These figures represent the war establishment, the paper strength, of an armoured division. In 1939, an armoured division was to have 9,442 men, close to 400 guns, 351 tanks and about 3,000 vehicles. By 1944, a division was supposed to have 14,964 men, 126 guns, 366 tanks and around 4,000 vehicles. [2] Various organisational changes were introduced throughout the war that changed the composition of armoured divisions. More information can be found at British Army during the Second World War and British armoured formations of the Second World War. https://sightscotland.org.uk/articles/blog/wwii-desert-rat-shares-experiences-battle-africa-and-europe

Prahsu, covering 72 miles through jungle. It was in this campaign that as members of the Telegraph Battalion staggered out of the jungle then confronted King Prempeh who so surprised by their action then offered the surrender of his Army. King Prempeh's throne is now displayed in the Royal Signals Museum at to the German armour. The 15th Panzer Division was on the northern flank to the Ariete Armoured Division

British response

The Regiment was raised in 1674 in the service of the Prince of Orange as the Irish Regiment. Placed on the English establishments in 1685, 5th Foot in 1751. and as Divisional troops, a company of Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and a Field Ambulance unit. It was this force that was to form the nucleus of the Division that was to follow.

Brigade was posted to Cyprus and given the status of a Corps and given unlimited powers to hire local labour to build a hospital to serve the wounded, after the fall of Crete. Montgomery – by now a veritable expert at training and preparation – instilled morale and ensured his troops were well briefed and drilled. Meanwhile, the Americans agreed to re-equip the British armoured divisions, sending Sherman tanks from overseas to bolster their forces. Barr, Niall (2004). Pendulum of War: The Three Battles of El Alamein. London: Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0-22406-195-7. Desert Rats embark upon final fundraising push for memorial". The Thetford and Brandon Times. 24 June 2021. the Military Mounted Police and Military Foot Police were amalgamated to form the Corps of Military Police. Between 1918-39, Military Police saw worldwide service from Ireland during the struggle leading to partition, to the insurrections in Palestine.

Later design

Playfair, I. S. O.; etal. (2004) [1956]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The Mediterranean and Middle East: The Germans Come to the Help of their Ally (1941). History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. Vol.II. London: Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84574-066-5. After serving everywhere during the First World War, in 1918, it was named the Royal Army Service Corps. British doctrine initially defined light tanks as reconnaissance vehicles armed only with machine guns. [13]

We were taken prisoner. Of course! No point in putting up a fight. I think they admired the way we just calmly ignored them as they drove up. Or it may have been just disbelief at these crazy Englishmen! We were treated alright. We were the Desert Rats and Rommel was the Desert Fox after all! There was a bit of a mutual respect. They later told us, ‘We wondered what we were up against when we saw you calmly walking through the barrage of shells, and then sit down to a meal!’Halfa were the New Zealanders, the re-equipped 7th Armoured, along with the Free French of Bir Hacheim fame. The office of the Provost Marshal is the oldest in the British Army. Prior to the formation of the Military Police, the Provost undertook the role of policing the NZASC and RIASC] ( RASC ), Royal Army Ordnance Corps ( RAOC ), Royal Army Medical Corps ( RAMC ) and Army Dental Corps ( ADC ), the Royal Corps of Signals ( R.Sigs ), The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was created the better to control the growing Allied forces based in Egypt and to direct their efforts to lift the siege of Tobruk via Operation Crusader.