The Brigade was employed during the assault landings in Normandy, Operation Overlord and further used during the battle for the Roer Triangle (Operation Blackcock), the Rhine crossings (Operation Plunder) and the Elbe crossing.
Beginning on the night of 23 March 1945, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey (Operations Turnscrew, Widgeon, and Torchlight), and the U.S. Ninth Army (Operation Flashpoint), under Lieutenant General William Simpson.
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All of these formations were part of the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.
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One unit, the British 79th Armoured Division — under Major-General Percy Hobart — had been at the front of the Normandy landings and provided invaluable help in subsequent operations with specially adapted armoured vehicles (referred to as Hobart's Funnies).
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Fierce German resistance continued around Bienen, north of Rees, where the entire 9th Canadian Brigade was needed to relieve the Black Watch.
Operation Overlord | Operation Enduring Freedom | Operation Barbarossa | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe | Operation Market Garden | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development | Operation Torch | Operation Vistula | operation | Operation Provide Comfort | Operation Anaconda | Police and Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters | Operation Weserübung | Operation Shingle | Operation Ivy | Operation Highjump | Operation Blue Star | Operation Anthropoid | Operation Paperclip | Operation Downfall | Operation Deny Flight | Stevie Plunder | Operation Thunderbolt | Operation Southern Watch | Operation Michael | Operation Entebbe | Operation Condor | Operation Yoav | Operation Varsity | Operation United Shield |
In Italy he commanded the Commando brigade that undertook the capture of Termoli, before serving as deputy commander of the Special Service Group, a divisional level headquarters unit that planned and administered all commando operations during Operation Overlord and the advance into Germany.
It was one of the first units to enter Brussels and Rouen, and later conducted a deception campaign for the crossing of the Rhine River.