1945 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers WWII Pictorial Route Map of Northern Europe

This is the c. 1945 1st Assault Brigade of Royal Engineers World War II pictorial route map of northern Europe. It was created by a British engineer brigade and notably illustrates its novel modified tanks. While such route maps are common for American units serving in the War, the convention was also espoused to a much lesser extent by the British - making all British route maps exceptionally rare finds.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from southern Britain and northern continental Europe from Arromanches, France, to Hamburg, Germany. The map follows the 1st Assault Brigade from their landings at Normandy on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and the following day. From there, the cities and towns encountered and possibly liberated are labeled with dates. Illustrations of the brigade's modified tanks (nicknamed Hobart's Funnies) appear throughout, alongside depictions of V-2 rockets, troop transport ships, and military convoys. Several recognizable variants of the unit's tanks are illustrated. One such variant is a Churchill AVRE with a Small Box Girder Bridge attachment (has a small bridge attached to the front of the tank) and appears near Arromanches, Calais, Furstenau, and Zeven. Another is a Churchill AVRE with a 'bobbin' (a round attachment on the front) appearing near Rouen, St. Michaels Gestel, and Meppen. Several armored bulldozers also appear, along with AVREs fitted with a petard mortar, which replaced the Churchill's main gun.

The 1st Assault Brigade of Royal Engineers

The 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers was a British Army unit created in mid-1943. The brigade operated Assault Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVREs) that were Churchill tanks modified with special equipment. It took part in the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944, and landed on the British and Canadian invasion beaches: Gold, Juno, and Sword. Assigned to the 79th Armoured Division, the brigade fought across Europe and saw action in the Roer Triangle, the Rhine crossings, and the Elbe crossing.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by and unknown artist and published c. 1945. We note a single cataloged example, which is part of the collection at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Library.