Despite forming in November 1940, it was not until mid-1941, when the regiment was based in
Otley, that the 9th received the tanks it was to use in its role as a Heavy Tank Unit. The 9th RTR was one of the first units to be equipped with the
Churchill. These vehicles were almost identical to those used by the
Calgary Regiment of the
Canadian Army at
Dieppe in 1942. Between 1941 and 1944, the regiment moved around the country, from Otley, to
Eastbourne,
South Lancing,
Charing, and eventually
Aldershot. Along with this, the regiment's tanks and their crews often moved around the country to various gunnery ranges, such as at
Bovington Camp in Dorset and
Castlemartin in Wales. The 9th finally went into action shortly after
D Day, (weather conditions had not permitted them to land on the planned date). Some of the regiment was able to get on shore on 19 June, but a large part was held up for another two days. Shortly after its arrival in Normandy, 9th RTR (as part of
31st Tank Brigade), was involved in
Montgomery's Operation
Epsom, the push inland to secure the Normandy Beachhead and the city of
Caen. The regiment was part of the right hand attack towards
Grainville and
Colleville, supporting
15th (Scottish) Infantry Division. After
Epsom, the 9th was part of Operation
Jupiter, the attack on Hill 112. The Hill was defended by elements of
Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502, which led to heavy losses for the regiment, although eventually the Hill was retaken from the German Forces. The next major engagement for the 9th was the
Falaise pocket. The regiment supported the 1st Canadian Army for the first part of the battle. However, it was soon returned to British command for the push east across the north of France, to take bridges across a number of rivers in the area. Following the rapid push east, the 9th RTR took part in the capture of
Le Havre as part of Operation
Astonia. In a combined assault of land, naval and air forces, the port city of Le Havre was taken in three days, despite being considered "
one of the strongest fortresses of the Atlantic Wall". Unlike previous operations, the regiment took very light casualties. The end of
Operation Astonia led to a fortnight's rest for the regiment, after they had been fighting for around 100 days. After its rest period, 9th RTR moved into the Netherlands and took part in enlarging the Nijmegen Salient in support of the
51st (Highland) and
49th (West Riding) Divisions. Later on in the Dutch campaign, the 9th participated in Operations
Rebound and
Thruster, which led to the capture of
Roosendaal and aided the clearing of the banks of the
River Scheldt. Between late December 1944 and the end of January 1945, 9th RTR aided in victory in the
Ardennes, acting as a defensive force near
Liege, under the command of the First US Army. After the Ardennes, the 9th was attached to the
53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division for the battle in the
Reichswald, during early to mid-February 1945. Following this, the 9th, in support of the 52nd Lowland Division, pushed further into Germany. Between March and April, the 9th had an extended period of refitting and maintenance, repairing or replacing tanks that had travelled thousands of miles and participated in countless engagements, anticipating the final push across the
Rhine. The assault never truly came, the final tasks for the 9th was to clear and secure a small area of Germany. ==Organisation==