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Two armies are two bodies which meet and try to frighten each other -- Napoleon Bonaparte |
The British Army Overseas and the Colonies on 3 September 1939(2327 total words in this text)(23946 Reads)  The British Army Overseas and the Colonies on 3 September 1939I. The Atlantic A. The Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands Defence Force: Port Stanley B. Newfoundland The Newfoundland Militia: St. John's C. St. Helena The St. Helena Rifles D. Bermuda One Company, 2nd Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry Detachment, The Royal Engineers The Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps: Hamilton The Bermuda Militia The Bermuda Militia Artillery: Hamilton The Bermuda Volunteer Engineers - attached to Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps II. The Caribbean A. Barbados The Barbados Volunteer Force B. Jamaica Jamaica Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 44th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 2nd Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery (Cadre): Kingston and Port Royal 2nd Battalion, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry (Less one company) The Kingston Infantry Volunteers: Kingston The Jamaica Militia Artillery: Defended Port of Kingston and Port Royal The Jamaica Engineer Corps C. The Leeward Islands The Antigua Defence Force: Antigua The Dominica Defence Force: Dominica The Montserrat Defence Force: Montserrat The St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force: Basseterre D. Trinidad The Trinidad Volunteers The Trinidad Light Horse The Trinidad Light Infantry The Trinidad Volunteer Reserve of Europeans The Trinidad Volunteer Artillery: Port O'Prince E. The Windward Islands The Grenada Volunteer Corps: Grenada The St. Lucia Volunteer Corps: St. Lucia The St. Vincent Volunteer Corps: St. Vincent III. British Guiana The British Guiana Militia The British Guiana Militia Artillery: Georgetown IV. British Honduras The British Honduras Defence Force V. China A. Shanghai Area The Shanghai Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals Detachment, Royal Engineers 2nd Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment 1st Battalion, The Seaforth Highlanders The Shanghai Volunteer Corps Shanghai Light Horse 'A' Company (British), Mih-Ho-Loong Rifles American Troop Jewish Company Armoured Car Company Light Automatic (Air Defence) Company 'C' Machine-Gun Company American Company Shanghai Field Company Portuguese Company Signal Company American Machine-Gun Company Japanese Company Phillipine Company Interpreter Company (Chinese) Shanghai Russian Regiment - 'C' Battalion 'B' Company (British) Transport Company Shanghai Scottish Company 'H' Company - Reserve B. Tientsin Area The Tientsin Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 1st Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry 'A' Company plus one platoon, 1st Battalion, The Durham Light Infantry - Pekin Detachment, Royal Engineers C. Hong Kong The Hong Kong Signal Company, Royal Corps of Signals 8th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery 12th, 20th, 24th, 30th Heavy Batteries, RA; X Heavy Battery, HKSRA 5th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 7th, 9th Anti-Aircraft Batteries, RA 22nd, 40th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers 1st Hong Kong Medium Regiment, Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery 1st, 2nd Mountain Batteries, HKSRA; 3rd, 4th Medium Batteries, HKSRA The Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps 1st Battery - Cape D'Aguilan 2nd Battery - Bluff Head, Stanley 3rd Battery - Aberdeen Island 4th Battery - Pak Sha Wan 5th (Anti-Aircraft) Battery - Sai Wan Hill Field Company Engineers - Fanling and Forward Area Signals - Hong Kong Island Armoured Car Platoon - Forward Area No. 1 Company - Kai Tak Airfield No. 2 (Scottish) Company - Sheko Peninsula No. 3 (Eurasian) Company - Stonecutter's Island No. 4 (Chinese) Company - HighWest and Mt. Kellett No. 5 Company - Mount Davis No. 6 (Portuguese) Company - North Shin, Naval Yard to Causeway No. 7 Company - Magasin Gap and Wanchui Gap The Stanley Platoon - Stanley Army Service Corps Company - HQ Deepwater Bay The Hughe's Group (Hughesiliers) - Northern Point The Hong Kong Brigade 2nd Battalion, The Royal Scots 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment M-G: Nagking Barracks, Sam Shui Pu, Mainland 1st Kumaon Rifles, 19th Hyderabad