Guards Armoured Division (United Kingdom)

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Guards Armoured Division

Guards tanks cross the road bridge at Nijmegen during its capture.
Active 17 June 1941–12 June 1945
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Armoured Division
Engagements Operation Market Garden
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Maj Gen Sir Oliver Leese
Maj Gen Sir Allan Adair

The Guards Armoured Division was a World War II British Army formation.

The Guards Armoured Division was formed on 17 June 1941. The division remained in the United Kingdom, training, until 26 June 1944, when it landed in Normandy as part of VIII Corps. Its first major engagement was Operation Goodwood, the attack by three armoured divisions towards Bourguebus Ridge in an attempt to break out of the Normandy beachhead. That was followed by Operation Bluecoat, the advance east of Caen as the Falaise pocket formed. Transferred to XXX Corps, the division liberated Brussels. It led the XXX Corps attack in Operation Market Garden, the ground forces' advance to relieve airborne troops aiming to seize the bridges up to Arnhem, capturing Nijmegen bridge in conjunction with American paratroopers. During the battle of the Bulge, it was sent to the Meuse as a reserve in case the Germans broke through the American lines. It endured hard fighting in Operation Veritable, the advance towards the Rhine through the Reichswald, and again in the advance through Germany. The division existed until 12 June 1945, when it was reorganised as an infantry division, the Guards Division.

Contents

[edit] Order of battle

Although its paper organisation remained one armoured brigade and one mechanised infantry brigade, after Normandy the division generally fought as four combined-arms battlegroups, two under each brigade headquarters.

A Lloyd carrier of the anti-tank platoon of 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards explodes during 30 Corps advance up the Eindhoven road at the start of Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944
A Lloyd carrier of the anti-tank platoon of 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards explodes during 30 Corps advance up the Eindhoven road at the start of Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944
Sherman tanks of the Irish Guards Group advance past others which were knocked out earlier during Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944
Sherman tanks of the Irish Guards Group advance past others which were knocked out earlier during Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944
A Sherman Firefly tank of the Irish Guards Group advances past Sherman tanks knocked out earlier during Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944
A Sherman Firefly tank of the Irish Guards Group advances past Sherman tanks knocked out earlier during Operation 'Market-Garden'. 17 September 1944

5th Guards Armoured Brigade

32nd Guards Brigade

  • 5th Battalion, Coldstream Guards
  • 3rd Battalion, Irish Guards
  • 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards

Support Units

[edit] Component units

[edit] Artillery

  • 153rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 01/06/42-11/06/45
  • 55th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 08/06/42-11/06/45
  • 21st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 01/06/42-29/05/45
  • 75th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 01/06/42-11/06/45
  • 94th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 01/06/42-11/06/45

[edit] Engineers

  • 14th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 04/08/41-11/06/45
  • 15th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 01/08/45-22/02/43
  • 615th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers 01/03/43-11/06/43
  • 148th Field Park Squadron, Royal Engineers 04/08/41-11/06/45
  • 11th Bridging Troop, Royal Engineers 01/10/43-11/06/45

[edit] Signals

[edit] Scouting Forces

[edit] Divisional Infantry

  • 1st Independent Machine Gun Company 24/03/44-11/06/45

[edit] Brigades

[edit] List of higher formations the division served under

  • War Office Control 17/06/41-14/09/41
  • Southern Command 15/09/41-17/03/43
  • VIII Corps 17/03/43-19/06/44
  • XII Corps 19/06/44-27/06/44
  • Second Army 27/06/44-04/07/44
  • XII Corps 04/07/44-13/07/44
  • VIII Corps 13/07/44-23/07/44
  • Canadian II Corps 24/07/44-30/07/44
  • VIII Corps 30/07/44-28/08/44
  • XXX Corps 28/08/44-12/12/44
  • XII Corps 13/12/44-20/12/44
  • XXX Corps 20/12/44-17/01/45
  • Canadian First Army 18/01/45-20/01/45
  • XXX Corps 21/01/45-07/03/45
  • Canadian II Corps 08/03/45-09/03/45
  • XXX Corps 10/03/45-15/04/45
  • XII Corps 16/04/45-27/04/45
  • XXX Corps 28/04/45-11/06/45

[edit] Commanders

The Guards Armoured Division had two commanders:

[edit] References

  • Sanders, J, British Guards Armoured Division 1941-1945, Osprey Vanguard, 1979