70th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

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70th Infantry Division
Active	World War II
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Battles/wars	Tobruk Operation Crusader
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lieut.Gen. Sir Ronald Scobie

The 70th Infantry Division was a British Army division during the Second World War.

1 History
2 General Officers Commanding
3 Structure
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

This formation had a brief history during the Second World War. It was formed originally as the regular British 6th Infantry Division then redesignated as the 70th Division on the 10 October 1941. (The reason for the change of designation is unknown. The new number was a vacant one in the List of British divisions in World War I.)

The division's only action as a complete formation was during the defense of Tobruk, when it was brought in by sea to relieve the Australian 9th Division. Under the command of Major General R. MacK. Scobie the 70th Division led the break out from Tobruk during Operation Crusader in order to link up with the Eighth Army. In the three day battle the lead battalions of the 70th Division (the 2nd Black Watch and the 2nd York and Lancs. Regt.) suffered heavy casualties.

After successfully linking up with Eighth Army the Division was sent back to Alexandria and then shipped to India. It originally performed internal security duties and was then broken up on the October 25, 1943. Its units were reformed into Chindit Brigades for the Second Chindit Expedition of 1944 (Codenamed Operation Thursday).

[edit] General Officers Commanding

10th Oct.1941 - Maj-Gen R.MacK. Scobie
10th Feb.1942 (acting) - Brig. C.E.N. Lomax
18th Feb.1942 - Maj-Gen. G.W. Symes

[edit] Structure

[edit] 14th Infantry Brigade

Main article: 14th Infantry Brigade

1st Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
2nd Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
2nd Battalion, Black Watch

[edit] 16th Infantry Brigade

Main article: 16th Infantry Brigade

2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Royal Regiment
2nd Battalion, King's Own Royal Regiment

[edit] 23rd Infantry Brigade '

Main article: 23rd Infantry Brigade

1st Battalion, Essex Regiment
1st Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
4th Battalion, The Border Regiment

[edit] Support Units

45th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps
60th (North Midland) Field Regt. Royal Artillery
8th Field Regt. R.A.
51st (Westmoreland and Cumberland) Field Regt.R.A.
56th (King's Own) Anti-Tank Regt. R.A.
69th Light Anti-Aircraft/Anti-Tank Regt. R.A.
70th Infantry Division Signal Regiment - 10th Oct.1941 to 24 October 1943

[edit] See also

[edit] References

'Great Campaigns of World War II', (1980) Phoebus Publishing, London ISBN 0-86288-340-7
'Crete, The Battle and the Resistance',Antony Beevor, John Murray (Publishers) Great Britain, 1991. ISBN 0-7195-6831-5
'Tobruk, The Story of a Siege', Anthony Heckstall-Smith. (Cereberus Publishing Limited) ISBN 1-84145-051-0