The 1st (United Kingdom) Division, formerly known as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division and the 1st Division, is a division of the British Army.

Divisional history (1809–1959)

The 1st Division was formed following the disbandment of the

1st Infantry Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...

and was initially based with the British Army of the Rhine at Verden an der Aller in West Germany.

Cold War

During the 1970s, the division consisted of two "square" brigades, the 7th Armoured Brigade and

22nd Armoured Brigade The 22nd Armoured Brigade was an armoured brigade of the British Army that saw service during and after the Second World War. The brigade was formed on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939 from Territorial Army (TA) armoured regiments. ...

. It became the 1st Armoured Division in 1976 and served with

I (BR) Corps I Corps ("First Corps") was an army corps in existence as an active formation in the British Army for most of the 80 years from its creation in the First World War until the end of the Cold War, longer than any other corps. It had a short-liv ...

being based at Caithness and Shiel Barracks in

Verden Verden can refer to: * Verden an der Aller, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany * Verden, Oklahoma, a small town in the USA * Verden (district), a district in Lower Saxony, Germany * Diocese of Verden (768–1648), a former diocese of the Catholic Chur ...

in Germany from 1978. After being briefly reorganised into two "task forces" ("Alpha" and "Bravo") in the late 1970s, it consisted of the 7th Armoured Brigade, the 12th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade in the 1980s. The divisional badge dates from 1983, and combines the hollow red triangular "spearhead" badge of the 1st Infantry Division with the charging rhinoceros badge of 1st Armoured Division as displayed in the Second World War.

Gulf War

The headquarters of the division was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 to command British land forces in the Gulf War. It had the 4th Armoured Brigade and 7th Armoured Brigade under command. During the war, it came under the US VII Corps and was part of the great armoured left-hook that destroyed many Iraqi Republican Guard formations. The two brigades in the division alternated heading the advance. The division participated in the Battle of Norfolk.Bourque, p.260 During this engagement it destroyed several companies of Iraqi T-55 tanks.Bourque, p.275 After 48 hours of combat, the division destroyed or isolated four Iraqi infantry divisions (the 26th, 48th, 31st, and 25th) and overran the Iraqi 52nd Armoured Division in several sharp engagements. The division traveled 217 miles in 97 hours. It captured or destroyed about 300 tanks and a very large number of armoured personnel carriers, trucks, reconnaissance vehicles, etc. The division also took over 7,000 Iraqi prisoners of war including two division commanders and two other general officers.

1993 to 2020

In 1993, HQ 1st Armoured Division was disbanded and the 1st (UK) Armoured Division formed from the 4th Armoured Division. The headquarters were established at Wentworth Barracks in Herford, Germany, in 1993. In 1994 it had the 4th, 7th, and

20th Armoured Brigade The 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team, previously the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade, is an armoured infantry brigade formation of the British Army, currently headquartered at Wing Barracks, Bulford, Wiltshire, as part of the 3rd (United Kingdo ...

s, each with two armoured regiments with

Challenger tank There have been four tanks named Challenger in British military service. * Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger in service during World War II * Challenger 1 in service from the mid-1980s to early 21st century * Challenger 2 in service from 1998 onwards ...

s and two Warrior‐equipped armoured infantry battalions and an AS90 self‐propelled

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

regiment. The divisional headquarters was deployed in command of the Multi-National Division (South-West) in Bosnia in 1996–1997 and 1998–1999. The Division headquarters again deployed to the Persian Gulf area in 2003. It again commanded British forces in the area, this time with three full brigades under its control. Those were 7th Armoured Brigade again, along with

16 Air Assault Brigade 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, from 1999 to 2021 16 Air Assault Brigade, is a formation of the British Army based in Colchester in the county of Essex. It is the Army's rapid response airborne formation and is the only brigade in the Britis ...

, and

3 Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen f ...

. In a combined arms operation, the division secured southern Iraq, including the city of Basra during the invasion. It came under I Marine Expeditionary Force during the 2003 conflict. Under Army 2020, the division was renamed 1st (United Kingdom) Division in July 2014 and given responsibility for commanding the Adaptable Force; and then in June 2015, the divisional headquarters moved to Imphal Barracks in York.

Future

Under the Future Soldier programme, the divisional headquarters will move from their current base at Imphal Barracks in York to Catterick Garrison not before 2028. In addition, the 2nd Medical Brigade (to be reduced to 2nd Medical Group) and 1st Military Police Brigade (to be reduced to 1st Royal Military Provost Group) will both move under control of Commander Field Army.

Organisation

The brigades currently assigned to the division are: *

4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East 4th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters North East, previously known as 4th Mechanized Brigade and before that 4th Armoured Brigade is a brigade formation of the British Army, currently based in Catterick, North Yorkshire as part of 1st ...

, at Peronne Lines, Catterick Garrison * 7th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters East, at

Kendrew Barracks Kendrew Barracks is a British Army barracks located north east of Cottesmore, Rutland, England. The barracks opened in 2012 on the site of RAF Cottesmore. History Kendrew Barracks sits on the former site of RAF Cottesmore which was active ...

, Cottesmore *

11th Security Force Assistance Brigade The 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade is a brigade of the British Army which is intended to train and assist foreign forces. In 2021, under the Future Army changes, the brigade was redesignated, formerly being the 11th Infantry Brigade & HQ ...

, at Roebuck House,

Aldershot Garrison Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the villa ...

51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland is an Adaptable Force Brigade of the British Army. It is the regional administrative formation responsible for all the units of the Army Reserve based in Scotland and an Adaptable Force Brigade unde ...

, at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh *

8th Engineer Brigade 8th Engineer Brigade (8 Eng Bde) is an engineering support formation of the British Army, which forms part of 1st (United Kingdom) Division. History In August 2001, Headquarters Royal Engineers, Theatre Troops was established as a subdivision o ...

, at Gibraltar Barracks, Minley *

102nd Logistic Brigade 102nd Logistic Brigade (102 Log Bde) is a logistic brigade of the British Army. Its role is to force generate and force prepare fighting elements, including the Headquarters, globally, for current operations and deliver capability to contingent f ...

, at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham * 2nd Medical Brigade, at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall *

1st Military Police Brigade The 1st Military Police Brigade (1 MP Bde) is a policing formation of the British Army, which is the only one-star command of the Royal Military Police. The brigade was formed in 2014, but due to be reduced to a Colonel's command in 2022 and re ...

, at Marlborough Lines, Andover (since 1 December 2020) 1_UK_Division_Graphic_2021

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

References

* *

External links

1st (UK) Division
– on British Army official website
British Army Locations from 1945
British Army Locations from 1945

{{DEFAULTSORT:01 Armoured Division Armoured divisions of the British Army in World War II British armoured divisions British forces in Germany 1939 establishments in the United Kingdom Military units and formations of the British Empire in World War II Military units and formations established in 1960