Regiment: Whitfield Barracks, Hong Kong VI. Ceylon HQ Ceylon Defence Force: Colombo, Ceylon The Ceylon Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 6th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery: Colombo and Trincomalee 15th Heavy Battery, RA; 14th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RA 18th Heavy Battery, RA: Diyatalawa 31st Fortress Company, Royal Engineers The Ceylon Garrison Artillery (Volunteer): Galle, Buck Fort Road, Colombo 1st Heavy, 2nd Heavy, 3rd AA, 4th Heavy Batteries located at Galle Face, Battenburg, Rockhouse The Ceylon Mounted Rifles: Kandy The Ceylon Planter's Rifles Corps: Kandy The Ceylon Light Infantry: Colombo The Ceylon Cadet Battalion: Colombo The Ceylon Engineers: Ceylon VII. Burma The Rangoon Brigade Area: HQ Rangoon 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment: Mingladon 1 Company, 1st Battalion, The Goucestershire Regiment: Sale Barracks, Rangoon Detachments, 1st Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment: Syriam and Dry Tree Point 1st Battalion, The Burma Rifles: Mingaladon 12th Battalion, The Burma Rifles, Burma Territorial Force: Mingaladon The Rangoon University Training Corps, Burma Territorial Force: Rangoon The Rangoon Field Brigade, Royal Artillery, Burma Auxiliary Force: Dry Tree Point The Tenasserim Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force: Moulmein (One Company at Tavoy) The Rangoon Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force: Rangoon The Burma Railways Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force: Rangoon 1st, 2nd Rangoon Battalions, Burma Military Police: Rangoon The Maymyo Infantry Brigade Area: HQ Maymyo 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry: Maymyo 2nd Battalion, The Burma Rifles: Maymyo 3rd Battalion, The Burma Rifles: Maymyo 4th Battalion, The Burma Rifles: Fort Dufferin, Mandalay 1st Field Company, Burma Sappers and Miners (Forming): Mandalay 2nd Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery: Maymyo 13th Field Company, Madras Sappers and Miners: Mandalay 11th Battalion, The Burma Rifles, Burma Territorial Force: Mandalay The Upper Burma Battalion, Burma Auxiliary Force: Maymyo The Mandalay Battalion, Burma Military Police: Mandalay The Southern Shan States Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Taunggyi The Northern Shan States Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Lashio The Bhamo Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Bhamo The Chin Hills Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Falam The Myitkyina Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Myitkyina The Reserve Battalion, Burma Frontier Force: Pyawbwe VIII. Malaya Command: HQ Singapore A. Penang The Penang Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 8th Heavy Battery, HKSRA 36th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 5/14th Punjab Regiment 3rd Battalion, The Straits Settlement Volunteer Force (Penang and Province Wellesley Volunteer Force) B. Port Dickinson 1st Battalion, The Malay Regiment C. Taiping 2/17th Dogra Regiment D. Singapore Fortress The Malaya Signal Company, Royal Corps of Signals 7th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery: Blakang Mati 11th, 31st Heavy Batteries, RA; 5th, 7th Heavy Batteries, HKSRA 9th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery: Changi 7th, 22nd, 32nd Heavy Batteries, RA 30th, 34th, 35th, 41st Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers Malaya Anti-Aircraft Brigade 1st Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery 6th, 9th, 10th Anti-Aircraft Batteries, HKSRA 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Hong Kong-Singapore Royal Artillery 11th Anti-Aircraft Battery, HKSRA 3rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 11th, 21st, 22nd Anti-Aircraft Batteries, RA The Malaya Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, The Loyal Regiment 1st Battalion, The Manchester Regiment M-G 2nd Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders: Changi 12th Indian Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 4/19th Hyderabad Regiment 5/2nd Punjab Regiment 22nd Mountain Regiment, Indian Artillery (4th, 7th, 10th, 21st Mountain Batteries, IA) 15th Field Company, Madras Sappers and Miners The Straits Settlement Volunteer Force 1st Battalion (Singapore Volunteer Corps) 2nd Battalion (Singapore Volunteer Force) The Singapore Armoured Car Company The Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteers): Pulo