From ceremonial bearskins to armoured warriors, the story of the Guards’ controversial transformation comes to life in Charles Richard Trumpess’s meticulously researched account of these unique fighting units.

The Guards Armoured Division and 6th Guards Tank Brigade began with the same purpose but carved vastly different paths through World War Two. One formation faced criticism, while the other earned acclaim on the battlefield.

Born from the threat of German invasion in 1941, the Guards Armoured formations faced scepticism from the start. Many doubted that “spit-and-polish” Guardsmen could adapt to armoured warfare. Trumpess reveals how these elite infantry units transformed themselves while maintaining their proud traditions.

The book looks at how training at home prepared—or did not prepare—units for combat. When these units arrived in Normandy, their performance showed clear differences in how ready they were and the tactics they used.

Trumpess draws on newly discovered archive materials to track the Guards’ journey from formation to disbandment just after VE Day in 1945. He uncovers why the “official” history took over a decade to publish and explores the cultural and operational factors that shaped these distinctive fighting units.

This definitive account follows the Guards as they adapted to the brutal realities of armoured warfare across Northwest Europe, overcoming battlefield setbacks and proving their worth in history’s greatest conflict.