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{{Infobox Military Unit
|unit_name=254th Indian Tank Brigade
|abbreviation=
|image=
|caption=
|dates=1941–1945
|country={{flagicon|British India}} [[British Raj|British India]]
|allegiance={{flag|British Empire}}
|branch=[[File:British Raj Red Ensign.svg|26px]] [[British Indian Army]]
|type=[[Armoured warfare|Armoured]]
|role=
|size=[[Brigade]]
|command_structure=
|equipment=[[Stuart tank]] [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee tank]] [[M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman tank]]

|Past Commanders=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=
|identification_symbol_2=

|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|march=
|mascot=
|battles=[[Battle of Kohima]] [[Battle of Imphal]] [[Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay]] [[Battle of Kyaukmaung Bridgehead]] [[Operation Dracula]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=[[Burma Campaign 1944–45|Burma 1944–1945]]
}}
The '''254th Indian Tank Brigade''' was an [[Armoured warfare|armoured]] [[brigade]] of the [[Indian Army during World War II]].

This brigade was originally raised at the cavalry depot at Risalpur in India with effect from 1 April 1941 as the 4th Indian Armoured Brigade. In October 1941, the brigade was redesignated as the 254th Indian Armoured Brigade, and then from 10 September 1942 it was retitled as the 254th Indian Tank Brigade.

The brigade was part of the [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|Fourteenth Army]] and saw action in the [[Burma Campaign]]. The 254th Tank Brigade's tactical sign was a symbol that looks like black railway tracks disappearing into the distance, on a red triangle.

The brigade fought with the [[5th Infantry Division (India)|5th]] and [[7th Indian Infantry Division]]s in [[Burma]] and was involved in the Battles at [[Battle of Imphal|Imphal]], [[Battle of Kohima|Kohima]], [[Battle of Kyaukmaung Bridgehead|Kyaumaung Bridgehead]], [[Battle of Meiktila|Meiktila]], and the [[Operation Dracula|Rangoon Road]].<ref>M3 Lee/Grant Medium Tank 1941-45 By Steven J. Zaloga, Hugh Johnson</ref>

In June 1945, the brigade moved back to India. The Brigade's designation changed to 3rd Indian Independent Armoured Brigade on 1 December 1945, then in June 1946 to 3rd Indian Armoured Brigade [Independent] which was the designation in August 1947 at the time of Indian Independence.

==Formation (1944)==

*[[3rd Carabiniers]], [[Lee tank]]s
*[[149th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps]], Lee and Sherman tanks, raised from 7th Battalion of the [[King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry]]
*150th Royal Armoured Corps Regiment, Lee tanks, raised from 10th Bn [[York and Lancaster Regiment]]
*[[7th Light Cavalry]], [[Stuart tank]]s
*3/[[4th Bombay Grenadiers]]<ref>{{cite web|title=fireandfury|url=http://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/paccommonwealth_burma.pdf}}</ref>

==Commanders==

*Brigadier WT Gill Apr 1941 – 17 Nov 1943
*Brigadier [[Reginald Scoones|RL Scoones]] 18 Nov 1943 – 14 Mar 1945 <ref>{{cite web|title=ordersofbattle|url=http://www.ordersofbattle.com/UnitData.aspx?UniX=6134&Tab=App}}{{Dead link|date=March 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*Brigadier WWA Loring 15 Mar 1945 - Aug 1947
[[Image:Imphalgurkhas.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Lee tank and Gurkhas advance at Imphal]]

==See also==
{{portal|World War II}}
* [[List of Indian Army Brigades in World War II]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Moreman, Tim. (2005). ''The Jungle, the Japanese and the British Commonwealth Armies at War, 1941–45''. Routeledge. {{ISBN|978-0-7146-4970-2}}.

[[Category:Armoured brigades of the British Indian Army]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in Burma in World War II]]

254th Indian Tank Brigade - Revision history

Bot at 01:48, 14 October 2022