Tenth Army (United Kingdom)
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The Tenth Army was created in Iraq and formed the major part of "Paiforce" (Persia and Iraq Force). It was active in 1942 and 1943, and then disbanded.
It was composed of British and Indian troops and, under the command of General Sir Edward Quinan, during 1941 was actively engaged in quelling the Iraqi rebellion, in the defeat of the Vichy forces in the Syria-Lebanon campaign and in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran to prevent the Axis elements from entering Persia, and preventing the possibility of the Germans gaining control of the Iraqi and Persian oil fields.
After the campaigns of 1941, the main task of the Tenth Army was the maintenance of the lines of communication to Soviet Union from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian and the protection of the South Persian and Iraqi oilfields. Its badge was a golden Assyrian Lion with human head and eagle's wings (a Cherub Guardian). A variation of colouring of this badge was a white Lion on a pale blue background.
[edit] Order of Battle 1942
- Tenth Army commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Quinan
- British III Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Anderson
- British 5th Infantry Division, Major-General Horatio Berney-Ficklin
- British 56th (London) Division, Major-General Eric Miles
- Indian XXI Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Mosley Mayne
- Indian 8th Infantry Division, Major-General Charles Harvey
- Indian 10th Infantry Division, Major-General Alan Blaxland
- Indian 6th Infantry Division commanded by Major-General J.N. Thomson
- Indian 31st Armoured Division, Major-General Robert Wordsworth
- Indian 10th Motor Brigade, Brigadier Harold Redman
- British III Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Anderson