Blakan Mati The Singapore Royal Engineers (Volunteers) The Singapore Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (Volunteers) E. Malacca 4th Battalion, The Straits Settlement Volunteer Force (Malacca Volunteers Corps) F. The Federated Malay States Volunteer Force: HQ Kuala Lumpur 1st Battalion: Ipoh, Perak 2nd Battalion: Kuala Lumpur, Selangor 3rd Battalion: Seremban, Negri Sembilan 4th Battalion: Kuantan, Pahang The Armoured Car Company: Ipoh The Light Artillery Battery: Kuala Lumpur Signal Company: Port Dickinson? Engineer Section: Port Dickinson? G. Unfederated States The Johore Military Forces: Johore Bharu The Johore Volunteer Infantry The Johore Volunteer Engineers: Johore Bharu The Kedah Volunteer Force: Alor Star The Kelantan Volunteer Force: Kota Bharu The Perak Rivers Platoon The Sultan Idris Company IX. Mauritius The Mauritius Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals HQ and 25th Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery: Port Louis 43rd Fortress Company, Royal Engineers The Mauritius Territorial Force: Rodriques X. The Pacific A. Fiji HQ Fiji Defence Force: Suva 1st Battalion, The Fiji Infantry Regiment: Suva (Battalion HQ, 3 Rifle Companies, and 1 MMG Company) The Fiji Defence Force Signals: Suva B. Sarawak The Sarawak Armed Police The Sarawak Rangers C. Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony The Ocean Island Defence Force: Ocean Island XI. The Middle East A. Aden HQ British Troops Aden HQ Royal Artillery Aden The Aden Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals Detachment, 8th Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery 9th (Minden) Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery 20th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 2/5th Mahratta Light Infantry: Khormaksar The Aden Protectorate Levies: Khormaksar Western Aden Protectorate Government Guards Tribal Guards Lahej Trained Forces Eastern Aden Protectorate Kathiri Armed Constabulary Mukalla Regular Army B. Gibraltar The Gibraltar Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 3rd Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery: Gibraltar South 4th, 27th Heavy Batteries, RA; 19th Anti-Aircraft Battery, RA HQ Royal Engineers 1st, 32nd Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers 2nd Battalion, The King's Regiment 2nd Battalion, The Somerset Light Infantry 1st Battalion, The Welsh Guards The Gibraltar Defence Force C. Malta The Malta Signal Company, Royal Corps of Signals 26th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery 15th, 40th, 48th, 71st Anti-Tank Batteries, RA (N.B. 40th/71st linked for a while in August 1939) 4th Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery: Tigne 6th, 10th, 23rd Heavy Batteries, RA 7th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery 10th, 13th Anti-Aircraft Batteries, RA 5th Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Malta Artillery: Delimara 6th Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Malta Artillery: Mtarfu 7th Searchlight Battery, Royal Malta Artillery: Mtarfu (Formed 5 September 1939) 16th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers 24th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers: Tigne (Included a Regular Maltese Section) 1st Battalion, The King's Own Malta Regiment: Lower St. Elmo The Royal Malta Artillery: HQ Upper St. Elmo 1st Heavy Battery, RMA: Fort Rocco 2nd Heavy Battery, RMA: Fort Tigne 3rd Heavy Battery, RMA: Fort St. Elmo 4th Heavy Battery, Royal Malta Artillery - Independent The Malta Brigade 2nd Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment 1st Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment: Tarxien 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Fusiliers D. Iraq The Iraq Levies: Habbaniya One Company, The Iraq Levies: Basra One Company, The Iraq Levies: Shuaiba No. 1 Armoured Car Company, Royal Air Force: Habbaniya E. Cyprus The Cyprus Detachment, Royal Corps of Signals 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, The Essex Regiment: Nicosia 'D' Company, 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters F. The Sudan 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment: Wadi Halfa (Arrived there 3/9/39 by boat from Egypt) 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment M-G: Khartoum North 2nd Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment: Khartoum South The Sudan Detachment, Royal Artillery: Port Sudan The Sudan Defence Force: HQ Khartoum Northern Area: