The BEF/AASF

Site Issues 2005 Archive Room
#1

Since several people have recently doubted the help give by the British to the French in 1940, here is the order of battle for the British Expeditionary Force in France when the Germans attacked. The air order of battle will be added shortly:

BEF:
I Corps (Lt Gen MGH Barker)

1st Infantry Division (Maj Gen HRLG Alexander)
Divisional HQ
1st Division Signal Regiment
13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queens Mary’s Own)
2nd Bn, Cheshire Regt (Machine Gun Bn)
2nd, 19th and 24th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
21st Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
17th, 23rd and 26th Field Company, Royal Engineers
6th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)
3rd Bn, Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn, Coldstream Guards
2nd Bn, Hampshire Regt
1st Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

2nd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Loyal Regiment
2nd Bn, North Staffordshire Regt
6th Bn, Gordon Highlanders
2nd Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

3rd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Duke of Wellington’s Regt
2nd Bn, Sherwood Foresters
1st Bn, King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
3rd Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

2nd Infantry Division (Maj General HC Lloyd)
Divisional HQ
4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
2nd Bn, Manchester Regt (Machine Gun Bn)
2nd Division Signal Regiment
10th, 16th and 18th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
5th, 11th and 38th Field Company, Royal Engineers
21st Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

4th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Royal Scots
2nd Bn, Royal Norfolk Regt
1/8th Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers
4th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

5th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
2nd Bn, Dorsetshire Regt
7th Bn, Worcestershire Regt
5th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

6th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Royal Welch Regt
1st Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt
2nd Bn, Durham Light Infantry
6th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

48th (South Midland) Infantry Division (Maj Gen AFAN Thorne)
Divisional HQ
67th, 68th and 99th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
53rd Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
224th, 225th and 226th Field Company, Royal Engineers
227th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

143rd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
5th Bn, Royal Warwick’s
1/7th Bn, Royal Warwick’s

144th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Royal Warwick’s
5th Bn, Gloucestershire Regt
8th Bn, Worcestershire Regt

145th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Gloucestershire Regt
4th Bn, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1st (Buckinghamshire) Bn, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

II Corps (Lt Gen AF Brooke)

3rd Infantry Division (Maj General BL Montgomery)
Divisional HQ
15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars
2nd Bn, Middlesex Regt (Machine Gun Bn)
3rd Division Signal Regt
7th, 23rd, 33rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
20th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
246th, 248th, 253rd Field Company, Royal Engineers
15th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

7th Guards Brigade
1st Bn, Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn, Grenadier Guards
1st Bn, Coldstream Guards
7th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

8th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Suffolk Regt
2nd Bn, East Yorkshire Regt
4th Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt
8th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

9th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Lincolnshire Regt
1st Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
4th Bn, Royal Berkshire Regt
9th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

4th Division (Maj Gen DG Johnson)
Divisional HQ
5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
2nd Bn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun Bn)
17th, 22nd, 30th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
14th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
7th, 9th, 59th Field Company, Royal Engineers
18th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

10th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Bedfordshire Regt
2nd Bn, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
6th Bn, East Surrey Regt
10th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

11th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers
1st Bn, East Surrey Regt
5th Bn, Northamptonshire Regt
11th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

12th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Royal Fusiliers
1st Bn, South Lancashire Regt
6th Bn, Black Watch
12th Inf Bde Anti-Tank Company

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division (Maj Gn G Le Q. Martel)
Divsional HQ
4th Bn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun Bn)
72nd, 74th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
232nd, 505th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers
235th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

150th Infantry Brigade
4th Bn, East Yorkshire Regt
4th Bn, Green Howards
5th Bn, Green Howards

151st Infantry Briagde
6th Bn, Durham Light Infantry
8th Bn, Durham Light Infantry
9th Bn, Durham Light Infantry

25th Infantry Brigade
1/7th Bn, Queen’s Royal Regiment
2nd Bn, Essex Regiment
1 Bn, Royal Irish Fusiliers

III Corps (Lt Gen Sir RF Adam)

42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division (Maj Gen WG Holmes)
Divisional HQ
51st, 52nd, 53rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
56th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
200th, 201st, 202nd Field Company, Royal Engineers
203rd Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

125th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Border Regt
5th Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers
6th Bn, Lancashire Fusiliers

126th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, East Lancashire Regt
5th Bn, King’s Own Royal Regt
5th Bn, Border Regt

