How many men were in a British division in ww2?
During the World Wars, the average British division numbered around 16,000 men. Divisions are commanded by a lieutenant-general or major-general.
How many divisions were in the British Army ww2?
The 85 divisional formations included two airborne, 12 anti-aircraft, 11 armoured, one cavalry, ten coastal defence (known as County Divisions) and 49 infantry divisions. At the end of the war, in 1945, the British Army had 24 divisions.
Were there platoons in ww2?
Three squads made up a platoon. Three platoons were a rifle company. Three rifle companies with a weapons and headquarters company made up an infantry battalion.
How many UK soldiers died in ww2?
In WWII there were 384,000 soldiers killed in combat, but a higher civilian death toll (70,000, as opposed to 2,000 in WWI), largely due to German bombing raids during the Blitz: 40,000 civilians died in the seven-month period between September 1940 and May 1941, almost half of them in London.
How long was British Army basic training in ww2?
Limited conscription of men Plans for limited conscription applying to single men aged between 20 and 22 were given parliamentary approval in the Military Training Act in May 1939. This required men to undertake six months’ military training, and some 240,000 registered for service.
What is the most elite unit in the British army?
The Special Air Service (SAS)
The Special Air Service (SAS) The SAS is one of the world’s most renowned and respected special forces regiments.
Which country had the best soldiers in ww2?
Japan had the best trained soldiers individually, but Germany had the most effective troopers as per military doctrine ( in battlefield conditions). So for results with given equipment which was usually meager,the Germans faired best.
How many airborne battalions did the British have?
The Airborne Forces of the British Army consists of the parachute troops and glider-borne troops of all arms of service. Officers and men in any regiment or corps, may apply for transfer to a parachute or glider-borne unit of the Airborne Forces. By the end of the war the British Army had raised seventeen parachute and eight airlanding battalions.
How many infantry divisions did the British have in World War 2?
During the war, the British Army raised 43 infantry divisions. Not all of these existed at the same time, and several were formed purely as training or administrative formations. Ten divisions were raised from the regular army, eleven from the first-line territorial army and twelve from the second-line territorial army.
What was the name of the British Army during World War 2?
At the start of the war, the British Army possessed only two armoured divisions: the Mobile Division, formed in Britain in October 1937, and the Mobile Division (Egypt), formed in the autumn of 1938 following the Munich Crisis, These two divisions were later redesignated the 1st Armoured Division, in April 1939,…
What was a motor battalion in the British Army?
These were mechanized infantry companies that operated within a Motor Battalion subordinate to Armoured Brigades. These were different from Rifle Companies part of an Armoured Division’s Infantry Brigade, who were just standard infantry units that were motorized by divisional lorries.