HQ Khartoum The Shendi Horse: HQ Shendi, Northern Province Southern Area: HQ Torit The Equatorial Corps: HQ Torit, Equatorial Province Central Area: HQ El Obeid The Camel Corps: HQ El Obeid, Kardofan Province Eastern Area: HQ Gederaf The Eastern Arab Corps: HQ Gederaf, Kassala Province (Detachment at Kassala) Western Area: HQ El Fasher The Western Arab Corps: HQ El Fasher, Darfur Province XII. British Troops in Egypt A. Alexandria 3rd Battalion, The Coldstream Guards 1st Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Marines B. Moascar The Canal Brigade 1st Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment 1st Battalion, The Essex Regiment (One Company at Port Said and 'C' Company at Cyprus) C. Cairo The Egyptian Command Signals, Royal Corps of Signals HQ 7th Infantry Division (Enroute to Mersa Matruh) 18th Brigade and Cairo Area: HQ Abassia Barracks, Cairo 1st Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers M-G (Leaving for Mersa Matruh) 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Detachment: El Nil Barracks, Cairo D. The Delta The Delta Area Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 42nd, 54th Fortress Companies, Royal Engineers 45th Fortress Company, Regiment - ex Haifa, Palestine 19th Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery: Port Said and Suez 7th Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery 25th/26th, 27th/28th Medium Batteries 4th Royal Horse Artillery (Reformed on 3 September 1939) C, G, F Batteries, RHA (Less one Battery with Armoured Division (Egypt)) 11th Indian Infantry Brigade: HQ Fayid 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders 1/6th Rajputana Rifles 4/7th Rajput Regiment 4th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery: HQ Mena 4th, 7th, 14th, 66th Field Batteries, RA 18th Field Company, Bombay Sappers and Miners E. Mersa Matruh 2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 31st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 105th/119th, 116th/118th Field Batteries, RA 1st Battalion, The Buffs 2nd Battalion, The Scots Guards 1st Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment: El Daba (Egyptian LOC) The Armoured Division (Egypt) - Gerwala 1st Battalion, The King's Royal Rifle Corps: Near Wadi el Nagamish The Armoured Divisional Signals, Royal Corps of Signals 3rd Royal Horse Artillery D/J, M/P Batteries, RHA Battery, 4th Royal Horse Artillery Light Armoured Brigade (Egypt) - Gerwala 7th Hussars 8th Hussars 11th Hussars Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt) - Gerwala 1st Royal Tank Regiment 6th Royal Tank Regiment XIII. British Troops Palestine and Transjordan A. Jerusalem The Palestine Command Signals, Royal Corps of Signals 2nd Battalion, The Black Watch: Jerusalem (Detachments at Ramallah and Enab) 2nd Battalion, The Highland Light Infantry 2nd Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment: Hebron One Company: Dier Shalar One Company: Allar No. 2 Wireless Company, Royal Corps of Signals No. 2 Armoured Car Company, Royal Air Force: Jenin B. Lydda Area 56th Field Company, Royal Engineers Detachment, 8th Railway Company, Royal Engineers 1st Royal Dragoons: Gedera (Including 1 Squadron of 5th Dragoon Guards) The Royal Scots Greys: Rehovath Squadron, 4th/7th Dragoon Guards: Sarafand 2nd Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment: Sarafand 'D' Company: Tel Aviv One Company each at Lydda, Bir Salim and Jaffa C. The Defended Port of Haifa 17th Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery D. 8th Infantry Division 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers Detachment, 'A'/'E' Battery, 1st Royal Horse Artillery Detachment, 'B'/'O' Battery, 1st Royal Horse Artillery 14th Infantry Brigade: HQ Nablus, Central Palestine 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade: Nablus Fort 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders: Jenin 2nd Battalion, The Queen's Regiment: Tulkarm 16th Infantry Brigade: HQ North Palestine 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment: Nazareth-Tiberias 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment: Safad 2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment: Acre 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters: Haifa E. Transjordan The Transjordan Frontier Force: HQ Zarga The Arab Legion: HQ Amman The Desert Mechanized Force The Desert Patrol: Syria-Palestine Border XIV. The Royal West Africa Frontier Force A. Nigeria RHQ, The Nigeria Regiment: Kaduna 