List of commanders of the British 1st Armoured Division

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Mobile Division
1st Armoured Division
1st British Armoured Division
1st Viscount Alanbrooke 1943.jpg
Alan Brooke, the first commanding officer of the Mobile Division
Active1937–1945
1977–2014
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Engagements Second World War

The 1st Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army, formed 1937, and active 1937-45 and 1977-2014.

Contents

The division was commanded by a general officer commanding (GOC), who received orders from a level above him in the chain of command, and then used the division to undertake the mission assigned. In addition to directing the tactical battle in which the division was involved, the GOC oversaw a staff and the administrative, logistical, medical, training, and discipline concerns of the division. [1] From its founding in 1939 until 1944, and then 1977-2014, the division had a number of commanders.

On 24 November 1937, after several years of debate on such a formation, the division was founded as the Mobile Division. [2] [3] It was then renamed, in April 1939, as the 1st Armoured Division. [4] Following the start of the Second World War, subordinate units and formations were withdrawn from the division to reinforce others. It was eventually deployed for combat, in May 1940, when it was dispatched to France and subsequently fought in the Battle of France before being withdrawn back to the UK in June during Operation Aerial. [5] In late 1941, the division was sent to North Africa where it took part in the Western Desert campaign, notably fighting at the Battle of Gazala, and the First and the Second Battles of El Alamein. [6] [7] [8] During 1942, Major-General Herbert Lumsden was wounded in action twice while leading the division, and Major-General Alexander Gatehouse was wounded once.

The division then fought in the Tunisian campaign until the Axis defeat in North Africa in May 1943. [9] It was during this period that it was temporarily renamed the 1st British Armoured Division, to avoid it being confused with the American 1st Armored Division that was also fighting in the campaign. With the conclusion of fighting in Tunisia, the division remained in North Africa until 1944. In May 1944, it started to move to Italy to fight in the Italian campaign. Between late August and the end of September, the division fought in several engagements as part of the Allied assault on the German Gothic Line. [10] [11] Due to a manpower crisis within the British Army, the division was chosen to be broken up to provide reinforcements for other formations to attempt to keep them at full strength. In October 1944, the division relinquished command of its final troops and ceased to be an operational formation. It was then disbanded on 11 January 1945. [12] [13]

In 1946, the 6th Armoured Division was redesignated as the 1st Armoured Division. Major-General Charles Loewen retained command following the renaming, and the formation maintained the insignia of the 6th Armoured Division. It undertook occupational duties in Italy, before it was transferred to Palestine and disbanded in 1947. [14] [15]

List of commanders of the 1st Armoured Division during Second World War and Cold War from Wilson's 1993 divisional history. List of commanders of the 1st Armoured Division (United Kingdom), 1939-44 and 1978-92.jpg
List of commanders of the 1st Armoured Division during Second World War and Cold War from Wilson's 1993 divisional history.

General officer commanding

General officer commanding
No.Appointment dateRankGeneral officer commandingNotesSource(s)
124 November 1937 Major-General Alan Brooke The division was formed in the United Kingdom, as the Mobile Division. [3]
215 July 1938 Major-General Roger Evans During Evans's tenure, the division mobilised for the Second World War. By the outbreak of the war, the formation had been redesignated as the 1st Armoured Division. In May 1940, the division was deployed to France and returned to the UK the following month. [10] [16]
324 August 1940 Major-General Willoughby Norrie [10]
45 November 1941 Major-General Herbert Lumsden During Lumsden's tenure, the division was deployed to North Africa to fight in the Western Desert campaign. Lumsden was wounded during an aerial attack, following the division's arrival in Egypt. [10] [17]
53 January 1942 Major-General Frank Messervy [10]
412 February 1942 Major-General Herbert Lumsden Lumsden was wounded in action on 19 July 1942. [10]
519 July 1942 Major-General Alexander Gatehouse When Lumsden was wounded in action, Gatehouse was made the new commander of the division. The division was based in the El Alamein line, while Gatehouse was located in Cairo on other duties. Brigadier Arthur Fisher oversaw the division until Gatehouse arrived late on 20 July, without being made the official acting commanding officer. Gatehouse was wounded in action on 22 July 1942. [10] [18]
Acting22 July 1942 Brigadier Arthur Fisher [10]
415 August 1942 Major-General Herbert Lumsden [10]
619 August 1942 Major-General Raymond Briggs The division entered the Tunisian campaign during March 1943. On 5 April 1943, the division was redesignated as the 1st British Armoured Division. [10]
Acting27 April 1943 Brigadier Thomas Bosvile [10]
61 May 1943 Major-General Raymond Briggs [10]
Acting15 July 1943 Brigadier Robert Peake [10]
717 July 1943 Major-General Alexander Galloway [10]
Acting18 February 1944 Brigadier Edward Jones [10]
729 February 1944 Major-General Alexander Galloway [10]
Acting8 March 1944 Brigadier Richard Goodbody [10]
Acting14 March 1944 Brigadier Edward Jones [10]
Acting19 March 1944 Colonel John MacDonnell [10]
Acting24 March 1944 Brigadier Edward Jones [10]
727 March 1944 Major-General Alexander Galloway [10]
Acting10 April 1944 Brigadier Edward Jones [10]
715 April 1944 Major-General Alexander Galloway [10]
Acting27 April 1944 Brigadier Edward Jones [10]
710 May 1944 Major-General Alexander Galloway On 27 May 1944, the division was transferred to Italy to take part in the Italian campaign. [10]
814 August 1944 Major-General Richard Hull On 28 October 1944, the division ceased to be an operational formation. [10]
Acting24 November 1944 Lieutenant-Colonel James Vogel On 11 January 1945, the division was disbanded while based in Italy. [10]

See also

Notes

Footnotes

    Citations

    1. Haythornthwaite 2016, The Divisional System.
    2. Crow 1971, p. 24; Perry 1988, p. 45; French 2001, p. 42.
    3. 1 2 "No. 34459". The London Gazette . 30 November 1937. p. 7517.
    4. French 2001, p. 42.
    5. Ellis 1954, pp. 257–260, 298–301; Crow 1971, p. 29; Joslen 2003, pp. 16, 144, 151, 215; Doherty 2013, p. 28.
    6. Joslen 2003, p. 15.
    7. Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 219, 240–243, 249, 341–343, 349, 353.
    8. Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 8–9.
    9. Playfair et al. 2004, pp. 39, 47, 53–57, 66–67, 70–71, 350–352, 357, 364–367, 432–436, 446, 453.
    10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Joslen 2003, pp. 13–15.
    11. Jackson & Gleave 2004, pp. 257–260, 274–275, 278, 291–293, 353.
    12. Joslen 2003, p. 13.
    13. Jackson & Gleave 2004, pp. 300, 371–372.
    14. "Badge, formation, 6th Armoured Division & 1st Armoured Division". Imperial War Museum . Retrieved 2 February 2022.
    15. Lord & Watson 2003, p. 36.
    16. "No. 34536". The London Gazette . 29 July 1938. p. 4879.
    17. Playfair et al. 2004, p. 136.
    18. Barr 2004, p. 153.

    References