127th Infantry Brigade
4th Bn, East Lancashire Regt
5th Bn, Manchester Regt
1st Bn, Highland Light Infantry

44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division (Maj Gen EA Osbourne)
Divisional HQ
57th, 58th, 65th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
57th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
208th, 209th, 210th Field Company, Royal Engineers
211th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers

131st Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, The Buffs
5th Bn, The Queen’s
6th Bn, The Queen’s

132nd Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt
4th Bn, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt
5th Bn, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt

133rd Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Royal Sussex Regt
4th Bn, Royal Sussex Regt
5th Bn. Royal Sussex Regt

GHQ RESERVE

5th Infantry Division (Maj Gen HE Franklin)
Divisional HQ

13th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, The Cameronians
2nd Bn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2nd Bn, Wiltshire Regt

17th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers
2nd Bn, Nortamptonshire Regt
6th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders

12th Infantry Division (Maj Gen RL Petre)
Divisional HQ

35th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Bn, Queen’s Royal Regt
2/6th Bn, Queen’s Royal Regt
2/7th Bn, Queen’s Royal Regt

36th Infantry Brigade
5th Bn, The Buffs
6th Bn, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt
7th Bn, Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regt

37th Infantry Brigade
2/6th Bn, East Surrey Regt
6th Bn, Royal Sussex Regt
7th Bn, Royal Sussex Regt

23rd Infantry Division (Maj Gen AE Herbet)
Divisional HQ

69th Infantry Brigade
5th Bn, East Yorks
6th Bn, Green Howards
7th Bn, Green Howards

70th Infantry Brigade
10th Bn, Durham Light Infantry
11th Bn, Durham Light Infantry
1st Bn, The Tyneside Scottish

46th Infantry Division (Maj Gen HC Curtis)
Divisional HQ

137th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Bn, West Yorkshire Regiment
2/6th Bn, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
2/7th Bn, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment

139th Infantry Brigade
6th Bn, Lincolnshire Regt
2/4th Bn, King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry6th Bn, York and Lancaster Regt

51st Infantry Division (Maj Gen VM Fortune)
Divisional HQ

152nd Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, Seaforth Highlanders
4th Bn, Seaforth Highlanders
4th Bn, Queen’s Own Cameronian Highlanders

153rd Infantry Brigade
4th Bn, Black Watch
1st Bn, Gordon Highlanders
5th Bn, Gordon Highlanders

153th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Black Watch
7th Bn, Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders
8th Bn, Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders

1st Armoured Division (Maj Gen R Evans)
Divisional HQ

2nd Armoured Brigade
Queen’s Bays
9th Royal Lancers
10th Royal Hussars

3rd Armoured Brigade
2nd Bn, Royal Tank Regt
3rd Bn, Royal Tank Regt
5th Bn, Royal Tank Regt
1st Support Group
101st LAA Anti Tank Regt

20th Guards Brigade
2nd Bn, Irish Guards
2nd Bn, Welsh Guards

30th Infantry Brigade
2nd Bn, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
2st Bn, Rifle Brigade
1st Bn, Queen Victoria Rifles

52nd Infantry Division (Maj Gen JE Drew)
Divisional HQ

155th Infantry Brigade
7/9th Bn, Royal Scots
4th Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers
5th Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

156th Infantry Brigade
4/5th Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers
6th Bn, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders
7th Bn, Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders

157th Infantry Brigade
1st Bn, Glasgow Highlanders
5th Bn, Highland Light Infantry
6th Bn, Highland Light Infantry

Which by my count gives the British Forces in France on 10th May 1940:
124 Infantry Battalions
5 Machine Gun Infantry Battalions
12 Armoured Regiments
23 Field Artillery Regiments
7 Anti Tank Artillery Regiments
23 Engineer Field Companies
7 Engineer Field Park Companies
13 Briagde Anti Tank Companies
1 Support Group

Apologies for the long list as a post, a history of the BEF will follow when I have the chance to write it.

