant tanks to train with.

The brigade proceeded to conduct driving and maintenance, signalling, gunnery, navigation, leadership and tactics training and by the end of 1942 had reached a high standard of efficiency.

[5] By December 1942, the strategic situation had changed again as the Japanese advance had been halted following the battles of the Coral Sea, Guadalcanal and those in New Guinea.