THE BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

FRANCE, 1939-40

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief
GENERAL LORD GORT, V.C.

Chief of the General Staff
LIEUT.-GENERAL  H. R. POWNALL

1st Division | 2nd Division | 48th Division | 3rd Division | 4th Division | 50th Division | 42nd Division | 44th Division | 5th Division | 12th Division | 23rd Division | 46th Infantry Division | 51st Infantry Division | 1st Armoured Division | 52nd Division

 

FIRST CORPS
LIEUT.-GENERAL M. G. H.  BARKER

 

1st Division
MAJOR-GENERAL HON.  H. R. L. G. ALEXANDER

HQ Royal Artillery
·  2nd Field Regiment, RA
·  19th Field Regiment, RA
·  24th Field Regiment, RA
·  21st Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  17th Field Company, RE
·  23rd Field Company, RE
·  26th Field Company, RE
·  6th Field Park Company, RE

·  Divisional Headquarters
·  13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
·  2/Chesire Regiment [MG]

1st Divisional Signals

1st Guards' Brigade
3rd Bn.  Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn.  Coldstream Guards
2nd Bn.  The Hampshire Regiment
1st Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

2nd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  The Loyal Regiment
2nd Bn.  The North Staffordshire Regiment
6th Bn.  The Gordon Highlanders
2nd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

3rd Infanty Brigade
1st Bn.  The Duke of Wellington's Regiment
2nd Bn.  The Sherwood Foresters
1st Bn.  The King's Shropshire Light Infantry
3rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

 

2nd Division
MAJOR-GENERAL H. C. LLOYD

HQ Royal Artillery
·  10th Field Regiment, RA
·  16th Field Regiment, RA
·  18th Field Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  5th Field Company, RE
·  11th Field Company, RE
·  38th Field Company, RE
·  21st Field Park Company, RE

·  Divisional Headquarters
·  4th/7th Royal Dragoons Guards
·  2/Manchester Regiment [MG]

2nd Divisional Signals

4th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Royal Scots
2nd Bn.  Royal Norfolk Regiment
1/8th Bn.  Lancashire Fusiliers
4th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

5th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
2nd Bn.  The Dorsetshire Regiment
7th Bn.  The Worcestershire Regiment
5th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

6th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1st Bn.  Royal Berkshire Regiment
2nd Bn.  The Durham Light Infantry
6th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

 

48th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL A. F. A. N. THORNE

(South Midland) Infantry Division

HQ Royal Artillery
·  67th Field Regiment, RA
·  68th Field Regiment, RA
·  99th Field Regiment, RA
·  53rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  224th Field Company, RE
·  225th Field Company, RE
·  226th Field Company, RE
·  227th Field Park Company, RE

143rd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
5th Bn.  Royal Warwick's
1/7th Bn.  Royal Warwick's

144th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Royal Warwick's
5th Bn.  Gloucestershire Regiment
8th Bn.  Worcestershire Regiment

145th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Gloucestershire Regiment
4th Bn.  Oxford & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1st (Buckinghamshire Bn.) The O.B.L.I.

 

SECOND CORPS
LIEUT.-GENERAL A. F. BROOKE

 

3rd Division
MAJOR-GENERAL B. L. MONTGOMERY

HQ Royal Artillery
·  7th Field Regiment, RA
·  23rd Field Regiment, RA
·  33rd Field Regiment, RA
·  20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  246th Field Company, RE
·  248th Field Company, RE
·  253rd Field Company, RE
·  15th Field Park Company, RE

·  Divisional Headquarters
·  15th/19th King's Royal Hussars
·  2/Middlesex Regiment [MG]

3rd Divisional Signals

7th Guards' Brigade
1st Bn.  Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn.  Grenadier Guards
1st Bn.  Coldstream Guards
7th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

8th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Suffolk Regiment
2nd Bn.  East Yorkshire Regiment
4th Bn.  Royal Berkshire Regiment
8th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

9th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Lincolnshire Regiment
1st Bn.  King's Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Bn.  Royal Ulster Rifles
9th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

 

4th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL D. G. JOHNSON

HQ Royal Artillery
·  17th Field Regiment, RA
·  22nd Field Regiment, RA
·  30th Field Regiment, RA
·  14th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  7th Field Company, RE
·  9th Field Company, RE
·  59th Field Company, RE
·  18th Field Park Company, RE

·  Divisional Headquarters
·  5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
·  2/Royal Northumberland Fusiliers [MG]

10th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.  Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
6th Bn.  East Surrey Regiment
10th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

11th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Lancashire Fusiliers
1st Bn.  East Surrey Regiment
5th Bn.  Northamptonshire Regiment
11th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

12th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Royal Fusiliers
1st Bn.  South Lancashire Regiment
6th Bn.  The Black Watch
12th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company

 

50th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL G. LE Q. MARTEL

(Northumbrian) Infantry Division

HQ Royal Artillery
·  72nd Field Regiment, RA
·  74th Field Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  232nd Field Company, RE
·  505th Field Company, RE
·  235th Field Park Company, RE

·  Divisional Headquarters
·  4/Royal Northumberland Fusiliers [MG]

150th Infantry Brigade
4th Bn.  East Yorkshire Regiment
4th Bn.  Green Howards
5th Bn.  Green Howards

151st Infantry Brigade
6th Bn.  Durham Light Infantry
8th Bn.  Durham Light Infantry
9th Bn.  Durham Light Infantry