#2

Air Component of the BEF (Air Vice Marshal CHB Blount)
ACBEF HQ

No 14 Group (Group Captain PF Fullard)

60 (Fighter) Wing
85 Squadron (Hurricanes)
87 Squadron (Hurricanes)

61 (Fighter) Wing
607 Squadron (Hurricane/Gladiator)
615 Squadron (Hurricane/Gladiator)

63 (Fighter) Wing
3 Squadron (Hurricane)
79 Squadron (Hurricane)

70 (Bomber/Reconnaissance) Wing
18 Squadron (Blenheim)
57 Squadron (Blenheim)

52 (Bomber) Wing
53 Squadron (Blenheim)
55 Squadron (Blenheim)

50 (Army Co-Operation) Wing
4 Squadron (Lysander)
13 Squadron (Lysander)
16 Squadron (Lysander)

51 (Army Co-Operation) Wing
2 Squadron (Lysander)
26 Squadron (Lysander)
81 (Canadian) Squadron (Dragon)

Advanced Air Striking Force (Air Vice Marshal PHL Playfair)

67 (Fighter) Wing
1 Squadron (Hurricane)
73 Squadron (Hurricane)
501 Squadron (Hurricane)
212 Squadron (Photo-Reconnaissance, aircraft type not recorded)

71 (Bomber) Wing
105 Squadron (Battle)
114 Squadron (Blenheim)
139 Squadron (Blenheim)
150 Squadron (Battle)

75 (Bomber) Wing
88 Squadron (Battle)
103 Squadron (Battle)
208 Squadron (Battle)

76 (Bomber) Wing
12 Squadron (Battle)
142 Squadron (Battle)
226 Squadron (Battle)

Reserve
98 Squadron (Battle) – Held in reserve as reinforcement for the Fairey Battle squadrons.

Sources:
BEF Strength here
ACBEF here

#3

Good posts BDL, where did you get the info on the AASF?

#4

The sources for both of them are at the bottom of the Air Component order of battle mate

#5

battle of france

Casualties were 90,000 French killed, 200,000 wounded, and 68,111 British, 23,350 Belgian, 9,779 Dutch and 6,092 Poles killed or wounded. Total allied losses including the capture of the French army amounted to 2,292,000.

#6

Woops!

#7

Bet there were a few assholes going 5p/50p after dunkirk!!!

Basically we sent more men to France than we actually have at the moment!!!

Infact, by the look of it, manpower wise, it was about the size of todays USMC!!!

#8

Thank you BDL,you must have wasted all your life in this topic!.

and thank you for the humildity of giving apologies! :lol: ,it’s nice from you part because you didn’t nothing bad.

#9

It was pretty much everything we had - the only fully equipped division left in Britain was the Canadian 1st Armoured Division. Which kind of blows the ‘Britain did nothing to help France’ line out of the water (the original aim of the post).

You’re welcome mate

I apologised because I know a lot of people on here hate the ‘big list of something’ type posts that sprung up not so long ago. I will get round to doing a history of the BEF when I get a chance, but work has been pretty hectic for the last couple of days.

It did take me quite a while to type, couldn’t get the cut and paste from the site to work properly.

#10

the only fully equipped division left in Britain was the Canadian 1st Armoured Division.

I don’t think so

#11

Educate us then

#12

[quote=“BDL”]

Educate us then[/quote]

The primary Canadian unit in the UK during this time was the Canadian 1st Infantry Division. Other infantry units followed later in the year but the first Canadian Armoured Brigade didn’t arrive till June 30th 1941

#13

After the fall of France, the 1st Canadian Division was the only mobile, armed and fully manned ground division in all of the British Isles, and defence against a German invasion might have fallen squarely on it.

Source

After Dunkirk, the 1st Canadian Division was the only formation in Britain with enough equipment to meet the German armies.

Source

The 1st Canadian Infantry Division was formed at the outbreak of war, received elementary training and was in place in Britain by Feb of 1940. Following the Dunkirk evacuation, the 1st Division was the only fully equipped, fully manned and fully trained division in the south of England.

Source

#14

Educate us then[/quote]

The primary Canadian unit in the UK during this time was the Canadian 1st Infantry Division. Other infantry units followed later in the year but the first Canadian Armoured Brigade didn’t arrive till June 30th 1941[/quote]

Ok, the 1st Canadian Division were the only fully equipped unit in Britain after Dunkirk

#15

Well the difference between a Infantry Division and a Armoured one is worthy of correction.

I also understand that the Cavalry/Mech component of the 1st Infantry Division actually stayed in Canada. So though the division was complete in that nothing had been lost in combat,not all of the division had actually sailed to the UK in the first place

#16

Interesting stuff, I didnt realise there were even any Canadian units in the UK in 1940. You live and learn…

#17

The first Canadian infantry brigade was in Scotland by December 17th 1939, and by December 30th 1939 the other 2 Brigades of the 1st Canadian Infantry Divison were the UK and based around Aldershot