British Army 1952
v.1.0 March 3, 2002

Graham Watson

This is a summary of the deployment of regular units and formations fifty years ago. It can be seen that the British Army was engaged in several major conflicts around the world-Egypt, Malaya and Korea. In addition, the build-up of the British Army of the Rhine was taking place as NATO forces were established in Western Europe. These commitments left very few regular units in the United Kingdom: the defence of the home base had to be left to the Territorial Army.  As always, units were in perpetual motion between garrisons and stations.

 

UNITED KINGDOM London District-

Royal Horse Guards, Windsor

2 Bn Grenadier Guards

1 Bn Coldstream Guards [ex Egypt]

2 Bn Scots Guards

Edinburgh-

1 Bn Seaforth Highlanders  [replaced by 1 A&SH April 1952]

2 Bn Black Watch-reforming

Northern Ireland-

1 Bn South Staffordshire Regiment

2 Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers-reforming

Southern Command-

3rd Carabiniers, Tidworth  [replaced by 3RTR, April 1952]

4th Hussars, Tidworth

7th Royal Tank Regiment, Tidworth

18 Field Regiment RA, Larkhill

23 Field Regiment RA –coming home from Hong Kong

39 Medium Regiment RA

32 Assault Regiment RE, Perham Down

1 Bn Loyal Regiment  [ex Egypt]

1 Bn Gloucestershire Regiment, Warminster

2 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps -reforming

Eastern Command-

48 Field Regiment RA, Colchester

49 Field Regiment RA, Canterbury

47 Coast Regiment RA, Dover

36 Army Engineer Regiment, Maidstone

1 Devonshire Regiment, Colchester

Western Command-

2 Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers-reforming

Northern Command-

2 Bn Green Howards-reforming

2 Bn York & Lancaster Regiment-reforming

AA Command –

16 LAA Regiment RA

37 HAA Regiment RA

56 HAA Regiment RA

59 HAA Regiment RA

74 LAA Regiment RA

 

JAMAICA

1 Bn Royal Welch Fusiliers

 

GIBRALTAR

28 Coast Regiment RA

54 HAA Regiment RA

Fortress Engineer Regiment

Gibraltar Signal Squadron

1 Bn Royal Warwickshire Regiment

 

MALTA

36 HAA Regiment RA

80 LAA Regiment RA

Malta Signal Squadron

1 Bn Highland Light Infantry

 

TRIESTE

British Element Trieste Signal Squadron

1 Bn Cameronians

1 Bn North Staffordshire Regiment

2 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers [joining upon re-formation]

 

AUSTRIA British Troops Austria Signal Squadron

1 Bn West Yorkshire Regiment

1 Bn Dorsetshire Regiment

 

BERLIN

Berlin Signal Squadron

1 Bn Welsh Guards

1 Bn Royal Scots

1 Bn Durham Light Infantry

BRITISH ARMY OF THE RHINE

Army troops

40 Engineer Stores Regiment, Willich  [forming]

HQ NORTHAG Signal Regiment [forming April 1952]

2 Line of Communications Signal Regiment

4 Line of Communications Signal Regiment [forming April 1952]

11 Air Formation Signal Regiment

1 Wireless Regiment

1 Air Support Signal Unit

 

I (BR) CORPS

15 Medium Regiment RA ??

45 Field Regiment RA  [ex Korea]

58 Medium Regiment RA ??

94 Observation Regiment RA, Celle

1 Corps Signal Regiment

5 Army Group Royal Artillery

30 HAA Regiment RA

35 LAA Regiment RA

44 HAA Regiment RA

72 LAA Regiment RA

77 HAA Regiment RA

11 Engineer Group

37 Army Engineer Regiment

39 Corps Engineer Regiment

 

2ND INFANTRY DIVISION, Hilden

10 Hussars, Iserlohn

19 Field Regiment RA

40 Field Regiment RA

42 Field Regiment RA

22 LAA Regiment RA

23 Engineer Regiment, Dortmund

2 Divisional Signal Regiment

4 (Guards) Infantry Brigade, Hubblerath

2 Bn Grenadier Guards

1 Bn Irish Guards

1 Bn Welsh Guards –to Berlin –replaced by 2 Black Watch 4/52

5 Infantry Brigade, Iserlohn

1 Bn Queens Regiment

1 Bn Royal Fusiliers  [replaced by 1 Leicesters 5/52]

1 Bn Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

6 Infantry Brigade, Munster

1 Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers

1 Bn Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

1 Bn Northamptonshire Regiment

 

6th ARMOURED DIVISION [HQ formed at Lubbecke, May 1952]

1 Kings Dragoon Guards, Neumunster

7th Hussars

1 Field Regiment RHA, Munster

10 Field Regiment RA, Detmold

12 LAA Regiment RA ??

27 Engineer Regiment, Minden

6 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment

20 Armoured Brigade, Detmold

Royal Scots Greys, Osnabruck  [replace by 3 Carabiniers 4/52]

2 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold

6 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold

1 Bn Somerset Light Infantry  [replaced by 2 KRRC 1952]

61 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Minden 

1 Duke of Wellington’s Regiment [replaced by 2 Foresters 1952]

1 Royal Hampshire Regiment

1 Essex Regiment

 

7TH ARMOURED DIVISION, Verden

11 Hussars, Wesendorf

15/19 Hussars, Hohne

3 Field Regiment RHA

6 Field Regiment RA

34 LAA Regiment RA

21 Engineer Regiment, Nienburg

7 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment

7 Armoured Brigade, Soltau

Queen’s Bays, Fallingbostel

8th Hussars, Luneburg  [ex Korea]