25th Infantry Brigade
1/7th Bn.  Queen's Royal Regiment
2nd Bn.  Essex Regiment
1st Bn.  Royal Irish Fusiliers

 

THIRD CORPS
LIEUT.-GENERAL SIR R. F. ADAM

 

42nd Division
MAJOR-GENERAL W. G. HOLMES

(East Lancashire) Infantry Division

HQ Royal Artillery
·  51st Field Regiment, RA
·  52nd Field Regiment, RA
·  53rd Field Regiment, RA
·  56th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  200th Field Company, RE
·  201st Field Company, RE
·  202nd Field Company, RE
·  203rd Field Park Company, RE

125th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Border Regiment
5th Bn.  Lancashire Fusiliers
6th Bn.  Lancashire Fusiliers

126th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  East Lancashire Regiment
5th Bn.  King's Own Royal Regiment
5th Bn.  Border Regiment

127th Infantry Brigade
4th Bn.  East Lancashire Regiment
5th Bn.  Manchester Regiment
1st Bn.  Highland Light Infantry

 

44th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL E. A. OSBORNE

(Home Counties) Infantry Division

HQ Royal Artillery
·  57th Field Regiment, RA
·  58th Field Regiment, RA
·  65th Field Regiment, RA
·  57th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

HQ Royal Engineers
·  208th Field Company, RE
·  209th Field Company, RE
·  210th Field Company, RE
·  211th Field Park Company, RE

131st Infantry Brigade
2nd.  Bn.  The Buffs
5th Bn.  The Queen's
6th Bn.  The Queen's

132nd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
4th Bn.  Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
5th Bn.  Oueen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment 176

133rd Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Royal Sussex Regiment
4th Bn.  Royal Sussex Regiment
5th Bn.  Royal Sussex Regiment

 

G.H.Q. RESERVE

 

5th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL H. E. FRANKLYN

13th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  The Cameronians
2nd Bn.  Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2nd Bn.  Wiltshire Regiment

17th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Royal Scots Fusiliers
2nd Bn.  Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Bn.  Seaforth Highlanders

 

12th Division
MAJOR-GENERAL R. L. PETRE

35th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Bn.  The Queen's Royal Regiment
2/6th Bn.  The Queen's Royal Regiment
2/7th Bn.  The Queen's Royal Regiment

36th Infantry Brigade
5th Bn.  The Buffs
6th Bn.  Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
7th Bn.  Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment

37th Infantry Brigade
2/6th Bn.  East Surrey Regiment
6th Bn.  Royal Sussex Regiment
7th Bn.  Royal Sussex Regiment

 

23rd Division
MAJOR-GENERAL A. E. HERBERT

69th Infantry Brigade
5th Bn.  East Yorks
6th Bn.  Green Howards
7th Bn.  Green Howards

70th Infantry Brigade
10th Bn.  Durham Light Infantry
11th Bn.  Durham Light Infantry
1st Bn.  The Tyneside Scottish

 

46th Infantry Division
MAJOR-GENERAL H.  C. CURTIS

137th Infantry Brigades
2/5th Bn.  West Yorkshire Regiment
2/6th Bn.  Duke of Wellington's Regiment
2/7th Bn.  Duke of Wellington's Regiment

138th Infantry Brigade
6th Bn.  Lincolnshire Regiment
274th Bn.  King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6th Bn.  York & Lancaster Regiment

139th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Bn.  Leicestershire Regiment
2/5th Bn.  Sherwood Foresters
9th Bn.  Sherwood Foresters

 

51st Infantry Division

(Serving on Saar Front under French Command
10-5-40. Later in action south of River Somme.)
MAJOR-GENERAL V. M. FORTUNE

152nd Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn.  Seaforth Highlanders
4th Bn.  Seaforth Highlanders
4th Bn.  Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

153rd Infantry Brigade
4th Bn.  Black Watch
1st Bn.  Gordon Highlanders
5th Bn.  Gordon Highlanders

154th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  Black Watch
7th Bn.  Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
8th Bn.  Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

 

1st Armoured Division
(In action south of River Somme, except1 Bn. at Calais.)
MAJOR-GENERAL R. EVANS

2nd Armoured Brigade
The Queen's Bays
9th Royal Lancers
10th Royal Hussars

3rd Armoured Brigade
2nd Bn.  Royal Tank Corps
3rd Bn.  Royal Tank Corps
5th Bn.  Royal Tank Corps

1st Support Group
101st L.A.A. Anti-Tank Regiment

The following two Brigades also joined the B.E.F. in
between Mid-May and Mid-June

20th Guards Brigade (To Boulogne)
2nd Bn.  Irish Guards
2nd Bn.  Welsh Guards

30th Brigade (To Calais)
2nd Bn.  King's Royal Rifle Corps
1st Bn.  Rifle Brigade
1st Bn.  Queen Victoria Rifles

 

52nd Division
MAJOR-GENERAL J. S. DREW

155th Infantry Brigade
7/9th Bn.  Royal Scots
4th Bn.  King's Own Scottish Borderers
5th Bn.  King's Own Scottish Borderers

156th Infantry Brigade
4/5th Bn.  Royal Scots Fusiliers
6th Bn.  Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
7th Bn.  Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders

157th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn.  The Glasgow Highlanders
5th Bn.  Highland Light Infantry
6th Bn.  Highland Light Infantry