British Army World War 2 TOEs: Armored, Infantry, Airborne Division
Posted June 24, 2001
Gordon A. MacKinlay
ARMOURED DIVISION
Armored Div HQ (including D&E Pl, Field Security Section, Postal Unit)
1 Armored Bde HQ (including D&E Pl); with
3 armored regts
1 motor Bn (infantry equipped with half tracks)
1 Lorried Infantry Bde HQ (including D&E Pl); with
3 lorried inf Bns
1 Independent Machine Gun Company
Divisional Troops:
1 Armd Reccon Regt
2 Fd Regts (1 towed , 1 Self Propelled) each 24 25pdrs (3 batteries 8 guns)
1 Anti tank Regt 48 17pdrs (some self propelled)(4 batteries each 12 guns)
1 Light Anti Aircraft Regt 54 40mm guns (some vehicle mounted)
2 engineer Field Sqns
1 Field Park Squadron
1 Bridging Troop
Armored Division Signals
2 Brig Coys RASC
1 Divisional Troops Coy RASC
1 Fd Ambulance RAMC
1 Light Field Ambulance RAMC
1 Fd Dressing Station RAMC
1 Fd Hygiene Section RAMC
1 Ordnance Fld Park RAOC
1 Armored Bde Workshops REME
1 Lorried Inf Bde Workshops REME
1 Light anti-aircraft regt Workshops REME
12 Light Aid Detachments REME (unit workshops, attached to various units)
Divisional Provost Company Corps of MP
724 officers, 14,240 other ranks, total 14,964 all ranks.
246 cruiser tanks
44 light tanks
261 tracked carriers armored
100 scout cars armored
2,098 trucks and lorries
625 other vehicles (including half-tracks, wreckers, staff cars, ambulances
etc)
INFANTRY DIVISION
Infantry Division HQ (including D&E Pl, Field Security Section, Postal Unit)
3 Infantry Bde HQ (including D&E Pl); each
3 infantry Bns
1 Reconnaissance Regt
3 Fd Regts (each 24 25 pdrs, towed, 3 batteries each 8 guns)
1 anti-tank Regt (4 batteries, 1 12 17pdrs, 3 12 6pdrs)
1 Light Antiaircraft Regt (54 40mm guns, 3 18 gun batteries)
3 engineer Fd Coys
1 engineer Fd Park Coy
1 Bridging Pl
1 Infantry Division Signals
1 Machine gun Bn
3 Bde Coys RASC
1 Divisional Troops Coy RASC
3 Fd Ambulances
2 Fd Dressing Stations
1 Fd Hygiene Sect
1 Ordnance Fd Park
3 Bde Fd Wksps
1 Light Anti Aircraft Regt Workshop
11 Light Aid Detachments
1 Divisional Provost Coy
87 officers, 17,477 Other Ranks, total 18,347 all ranks.
595 tracked carriers armored
63 armored cars
1,937 trucks and lorries
852 other vehicles
(Although fully motorized, the infantry division needed 3 General Service Transport Companies from Corps troops to move all its infantry battalions in one lift; i.e., one platoon of 30 X 3-ton trucks per infantry battalion.)
AIRBORNE DIVISION
Airborne Division HQ (including D&E Pl, Field Security Section, Postal Unit)
2 Para Bde HQs (including D&E Pl); each
3 Para Bns
1 Airlanding Bde (including D&E PL);
3 Airlanding Bns
1 Airborne Armored Reconnaissance Regiment
1 Airlanding Light Regt (24 75mm pack howitzers, 3 batteries of 8 guns)
2 engineer Parachute Squadrons
1 engineer Airborne Field Company
1 Airborne Fd Park Coy
1 Airborne Divisional Signals
1 Independent Para Coy (Pathfinders)
2 Composite Coys RASC
1 Light Composite Coy RASC
2 Par Fd Ambulances
1 Airlanding Fd Ambulance
1 Ordnance Fd Park
1 Divisional Workshop
7 Airlanding Light Aid Detachments
1 Divisional Provost Coy
702 officers, 11,446 Other Ranks, total 12,148 all ranks.
16 light tanks
904 Jeeps
567 Jeeps
221 other vehicles
4,502 cycles and motor cycles
NOTE: D&E Platoon, an infantry rifle platoon responsible for the HQ's close defense.
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