{"product_id":"ww2-24th-lancers-brass-25mm-button-by-pitt","title":"WW2 24th Lancers brass 25mm button by Pitt.","description":"\u003cp\u003eLarge 25mm brass button from the 24th Lancers, identifiable by the XXIV numeral, crossed lances with pennons, and King’s Crown (Tudor\/Imperial Crown), with the LANCERS scroll beneath. The backmark on the reverse reads C. Pitt \u0026amp; Co Ltd, London W.1, a known London button maker active in the mid-20th century.\u003cbr\u003eThe 24th Lancers were a short-lived but historically significant WWII regiment. Raised on 1 December 1940 as a duplicate of the 17th\/21st Lancers, they were part of the wartime expansion of the Royal Armoured Corps when many cavalry regiments were doubled to meet the demand for armoured units. They trained in the UK throughout 1941 to 1943, equipped with Sherman tanks, and formed part of the 8th Armoured Brigade in the 11th Armoured Division before transferring to the independent 8th Armoured Brigade for the invasion of Europe.\u003cbr\u003eThe regiment landed in Normandy on D-Day plus one (7 June 1944) and saw heavy fighting through June and July, including the brutal battles around Fontenay, Rauray, and Operation Epsom, where they took significant tank losses supporting the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. By late July 1944 the regiment had suffered such severe casualties that it was disbanded on 29 July 1944, with surviving personnel and tanks redistributed to other armoured units, principally the 23rd Hussars. They were never reformed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gradia Militaria","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53316190404936,"sku":"June26-98","price":10.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0924\/1103\/5976\/files\/IMG-1192.heic?v=1781704084","url":"https:\/\/www.gradiamilitaria.com\/products\/ww2-24th-lancers-brass-25mm-button-by-pitt","provider":"Gradia Militaria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}