![]() It was not until the first week of May 1940, only days before the German offensive began, that the 1st Army Tank Brigade HQ andthe 7th RTR arrived in France. This was during the beginning of the Phoney War or Sitzkrieg (“the sitting war”.)Įquipping the 7th and 8th battalions were held up due to the slow production rate of the Matilda II. the 4th Battalion (4th RTR) was sent to France to support the infantry divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). ![]() The only battalion that was ready when the war broke out in September 1939 was the 4th which was equipped with 50 Matilda I tanks and 7 light tanks. Each battalion consisted of a headquarters (HQ) and three companies. There was the 4th Battalion stationed at Famborough the 7th Battalion at Catterick Camp and the 8th Battalion at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain. The units that were equipped with infantry tanks were battalions of the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) of the 1st Army Tank Brigade. ![]()
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