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The 142nd (Suffolk) Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (142 RAC) was an armoured regiment of the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps that was raised in World War II and saw active service. The regiment served in the final stages of the North African Campaign at Tunisia and later served during the Italian Campaign from 1943 until early 1945 when it was disbanded. ==Origin== The 142nd Regiment RAC was formed on 22 November 1941〔142 RAC War Diary, November–December 1941, The National Archives (TNA), Kew file WO 166/1428.〕 by the conversion to the armoured role of the 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, a war-raised infantry battalion that was formed in June 1940 and serving with the 210th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home). In common with other infantry units transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, all personnel would have continued to wear their Suffolk Regiment cap badge on the black beret of the Royal Armoured Corps.〔Forty pp. 50–1.〕 The establishment of a tank regiment being smaller than that of an infantry battalion, there were 161 men surplus to establishment who were transferred to other units, including 53rd and 59th battalions of the Reconnaissance Corps, the remainder of the men going to the 30th Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.〔〔142 RAC War Diary, January–December 1942, TNA file WO 166/6937.〕 ==Training== 142 RAC was assigned to the 25th Army Tank Brigade, alongside the North Irish Horse and 51st RTR.〔Joslen, p. 203.〕 and was initially equipped with Matilda II and Churchill infantry tanks, later standardising on Churchills.〔〔〔(Calendar at Suffolk Regiment website )〕 On 4 July 1942, the regiment was ordered to mobilise for overseas service, but nothing came of this.〔 On 4 August, the Commanding Officer, Lt-Col R.H. Maxwell (Suffolk Regiment) was promoted to Acting Brigadier to command 25th Tank Bde and the Second-in-Command, Major A.S. Birkbeck (Royal Tank Regiment) was promoted to Acting Lt-Col and took over command.〔 The 25th Tank Brigade had been attached to 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division and based at Worthing in Sussex, but in September 1942 it changed to 1st Infantry Division in Norfolk, followed in September 1942 by a transfer to 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division in Suffolk.〔 On 30 December 1942, the regiment again received orders to prepare for overseas service. Some of the men had to be recalled from harvesting sugar beet.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「142nd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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