Home page :: Forums :: Gallery :: About :: War Stories :: Primary Sources ::  Revolutionary War :: Spanish American War :: War of 1812 :: Civil War :: World War I :: World War II :: Korean War :: Vietnam War :: Gulf War :: Iraqi Freedom :: More...  

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size
Login

Military Photos



Main Menu
Online
There are 1206 users online

You can register for a user account here.
Library of Congress

Past Articles
  • Prison Camp


  • Diary of Crete


  • The End of Bulgaria


  • Diary of Greece


  • War Diary: Private Frank J. Last


  • The Sinking of USS Indianapolis, 30 July 1945


  • Sinking of USS INDIANAPOLIS


  • Green LTs (Story One)


  • A Soldier Remembers Utah Beach


  • Combat in the Battle of Saipan


    • Older articles

    Military Quotes

    How many things apparently impossible have nevertheless been performed by resolute men who had no alternative but death

    -- Napoleon Bonaparte

    British Southern Command on 3 September 1939

    (1809 total words in this text)
    (17193 Reads)  Printer-friendly page

    Southern Command on 3 September 1939

    Southern Command: HQ Salisbury

    Counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire (except Windsor for regular troops and that part in Aldershot Command), Oxfordshire, Hampshire (except that part in Aldershot Command), Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucestershire (except Beachley) and Worcestershire.

     
	Field Troops (Regular)

		1st Armoured Division: HQ Priory Lodge, Andore
			1st Armoured Divisional Signals, RCS: Bulford

			1st Light Armoured Brigade: HQ Tidworth
				1st King's Dragoon Guards: Aldershot
				3rd The King's Own Hussars: Tidworth
				4th Queen's Own Hussars: Tidworth

			2nd Light Armoured Brigade: HQ Tidworth
				The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards): Tidworth
				9th Queen's Royal Lancers: Tidworth
				10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own): Tidworth

			1st Heavy Armoured Brigade: HQ Perham Down
				2nd Royal Tank Regiment: Farnborough
				3rd Royal Tank Regiment: Warminster
				5th Royal Tank Regiment: Perham Down

			1st Support Group: HQ Tidworth
				2nd Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps: Tidworth
				1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own): Tidworth
				1st Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery: Bulford
					A/E, B/O Batteries
				2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery: Bulford
					L/N, H/I Batteries
				1st Field Squadron, RE: Aldershot
				1st Field Park Troop, RE: Tidworth

		3rd Infantry Division: HQ Bulford
			15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars
			7th Field Regiment, RA: Catterick Camp
				9th/17th, 16th/43rd Batteries
			23rd Field Regiment, RA: Exeter
				60th/100th, 89th/90th Batteries
			33rd Field Regiment, RA: Larkhill
				114th/109th, 101st/113th Batteries
			20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA: Catterick Camp
				41st, 45th, 67th, 99th Batteries
			2nd Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) M-G: New Barracks, Gosport
			246th (Welsh) Field Company, RE, T.A.: Cardiff - Attached
			248th (East Anglia) Field Company, RE, T.A.: Bedford - Attached
			253rd (West Lancshire) Field Company, RE, T.A.: St. Helens - Attached
			15th Field Park Company, RE: Bulford
			3rd Divisional Signals: Bulford

			7th Infantry Brigade (Guards): HQ Pirbright
				1st, 2nd Battalions, The Grenadier Guards: Pirbright
				1st Battalion, The Coldstream Guards: Chelsea Barracks, London
				7th Infantry Brigade (Guards) Anti-Tank Company: Pirbright

			8th Infantry Brigade: HQ Crownhill, Plymouth
				1st Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment: Devonport
				2nd Battalion, The East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own): Plymouth
				2nd Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment: Plymouth
				8th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company: Plymouth

			9th Infantry Brigade: HQ Portsmouth
				2nd Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment: Portland
				1st Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers: Portsmouth
				2nd Battalion, The Royal Ulster Rifles: Parkhurst
				9th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company: Portsmouth

	Other Regular Troops in the Command

		8th Royal Tank Regiment: Perham Down
		9th Field Regiment, RA: Bulford
			19th/28th, 20th/26th Batteries
		6th/23rd Field Battery, 12th Field Regiment, RA: Larkhill
		3rd Medium Regiment, RA: Larkhill
			2nd/11th, 6th/10th Batteries
		4th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA: Bulford
			16th, 18th Anti-Aircraft Batteries
			20th Anti-Aircraft Battery - To Alexandria, Egypt on 5 September 1939.
			23rd Anti-Aircraft Battery - Formed 5 September 1939 to replace 20th Battery.
			3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery
		1st Survey Regiment, RA: Larkhill
			A, B Batteries
		2nd Survey Regiment, RA: Larkhill - Raised 3 September 1939 from 1st Survey Regiment
			A, B Batteries
		2nd Searchlight Regiment, RA: Portsmouth
			A, B Batteries
		58th (Chemical Defence) Company, RE: Porton
		Detachment, The Survey Battalion, RE: Bristol
		Nos. 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 Artillery Signal Sections, RCS: Bulford
		Southern Command Signals, RCS: Salisbury
						
