The 8th Army at EL ALAMEIN, October 1942
v.1.0 April 29, 2001
This historical Order of Battle is the work of Dr. Graham Watson. Readers may be interested in comparing this orbat to the one shown from Italian files and written by Mr. Miles Glorious.
BRITISH ARMY
[includes Commonwealth and Allied Forces]
XXX Corps and XIII Corps listed in line from north to south
X Corps was in reserve until XXX Corps had achieved the breakthrough
8th Armoured Division was broken up before the battle and its armoured brigades distributed to other formations.
44th Infantry Division was partially broken up and two of its brigades were allocated to other formations
8th ARMY [Lt General B L Montgomery]
Kings Dragoon Guards
3 South African Armoured Car Regiment
4/8 South African Armoured Car Regiment
8 Army Troops RE
295 Field Company RE
566 Army Troops Company RE
568 Army Troops Company RE
25 Field Company South African Engineers
27 Field Company, South African Engineers
31 Field Company, South African Engineers
8 Army Signals
HQ 8TH ARMOURED DIVISION [Major General Gairdner]
146 Field Regiment RA
73 Anti-tank Regiment RA
56 LAA Regiment RA
6 Field Squadron RE
9 Field Squadron RE
145 Field Park Squadron RE
8 Armoured Division Signals
1st Army Tank Brigade [Brigadier Price]
42 Royal Tank Regiment
44 Royal Tank Regiment
both equipped with minesweeping Matilda tanks
XXX CORPS [Lt General Leese]
7 Medium Regiment RA
64 Medium Regiment RA
69 Medium Regiments RA
66 Mortar Coy RE
11 Field Company, South African Engineers
13 Field Company, South African Engineers
22 Field Park Company, South African Engineers
30 Corps Signals
9TH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION [Major General Morshead]
9 Division Cavalry Regiment
2/2 Machine Gun Battalion
2/3 Pioneer Battalion
2/7 Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
2/8 Field Regiment, RAA
2/12 Field Regiment RAA
3 Anti-tank Regiment, RAA
4 LAA Regiment, RAA
2/3 Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers
2/7 Field Company RAE
2/13 Field Company RAE
2/4 Field Park Company RAE
9 Australian Division Signals
24 Australian Brigade [ Brigadier Godfrey]
2/28 Bn
2/32 Bn
2/43 Bn
26 Australian Brigade [ Brigadier Whitehead]
2/23 Bn
2/24 Bn
2/48 Bn
20 Australian Brigade [ Brigadier Wrigley]
2/13 Bn
2/15 Bn
2/17 Bn
51ST (Highland) INFANTRY DIVISION [Major General Wimberley]
51 Recce Battalion
1/7 Bn Middlesex Regiment (machine gun bn)
126 Field Regiment RA
127 Field Regiment RA
128 Field Regiment RA
61 Anti-tank Regiment RA
40 LAA Regiment RA
274 Field Company RE
275 Field Company RE
276 Field Company RE
239 Field Park Company RE
51 Highland Division Signals
152 Infantry Brigade [ Brigadier Murray]
2 Bn Seaforth Highlanders
5 Bn Seaforth Highlanders
5 Bn Cameron Highlanders
153 Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Graham]
5 Bn Black Watch
1 Bn Gordon Highlanders
4/7 Bn Gordon Highlanders
154 Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Houldsworth]
1 Bn Black Watch
7 Bn Black Watch
7 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
2ND NEW ZEALAND DIVISION [Lt General Freyberg]
2 NZ Division Cavalry Regiment
27 Bn (machine gun bn)
4 Field Regiment Royal NZ Artillery
5 Field Regiment RNZA
6 Field Regiment RNZA
7 Anti-tank Regiment RNZA
14 LAA Regiment RNZA
6 Field Company Royal NZ Engineers
7 Field Company RNZE
8 Field Company RNZE
5 Field Park Company RNZE
2 NZ Division Signals
5 New Zealand Infantry Brigade [ Brigadier Kippenberger]
21 Bn
22 Bn
23 Bn
28 (Maori) Bn
6 New Zealand Infantry Brigade [ Brigadier Gentry]
24 Bn
25 Bn
26 Bn
9 Armoured Brigade[Brigadier Currie]
–35 Sherman, 37 Grant, 46 Crusader =118
3 Hussars
Wiltshire Yeomanry
Warwickshire Yeomanry
14 Bn Sherwood Foresters
1ST SOUTH AFRICAN DIVISION [Major General Pienaar]
3 South African Arm Car Regiment
Regiment President Steyn
2 Regiment Botha
1 Field Regiment, South African Artillery
4 Field Regiment SAA
7 Field Regiment, SAA
1 Anti-tank Regiment, SAA
1 LAA Regiment, SAA
1 Field Company, South African Engineers
2 Field Company, SAE
3 Field Company, SAE
5 Field Company, SAE
19 Field Park Company, SAE
1 SA Division Signals
2 South African Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Cape Town Highlanders
1 Natal Mounted Rifles
1st/2nd Field Force Battalion
3 South African Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Imperial Light Horse
1 Rand Light Infantry
1 Royal Durban Light Infantry
1 South African Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Duke of Edinburgh’s Own Regiment
1 Royal Natal Carabiniers
1 Transvaal Scottish
4TH INDIAN DIVISION [Major General Tuker]
Central India Horse
5th Bn 6th Rajputana Regiment (machine gun)
1 Field Regiment RA