17/21 Lancers, Fallingbostel

5 Royal Tank Regiment,

1 Bn Rifle Brigade, Celle

31 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Osnabruck

1 Bn Black Watch [replaced 1 Seaforth4/52]

1 King’s Own Royal Regiment

1 East Yorkshire Regiment

 

 

 

11TH ARMOURED DIVISION, Herford

Life Guards, Wulfenbutel

3rd Hussars, Bielefeld

2 Field Regiment RHA, Hildesheim

5 Field Regiment RHA, Osnabruck

53 LAA Regiment RA, Lippstadt

26 Engineer Regiment, Hameln

11 Armoured Divisional Signal Regiment

33 Armoured Brigade, Paderborn [moves to Bad Lippspringe]

9 Lancers, Detmold

1 Royal Tank Regiment, Detmold

8 Royal Tank Regiment, Paderborn

1 Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps

91 Lorried Infantry Brigade, Hilden

1 Bn Royal Lincolnshire Regiment

1 Bn Sherwood Foresters

1 Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers

 

CYPRUS

2 Wireless Regiment

 

LIBYA

43 LAA Regiment RA?

52 Observation Regiment RA?

35 Army Engineer Regiment

Tripolitania Signal Squadron

Cyrenaica Signal Squadron

25 Armoured Brigade [forming 1952]

4/7 Dragoon Guards

1 Bn Grenadier Guards

1 East Surrey Regiment

joining during 1952-Royal Scots Greys, 14/20 Hussars

 

SUDAN

Sudan Signal Squadron

Eritrea Signal Squadron

1 Bn South Wales Borderers

1 Bn South Lancashire Regiment

 

EGYPT

Royal Dragoons

4 Royal Tank Regiment

43 LAA Regiment RA

71 HAA Regiment RA

42 Field Survey Regiment RE

GHQ Middle East Land Forces Signal Regiment

3 Line of Communications Signal Regiment

4 Air Formation Signal Regiment

 

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

4 Field Regiment RA

26 Field Regiment RA

22 Engineer Regiment

1 Infantry Divisional Signal Regiment

1 (Guards) Infantry Brigade  [replaced by HQ 19 Infantry Brigade]

3 Bn Grenadier Guards

3 Bn Coldstream Guards

1 Bn Cameron Highlanders

2 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Cheshire Regiment

1 Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

1 Bn Royal Berkshire Regiment  3 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Lancashire Fusiliers

1 Bn East Lancashire Regiment

1 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment

 

3RD INFANTRY DIVISION

29 Field Regiment RA

33 Airborne Light Regiment RA

41 Field Regiment RA

25 Engineer Regiment

3 Infantry Divisional Signal Regiment

16 Parachute Brigade

1 Bn Parachute Regiment

2 Bn Parachute Regiment

3 Bn Parachute Regiment

32 (Guards) Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Coldstream Guards   [to UK]

1 Bn Scots Guards

1 Bn Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment

39 Infantry Brigade 

1 Bn The Buffs

1 Bn Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

1 Bn Border Regiment

 

EAST AFRICA

East Africa Command Signal Regiment

King’s African Rifles

 

ADEN

51 Coast Regiment RA

64 Wing Signal Troop

 

FAR EAST LAND FORCES

HQ Far East Land Forces Signal Regiment, Singapore

19 Air Formation Signal Regiment, Singapore   

 

SINGAPORE

27 HAA Regiment RA

74 LAA Regiment RA

Singapore Base Engineer Regiment

Singapore District Signal Regiment

1 Bn Gordon Highlanders

1 Bn 2nd Gurkha Rifles

 

MALAYA

12 Lancers

13/18 Hussars

25 Field Regiment RA

Malaya District Signal Regiment

1 Bn Manchester Regiment, Penang

22 SAS Regiment

18 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Suffolk Regiment

1 Bn Worcestershire Regiment

1 Bn Royal West Kent Regiment

26 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Green Howards

2 Bn 6th Gurkha Rifles

2 Bn 10th Gurkha Rifles

HQ 17th (Gurkha) INFANTRY DIVISION [forming]

HQ 48 Gurkha Brigade HQ 63 Gurkha Brigade HQ 99 Gurkha Brigade

2 Bn 2nd Gurkha Rifles

1 Bn 6th Gurkha Rifles

1 Bn 7th Gurkha Rifles

2 Bn 7th Gurkha Rifles

1 Bn 10th Gurkha Rifles

 

HONG KONG

HQ 40th DIVISION

3 Royal Tank Regiment

23 Field Regiment RA

25 Field Regiment RA

32 Medium Regiment RA ??

24 Engineer Regiment

50 Gurkha Engineer Regiment

40 Divisional Signal Regiment

HQ 27 Infantry Brigade HQ 35 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Middlesex Regiment      [to UK]

1 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders [to UK]

1 Bn Royal Northumberland Fusiliers

1 Bn Wiltshire Regiment

1 Bn Royal Ulster Rifles

[joining ex Austria-1 Bn Dorsetshire Regiment]

 

KOREA HQ COMMONWEALTH DIVISION

5 Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

14 Field Regiment RA

20 Field Regiment RA

61 Light Regiment RA

28 Engineer Regiment

1 Commonwealth Divisional Signal Regiment

28 Commonwealth Brigade

1 Bn King’s Own Scottish Borderers

1 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

29 Infantry Brigade

1 Bn Royal Norfolk Regiment

1 Bn Royal Leicestershire Regiment

1 Bn Welch Regiment

[en route –1 Bn King’s Regiment, 1 Bn Black Watch]

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