	Salisbury Plain Area: HQ Salisbury

    The County of Wiltshire (withln the following boundaries): The Great Western Railway from the bridge over the River Avon at Freshford to the aqueduct of the Kennet and Avon Canal (1.5 miles west of Bradford-on-Avon), thence the Kennet and Avon Canal to Devizes, The Depot The Wiltshire Regiment, Devizes (on the north bank of the canal), thence the Kennet and Avon Canal to the County boundary at Fraxfield, thence the county boundary from Fraxfield to the road Fordingbidge-Salisbury at Downton. Thence the road Fordingbridge-Salisbury from the county boundary at Downton to Salisbury; Salisbury; the road Salisbury-Wilton-Great Wishford-Codford-Hegtesbury, the road Warminster-Frome to the county boundary at Whitbourne; thence the county boundary near Whitbourne to the Great Western Railway Bridge over the River Avon near Freshford.

    That portion of Hampshire including Tidworth and Western District land adjacent.

     
		Regular Infantry Depots in the Area

			The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's): Devizes

		Militia in the Area

			2nd Field Depot, RA: Fargo

	South Midland Area: HQ Oxford

    Counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire (except Windsor for regular troops and portions in Aldershot Command), Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire (except Beachley), Worcestershire, and Wlltshire north of the Salisbury Plain Area.

    		Regular Troops in the Command

			1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's): Thame, Oxfordshire

		Regular Infantry Depots in the Area

			The Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Warwick
			The Gloucestershire Regiment: Bristol
			The Worcestershire Regiment: Worcester
			The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Oxford
			The Northamptonshire Regiment: Northampton
			The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's): Reading

		Territorial Army Divisions and Brigades in the Area

			20th Light Armoured Brigade
				1st Royal Gloucestershire Hussars: Gloucester
				1st, 2nd Northamptonshire Yeomanry: Northampton

			48th (South Midland) Infantry Division: HQ Oxford
				HQ Royal Artillery: Manor House, Oxford
					67th (South Midland) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 265th (Worcester) Bty: Worcester
						266th (Worcester) Bty: Malvern
					68th (South Midland) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 269th (Warwick) Bty: Birmingham
						271st (Warwick) Bty: Leamington
					99th (Buckinghamshire and Berkshire Yeomanry) Army Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 393rd (Royal Bucks Yeomanry) Bty: Aylesbury
						394th (Royal Bucks Yeomanry) Bty: Taplow
					53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 209th (Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars Yeomanry) Bty: Kidderminster
						210th (Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars Yeomanry) Bty: King's Heath, Birmingham
						211th (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars Yeomanry) Bty: Oxford
						212th (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars Yeomany) Bty: Easington, Banbury
				HQ Royal Engineers: Bristol
					224th (South Midland) Field Company, RE: Bristol
					225th (South Midland) Field Company, RE: Birmingham
					226th (South Midland) Field Company, RE: Reading
					227th (South Midland) Field Park Company, RE: Birmingham
				48th Divisional Signals: Birmingham

				143rd Infantry Brigade: HQ Birmingham
					1st/7th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Coventry
					8th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Birmingham
					5th (Huntingdonshire) Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment: Peterborough

				144th Infantry Brigade: HQ Worcester
					5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment: Gloucester
					7th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment: Kidderminster
					8th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment: Worcester

				145th Infantry Brigade: HQ Reading
					4th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Oxford
					1st Buckinghamshire Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Oxford
					4th Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's): Reading

			61st Infantry Division
				HQ Royal Artillery
					119th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 268th (Worcester) Bty: Dudley
						267th (Worcester) Bty: Easemore
					120th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 270th (Warwick) Bty: Birmingham
						272nd (Warwick) Bty: Rugby
					145th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 396th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Bty: Newbury
						395th (Berkshire Yeomanry) Bty: Windsor
					63rd Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 249th-252nd Btys: Oxford
				HQ Royal Engineers: Olton
					266th Field Company, RE: Olton
					267th Field Company, RE: Olton
				61st Divisional Signals

				182nd Infantry Brigade
					2nd/7th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Nuneaton
					9th Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment: Birmingham
					9th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment: Oldbury

				183rd Infantry Brigade
					7th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment: Stroud
					10th Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment: Evesham