11 Field Regiment RA
32 Field Regiment RA
149 Anti-tank Regiment RA
57 LAA Regiment RA
4 Field Company, Bengal Sappers & Miners
12 Field Company, Madras Sapppers & Miners
21 Field Company, Bombay Sappers & Miners
11 Field Park Company, Madras Sappers & Miners
4 Indian Division Signals
5 Indian Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Russell]
1st/4th Bn Essex Regiment
3rd Bn 10th Baluch Regiment
4th Bn 6th Rajputana Regiment
7 Indian Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
4th Bn 16th Punjab Regiment
1st Bn 2nd Gurkha Rifles
161 Indian Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Bn Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
1st Bn 1st Punjab Regiment
4th Bn 7th Rajput Rifles
23 Armoured Brigade[Brigadier Richards]
186 Valentine tanks
8 Royal Tank Regiment [u/c 1 SA Division]
40 Royal Tank Regiment
46 Royal Tank Regiment
50 Royal Tank Regiment
XIII CORPS [Lt General Horrocks]
577 Field Company RE
578 Field Company RE
576 Field Park Company RE
13 Corps Signals
50TH (Northumbrian) INFANTRY DIVISION [Major General Nichols]
2 Bn Cheshire Regiment (machine gun bn)
74 Field Regiment RA
111 Field Regiment RA
124 Field Regiment RA
154 Field Regiment RA
102 Anti-tank Regiment RA
34 LAA Regiment RA
233 Field Company RE
505 Field Company RE
235 Field Park Company RE
50 Northumbrian Division Signals
1 Greek Infantry Brigade [Brigadier ]
1 Infantry Battalion
2 Infantry Battalion
3 Infantry Battalion
1 Artillery Regiment
1 Machine Gun Company
1 Engineer Company
151 Infantry Brigade [ Brigadier Percy]
6 Bn Durham Light Infantry
8 Bn Durham Light Infantry
9 Bn Durham Light Infantry
69 Infantry Brigade [ Brigadier Cooke-Collis]
5 Bn East Yorkshire Regiment
6 Bn Green Howards
7 Bn Green Howards
44TH (Home Counties) INFANTRY DIVISION [Major General Hughes]
44 Recce Battalion
6 Bn Cheshire Regiment (machine gun bn)
53 Field Regiment RA
57 Field Regiment RA
58 Field Regiment RA
65 Field Regiment RA
57 Anti-tank Regiment RA
30 LAA Regiment RA
11 Field Company RE
209 Field Company RE
210 Field Company RE
211 Field Park Company RE
44 Home Counties Division Signals
132 Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Robertson]
2 Bn The Buffs
4 Bn Royal West Kent Regiment
5 Bn Royal West Kent Regiment
7TH ARMOURED DIVISION [Major General Harding]
1 Household Cavalry Regiment
11th Hussars [ex 4ArmBde]
2nd Derbyshire Yeomanry [ex 8 ArmDiv]
3 Field Regiment RHA
4 Field Regiment RA
97 Field Regiment RA
65 Anti-tank Regiment RA
15 LAA Regiment RA
4 Field Squadron RE
21 Field Squadron RE
143 Field Park Squadron RE
7 Armoured Division Signals
4 Light Armoured Brigade [Brigadier Roddick]
=57 Stuart, 14 Grant –71 tanks
Royal Scots Greys
4th/8th Hussars
1Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps
22 Armoured Brigade [Brigadier Roberts]
=57 Grant, 46 Crusader, 19 Stuart-122 tanks
1 Royal Tank Regiment
5 Royal Tank Regiment
4 County of London Yeomanry
1 Bn Rifle Brigade
131 Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Stamer]
1/5 Bn Queens Regiment
1/6 Bn Queens Regiment
1/7 Bn Queens Regiment
1 Free French Brigade [Koenig]
2 Foreign Legion Bn
3 Foreign Legion Bn
1 March Bn
1 Artillery Regiment
X CORPS [Lt Gen Lumsden]
571 Field Company RE
572 Field Company RE
573 Field Company RE
570 Field Park Company RE
10 Corps Signals
1ST ARMOURED DIVISION [Major General Briggs]
12 Lancers
4/6 South African Armoured Car Regiment
2 Field Regiment RHA
4 Field Regiment RHA
11 Field Regiment RHA [ex 8ArmDiv]
76 Anti-tank Regiment RA
42 LAA Regiment RA
1 Field Squadron RE
7 Field Squadron RE
1 Field Park Squadron RE
1 Armoured Division Signals
2 Armoured Brigade [ Brigadier Fisher]
=92 Sherman, 68 Crusaader-160 tanks
Queens Bays
9th Lancers
10th Hussars
Yorkshire Dragoons
7 Motor Brigade [Brigadier Bosvile]
2 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps
2 Bn Rifle Brigade
7 Bn Rifle Brigade
10TH ARMOURED DIVISION [Major General Gatehouse]
Royal Dragoons
1 Field Regiment RHA
5 Field Regiment RHA[ex 8ArmDiv]
104 Field Regiment RHA [ex 8ArmDiv]
98 Field Regiment RA
84 Anti-tank Regiment RA
53 LAA Regiment RA
2 Field Squadron RE
3 Field Squadron RE
141 Field Park Squadron RE
10 Armoured Division Signals
8 Armoured Brigade [ Brigadier Custance]
=45 Crusader, 57 Grant, 31 Sherman-133 tanks
3 Royal Tank Regiment
Sherwood Rangers
Staffordshire Yeomanry
24 Armoured Brigade [Brigadier Kenchington]
=93 Sherman, 45 Crusader=138 tanks
41 Royal Tank Regiment
45 Royal Tank Regiment
47 Royal Tank Regiment
11 Bn Kings Royal Rifle Corps
133 Infantry Brigade [Brigadier Lee]
2 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
4 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment
5 Bn Royal Sussex Regiment