British Army Order of Battle (September 1939)
The organisation of Divisions and Brigades of British Army in 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, is listed below.
The ultimate head of all the British armed forces was nominally King George VI, with the various Offices coming underneath. The War Office covered the Army in the United Kingdom, and the Middle East Command. The professional head of the Army was the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Lord Gort. However, Gort would command the BEF when it crossed to the continent, being replaced by General Ironside. The army was administered through the Army Council, comparable to the Air Staff or the Admiralty.
War Office
Leslie Hore-Belisha was responsible for the War Office in his role as Secretary of State for War.[1]
Northern Command
The Northern Command, under Commander-in-chief Lieutenant General Sir William Bartholomew, with its HQ in York.[2][3]
- Northumbrian Area (HQ in Darlington).[4][5]
- West Riding Area (HQ in York).[6]
Eastern Command
Eastern Command, under Lieutenant General Sir Guy Williams, with its HQ in London.[7] Apart from the 4th Infantry Division, the units were drawn from the Territorial Army.
- East Anglia Area (HQ in Hereford).[7]
- Home Counties Area (HQ in Woolwich).[10]
- Chatham Area (HQ in Chatham).[12]
- No divisions or brigades.
Western Command
The Western Command, under Lieutenant General Sir Robert Haining, had its HQ in Chester.[13][14]
- Welsh Area (HQ in Shrewsbury).[14][15]
- West Lancashire Area (HQ in Liverpool).[16]
- East Lancashire Area (HQ in Manchester).[14][17]
Southern Command
The Southern Command, under Lieutenant General Sir Bertie Fisher, with its HQ in Salisbury.[18][19]
- South-Western Area (HQ in Devonport).[19][20]
- South Midland Area (HQ in Oxford).[19][21]
- Southern Area (HQ in Salisbury).[22]
- No divisions or brigades.
- Salisbury Plain Area (HQ in Salisbury).[22]
- No divisions or brigades.
Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command, under Lieutenant General Sir John Dill, with its HQ in Aldershot.[23][24]
Scottish Command
The Scottish Command, under General Sir Charles Grant, with its HQ in Edinburgh.[26][27]
- Highland Area (HQ in Perth).[28][29]
- Lowland Area (HQ in Darlington).[29][30]
Northern Ireland District
The Northern Ireland District, under Major-General Robert Pollok, with its HQ in Belfast. It had no subordinate divisions or brigades.[31]
London District
The London District, under Major-General Andrew Thorne, with its HQ in London.[32][33]
Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command, under Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Pile, with its HQ co-located with RAF Fighter Command[34] at RAF Bentley Priory, in the northwestern London suburb of Stanmore.[35]
- 1st Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 3rd Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 4th Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 5th Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 6th Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
- 7th Anti-Aircraft Division[35][36]
There were varying numbers of brigades to each Divisional HQ, the units were drawn from the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers.
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command, under Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Wavell, with its HQ in Cairo, Egypt.[37]
- British Troops in Egypt (HQ in Cairo).[38]
- Mandate Palestine (HQ in Jerusalem).
- The Sudan (HQ in Khartoum).[40]
- Brigadier commanding British Troops in the Sudan:[40]
- 1 Worcs
- 2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (machine-gun battalion)
India and Burma Offices
Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland was responsible for both the India and Burma Offices in his role as Secretary of State for India.[41]
Army of India
There were no British Army divisions or brigades in India[42] but units of the British Army were posted on tour to India as the "British Army in India" and collectively with the Indian Army formed the "Army of India" under the Commander-in-Chief, India (in 1939 General Robert Cassels). He commanded this force through GHQ India, covering India, Iraq and Persia.
References
- ↑ British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Northern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Northern Command on 3 September 1939 Patriotfiles.com accessed 1 April 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Northumbrian Area, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Military History
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 West Riding Area, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Eastern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Military History
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://niehorster.org/017_britain/39_commands/eastern_east-anglia.html>
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Home Counties Area, Eastern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Military History
- ↑ Chatham Area, Eastern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ Western Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 14.8 14.9 Patriot Files
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Welsh Area, Western Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 West Lancashire Area, Western Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 East Lancashire Area, Western Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Southern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Patriot Files
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 South-Western Area, Southern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 South Midland Area, Southern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Southern Area, Southern Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 Aldershot Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Military History
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Patriot Files
- ↑ Scottish Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ British Military History
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Highland Area, Scottish Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Patriot Files
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 Lowland Area, Scottish Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ Northern Ireland District, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 32.3 London District, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Patriot Files
- ↑ London Gazette 38149 p5973–5974
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 35.6 35.7 Anti-Aircraft Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 British Anti-Aircraft Command, TA on 3 September 1939 Patriotfiles.com
- ↑ Middle East Command, British Army, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Egypt, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Palestine, 03.09.1939
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Leo Niehorster, The Sudan,03.09.1939
- ↑ The India and Burma Office, 03.09.1939
- ↑ Army of India, 03.09.1939
