79th ARMOURED DIVISION
Formed:
14th August 1942
Disbanded 31st August 1945
Service Record:
Great Britain
France
Belgium
Holland
Germany
Operations and Campaigns:
North-West European Campaign
Operation Overlord
Operation Market Garden
Operation Astonia
Operation Infatuate II
Operation Varsity
Unit Structure 1942 to 1945:
Divisional Staff:
Commanding Officers:
Brigadier G.M.S. Bruce (8th September 1942)
Major General P.C.S. Hobart (16th October 1942)
Brigades:
27th Armoured Brigade (8th September 1942 to 20th October 1943)
Commanders:
Brigadier J.G de W. Mullens (1st March 1942)
Brigadier G.E. Pryor-Palmer (25th April 1943)
Units:
4/7 Royal Dragoon Guards
13/18 Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
1st East Riding Yeomanry
185th Infantry Brigade (8th September 1942 to 9th April 1943)
Commanders:
Brigadier G.M.S. Bruce (1st September 1942)
Units:
2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment
2nd Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry
HQ Royal Artillery (converted into 9th Army Group Royal Artillery on 1st May 1943)
142nd (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regiment Royal Artillery
150th (South Nott’s Hussars Yeomanry) Field Regiment Royal Artillery
55th (Suffolk & Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery
119th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
30th Armoured Brigade (17th October 1943)
Commanders:
Brigadier G.P.B. Roberts (20th July 1943)
Brigadier N.W. Duncan (6th December 1943)
Lieutenant Colonel C.J.Y. Dallmeyer (20th May 1945)
Units:
22nd Dragoons
2nd County of London Yeomanry (Westminster Dragoons)
1st Lothians and Border Horse
1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron Royal Engineers
5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers
6th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers
42nd Assault Regiment Royal Engineers
1st Assault Brigade and Assault Park Squadron RE [AVRE] (26th November 1943)
Commanders:
Brigadier G.L. Watkinson (26th November 1943)
Lieutenant Colonel J.K. Shepheard (12th February 1945)
Brigadier P.S.B. Sydenham (18th February 1945)
Units:
5th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers (26th November 1943)
6th Assault Regiment Royal Engineers (26th November 1943)
42nd Assault Regiment Royal Engineers (26th November 1943)
149th Assault Park Squadron Royal Engineers (18th January 1945)
87th Assault Dozer Squadron Royal Engineers (1st March 1945)
1st Tank Brigade (7th May to 16th October 1944)
Commander:
Brigadier TR Price (25th August 1942)
Units:
11th Royal Tank Regiment
42nd Royal Tank Regiment
49th Royal Tank Regiment
31st Army Tank Brigade (2nd February 1945)
Commanders:
Brigadier G.S. Knight (2nd February 1945)
Brigadier A.W. Brown (18th April 1945)
Units:
141st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
1st Fife and Forfar Yeomanry
1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment
7th Royal Tank Regiment (Crocodile)
49th Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment (Kangaroo)
33rd Armoured Brigade [LVT 4] (18th January to 3rd April 1945)
Commander:
Brigadier H.B. Scott (17th March 1944)
Units:
1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry
1st East Riding Yeomanry
4th Royal Tank Regiment
11th Royal Tank Regiment
Divisional Troops:
Armoured Division Signals: (Royal Corps of Signals)
79th Armoured Divisional Signals (7th January 1943 to 31st August 1945)
Royal Artillery:
142nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery (11th September 1942 to 20th April 1943)
150th Field Regiment Royal Artillery (16th September 1942 to 27th March 1943)
55th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (12th September 1942 to 12th April 1943)
119th Light Anti-Aircraft Royal Artillery (16th September 1942 to 12th April 1943)
Royal Engineers:
18th Field Squadron Royal Engineers (10th September 1942 to 2nd March 1943)
19th Field Squadron Royal Engineers (8th September 1942 to 25th March 1943)
508th Field Park Squadron Royal Engineers (8th September 1942 to 12th February 1943)
149th Field Park Squadron Royal Engineers (19th September 1943 to 9th May 1944)
Reconnaissance:
162nd Royal Armoured Corps Regiment (10th February 1942 to 10th January 1943)
2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry (10th January to 25th March 1943)
