7th Armoured Division

7th Armoured Division
7th ARMOURED DIVISION

Formed:
16th February 1940

Lineage:
Mobile Division [Egypt]: 1st September 1939
The Armoured Division [Egypt]: 3rd September 1939
7th Armoured Division: 16th February 1940

Nick Name: The Desert Rats

Service Record:
Egypt
Libya
Tunisia
Great Britain
France
Belgium
Holland
Germany

Operations and Campaigns:
El Alamein
Operation Brevity
Operation Battle Axe
Operation Crusader
Operation Goodwood
Operation Spring
Operation Bluecoat
Operation Blackcock
Operation Plunder
North African Campaign
Italian Campaign
Normandy Campaign

Unit Structure 1939 to 1945:

Commanders:
Major General P. Hobart (3th September 1939)
Brigadier J.A.L. Caunter (16th November 1939)
Major General M. O'Moore Creagh (4th December 1939)
Brigadier J.A.L. Caunter (1st April 1941)
Major General M. O'Moore Creagh (13th April 1941)
Major General W. Gott (3rd September 1941)
Major General J. Campbell (6th February 1942)
Brigadier A.H. Gatehouse (23rd February 1942)
Major General F. Messervy (9th March 1942)
Major General J. Renton (19th June 1942)
Major General J. Harding (14th September 1942)
Brigadier G. Roberts (20th January 1943)
Major General G. Erskine (24th January 1943)
Major General G. Lloyd-Verney (4th August 1944)
Major General L. Lyne (22nd November 1944)

Light Armoured Brigade [Egypt] (3rd September 1939)
Commander:
Brigadier H.F. Russell (3rd September 1939)
Units:
7th Hussars
8th Hussars
11th Hussars

Heavy Armoured Brigade [Egypt] (3rd September 1939)
Commander:
Lieutenant Colonel H.R.B. Watkins (3rd September 1939)
Brigadier J.A.L. Caunter (1st November 1939)
Units:
1st Royal Tank Regiment
6th Royal Tank Regiment

The Pivot Group (3rd September 1939)
Commander:
Lieutenant Colonel E.S.B. Williams (22nd January 1940)
Units:
3rd Royal Horse Artillery
'F' Battery 4th Royal Horse Artillery
1st Kings Royal Rifle Corp

4th Armoured Brigade (14th April 1940)
Commander: Brigadier J.A.L. Caunter [5th December 1939]
Units:
7th Hussars
6th Royal Tank Regiment

7th Armoured Brigade (14th April 1940)
Commander: Brigadier H.F. Russel (3rd September 1939)
Units:
8th Hussars
1st Royal Tank Regiment

7th Support Group (22nd January 1940)
Commanders:
Brigadier W. Gott (31st January 1940)
Brigadier J.C. Campbell (12th September 1941)
Units:
1st Battalion [Kings Royal Rifle Corps]
2nd Battalion [The Rifle Brigade]
4th Artillery [Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]
4th Field Squadron [Royal Engineers]

7th Motor Brigade (9th February 1942 & 5th July 1942)
Commanders:
Brigadier J.M.L. Renton (16th February 1942)
Brigadier Viscount Garmoyle
Units:
2nd Battalion [Kings Royal Rifle Corps] (9th February 1942)
9th Battalion [Kings Royal Rifle Corps] (17th February 1942)
2nd Battalion [The Rifle Brigade] (9th February 1942)
7th Battalion [The Rifle Brigade] (11th August 1942)
4th Artillery [Regiment Royal Horse Artillery] (9th February 1942)
4th Field Squadron [Royal Engineers] (9th February 1942)

131st Infantry Brigade (1st November 1942)
Commanders:
Brigadier W.D. Stamer (8th October 1942)
Lieutenant Colonel L.C. East (17th November 1942)
Brigadier L.G. Whistler (29th November 1942)
Units:
1/7 Battalion [The Queens Royal Regiment]

Divisional Troops:

Royal Armoured Corp:
11th Hussars (10th April 1940)
8th Kings Royal Irish Hussars (16th December 1943)
263rd Forward Delivery Squadron (6th June 1944)

Royal Artillery:
1st Royal Horse Artillery (24th August 1942)
4th Royal Horse Artillery (24th August 1942)
5th Royal Horse Artillery (1st December 1942)
3rd Royal Horse Artillery (24th August 1943)
4th Field Regiment (1st September 1942)
74th Field Regiment (13th September 1942)
97th Field Regiment (13th September 1942)
146th Field Regiment (10th December 1942)
65th Anti-Tank Regiment [Norfolk Yeomanry] (13th September 1942)
21st Anti-Tank Regiment (21st June 1945)
15th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (2nd August 1942)

Royal Corps of Signals:
7th Armoured Divisional Signals

Infantry:
3rd Independent Machine Gun Company [Royal Northumberland Fusiliers] (1st February 1944 to 31st August 1945)

Royal Engineers:
4th Field Squadron (17th May 1941 & 24th August 1942)
21st Field Squadron (4th October 1942)
621st Field Squadron (14th August 1943)
143rd Field Park Squadron (17th May 1941)
7th Bridging Troop (6th December 1943)