				184th Infantry Brigade
					5th Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Oxford
					2nd Buckinghamshire Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry: Slough
					6th Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's): Reading

		Other Territorial Army Troops in the Area
	
			4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment: Northampton
			The Warwickshire Yeomanry: Warwick - Attached to 6th Cavalry Brigade
			2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars: Bristol - Attached to 22nd Heavy Armoured Brigade
			44th Royal Tank Regiment: Bristol - Attached to 21st Army Tank Brigade
			50th Royal Tank Regiment: Bristol - Attached to 23rd Army Tank Brigade
			214th (2nd West Riding) Medium Battery, 63rd Medium Regiment, RA: Huddersfield
			3rd Survey Regiment, RA
				HQ, A, B Btys: Bristol
			5th Survey Regiment, RA
				HQ, A, B Btys: Bristol
			268th Field Company, RE: Olton
			269th Field Park Company, RE: Olton
			212th (North Midland) Field Company, RE: Smethwick
			215th (North Midland) Field Park Company, RE: Smethwick

	South-Western Area: HQ Devonport

    Counties of Somerset, Dorsetshire, Devonshire and Cornwall, those portions of Wiltshire not included in South Midland and Salisbury Plain Areas, and that part of Hampshire lying west of the Southern Railway between the county boundary of Downton and the county boundary at Fordingbridge station.

     
		Regular Troops in the Area

			1st Heavy Regiment, RA: Plymouth
				3rd, 5th, 16th, 28th Batteries

		Regular Infantry Depots in the Area

			The Devonshire Regiment: Exeter
			The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's): Taunton
			The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry: Bodmin
			The Doresetshire Regiment: Dorchester

		Militia in the Area

			8th Anti-Aircraft Depot, RA: Yeovil
			20th Searchlight Depot, RA: Yeovil
			22nd Searchlight Depot, RA: Taunton
			3rd Infantry Training Group: Newton Abbott

		Portland Defences: HQ Weymouth

			Portland Fire Command: Weymouth
			Dorsetshire Heavy Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ, 179th Bty: Weymouth
				180th Bty: Portland
				186th Bty: Poole
			Dorsetshire (Fortress) RE, (T.A.): Weymouth
				 No. 1 (EL & W), No. AA Coy: Weymouth

		Plymouth and Falmouth Defences: HQ Plymouth
	
			HQ Royal Artillery Fixed Defences, South-Western Ports: HQ The Royal Citadel, Plymouth
				Rame Fire Command: Plymouth
				Drake's Fire Command: Plymouth
				Wembury Fire Command: Plymouth
			Devonshire Heavy Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ, 157th (Devon) Bty: Lambhay Hill, Plymouth
				158th (Devon) Bty: Plympton
				164th (Cornwall) Bty: Devonport
				193rd Bty: Falmouth
			Devon and Cornwall (Fortress) RE, (T.A.): Plymouth
				No. 1 (EL & W), No. 2 (EL), No. 3 (EL) Coys: Plymouth

		Territorial Army Divisions and Brigades in the Area

			43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division: HQ Salisbury
				HQ Royal Artillery: Langton House, Churchfields, Salisbury
					94th (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 224th (Dorset) Bty: Dorchester
						218th (Bournemouth) Bty: Bournemouth
					112th Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 217th, 220th (Wiltshire) Btys: Swindon
					141st Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 376th (Dorset Yeomanry) Bty: Sherborne
						375th (Dorset Yeomanry) Bty: Shaftsbury
					59th (Duke of Connaught's Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 233rd-236th Btys: Portsmouth
				HQ Royal Engineers: Bath
					204th (Wessex) Field Company, RE: Bath
					260th Field Company, RE: Chippenham
					207th (Wessex) Field Park Company, RE: Bath
				43rd Divisional Signals: Exeter

				128th Infantry Brigade: HQ Southampton
					1st/4th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment: Winchester
					2nd/4th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment: Southampton
					5th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment: Southampton

				129th Infantry Brigade: HQ Bath
					4th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's): Bath
					4th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's): Trowbridge
					5th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment (Duke of Edinburgh's): Trowbridge

				130th Infantry Brigade: HQ Exeter
					7th Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment: Bournemouth
					4th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment: Dorchester
					5th Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment: Poole

			45th Infantry Division
				HQ Royal Artillery
					55th (Wessex) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 373rd (West Somerset Yeomanry) Bty: Taunton
						374th (West Somerset Yeomanry) Bty: Shepton Mallet
					96th (Royal Devonshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 381st (Torverton) Bty: Exeter
						382nd (Totnes) Bty: Totnes
					142nd Field Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ: Dartmouth
						384th (South Molton) Bty: Banstaple
						383rd (Torrington) Bty: Torrington
					69th Anti-Tank Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
						HQ, 273rd-276th Btys: Gosport
				HQ Royal Engineers
					205th (Wessex) Field Company, RE: Roborough
					259th Field Company, RE: Uffculme
					261st Field Park Company, RE: Uffculme
				45th Divisional Signals

