1st Armoured Division

1st Armoured Division
1st ARMOURED DIVISION

Formed:
3rd September 1939

Lineage:
Mobile Division (November 1937)

Garrison:
York

Service Record:
Great Britain
France
Egypt
Libya
Tunisia
Italy

Operations and Campaigns:
Battle of France
Western Desert Campaign
Operation Brevity
Operation Battle Axe
Operation Crusader
Battle of El Alamein
Tunisian Campaign
Battle of Tebaga Gap
Gothic Line
Battle of Coriano

Unit Structure 1939 to 1945

Divisional Staff:

Commanding Officers:
Major General R. Evans (15th July 1938)
Major General W. Norrie (24th September 1940)
Major General H. Lumsden (5th November 1941)
Major General F. Messervy (3rd January 1942)
Major General H. Lumsden (12th February 1942)
Major General R. Briggs (21st August 1942)
Major General A. Galloway (17th July 1943)
Major General R. Hull (14th August 1944)

Brigades:

2nd Light Armoured Brigade (3rd September 1939 to 14th April 1940)
Commanders:
Brigadier F. Thornton (18th May 1939)
Brigadier R.L. McCreery (15th January 1940)
Units:
10th Royal Hussars
2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
9th Queens Royal Lancers

2nd Armoured Brigade (14th April 1940 to 25th September 1944)
Commanders:
Brigadier R.L. McCreery (14th April 1940)
Brigadier R. Briggs (14th December 1940)
Brigadier A.F. Fisher (20th August 1940)
Brigadier R.W. Peake (31st December 1943)
Brigadier G.W. Goodbody (18th February 1944)
Brigadier J.F.B. Combe 22nd September 1944)
Units:
10th Royal Hussars
2nd Dragoon Guards
9th Queens Royal Lancers
1st Battalion Rifle Brigade
9th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

1st Heavy Armoured Brigade (3rd September 1939 to 14th April 1940)
Commander: Brigadier V.V. Pope (3rd September 1939)
Units:
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
5th Royal Tank Regiment

3rd Armoured Brigade (14th April to 4th October 1940)
Commanders:
Brigadier V.V. Pope (3rd September 1939)
Brigadier J.G. Crocker (20th April 1940)
Brigadier R.G.W. Rimmington (21st September 1940)
Units:
2nd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
5th Royal Tank Regiment

1st Support Group (3rd September 1939 to 11th February 1942)
Commanders:
Brigadier F.E. Morgan (8th August 1939)
Brigadier C.M. Vallentin (4th November 1940)
Units:
101st Antitank Regiment
101st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment

22nd Armoured Brigade (14th April 1940 to 4th November 1941)
Commanders:
Brigadier J.T. Leslie (21st October 1939)
Brigadier G. Dawes (26th July 1940)
Brigadier A.R. Selby (26th August 1940)
Brigadier I. D. Erskine (11th February 1941)
Lieutenant Colonel J. Moubray (5th October 1941)
Brigadier J.C.O. Marriott (20th October 1941)
Units:
2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars
2nd City of London Yeomanry
3rd City of London Yeomanry

200th Guards Brigade Group (12th January to 20th May 1942)
Commander: Brigadier J.C.O. Marriott (14th January 1942)
Units:
1st Battalion Durham Light Infantry (28th February to 23rd May 1941)
3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards (11th March 1941 to 20th June 1942)
9th Battalion Rifle Brigade (29th September 1941 to 4th June 1942)
2nd Battalion Scots Guards (28th February to 16th June 1942)
1st Battalion Buffs (7th June to 21st September 1941)

201st Guard Motor Brigade Group (21st May to 14th June 1942)
Commanders:
Brigadier J.C.O. Marriott (25th May 1942)
Brigadier J.A. Johnson (17th June 1942)
Brigadier J.A. Gascoigne (14th August 1942)
Lieutenant W.H. Kingsmill (13th November 1943)
Brigadier R.B.R. Colvin (27th November 1943)
Lieutenant W.H. Kingsmill (4th December 1943)
Brigadier R.B.R. Colvin (13th December 1943)
Brigadier H.R. Norman (5th January 1945)
Units:
3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards (25th August 1942 to 23rd June 1943 & 22nd July 1943 to 12th March 1944 & 1st April to 3rd August 1945)
2nd Battalion Scots Guards (25th August 1942 to 27th June 1943)
9th Battalion Rifle Brigade (1st September to 5th September 1942)
6th Battalion Grenadier Guards (7th October 1942 to 17th November 1944)
1st Battalion Irish Guards (3rd March 1944)
1st Battalion Welsh Guards (11th April to 3rd August 1945)

7th Motor Brigade (23rd September 1942 to 19th July 1943)
Commanders:
Brigadier T.J.B. Bosville (4th July 1942)
Lieutenant Colonel W. Heathcote-Amery (1st June 1943)
Brigadier M.D. Erskine (30th June 1943)
Units:
7th Battalion Rifle Brigade
2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps
Minefield Task-force

18th Lorried Infantry Brigade (20th July 1943 to 16th February 1944)
Commander: Brigadier M.D. Erskine (20th July 1943)
Units:
1st Battalion Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
9th Battalion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry - formerly the Queen's Own Yorkshire Dragoons
14th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
53rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery (Organised as Infantry)

18th Infantry Brigade (5th October 1943 to 16th February 1944 & 17th August 1944 to 28th October 1944)
Commanders:
Brigadier M.D. Erskine (20th July 1943)
Lieutenant Colonel G.H.G. Smith-Dorrien (7th February 1944)
Brigadier M.D. Erskine (20th February 1944)
Brigadier A.D. McKechnie (8th October 1944)
Lieutenant Colonel J.S.H. Douglas (27th August 1944)
Units:
14th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
1st Battalion Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

Divisional Troops:

Armoured Division Signals: (Royal Corps of Signals)
1st Armoured Division Signals (3rd September 1939 to 17th December 1944)

Royal Artillery:
2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (24th August 1942 to 26th September 1944)
4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (21st September 1942 to 25th October 1943)
11th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (24th August 1942 to 26th September 1944)
60th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (1st May 1944 to 26th September 1944)
76th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (22nd September 1942 to 31st March 1944)
42nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery (26th September 1942 to 5th October 1944)

Royal Engineers:
1st Field Squadron RE (1st February 1940 to 4th February 1942 & 2nd September 1942 to 29th September 1944)
7th Field Squadron RE (23rd October 1940 to 19th March 1942 & 1st October 1942 to 20th August 1944)
627th Field Squadron RE (21st August 1944 to 29th September 1944)
1st Field Park Squadron RE (3rd July 1940 to 25th August 1944)
631st Field Park Squadron RE (26th August to 29th September 1944)
1st Field Park Troop RE (1st August to 2nd July 1940)
27th Bridging Troop RE (18th October 1943 to 25th August 1944)

Reconnaissance:
12th Lancers (1st November 1940 to 12th May 1942 & 13th November 1942 to 6th April 1944)
1st The Royal Dragoons (12th April to 13th September 1942)
4th Hussars (23rd May to 25th September 1944)