The British Expeditionary Force, May 1940
v.1 0 August 12, 2001
Graham Watson
SUPPORT AND SERVICE TROOPS
GHQ BEF, Arras
GHQ Signals
2 Wireless Company
GHQ Troops Engineers
100, 101, 216 Army Tps Coys, 228, 242 Fd Coys, 223 Fd Pk Coy
19 Fd Survey Coy
1 Bridging Coy RASC
1 Chemical Warfare Group RE=58, 61, 62 CW Coys RE
GHQ Troops RASC
1, 2, 3 GHQ Coys [formed from 20,11, ? Coys RASC]
1, 2, 3, 4 GHQ Artillery Coys [13, 53, 81, 94 Coys RASC]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Reserve MT Coys RASC
1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18 Troop Carrying Coys RASC
HQ Force K, Indian Troops
22, 25, 29, 32 Animal Troops Coys IASC
Attached Royal Air Force
1 Air Formation Signals
2 Air Formation Signals
I CORPS
1 Corps Signals, Douai
1 Corps Troops Engineers
102, 107, 221 Army Fd Coys, 115 Corps Fd Pk Coy, 13 Corps Fd Svy Coy
1 Corps Troops RASC
Amn Coy, Amn Park, Corps Troops Supply Column, Petrol Park
2 Provost Company
II CORPS
2 Corps Signals (1 London Corps Signals), Phalamgin
2 Corps Troops Engineers
222, 234, 240 Army Fd Coys, 108 Corps Fd Pk Coy, 14 Corps Fd Svy Coy
2 Corps Troops RASC
Amn Coy, Amn Park, Corps Troops Supply Column, Petrol Park
9 Provost Company
III CORPS
3 Corps Signals (North Midland Corps Signals),
3 Corps Troops Engineers
213, 214, 217 Army Fd Coys, 293 Corps Fd Pk Coy, 514 Corps Fd Svy Coy
3 Corps Troops RASC
Amn Coy, Amn Park, Corps Troops Supply Column, Petrol Park
8 Provost Company
1ST INFANTRY DIVISION
1 Infantry Division Signals
1 Infantry Division RE
23, 238, 248 Fd Coys, 6 Fd Pk Coy
1 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [formed from 7, 40, 42 Coys RASC]
1 Infantry Division RAOC
1 Infantry Division RAMC
Fd Amb Fd Amb Fd Amb
2ND INFANTRY DIVISION
2 Infantry Division Signals
2 Infantry Division RE
5, 208, 506 Fd Coys, 21 Fd Pk Coy
2 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [8, 24, 29 Coys RASC]
2 Infantry Division RAOC
2 Infantry Division RAMC
Fd Amb Fd Amb Fd Amb
3RD INFANTRY DIVISION
3 Infantry Division Signals
3 Infantry Division RE
17, 246, 253 Fd Coys, 15 Fd Pk Coy
3 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [23, 47, 48 Coys RASC]
3 Infantry Division RAOC
3 Infantry Division RAMC
Fd Amb Fd Amb Fd Amb
4TH INFANTRY DIVISION
4 Infantry Division Signals
4 Infantry Division RE
7, 59, 225 Fd Coys, 18 Fd Pk Coy
4 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [21, 38, 44 Coys RASC]
4 Infantry Division RAOC
4 Infantry Division RAMC
Fd Amb Fd Amb Fd Amb
5TH INFANTRY DIVISION
5 Infantry Division Signals
5 Infantry Division RE
245, 252 Fd Coys, 254 Fd Pk Coy [38 Fd Coy det to Norway]
5 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [19, 34, 51 Coys RASC]
5 Infantry Division RAOC
5 Infantry Division RAMC
Fd Amb Fd Amb Fd Amb
42ND (EAST LANCASHIRE) INFANTRY DIVISION
42 Infantry Division Signals
42 Infantry Division RE
200, 201, 202 Fd Coys, 250 Fd Pk Coy
42 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [501, 502, 503 Coys RASC]
42 Infantry Division RAOC
42 Infantry Division RAMC
125 Fd Amb 126 Fd Amb 127 Fd Amb
44TH (HOME COUNTIES) INFANTRY DIVISION
44 Infantry Division Signals
44 Infantry Division RE
11, 210, 211 Fd Coys, 211 Fd Pk Coy
44 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [507, 508, 509 Coys RASC]
44 Infantry Division RAOC
44 Infantry Division RAMC
131 Fd Amb 132 Fd Amb 133 Fd Amb
48TH (SOUTH MIDLAND) INFANTRY DIVISION
48 Infantry Division Signals
48 Infantry Division RE
9, 224, 226 Fd Coys, 227 Fd Pk Coy
48 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [516, 517, 518 Coys RASC]
48 Infantry Division RAOC
48 Infantry Division RAMC
143 Fd Amb 144 Fd Amb 145 Fd Amb
50TH (NORTHUMBRIAN) INFANTRY DIVISION
50 Infantry Division Signals
50 Infantry Division RE
232, 505 Fd Coys 235 Fd Pk Coy [no 3rd fd coy]
50 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [522, 523, 524 Coys RASC]
50 Infantry Division RAOC
50 Infantry Division RAMC
149 Fd Amb 150 Fd Amb 151 Fd Amb
51ST (HIGHLAND) INFANTRY DIVISION
51 Infantry Division Signals
51 Infantry Division RE
26, 236, 237 Fd Coys, 239 Fd Pk Coy
