| 44th (Home Counties) Division | |
|---|---|
44th Infantry Division insignia. |
|
| Active | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Territorial Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | Alam Halfa El Alamein Battle of the Somme |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Brian Horrocks Arthur Percival |
The 44th (Home Counties) Division was a British Territorial Army division in both the First and Second World Wars, and for twenty years afterwards.
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Formed in 1908, after the outbreak of war in 1914 the Division was used to supply garrison troops in the east, replacing regular battalions. On or around 30 October 1914 most of the units of the Division left for India, whereupon some were sent further on to Burma and Aden. From the time of disembarkation in India, the Division practically ceased to exist, and the Divisional Commander returned home.
During the Second World War it was initially part of III Corps forming part of the British Expeditionary Force until the evacuation of Dunkirk.
Later it was sent to North Africa and fought at the Battle of Alam Halfa and the Battle of El Alamein. It is considered to have performed poorly during Alam Halfa, where it's 132nd Brigade was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division. It only had one brigade (The 132nd Infantry Brigade) at El Alamein, as the others (the 131st Brigade and 133rd Brigade) had been incorporated into the 7th Armoured Division and 10th Armoured Divisions as Motorised Brigades (The 7th had theirs transferred to the 1st Armoured Division and the 10th was a brand new Armoured Division). The 44th was disbanded after the battle, and the Units from the 132nd Brigade and 133rd Brigade were dispersed, with most of them ending up as British battalions in British Indian Army brigades.
The Division was reformed in 1947 and include the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, 47 (London) Infantry Brigade, 131 (Surrey) Infantry Brigade (including battalions of The Queen's Regiment), and 133 (Kent & Sussex) Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded by 1968.
Order of Battle on 3 August 1942: