British units  |  e-mail  |  home
1st Infantry Division
Lineage  |  HQ (GOC)  |  Divisional troops (RAC, RE, R Sigs, RA)  |  Infantry (MG Bn, Sp Bn, Recce, Brigades)  |  Literature

Lineage
09.1939 a Regular Division in the UK
06.1942 reorganized as a Mixed Division
11.1942 reverted to the organization of an Infantry Division
 
Headquarters (HQ)

top
 
General Officer Commanding (GOC)
17.02.1938 Maj.Gen. Hon. H.R.L.G. Alexander
31.05.1940 (acting) Brig. M.B. Beckwith-Smith
03.06.1940 Maj.Gen. Hon. H.R.L.G. Alexander
09.06.1940 (acting) Brig. M.B. Beckwith-Smith
13.06.1940 Maj.Gen. K.A.N. Anderson
19.05.1941 Maj.Gen. E.L. Morris
18.11.1941 Maj.Gen. W.E. Clutterbuck
14.10.1943 Maj.Gen. W.R.C. Penny
18.02.1944 (temporary) Maj.Gen. G.W.R. Templer
23.02.1944 Maj.Gen. W.R.C. Penny
04.05.1944 (temporary) Maj.Gen. J.L.I. Hawkesworth
24.05.1944 (acting) Brig. C.F. Loewen
14.06.1944 Maj.Gen. W.R.C. Penny
24.07.1944 Maj.Gen. C.F. Loewen

Divisional troops

top
    
Royal Armoured Corps (RAC)
13th/18th Hussars 03.09.1939 - 31.03.1940
1st Reconnaissance Regiment 01.01.1944 - 31.08.1945
 
Royal Engineers (RE)
17th Field Company 03.09.1939 - 02.11.1939
23rd Field Company 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
26th Field Company 03.09.1939 - 28.02.1940
248th Field Company 02.11.1939 - 31.08.1945
238th Field Company 29.02.1940 - 31.08.1945
6th Field Park Company 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
1st Bridging Platoon 18.10.1943 - 31.08.1945
 
Royal Signals (Sigs)
1st Divisional Signals 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
 
Royal Artillery (RA)
2nd Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
19th Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
24th Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.01.1940
67th Field Regiment 31.01.1940 - 31.08.1945
21st Anti-Tank Regiment 03.09.1939 - 10.10.1941
81st Anti-Tank Regiment 05.11.1941 - 08.04.1945
93rd Anti-Tank Regiment 09.04.1945 - 31.08.1945
90th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 27.01.1942 - 07.11.1944
11th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 19.11.1944 - 17.01.1945
1st Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 22.03.1945 - 31.08.1945
 
Infantry

top
 
Machine Gun Battalion
4th Battalion The Cheshire Regiment 11.11.1941 - 01.10.1942
2nd/7th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment 28.05.1944 - 31.08.1945
 
Reconnaissance
1st Reconnaissance Battalion 08.01.1941 - 05.06.1942
1st Reconnaissance Regiment 06.06.1942 - 31.12.1943
 
Support Battalion
2nd/7th Battalion The Middlesex Regiment 17.08.1943 - 27.05.1944
 
Brigades
1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) 03.09.1939 - 01.06.1941
210th Infantry Brigade 25.11.1941 - 12.01.1942
38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade 13.01.1942 - 07.06.1942
34th Tank Brigade 08.06.1942 - 02.09.1942
25th Tank Brigade 03.09.1942 - 13.11.1942
24th Infantry Brigade (Guards) 06.12.1942 - 07.03.1944
18th Infantry Brigade 08.03.1944 - 16.08.1944
66th Infantry Brigade 19.08.1944 - 31.08.1945
   
2nd Infantry Brigade 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
   
3rd Infantry Brigade 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945

Literature
  The First Divisional Artillery, Tunisia, 1943. Banana Ridge [S.l. : s.n., 1943]
  History of the First Division : Anzio Campaign, January-June 1944 Jerusalem : "Ahva" Printing Press, [1946]
  History of the First Division : Florence to Monte Grande, August 1944-January 1945 Cairo, Egypt : Schindler's Press, [1946]
P.L. Wilson The First Division 1809-1985 : an short illustrated history [Verden] : [P.L. Wilson], [1985]
iv, 52 p.
P.L. Wilson & S.I. Green The First Division 1809-1993 : an illustrated history [Herford?] : [First Division], [1993?]
iv, 64 p.































Questions, corrections or addtions regarding this formation?
Simply e-mail me.