A nice and difficult to find printed 8th Armoured Brigade formation sign

This is a great example of a nice and difficult to find printed 8th Armoured Brigade formation sign.
The badge was a version of the Brigade's original parent formation, 10 Armoured Division. The Division used a red fox mask on black or yellow, the Brigade at some time adopting the brown mask on yellow within a brown border. When the Brigade became independent the brief formation history says that they "retained" the fox's mask. 8 Armd. Bde. was formed on 1 August 1941 in Palestine by the redesignation and reorganization of 6 Cavalry Brigade (horsed) on the conversion of 1 Cavalry Division to armour on the same date. The Brigade fought under 10th Armoured Division in the Western Desert from the end of November 1941 until it was redesignated an independent armoured brigade on 19 November 1942. The adoption of the Brigade's badge probably dated from this time. Following the capitulation of the Axis forces in North Africa the Brigade returned to Egypt and from thence returned to the UK, arriving 11 December 1943, to prepare for the invasion of Europe. The Brigade landed in Normandy on 6 June 1944, partly equipped with DD swimming tanks. The Brigade fought with 21 Army Group for the remainder of the campaign in North West Europe as an independent armoured brigade. It was redesignated an Armoured Brigade Type A, that is one with an integral infantry component, on 2 February 1945. It finished the campaign in the area of Cuxhaven. The Brigade was moved south to take over the Hannover area as part of the British occupation forces. Brigade HQ was disbanded 20 March 1946 but 552 Company RASC, the Brigade Workshops and Ordnance Field Park remained in being for a little longer and continued to carry the badge.This example is in a perfect condition.

Code: 51199