				134th Infantry Brigade
					4th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment: Exeter
					6th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment: Barnstaple
					8th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment: Exmouth

				135th Infantry Brigade
					5th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's): Taunton
					6th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's): Wells
					7th Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's): Bridgewater

				136th Infantry Brigade
					9th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment: Barnstaple
					4th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry: Truro
					5th Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry: St. Austell

		Other Territorial Army Troops in the Area

			The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry (Prince of Wales's Own): Trowbridge
			The North Somerset Yeomanry: Bath
			5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment M-G: Plymouth
			7th (Haytor) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment M-G: Torquay
			51st (Devon) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ, 151st (Devon) Bty: Exeter
				152nd (Devon) Bty: Paignton
				153rd (Devon) Bty: Crelake, Tavistock	
			55th (Devon) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ, 163rd-165th Btys: Exeter
			
	Southern Area: HQ Salisbury

    Hampshire (excluding those portions of the county Included in Aldershot Command and Salisbury Plain and South-Western Areas. )

    		Regular Troops in the Area

			1st Medium Regiment, RA: Portsmouth
				1st/3rd, 5th/22nd Batteries
			4th Medium Regiment, RA: Fort Brockhurst
				9th/13th, 14th/16th Batteries
			4th Fortress Company, RE: Gosport
			19th Field Survey Company, RE: Fort Southwich, Fareham
			The Experimental Bridging Establishment, RE: Christchurch
			The Survey Battalion, RE (Less 4 detachments): Southampton
			Depot, The Hampshire Regiment: Winchester
			The Rifle Depot: Winchester

		Militia in the Area

			7th Anti-Aircraft Depot, RA: Devizes
			9th Anti-Aircraft Depot, RA: Blandford
			19th Searchlight Depot, RA: Devizes
			21st Searchlight Depot, RA: Blandford

		Portsmouth Defences: HQ Portsmouth

			Royal Artillery Fixed Defences, Southern Ports: HQ Cambridge Barracks, Portsmouth
				Needles Fire Command: Isle of Wight
				Culver Fire Command: Isle of Wight
				Horse Sand Fire Command: Portsmouth
				Square Tower Fire Command: Portsmouth
			Hampshire Heavy Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ, 153rd Bty: Southampton
				154th Bty: East Leigh
				155th Bty: Portsmouth
			The Princess Beatrice's (Isle of Wight Rifles) Heavy Regiment, R.A. (T.A.)
				HQ: Newport, Isle of Wight
				189th Bty: Cowes
				190th Bty: Ryde
			Hampshire (Fortress) RE, (T.A.): Portsmouth
				No. 1, No. 2 (206th)(EL & W) Coys: Portsmouth

	Supplementary Reserve Troops in the Command

		No. 4 (South Midland) Company, Air Formation Signals, RCS: Birmingham
		Nos. 31, 32 Wireless Sections, GHQ Signals: Coventry
    Military History
    Forum Posts

    Military Polls

    Should women be officially placed in combat-support units on the front lines as planned by the Army?

    [ Results | Polls ]

    Votes: 77

    This Day in History
    1618: The Thirty Years War begins.

    1862: Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson takes Front Royal, Virginia.

    1864: The campaign between Union commander Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, continues southward to the North Anna River around Hanover Junction.

    1900: Civil War hero Sgt. William H. Carney becomes the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor, thirty-seven years after the Battle of Fort Wagner.

    1901: American forces capture Filipino rebel leader Emilio Aguinaldo.

    1915: Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary.

    1945: Heinrich Himmler, chief of the SS, assistant chief of the Gestapo, and architect of Hitlers program to exterminate European Jews, commits suicide one day after being arrested by the British.

    1951: Eighth Army advanced toward the Kansas and Wyoming Lines to the base of the Iron Triangle against stiffening enemy resistance. By the end of May, the communists had suffered 17,000 killed and an equal number were taken prisoner.

    1971: North Vietnamese demolition experts infiltrate the major U.S. air base at Cam Ranh Bay.

    1972: Heavy U.S. air attacks that began with an order by President Richard Nixon on May 8 are widened to include more industrial and non-military sites.


    More...


    Home page :: Forums :: Gallery :: About :: War Stories :: Primary Sources ::  Revolutionary War :: Spanish American War :: War of 1812 :: Civil War :: World War I :: World War II :: Korean War :: Vietnam War :: Gulf War :: Iraqi Freedom :: More...  


    syndication