By Sven De Braekeleir Photos and research supplied by Jean-Louis Marichal UPDATED ON 23 MARCH 2015 1 BELGIAN BRIGADE PIRON BELGIAN FORCES IN EXILE Brigade advanced to Franceville. After spending a lot of time In May 1940, after a meeting between the British War Office clearing mines and re-building bridges, the Brigade finally and the Belgian Captain-Commandant Charles Cumont had another chance to advance, but walked into an ambush (the military attaché at the Belgian Embassy in London), it before the Trouville Heights on 22 August after advancing through Villers-sur-Mer, Touques and Deauville. In the was decided that (due to the deteriorating military situation st in Belgium) surviving elements of the Belgian armed forces following days, the 1 Motorised Company, with artillery should be regrouped in Great Britain. Three days later, the support, succeeded in removing German advance posts. Belgian army capitulated, but Belgian Prime Minister Jaspar Over the course of the following few days more villages were taken before the Brigade was transferred to the command of called for all Belgian soldiers to stay close to those who fight th on, and to join him in Great Britain. the British 49 Division. Stationed in Wales, the Belgian Forces in Great Britain (or On 29 August the Brigade helped clear the Forest of Brotonne FBGB) grew in number and in 1942 the decision was made (where many Germans were trapped) and received orders to to combine the infantry, artillery, armoured vehicles and cross the river Seine and besiege the port of Le Havre. After engineers into one homogenous fighting unit. It became a detailed reconnaissance of the ground behind enemy lines, the 1st Belgian Independent Group under the command of the unit crossed the river. Contact with the enemy was made Major Jean Piron (later Colonel). on 31 August, but just as the Belgian units were getting ready for the attack, the order was given to stop these preparations and move to the north, leaving the 49th Division behind. FROM NORMANDY TO BELGIUM In the first week of August 1944, the ‘Brigade Piron’ On 2 September Colonel Piron received word from General arrived in Normandy with Dutch Brigade ‘Princes Irene’, Horrocks (commander British XXX Corps) that he intended the 2nd French Armoured Division (‘Division Leclerq”), to ‘enter Brussels tomorrow evening. Our tanks will open the the Polish Armoured Division of General Maczek, and the road, and you will follow by eliminating any resistance along Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade of General Liska. the way’. On 3 September Piron’s command car crossed the Belgian border and the Brigade arrived in Brussels the ‘Brigade Piron’ was composed of three independent mo- following morning (The Welsh Guards had arrived in the torised companies, an armoured car squadron, an artillery Belgian capital the evening before). group, an engineering company, and supply/transport units. Their (and the Dutch Brigade’s) assignment was to pursue New orders were received and the Brigade moved towards enemy elements along the coast of Normandy, a task for the Dutch border. which they were ideally suited due to their high degree of mobility and independent capability. THE NETHERLANDS In the early evening of 25 September the Brigade arrived Upon arrival in Normandy, the Brigade was transferred th to the British 6th Airborne Division and took over from in Holland and were attached to the US 19 Corps. They the 4th Special Service Brigade (Commandos) on the right received tanks in support for an attack on Wessem, at the bank of the Orne, also known as the Pegasus Bridge sector. canal with the Meuse. At the same time, the Americans On 17 August the 6th Airborne Division attacked and the planned to advance on the German border. Both attacks BRIGADE PIRON IN NORMANDY 2 failed, due to the excellent reorganisation of the German of the 1st Armoured Regiment of the new Belgian army. The defence in the second half of September. three Motorised Companies become battalions due to an increased amount of volunteers. For the following few weeks the situation at the front remained more or less the same, with numerous offensive patrols on both sides. However, weeks of losses, casualties BACK TO THE NETHERLANDS and death had affected the ranks and the 18km long front They moved into Holland again in April 1945, under the could no longer be held by the battalion sized Belgian unit. command of the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, where The Belgian Brigade was relieved on 15 November and they they took charge of the Canadian sector on the north bank returned to Belgium for rest and refit. of the Waal, and freed Opheusden. A few other objectives were not reached and between 19 and 25 April, the situation RE-ORGANISATION remained unchanged, with the Brigade mainly involved in patrols and artillery bombardments. They were re-organised and the structure of the Brigade was changed. The infantry were transformed in to a Rifle After the cease-fire on 6 May the Brigade was sent to disarm Brigade and the Armoured Car Squadron became the core the German 361. Infanteriedivision and the 20. Brigade near Culemborg and Leerdam. BELGIAN SPECIAL RULES The Belgian Brigade is trained by the British therefore LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Belgian platoons follow all of the British special rules on The familiar terrain of northwest France and Belgium gave pages 246 to 248 of the rulebook except British Bulldog. In the Belgians a distinct advantage. Locals were also able to addition they also have the following Belgian special rule. warn the brigade of enemy positions and movements. A Belgian Reconnaissance Platoons may re-rolled failed Skill tests to Disengage (see page 194 of Flames Of War). 