20 NovemberThe Battle of Cambrai begins; sees the first large-scale use of tanks. DecemberThe Capture of Jerusalem takes place. 1918 11 NovemberThe First World War ends with the signing of the Armistice. 1918–1945 Interwar Period January 1919Anglo-Irish War begins; British forces combat guerilla operations by the Irish Republican Army. 1919British Army takes part in Allied intervention during Russian Civil War. 28 June 1920Winston Churchill as the Secretary of State for War signed the Royal Warrant which gave the Sovereigns approval for the formation of a 'Corps of Signals'. Six weeks later in August, King George V conferred the title 'Royal Corps of Signals'. 31 July 1922Six Irish regiments (5 infantry and one cavalry) are disbanded due to the establishment of the Irish Free State. 1929The British Army of the Rhine in Germany is withdrawn. 1935Abyssinian Crisis takes place; Army deploys substantial reinforcements to Africa and the Middle East. 1936uprising in Palestine begins. 4 April 1939The Royal Armoured Corps is formed. Second World War 3 September 1939Britain enters the Second World War when it declares war, along with its Allies, on Nazi Germany. September 1939British Expeditionary Force begins to land in France. 17 May 1940The Local Defence Volunteers (later the Home Guard) is formed. 20 May 1940– In France, British armoured units counter-attack at Arras. 26 May 1940The Dunkirk evacuation begins; over 330,000 British and French soldiers are evacuated by 4 June. 22 June 1940The Parachute Corps (later The Parachute Regiment) is formed. April 1941Germany invades Crete; Army and Commonwealth forces eventually evacuated by Royal Navy. 25 December 1941The garrison at Hong Kong surrenders to the Japanese. 15 February 1942Singapore garrison surrenders to Japanese forces. 23 October 1942Second Battle of El Alamein takes place; Montgomery's British Eighth Army defeats the Afrika Korps in offensive. 10 July 1943The Allied invasion of Sicily begins. 3 September 1943Invasion of Italian mainland begins. March 1944The Japanese launch their offensive against India; battles of Imphal and Kohima takes place. 1 April 1944The Special Air Service Regiment is formed to administer existing SAS units. 6 June 1944in airborne operations prior to D-Day landings, Pegasus and Horsa Bridges are taken by D Company, 2nd Ox & Bucks, and the Merville gun battery is destroyed by the 9th Parachute Battalion. 6 June 1944The D-Day landings take place; British Army lands at Gold and Sword; some British units allocated to Canadian beach at Juno. 18 July 1944Allied armoured offensive, Operation