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Composed of regular British Army units, the famous "Desert Rats" division was originally formed as the Mobile Division or Mobile Force (Egypt) and was one of two training commands used by the British before World War II to develop armoured warfare techniques. During this time the first divisional commander was the acclaimed tank theorist Major General Sir Percy Hobart. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ...
Sup G There were two battles of El Alamein, both during 1942. ...
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
General Sir Richard Nugent OConnor , KT , GCB , GBE , DSO , MC , ADC (August 21, 1889 – June 17, 1981) was a British Army general who commanded the Western Desert Force (WDF) in the early years of World War II. OConnor was the field commander for Operation Compass, in which he...
William Strafer Gott, during World War II, was a Lieutenant General in the British Eighth Army. ...
John Charles Campbell (VC, DSO & Bar, MC) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
At the outbreak of war in September 1939 it was renamed the Armoured Division (Egypt) and finally 7th Armoured Division on 16 February 1940. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ...
February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...
History
Founding The elements of what would become the 7th Armoured Division arrived in the Middle East in 1938 (See: the Munich crisis) to increase British strength in Egypt. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...
Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
For the annual global security meeting held in Munich, see Munich Conference on Security Policy Chamberlain holds the paper containing the resolution to commit to peaceful methods signed by both Hitler and himself on his return from Germany in September 1938. ...
The 'Mobile Force' was established on the coast some 120 miles west of Alexandria. It was formed from the Cairo Cavalry Brigade (three armoured regiments, the 7th, 8th and 11th Hussars) and the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) supported by 3rd Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) and a company of Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) and a Field Ambulance unit. It was joined by a battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and then its first commander, Major General Percy Hobart later "creator" of the Funnies of the Normandy Invasion . Hobart was an armoured warfare expert and saw that his troops were properly prepared to fight in the desert despite their poor equipment. The 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. ...
The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) is a corps in the British Army. ...
The Royal Logistic Corps is a British Army corps that provides the logistical support for the Army. ...
The Kings Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army formation. ...
Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
Badge of the 79th Armoured Division Amphibious DD tanks await blowing of breaches in the sea wall on Utah Beach. ...
The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ...
At first it was one of only two British Imperial formations in Egypt. The other was an Indian Army formation (Indian 4th Infantry Division), which was then replaced with an Australian division. The two divisions formed the basis of the Western Desert Force (WDF). This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
Fourth Indian division during world war two served first in egypt where with western desert force it fought the italians who had decided to invaded egypt. ...
The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ...
North Africa In December 1939, Major General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh succeeded Hobart who had fallen foul of his superiors.
The unit was meant to be equipped with 220 tanks. However, at the outbreak of war the 'Mobile Force' had only 65. Most of the unit's troops had already been deployed for 2 years by 1940 and it took as long as three months for mail to arrive. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...
A British pillar box. ...
On 16 February 1940, the Mobile Division became the 7th Armoured Division. The Desert Rat divisional flash was adopted about the same time. It originated from a sketch of a jerboa drawn by the divisional commander's wife after a visit to the Cairo Zoo. February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...
Genera 10 genera in 5 subfamilies Jerboas are the members of the family Dipodidae; they are small jumping desert rodents of Asia and northern Africa that resemble mice with a long tufted tail and very long hind legs. ...
After the Italian declaration of war, the Western Desert Force was massively outnumbered. However the Italians proved to be no match for the British. The Western Desert Force captured 250,000 Italians in the early engagements in 1940. The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ...
During the 1941 Italian retreat, WDF commander Major-General Richard O'Connor ordered the Desert Rats to travel south of the Jebel Akhdar and cut off the Italian forces at Beda Fomm, while Australian forces pushed the Italians west. As the tanks were unable to travel fast enough, the manoeuvre was led by a brigade of armoured cars, towed artillery and infantry which completed the trip in 30 hours, cutting off the Italian retreat and destroying the Italian Tenth Army. For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...
General Sir Richard Nugent OConnor , KT , GCB , GBE , DSO , MC , ADC (August 21, 1889 – June 17, 1981) was a British Army general who commanded the Western Desert Force (WDF) in the early years of World War II. OConnor was the field commander for Operation Compass, in which he...
For the Jebel Akhdar region of Oman, see Jebel Akhdar (Oman). ...
The Italian Offensive and Operation Compass September 13, 1940 - February 7, 1941 (Click to enlarge) Beda Fomm is a small coastal town in southwestern Cyrenaica, Libya located between the much larger port city Bengazi to its north and the larger town of El Agheila further to the southwest. ...
In military science a brigade is a military unit that is part of a division and includes regiments (where that level exists), or (in modern armies) is composed of several battalions (typically two to four) and directly attached supporting units. ...
Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ...
Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ...
Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ...
The Italian Tenth Army consisted of ten divisions when it attacked Egypt on September 13, 1940. ...
The Italians proved so weak that Hitler was forced to send reinforcements (Afrika Korps) to stiffen them under the command of General Erwin Rommel. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...
The seal of Afrikakorps The German Afrika Korps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK ) was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps, the term is...
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most distinguished German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname “The Desert Fox†(Wüstenfuchs, ) for the skillful military campaigns he...
