| 18th (East Anglian) Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | Second World War |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Territorial Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | France (1940) Battle of Muar (53rd Infantry Brigade) Singapore (1942) |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Bernard Paget |
| British Army Infantry Divisions (1914–present) | |
|---|---|
| Previous | Next |
| 18th (Eastern) Division (World War I) | 19th (Western) Division |
For the First World War unit, see British 18th (Eastern) Division.
The 18th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was a Division of the British Army in the Second World War, a duplicate of the 54th (East Anglian) Division using mostly units with connections to East Anglia .
Contents |
History
The 18th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was landed at Singapore a few weeks before the fall of the island. Its units went into Japanese POW camps after the brief but violent week long Battle of Singapore. Other units, such as the 2nd Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment and the 5th and 6th battalions, The Royal Norfolk Regiment—which had arrived before the rest of the Division—fought strong rearguard actions on the Malayan mainland. This division was not reformed.
General Officer Commanding (G.O.C)
- 30.09.1939 Maj-Gen.T.G. McArthur
- 30.11.1939 Maj-Gen. Bernard Charles Tolver Paget
- 20.04.1940 (Acting) Maj-Gen.E.H.W.Backhouse
- 14.05.1940 Maj-Gen. Bernard Charles Tolver Paget
- 27.05.1940 (Acting) Brig.G.E.W.Franklyn
- 01.06.1940 Maj-Gen.T.R.Eastwood
- 09.06.1940 Maj-Gen. L.H.K. Finch
- 14-07-1940 Maj-Gen. Merton Beckwith-Smith (P.O.W 15.02.1942)
Order of battle
In January 1942 before the surrender in Singapore
18th Division H.Q.
- 135th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry)Field Regt, Royal Artillery
- 198th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 118th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 287th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 125th Anti Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 148th Field Regt, Royal Artillery
- 288th Field Coy, Royal Engineers
- 560th Field Coy, Royal Engineer
- 251st Battalion, The Recce Regt (5th Battalion, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) )
- 9th Battalion, The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers , M.G. - Lieut.Col.Lechmere Thomas/Henry (Flossie) Flower
53rd Infantry Brigade
- Brigadier C.L.B.Duke
- 2nd Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment - Lieut.Col.Thorne
- 5th Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment
- 6th Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment - Lieut.Col.Ian Lywood (Hospitalised with malaria but killed during the massacre at Alexandra Hospital)
54th Infantry Brigade
- Brigadier E.K.W.Backhouse
- 4th Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment
- 4th Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment
- 5th Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment
55th Infantry Brigade
- Brigadier J.B.Coates
- 1st Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment - Lieut.Col.Gerald Carpenter
- 5th Battalion, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
- 1st/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters - Lieut.Col.Harold Lilly
See also
References
- 'Singapore Burning', Colin Smith. Penguin Books 2006. England. ISBN 978-0-14-101036-6
External links
- Order of Battle
- Unit History
- Order of Battle Data Base
- Cambrigeshire Regt. Site
- History of Malayan Campaign
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