1st Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment: Kaduna 2nd Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment: Kano 3rd Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment (Less One Company): Enugu 4th Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment: Ibadan One Company: Lagos 5th Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment: Zaria Detachments: Maiguguri and Sokolo 1st Nigeria Light Artillery Battery: Zaria Signals Company: Zaria The Lagos Defence Force (European Reserve Force): Lagos The Engineer Cadre (European Reserve Force): Lagos B. The Cameroons 'B' Company, 3rd Battalion, The Nigeria Regiment: Victoria C. The Gold Coast RHQ, The Gold Coast Regiment: HQ Kumasi 1st Battalion, The Gold Coast Regiment: Kumasi 2nd Battalion, The Gold Coast Regiment: Tamale 1 Section, Light Artillery: Accra Signal Section: Kumasi 3rd Battalion, The Gold Coast Regiment (Gold Coast Territorial Force): Winneba The Gold Coast Regiment (Supplementary Reserve) The Gold Coast Defence Force (European Reserve Force) D. Sierra Leone The Sierra Leone Signal Section, Royal Corps of Signals 39th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers The Sierra Leone Heavy Battery, Royal Artillery: Freetown The Sierra Leone Battalion: Wilberforce, Freetown E. The Gambia The Gambia Company: Cape St. Mary XV. East Africa Force A. British Somaliland HQ and HQ Company, The Somaliland Camel Corps: Laferug 'A' (Camel) Company: Hargeisa 'B' (Nyasa Infantry) Company: Tug Argen 'C' Company: Burao 'D' Company: Tug Argen (Less 2 Platoons at Sheik) B. Kenya The Northern Brigade: HQ Nairobi The Coast Defence Rifle Company, King's African Rifles: Mombasa (Defended Port of Kilindini) 3rd Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Nairobi 4th Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Mombasa 'A' Company: Turkana 5th Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Nanyuki 1st Battalion, The Kenya Regiment (European Territorial Force): Nairobi No. 1 Company: Nairobi No. 2 Company: Nakura No. 3 Company: Eldoret The Coast Defence Battery, The Kenya Regiment (ETF): Mombasa 22nd Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery: Left Quetta, India on 1 September 1939 and arrived in East Africa on 11 September 1939 The Kenya Defence Force C. Tanganyika Territory The Southern Brigade: HQ Dar es Salaam 1st Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Moshi HQ, 'A' Company, 2nd Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Iringa 'B' Company, 2nd Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Mbeya 6th Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Dar el Salaam 'B' Company, 6th Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Tanga Province 'D' Company, 6th Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Iringa D. Uganda 7th Battalion, The King's African Rifles (Uganda Territorial Force): Bombas E. Nyasaland 'C' Company, 2nd Battalion, The King's African Rifles: Zomba The Nyasaland Volunteer Reserve (European) F. Northern Rhodesia 1st Battalion, The Northern Rhodesia Regiment: Bwana Mkubwa G. Southern Rhodesia No.1 Group, The Rhodesia Regiment: HQ Salisbury One Company Recruits One Company Leader Training One Company Specialists (HQ Company) One Light Artillery Battery (3.7" Howitzers) One Detached Company: Umtali No.2 Group, The Rhodesia Regiment: HQ Salisbury One Company Recruits One Company Leader Training One Company Specialists (HQ Company) One Reconnaissance Company One Detached Company: Gwelo |
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1862:
Admiral David Farragut captures New Orleans a day after his fleet successfully sailed past two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River.
1864: For the second time in a week, a Confederate force captures a Union wagon train trying to supply the Federal force at Camden, Arkansas. 1898: The United States declares war on Spain. 1915: Australian and New Zealand troops land at Gallipoli in Turkey. 1945: Eight Russian armies completely encircle Berlin, linking up with the U.S. First Army patrol, first on the western bank of the Elbe, then later at Torgau. Germany is, for all intents and purposes, Allied territory. 1952: After a three day fight against Chinese Communist Forces, the Gloucestershire Regiment is annihilated on "Gloucester Hill," in Korea. 1972: Hanois 320th Division drives 5,000 South Vietnamese troops into retreat and traps about 2,500 others in a border outpost northwest of Kontum in the Central Highlands. |