3 ARMOURED CAR SQUADRON (MECHANISED COMPANY) HEADQUARTERS You must field one platoon from each box shaded black and may field one platoon from each box shaded grey. 5 Armoured HEADQUARTERS Squadron HQ RECONNAISSANCE ARMOUR 10 Armoured Platoon 10 US Tank Platoon 5 Armoured Car Platoon ANTI-TANK 13 Anti-tank Platoon, Royal Artillery COMBAT PLATOONS COMBAT 11 RECONNAISSANCE US Tank Destroyer Platoon INFANTRY 7 Motor Platoon 5 PLATOONS SUPPORT DIVISIONAL Armoured Car Platoon 11 Airlanding Platoon 12 RECONNAISSANCE Commando Platoon INFANTRY 7 5 Motor Platoon Armoured Car Platoon RECONNAISSANCE ARTILLERY 9 Field Battery, Belgian Artillery 5 Armoured Car Platoon AIRCRAFT 13 RECONNAISSANCE Air Support 5 Armoured Car Platoon ANTI-AIRCRAFT 5 Anti-aircraft Armoured Car Platoon 4 Motivation and Skill RELUCTANT CONSCRIPT The Belgians have been training hard for a chance to liberate their homeland from Nazi CONFIDENT TRAINED oppression. They are ready to free Belgium from under the boot of fascist rule. A Belgian Armoured Car Squadron is Confident Trained. FEARLESS VETERAN HEADQUARTERS ARMOURED CAR SQUADRON HQ Major Major HEADQUARTERS 2 Daimler I 60 points OPTIONS Company Command 2iC Command Daimler I Daimler I • Add a Staghound I armoured car for +35 points. • Add a Daimler I armoured car for +30 points. Staghound I Daimler I While only a small part of the Belgian Brigade, they preform Company HQ the most import tasks. They are the eyes and ears of Brigade Piron. Trained in the latest British methods they combine Armoured Car Squadron HQ these skills with an intimate knowledge of the country-side they are fighting through. The teams of an Armoured Car Squadron HQ are Reconnaissance teams. COMBAT PLATOONS ARMOURED CAR PLATOON Subaltern Subaltern PLATOON 3 Daimler I and 2 Dingo 135 points OPTIONS Command Daimler I • Fit Littlejohn adaptors to one Daimler I armoured HQ Armoured Car car at no cost. Sergeant Corporal • Replace AA MG on Daimler Dingo scout cars with twin AA MG for +5 points per scout car. Daimler Dingo Daimler Dingo Daimler I Daimler I The additional Daimler Dingo scout cars of the Belgian Scout Section Armoured Car Armoured Car Platoons provides the Belgian with improved Section recce abilities. The better speed of the Dingo scout cars allows them to scout ahead of the Daimler I armoured cars Armoured Car Platoon and break-off quickly from enemy fire. Armoured Car Platoons are Reconnaissance Platoons. ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARMOURED CAR PLATOON Sergeant Sergeant PLATOON 2 Staghound A/A 70 points Command Staghound A/A Staghound A/A Anti-aircraft Armoured Car Platoons are Reconnaissance Anti-aircraft section Platoons. Anti-aircraft Armoured Car Platoon 5 MOTOR COMPANY (INFANTRY COMPANY) HEADQUARTERS You must field one platoon from each box shaded black and may field one platoon from each box shaded grey. 7 HEADQUARTERS Motor Company HQ INFANTRY MACHINE-GUNS ARMOUR 10 Armoured Platoon 10 US Tank Platoon 7 Motor Platoon 8 Motor Machine-gun ANTI-TANK 13 Platoon Anti-tank Platoon, Royal Artillery COMBAT PLATOONS COMBAT INFANTRY 5 WEAPONS PLATOONS WEAPONS ANTI-TANK Armoured Car Platoon 11 US Tank Destroyer Platoon 7 Motor Platoon 9 Motor Anti-tank Platoon PLATOONS SUPPORT DIVISIONAL RECONNAISSANCE INFANTRY 5 Armoured Car Platoon 7 Motor Platoon INFANTRY 11 Airlanding Platoon 11 RECONNAISSANCE Rifle Platoon 12 Commando Platoon 8 Scout Platoon ARTILLERY 9 ANTI-AIRCRAFT Field Battery, Belgian Artillery 8 AIRCRAFT Motor Anti-aircraft 13 Platoon Air Support 6 Motivation and Skill RELUCTANT CONSCRIPT The Belgians have been training hard for a chance to liberate their homeland from Nazi CONFIDENT TRAINED oppression. They are ready to free Belgium from under the boot of fascist rule. A Belgian Motor Company is Confident Trained. FEARLESS VETERAN HEADQUARTERS MOTOR COMPANY HQ Major Major HEADQUARTERS Company HQ 25 points Company Command OPTIONS Rifle team • Add a Mortar Section for +40 points. 2iC Command Rifle team Brigade Piron was composed of three independent motorised companies. Each company has its own Recce, machine-guns Company HQ and anti-tank guns. Corporal Their assignment was to pursue enemy elements along the coast of Normandy, a task for which they were ideally 3” mortar 15cwt truck 3” mortar 15cwt truck suited due to their high degree of mobility and independent Mortar Section capability.