44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 44th (Home Counties) Division


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dates= World War II
country= United Kingdom
allegiance=
branch= Territorial Army
type=Infantry
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
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battles= Alam Halfa
El Alamein
notable_commanders= Brian Horrocks
Arthur Percival
anniversaries=

The 44th (Home Counties) Division was a British Territorial Army division in both World War I and World War II, and for twenty years after World War II.

History

World War I

Formed in 1908, after the outbreak of war in 1914 the Division was used to supply garrison troops in the east, replacing regular battalions. On or around 30 October 1914 most of the units of the Division left for India, whereupon some were sent further on to Burma and Aden. From the time of disembarkation in India, the Division practically ceased to exist, and the Divisional Commander returned home.

World War II

During World War II it was initially part of III Corps forming part of the British Expeditionary Force until the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Later it was sent to North Africa and fought at the Battle of Alam Halfa and the Battle of El Alamein . It is considered to have performed poorly during Alam Halfa, where it's 132nd Brigade was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division. It only had one brigade (The 132nd Infantry Brigade) at El Alamein, as the others (the 131st Brigade and 133rd Brigade) had been incorporated into the 7th Armoured Division and 10th Armoured Divisions as Motorised Brigades (The 7th had theirs transferred to the 1st Armoured Division and the 10th was a brand new Armoured Division). The 44th was disbanded after the battle.

Reformed

The Division was reformed in 1947 and include the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, 47 (London) Infantry Brigade, 131 (Surrey) Infantry Brigade (including battalions of the The Queen's Regiment), and 133 (Kent & Sussex) Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded by 1968.

Commanders during World War II

*Maj.Gen. E.A. Osborne
*Maj.Gen. A.E. Percival
*Maj.Gen. F.N.Mason-MacFarlane
*Maj.Gen. Sir Brian Horrocks
*Maj.Gen. I.T.P. Hughes

Order of Battle

Order of Battle on 3 August 1942:

131st (Queens) Brigade

*1/5th Bn, Queens Royal Regiment
*1/6th Bn, Queens Royal Regiment
*1/7th Bn, Queens Royal Regiment

132nd (Kent) Brigade

*2nd Bn, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
*4th Bn, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
*5th Bn, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment

133rd (Royal Sussex) Brigade

*2nd Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment
*4th Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment
*5th Bn, Royal Sussex Regiment

upport Units

*6th Bn, The Cheshire Regiment (until 24 November 1942)
*57th (Home Counties)Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*58th (Sussex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*65th (8th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*57th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
*99th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
*30th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
*11th Field Company, Royal Engineers
*210th Field Company, Royal Engineers
*211th Field Company, Royal Engineers

See also

*British Divisions in World War I
*British Divisions in World War II

External links

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