British Expeditionary Force
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF ) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II . The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Boer War in case Britain ever needed to deploy quickly a force to take part in an overseas war.
World War I
On the outbreak of World War I , the BEF was sent to Belgium under the command of General Sir John French . The BEF was composed of four regular infantry divisions , rising later to seven infantry and three cavalry divisions. It suffered heavy casualties in its first battle at Mons , but helped to halt the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne .
In December 1914 , the British Expeditionary Force was divided into the First and Second Armies, with a third and fourth created later in the war. Although the term British Expeditionary Force strictly refers only to the forces sent initially to France in 1914, the name is often used of the British Army in France and Flanders throughout the First World War.
World War II
Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the British Expeditionary Force was sent to the Franco-Belgian border. By May 1940, when German attacks began, it consisted of ten infantry divisions in three corps , a tank brigade and an RAF detachment of about 500 aircraft. Commanded by General Lord Gort , although constituting only a tenth of the defending Allied force it sustained heavy losses during the German advance and the remainder were evacuated from Dunkirk in June, leaving much of their equipment behind.
Order of Battle (WWII)
1st Infantry Division (Major-General H. R. L. G. Alexander )
HQ Royal Artillery
2nd Field Regiment, RA
19th Field Regiment, RA
24th Field Regiment, RA
21st Anti-Tank Regiment , RA
HQ Royal Engineers
17th Field Company, RE
23rd Field Company, RE
26th Field Company, RE
6th Field Park Company, RE
Divisional Headquarters
13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)
2 Battalion Cheshire Regiment [Machine Gun]
1st Divisional Signals
1st Infantry Brigade (Guards')
2nd Infantry Brigade
3rd Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment
2nd Battalion Sherwood Foresters
1st Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry
3rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
2nd Infantry Division - (Major-General H. C. Lloyd)
HQ Royal Artillery
10th Field Regiment, RA
16th Field Regiment, RA
18th Field Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
5th Field Company, RE
11th Field Company, RE
38th Field Company, RE
21st Field Park Company, RE
Divisional Headquarters
2nd Divisional Signals
4th Infantry Brigade
5th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment
7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
5th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
6th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers
1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry
6th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
48th (South Midland) Infantry Division ) - (Major-General A. F. A. N. Thorne)
HQ Royal Artillery
67th Field Regiment, RA
68th Field Regiment, RA
99th Field Regiment, RA
53rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
224th Field Company, RE
225th Field Company, RE
226th Field Company, RE
227th Field Park Company, RE
143rd Infantry Brigade
144th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Royal Warwick's
5th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
145th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1st (Buckinghamshire Battalion) The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
3rd Infantry Division - (Major-General B. L. Montgomery )
HQ Royal Artillery
7th Field Regiment, RA
23rd Field Regiment, RA
33rd Field Regiment, RA
20th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
246th Field Company, RE
248th Field Company, RE
253rd Field Company, RE
15th Field Park Company, RE
Divisional Headquarters
15th/19th King's Royal Hussars
2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment [Machine Gun]
3rd Divisional Signals
7th Guards' Brigade
1st Battalion Grenadier Guards
2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
7th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
8th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment
2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
4th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
8th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
9th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers
2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
9th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
4th Division - (Major-General D. G. Johnson)
HQ Royal Artillery
17th Field Regiment, RA
22nd Field Regiment, RA
30th Field Regiment, RA
14th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
7th Field Company, RE
9th Field Company, RE
59th Field Company, RE
18th Field Park Company, RE
Divisional Headquarters
10th Infantry Brigade
11th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment
5th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment
11th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
12th Infantry Brigade
50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division - (Major-General G. Le Q. Martel)
HQ Royal Artillery
72nd Field Regiment, RA
74th Field Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
232nd Field Company, RE
505th Field Company, RE
235th Field Park Company, RE
Divisional Headquarters
4/Royal Northumberland Fusiliers [Machine Gun]
150th Infantry Brigade
4th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
4th Battalion Green Howards
5th Battalion Green Howards
151st Infantry Brigade
6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
8th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
25th Infantry Brigade
1/7th Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment
2nd Battalion Essex Regiment 1st Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers
III Corps - (Lieutenant-General Sir R. F. Adam)42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division - (Major-General W. G. Holmes)
HQ Royal Artillery
51st Field Regiment, RA
52nd Field Regiment, RA
53rd Field Regiment, RA
56th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
200th Field Company, RE
201st Field Company, RE
202nd Field Company, RE
203rd Field Park Company, RE
125th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Border Regiment
5th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
6th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers
126th Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment
5th Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment
5th Battalion Border Regiment
127th Infantry Brigade
44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division - (Major-General E. A. Osborne)
HQ Royal Artillery
57th Field Regiment, RA
58th Field Regiment, RA
65th Field Regiment, RA
57th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
HQ Royal Engineers
208th Field Company, RE
209th Field Company, RE
210th Field Company, RE
211th Field Park Company, RE
131st Infantry Brigade
2nd. Battalion The Buffs
5th Battalion The Queen's
6th Battalion The Queen's
132nd Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
4th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
5th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
133rd Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
5th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
G.H.Q. Reserve
5th Infantry Division - (Major-General H. E. Franklyn)
13th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion The Cameronians
2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment
17th Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers
2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
12th Infantry Division - (Major-General R. L. Petre)
35th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment
2/6th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment
2/7th Battalion The Queen's Royal Regiment
36th Infantry Brigade
5th Battalion The Buffs
6th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
7th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
37th Infantry Brigade
2/6th Battalion East Surrey Regiment
6th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
23rd Infantry Division - (Major-General A. E. Herbert)
69th Infantry Brigade
5th Battalion East Yorks
6th Battalion Green Howards
7th Battalion Green Howards
70th Infantry Brigade
10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
11th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
1st Battalion The Tyneside Scottish
46th Infantry Division - (Major-General H. C. Curtis)
137th Infantry Brigades
2/5th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment
2/6th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment
2/7th Battalion Duke of Wellington's Regiment
138th Infantry Brigade
6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment
274th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
6th Battalion York & Lancaster Regiment
139th Infantry Brigade
2/5th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment
2/5th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters
51st Infantry Division - (Major-General V. M. Fortune)
152nd Infantry Brigade
2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
4th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders
4th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
153rd Infantry Brigade
4th Battalion Black Watch
1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders
5th Battalion Gordon Highlanders
154th Infantry Brigade
1st Armoured Division - (Major-General R. Evans)
2nd Armoured Brigade
Queen's Bays
9th Royal Lancers
10th Royal Hussars
3rd Armoured Brigade
2nd Battalion Royal Tank Corps
3rd Battalion Royal Tank Corps
5th Battalion Royal Tank Corps
1st Support Group
101st L.A.A. Anti-Tank Regiment
20th Guards Brigade
30th Infantry Brigade
52nd Infantry Division - (Major-General J. S. Drew)
155th Infantry Brigade
156th Infantry Brigade
4/5th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers
6th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
7th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
157th Infantry Brigade
