Location of the Desert Rats before Normandy

During the Second World War the 7th Armoured Division and 4th Armoured Brigade were only stationed in the UK for less than five months of its existence. This page aims to identify where the units listed below were located, during this period, so that veterans, family or friends may revisit pass haunts.

The tables below contains the order of battle of the 7th Armoured Division (Table 1) and 4th Armoured Brigade (Table 2) during the Normandy landings and subsequent campaign. Where a location of the a unit is known simply click on the name to be taken to a page with details of the location.

Please note that the Memorial Association cannot guarantee these are all the exact locations, though every effort has been made to do so using War Diaries, plus information from veterans. Importantly public access to any or all of them may be restricted or impossible. Therefore, please respect the privacy of others.

Also please read the notes indicated by [1], or similar (on all the pages) as these contain useful information that will help in finding locations.

Finally, if there are any errors in this information or you have information relating to this please contact the Webmaster.

Table 1: 7th Armoured Division

 

Divisional HQ [1]
22nd Armoured Brigade	Royal Engineers
22nd Armoured Brigade HQ	4th Field Squadron
1st Royal Tank Regiment	621st Field Squadron
5th Royal Tank Regiment	143rd Field Park Squadron
4th County of London Yeomanry [2]
1st Bn. The Rifle Brigade
131st (Queens) Brigade	RASC
131st Brigade HQ [4]	No. 58 Company
1/5th Bn. Queens Royal Regiment	No. 67 Company
1/6th Bn. Queens Royal Regiment	No. 133 Company [5]
1/7th Bn. Queens Royal Regiment	No. 507 Company
No. 3 Support Company, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Divisional Troops	RAMC
8th Hussars	2nd Light Field Ambulance
11th Hussars [3]	131st Field Ambulance
Divisional Signals	29th Field Dressing Station
Provost Company	70th Field Hygiene Section
	134th Mobile Dental Unit
Royal Artillery
3rd RHA
5th RHA	RAOC
15th (IOM) Light AA Regiment RA	Divisional Ordnance Field Park
65th Anti tank Regt. RA (Norfolk Yeomanry)	22nd Armoured Brigade Ordnance Field Park
	131st Brigade Ordnance Field Park
REME
7th Armoured Troops Workshop [6]	Royal Armoured Corps
22nd Armoured Brigade Workshop	No 263 Forward Delivery Squadron
131st Brigade Workshop
15th Light AA Regiment Workshop

Notes:

[1] Includes elements such as CRE, CRA, CREME, CRASC, ADMS, ADOS, etc, Including Middlesex Yeomanry Signals Detachments.

[2] Replaced by 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, August 1944 and merged with 3rd CLY to form 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry

[3] Part of VIII Corps until August 1944, when they permanently rejoined the Division.

[4] Including Middlesex Yeomanry Signals Detachments.

[5] No 133 Company Royal Army Service Corps. 30th Corps Composite Company, which was assigned to support the Division December 1944 or January 1945, having supported it in the latter stages of the North African Campaign.

[6] Re-designated 812th Armoured Troops Workshop on 28th September 1944.

Table 2: 4th Armoured Brigade

Notes:

[7] Became part of the Brigade as of 25th June 1944.

[8] No specific location known for this unit. Any information will be most welcome

[9] Became 4th Armoured Troops Workshop in Autumn of 1944.

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