51 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column [528, 529, 530 Coys RASC]
51 Infantry Division RAOC
51 Infantry Division RAMC
152 Fd Amb 156 Fd Amb 157 Fd Amb
HQ LINES OF COMMUNICATION, Le Mans
HQ Lines of Communication Area
1 Lines of Communication Signals
2 Lines of Communication Signals
[NB became II Corps Signals in Normandy June 1940]
Railway Training Company RE
HQ LofC Troops RE
103, 104, 106, 110, 212, 218 Army Troops Coys
113, 114, 115, 116 Road Cons Coys
109 Wksp & Pk Coy
651, 652 Artisan Works Coys
653, 654, 656 Gen Cons Coys
129 Forestry Coy
1 Map Depot
1 Engineer Stores Base Depot
2 Engineer Stores Base Depot
1 Engineer Base Workshop
LoC Depot RE
HQ LofC Troops RASC
1, 2 LofC Rh MT Coys
1, 2, 3, 4 Lof MT Coys
1 (later 37), 2, 3 Ambulance Car Coys
1, 2, 3, 5 BSD Coys
1, 2, 3, 4 Field Butcheries
1, 3, 4 Field Bakeries
1, 2, 3 Supply Personnel Coys
1, 2, 3 Base Petrol Filling Centres
1, 2, 3 Bulk Petrol Coys
1, 2, 3 Petrol Depots
1 Petrol Storage Coy
A, B, C Motor Transport Vehicle Parks
1, 2, 3 Workshop MT Coys [formerly 76, 214, 215 Coys RASC]
1, 2 Pack Transport Coys
‘Y’ AA Bde Coy
101-104 Provost Companies
HQ North District
HQ South District
1 Sub Area (Cherbourg)
2 Sub Area (Le Mans)
Rennes Sub area
Rouen Sub Area
1 Medical Base Sub area (Dieppe)
2 Base Sub Area (Nantes)
3 Base Sub Area (Havre)
4 Base Sub Area (Boulogne)
5 Base Sub Area (Marseilles)
1 General Base Depot
2 General Base Depot
12TH (EASTERN) INFANTRY DIVISION
12 Infantry Division Signals-despatch rider detachment –rest in UK
12 Infantry Division RE
262, 263, 264 Fd Coys, 265 Fd Pk Coy
12 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Coy
12 Infantry Division RAOC
12 Infantry Division RAMC
23RD (NORTHERN) INFANTRY DIVISION
23 Infantry Division Signals-remained in UK
23 Infantry Division RE
233, 507 Fd Coys, 508 Fd Pk Coy [no 3rd fd coy]
23 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column
23 Infantry Division RAOC
23 Infantry Division RAMC
46TH (NORTH MIDLAND) INFANTRY DIVISION
46 Infantry Division Signals-despatch rider detachment-rest in UK
46 Infantry Division RE
270, 271, 272 Fd Coys, 273 Fd Pk Coy
46 Infantry Division RASC
Amn Coy, Petrol Coy, Supply Column
46 Infantry Division RAOC
46 Infantry Division RAMC
*** Uncertain about how complete the above three divisions were-had left artillery in UK for employment on labour duties on the LofC. Did they leave other units in UK?
TRANSPORATION UNITS
3 Movement Control Group RE
4 Movement Control Group RE
5 Movement Control Group RE
1 Docks Group RE
1 Stevedores Bn RE
2 Docks Group RE
2 Stevedores Bn RE
3 Docks Group RE
3 Stevedores Bn RE
4 Docks Group RE
[no stevedores bn]
1 Railway Construction & Maintenance Group RE
2 Railway Construction & Maintenance Group RE
3 Railway Construction & Maintenance Group RE
1 Railway Operating Group RE
2 Railway Operating Group RE
8, 10, 27 Rlwy Coys
29, 165 Rlwy Svy Coys
135 Excavator Coy
150, 151, 153, 154, 155, 157, 158, 159, 161 Rlwy Cons Coys
156. 196 Tn Stores Coys
170, 173 Rlwy Tunnelling Coys
186 Tn Cons Coy
190 Rlwy Op Coy
117, 118, 119, 122 Road Cons Coys
657, 658, 659, 660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 665, 666, 667, 668, 669, 670, 671, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681, 682, 684, 685, 686, 689, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 697, 698, 700, 702, 704, 705, 706, 707, 709, 710, 712, 713, 714, 715, 716 Gen Cons Coys RE
1-15, 17, 26 Auxiliary Military Pioneer Groups
25-76, 78-79, 81-83, 87-88, 93, 100-116, 122-124, 401 (Palestine), 501, 701, 702, 706 Auxiliary Military Pioneer Companies
1, 2 Base Ordnance Depot RAOC
1,2,3 Ordnance Sub Depots RAOC
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (later 21), 22 Base Ammunition Depots RAOC
GHQ S.Rh, RAOC
1, 2, 3 Corps S.Rh RAOC
1, 2, 4 Ordnance Field Parks RAOC
Advanced Ordnance Field Park RAOC
1 GHQ Workshop RAOC
1, 2 Base Workshops RAOC
1, 2, 3, 4 Port Workshops RAOC
1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 Army Field Workshops RAOC
7 Ordnance Stores Coy RAOC
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 29 Mobile Bath Units RAOC