British units  |  e-mail  |  home
3rd Infantry Division
Lineage  |  HQ (GOC)  |  Divisional troops (RAC, RE, R Sigs, RA)  |  Infantry (MC Bn, MG Bn, Sp Bn, Recce, Brigades) |  Literature

Lineage
09.1939 a Regular Division in the UK
06.1942 reorganized as a Mixed Division
04.1943 reorganized as an Infantry Division
 
Headquarters (HQ)

top
 
General Officer Commanding (GOC)
03.09.1939 Maj.Gen. B.L. Montgomery
30.05.1940 (acting) Brig. K.A.N. Anderson
03.06.1940 Maj.Gen. B.L. Montgomery
22.07.1940 (acting) Brig. J.A.C. Whitaker
25.07.1940 Maj.Gen. J.A.H. Gammell
20.11.1941 Maj.Gen. E.C. Hayes
15.12.1942 Maj.Gen. W.H.C. Ramsden
12.12.1943 (wounded 13.06.1944) Maj.Gen. T.G. Rennie
13.06.1944 (acting) Brig. E.E.E. Cass
23.06.1944 Maj.Gen. L.G. Whistler
22.01.1945 Maj.Gen. A. Galloway
25.02.1945 Maj.Gen. L.G. Whistler

Divisional troops

top
 
Royal Armoured Corps (RAC)
15th/19th Hussars 03.09.1939 - 31.03.1940
3rd Reconnaissance Regiment (Northumberland Fusiliers) 01.01.1944 - 10.08.1945
 
Royal Engineers (RE)
246th Field Company 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
248th Field Company 03.09.1939 - 02.11.1939
253rd Field Company 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
17th Field Company 02.11.1939 - 31.08.1945
15th Field Park Company 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
2nd Bridging Platoon 31.10.1943 - 31.08.1945
 
Royal Signals (Sigs)
3rd Divisional Signals 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
 
Royal Artillery (RA)
7th Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
23rd Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 05.03.1940
33rd Field Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
76th Field Regiment 05.03.1940 - 17.08.1945
6th Field Regiment 17.08.1945 - 31.08.1945
20th Anti-Tank Regiment 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 24.03.1942 - 10.06.1945
112th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10.06.1945 - 31.08.1945
 
Infantry

top
 
Motor-cycle Battalion
8th Battalion The Northumberland Fusiliers 20.11.1940 - 29.04.1941
 
Machine Gun Battalion
2nd Battalion The Middlesex Regiment 11.11.1941 - 20.05.1942 & 04.03.1944 - 31.08.1945
 
Reconnaissance
3rd Reconnaissance Battalion (Northumberland Fusiliers) 30.04.1941 - 05.06.1942
3rd Reconnaissance Regiment (Northumberland Fusiliers) 06.06.1942 - 31.12.1943
 
Support Battalion
2nd Battalion The Middlesex Regiment 01.10.1943 - 03.03.1944
 
Brigades
7th Infantry Brigade (Guards) 03.09.1939 - 15.09.1941
37th Independent Infantry Brigade 27.11.1941 - 07.12.1941
7th Infantry Brigade 08.12.1941 - 04.06.1942
33rd Tank Brigade 22.06.1942 - 28.04.1943
185th Infantry Brigade 10.04.1943 - 31.08.1945
   
8th Infantry Brigade 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
   
9th Infantry Brigade 03.09.1939 - 31.08.1945
 
Literature
Norman Scarfe Assault division : a history of the 3rd Division from the invasion of Normandy to the surrender of Germany London : Collins, 1947
288 p.
Robin McNish Iron Division : the history of the 3rd Division London : Ian Allan, 1978
192 p.
3rd ed.: Shalisbury : HQ 3rd Division, 2000
248 p.
Patrick Delaforce Monty's Iron Sides : from the Normandy beaches to Bremen with the 3rd Division Stroud : Alan Sutton, 1995
x, 214 p.
Tim Kilvert-Jones Sword Beach : 3rd British Infantry Division's battle for the Normandy beachhead, 6 June-10 June 1944 Barnsley : Leo Cooper, 2001
192 p.































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