| 111th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (Manchester Regiment)) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1943 |
| Disbanded | 1943 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Armoured Regiment |
| Role | Infantry Support Training |
| Part of | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Equipment | Cruiser Mk IV Valentine Churchill |
The111th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (Manchester Regiment) (111 RAC) was anarmouredregiment of theBritish Army, raised by theRoyal Armoured Corps during theSecond World War.
111th Regiment RAC was formed on 1 November 1941 by the conversion to the armoured role of 5th Battalion of theManchester Regiment, a 1st LineTerritorial Army infantry battalion. In common with other infantry units transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, all personnel would have continued to wear their Manchester cap badge on the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps.[1]
The 5th Battalion, Manchester Regiment had been serving in126th Infantry Brigade of42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division, which had fought inFrance and beenevacuated at Dunkirk. The brigade and division were later redesignated11th Armoured Brigade (later 11th Tank Brigade) and42nd Armoured Division respectively.[2] At the time of conversion, 111 RAC was based atBingley,West Yorkshire.[3] It began receiving its first tanks (Cruiser Mk IVs) in April 1942; but, from June, it began receivingChurchillinfantry tanks - it was at this time that 11 Armoured Bde was detached from 42nd Armoured Division and became an independent Army Tank Brigade.[4][5]
In August 1942, the regiment moved toBolton Castle inNorth Yorkshire. At this point, its squadron organisation comprised one troop of Churchills and two troops each of 1 Churchill and 2Valentine tanks. However, half of the 60 tanks it required for squadron and regimental training had to be borrowed from the other regiments in the brigade,107 and110 RAC.[6] From September 1942 to April 1943, the regiment was based atWensley andMiddleham, training on ranges in North Yorkshire.[7][8]
In January 1943, the 11th Tank Brigade was attached to77th Infantry (Reserve) Division and its regiments were given the role of holding and training replacements.[9] Finally, in Autumn 1943, the decision was made disband 11th Tank Brigade, without it ever having seen active service, and it was broken up before the end of November.[10] 111 RAC moved first toBerwick-upon-Tweed and then dispersed to various locations inLincolnshire. On 15 November, it received orders to reconvert to infantry as 5th Bn Manchester Regiment.[11] In the summer of 1944, the reconstituted infantry battalion acted as the Royal Bodyguard atBalmoral Castle while theRoyal Family was in residence and then served as a machine-gun battalion with55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division until the end of the war.[12][13]