The Western Desert Force later became HQ XIII Corps, one of the major parts of Eighth Army. The 7th Armoured Division took part in most of the major battles of the North African Campaign, including both Battles of El Alamein (see First Battle of El Alamein and Second Battle of El Alamein for details). It also participated in the destruction of Axis forces in North Africa in Tunisia in 1943. The Western Desert Force, during World War II, was a British Commonwealth Army unit stationed in Egypt. ...
El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast. ...
The First Battle of El Alamein 1–July 27, 1942 was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of World War II, fought between the German–Italian Afrika Korps commanded by Erwin Rommel and the British Eighth Army, commanded by Claude Auchinleck. ...
Combatants British 8th Army German Panzer Army Africa Commanders Bernard Montgomery Erwin Rommel Strength 250,000 men 1,030 tanks 900 guns 530 aircraft 90,000 men 500 tanks 500 guns 350 aircraft Casualties 13,500 dead and wounded 13,000 dead 46,000 wounded or captured The Second Battle...
Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided by the formidable barrier of the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ...
1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...
Italy The division did not take part in the invasion of Sicily but was involved in the battle for Italy. The Desert Rats, used to fighting in the desert, had to adjust to the confined Italian roads. The division made crossing of the river Volturno in Southern Italy and constructed a pontoon bridge. This paved the way for many divisions heading north.
Northern Europe The division formed one of the follow up formations in Normandy. After the invasion the 7th Armoured Division served with distinction in clearing routes to and then attacking Caen. Although regarded as an elite formation, by this time the units were becoming seriously burnt out. Its performances in Normandy and the rest of France did not match those of its earlier campaigns, even taking into account the unsuitability of Normandy as tank country. Within 21st Army Group it took part in the liberation of Belgium, the Netherlands and northern Germany. In January 1945 they took part in Operation Blackcock to clear the Roer Triangle. (Redirected from 21st Army Group) The British 21st Army Group was an important Allied force in the European Theatre of World War II. Commanded by Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery it initially controlled all ground forces in Operation Overlord. ...
Combatants Britain, Canada Germany Commanders Lt. ...
Post war The Division remained in Germany as part of the occupation forces and then into the 1950s as part of the British Army of the Rhine standing watch against the Warsaw Pact. As the British Army became smaller, its higher numbered divisions were removed from the order of battle. The Division's long and illustrious career finally came to an end in this fashion, in April 1958, when it was converted into 5th Division. However, the traditions of 7th Armoured Division are maintained by 7th Armoured Brigade, which forms part of 1 (UK) Division. There have been two formations named British Army on the Rhine (BAOR). ...
Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...
The 7th Armoured Brigade is a unit of the British Army. ...
The British 1st Armoured Division is the title of an armoured division of the British Army. ...
Commanders of the 7th Armoured Division[1] Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart (14 June 1885-19 February 1957) was a British military engineer and commander of the 79th Armoured Division during World War II. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles (Hobarts Funnies) that took part in the invasion of Normandy. ...
William Strafer Gott, during World War II, was a Lieutenant General in the British Eighth Army. ...
John Charles Campbell (VC, DSO & Bar, MC) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ...
General Sir Frank Messervy General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO, (1893 - 1974) was a British officer in both the First and Second World Wars and was the first Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Royal Army (15 August 1947 – 10 February 1948 or Aug 1948?). He became...
Sir Allan Francis John Harding was a British military man and governor of Cyprus (1955 - 1957). ...
Baron Harding of Petherton is a peerage title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ...
Major-General George Philip Bradley Roberts CB, DSO, MC (1906-1997), better known as Pip Roberts, was a British commander of an armoured division during World War II. Roberts is considered to be possibly the best British armoured commander in the Second World War and achieved the distinction of being...
Notable Members of the 7th Armoured Division Thomas Daniel Knox, 6th Earl of Ranfurly (1914 - 1988), known as Dan Ranfurly, was a Second Lieutenant in the British 7th Armoured Division, called the Desert Rats. His exploits, along with those of his wife, Hermione, and valet, Whitaker, are chronicled in his wifes memoirs from the time, To...
Field Marshal (Richard) Michael Power Carver, Baron Carver (April 24, 1915 - December 9, 2001) was a British soldier. ...
Major-General George Philip Bradley Roberts CB, DSO, MC (1906-1997), better known as Pip Roberts, was a British commander of an armoured division during World War II. Roberts is considered to be possibly the best British armoured commander in the Second World War and achieved the distinction of being...
General Sir Frank Messervy General Sir Frank Walter Messervy, KCSI, KBE, CB, DSO, (1893 - 1974) was a British officer in both the First and Second World Wars and was the first Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan Royal Army (15 August 1947 – 10 February 1948 or Aug 1948?). He became...
Monument There is a monument to the 7th Armoured at Brandon in Thetford Forest where the 7th trained prior to D-day. Brandon is a small town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. ...
Thetford Forest is located in a region straddling the north of Suffolk and the south of Norfolk. ...
In Popular Culture The 7th Armoured Division play a major part in the Second World War game Call of Duty 2. The British missions are solely based upon the actions of the division in North Africa and at Caen. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and sequel to the critically acclaimed game, Call of Duty, also developed by Infinity Ward. ...
Caen (pronounced /kɑ̃/) is a commune of northwestern France. ...
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