2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

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It has been suggested that British 2nd Division (World War I) be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

2nd Division
Insignia of the 2nd Division
Active	1809 - Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Regular/Territorial Army
Type	Infantry/All Arms and Services
Role	Training and Administration Military Aid to the Civil Community Military Aid to the Civil Power
Size	One Garrison Four Brigades
Part of	Land Command
Battles/wars	Battle of France Burma Campaign Battle of Kohima
Commanders
Current commander	Major General William Euan Buchanan Loudon, CBE

The British 2nd Infantry Division has seen much service including fighting in Burma against the Japanese during World War II.

See British 2nd Division (World War I) for the division's World War I history.

1 History
2 World War II Structure
3 Current Structure
4 External links
5 Further Reading

[edit] History

A regular army formation that served in France 1940, and after being stationed in Britain until April 1942 was then shipped off to India where it would spend the rest of the war fighting in the Burma Campaign. It gained the World War II Battle Honours of the Dyle, St. Omer-La Bassee, Kohima and Mandalay. Amalgamated in the Far East with the 36th Division in 1946-7, the division was disbanded soon afterwards there and reformed in Germany by February 1947 utilising the structure of the disbanding 53rd Welsh Division. The Division was to stay in Germany with I(BR) Corps for decades, and spend a period as 2nd Armoured Division, a small five-battle group armoured division probably incorporating Task Force Charlie and Task Force Delta, from 1976 to 1983.

The Division was brought home in the 1982-3 reorganisation, and headquartered at York. Consisting of 15 (TA), 49 (TA) and 24th Brigades, its war role would have been to cross the Channel and protect the corps rear area in the event of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe.

Following the end of the Cold War, the division disbanded, but the title was resurrected for the amalgamation of several military districts - North East District and part of Eastern District, when the formation reformed on 1 April 1995. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review led to a reorganisation of Land Command and 2nd Division absorbed Scotland District and it's headquarters moved to Craigiehall, near Edinburgh. The Division reports to Commander Regional Forces, a Lieutenant General, at Headquarters Land Command at Wilton.

Following further reshuffing, 52nd Infantry Brigade was reformed as an operational, rather than regional, brigade consisting of several light infantry battalions, and as a result will leave the formation to join 3 Division in 2007.

[edit] World War II Structure

(On Deployment to India, April 1942)

[edit] 4th Infantry Brigade

Main article: 4th Infantry Brigade

[edit] 5th Infantry Brigade

Main article: 5th Infantry Brigade

1st Bn, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
2nd Bn, The Dorsetshire Regiment
7th Bn, The Worcestershire Regiment

[edit] 6th Infantry Brigade

Main article: 6th Infantry Brigade

[edit] Support

2nd Reconnaissance Regiment RAC
2nd Bn, The Manchester Regiment
3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)
10th Field Regt. Royal Artillery
16th Field Regt, Royal Artillery
99th (Buckinghamshire Yeomanry) Field Regt, RA
100th (Gordon Highlanders) Anti-Tank Regt. RA

[edit] Current Structure

The Division is tasked with maintaining the infrastructure and resources and the command and control responsibilities, for the training and administration of all Regular Army and Territorial Army units in Scotland and the North of England. The Division comprises Catterick Garrison and four Regional Brigades: