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The Divisional HQ was formed 2 October 1939 in the UK. Though only partially trained and very ill-equipped, units of the division, including the 2/5th Sherwood Foresters, fought in France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force and were subsequently evacuated at Dunkirk. |
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16 DLI were assigned to the Division in late 1940, replacing the 9th Sherwood Foresters. 137 Brigade (2/5th West Yorkshire Regt, 2/5th DWR, 2/7th DWR) were replaced by 128 Brigade in Sept 1942. |
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The nominal strength of an infantry division in 1942 was around 17,500 officers and men The Division's Commander in North Africa was Major General H A Freeman-Attwood. The main components of the 46th Division on Embarkation to North Africa in December 1942 were: |
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128 Infantry Brigade |
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lst/4th Bn The Hampshire Regiment |
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2nd/4th Bn The Hampshire Regiment (later redesignated the 2nd) |
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5th Bn The Hampshire Regiment |
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138 Infantry Brigade |
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6th Bn The Lincolnshire Regiment |
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2nd/4th Bn The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry |
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6th Bn The York & Lancaster Regiment |
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139 Infantry Brigade |
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2nd/5th Bn The Leicestershire Regiment |
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2nd/5th Bn The Sherwood Foresters (later redesignated the 5th) |
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16th Bn The Durham Light Infantry |
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46th Reconnaissance Regiment |
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Plus: 2/7th Bn The Middlesex Regiment (a machine gun battalion, equipped with Vickers MMGs), replaced by the 2nd Bn Northumberland Fusiliers, May 1943, which was in turn replaced by the 9th Bn Manchester Regt in May 1944. |
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Royal Artillery |
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70th Field Regiment |
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71st Field Regiment |
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172nd Field Regiment |
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58th Anti-Tank Regiment |
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115th Light Anti-Aircraft |
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Royal Engineers |
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270th Field Company |
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271st Field Company |
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272nd Field Company |
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273rd Field Park Company |
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RASC |
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520 Coy (Inf Bde) |
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519 Coy (Inf Bde) |
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570 Coy (Inf Bde) |
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521 Coy (Inf Div Trps) |
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RAMC |
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183 Field Ambulance |
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184 Field Ambulance |
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185 Field Ambulance |
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15th Field Hygiene Section |
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REME |
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128 Inf Bde Workshops |
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138 Inf Bde Workshops |
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139 Inf Bde Workshops |
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46 Div Light Aid Detachments |
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46 Light Recovery Section |
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46 Infantry Troops Workshop |
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RAOC |
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46 Division Ordinance Field Park |
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60 Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit |
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ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS |
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46th Divisional Signals |
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CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE |
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46th Divisional Provost Company |
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NEXT: Chain of Command: Battalion, Brigade, Divison. |
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16 DLI Concise History Index Page. |
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46th Infantry Division Component Units |
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‘A Sherwood Forest Oak set on a black square. The tree had a brown trunk and green foliage and was edged with a narrow white border. The Oak being an emblem of strength and reliability.’ |
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Described as such in a wartime First Army publication, the recognition badge of the 46th Infantry Division was worn on each shoulder of the soldier’s battledress. The example illustrated above, which is also featured on the website homepage, was given to me by my father’s C Company, 16 DLI platoon mate Les Bernard, of Scarborough. |