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Home Forces Resources

Welcome to the UK Second World War Heritage group’s Home Forces Resources page.

Introduction

These resources outline the military organisation of the UK’s Home Forces during the Second World War.

Soldiers of 325 Coastal Battalion, 514 Coastal Regiment, Royal Artillery, II Corps, take up positions inside a battery near Great Yarmouth on 9 September 1941. Copyright: © IWM H 12957 Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205378516

Using a range of published and easily accessible sources, these resources demonstrate the distribution of Commands, Corps, Divisions and Brigades deployed in the UK within the Home Forces; defending the country against invasion following the Fall of France in June 1940.

The aim of these resources is to show which units of the Regular and Territorial Armies were responsible for local defence to Division level, as well as help to illustrate the scheme national defence from the perspective of the Commander in Chief of Home Forces.

Information is presented in interactive maps which inform the viewer about the often-forgotten role of the Regular and Territorial Armies in defence of the UK during the Second World War.

We hope these resources act as a stepping stone for further research and help to set the context for surviving anti-invasion defences in the UK. However, we deliberately do not provide all available information. The aim is to encourage the viewer to consult, read, and study the sources referenced within the maps and to learn about the history of this period; building up the picture themselves using a range of readily available documentary sources. Much like a historian or archaeologist writing a report would do and instead of simply copying, and repeating, the information presented verbatim without understanding it or critically analysing it. We like to think we’re presenting the pieces of a puzzle with clues to help solve it, but it’s up to you fill in the gaps and ultimately solve it.

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45 (H 3075) Commander in Chief Home Forces, General Sir Alan Brooke, during a visit to Northern Command with the Commander in Chief, Sir Ronald Adam, conferring round a 6 inch Coastal Defence Gun, August 1940. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205225932

Each point and line on the maps provide references the sources consulted when clicked, which will allow the viewer to undertake their own research into the distribution of Home Forces in their local area, prior to and after July 1940.

We also hope this resource will help to start breaking down some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding who was responsible for defence of the UK in the period during the Second World War, while allowing the viewer to gain a better understanding of the organisation of the Home Forces during the Second World War.

Please be aware that this map represents only a very brief snapshot of the organisation of the Home Forces during the height of the invasion threat period. This organisation and the deployment of units within the Home Forces was rather fluid, with Divisions and Brigades often redeployed elsewhere across the UK. The organisation and overall strategy of the Home Forces’ deployed also changed frequently with the appointment of new Commander in Chiefs of Home Forces, introduction of new Divisions, and changes to the structure of the Commands, such as the creation of South Eastern Command in late 1940. The situation gets even more complex when you start to look at the units within a Division. It is this complexity which means that a local research focus is now vitally important.

We’ll leave it up to you to investigate further and build up the picture of the Home Forces prior to, and after July 1940.

Using the Maps

The maps presented in ArcGIS are pretty simple to use.

Clicking, dragging, and scrolling are used to navigate the map and zoom in. In the top right of the map you will find the Key menu and in the bottom left you will find the Layers Menu. The Layers Menu allows you to turn on and off which layers are presented.

Each point and line presented on the map can be clicked to see the Attribute Table where you can find out more information as well as the Sources consulted.

Units of the Territorial Army are indicated with a ‘(TA)’ next to their unit name, as well as in the Attribute Table for the relevant records.

Although these maps are optimised for viewing on a PC or Laptop, they will work on a smartphone or tablet.

Home Forces: July 1940

The interactive maps below outline the disposition of Home Forces circa July 1940. This was at the critical point between Ironside’s replacement by Brooke in late July 1940 and the shift from Kirke’s earlier Julius Caesar plan. This was also just before the reorganisation of defences under Brooke which saw the end of stoplines as a defensive strategy and the shift to Nodal Points, Anti-Tank Islands and Centres of Resistance.

Home Forces July 1940: An Introduction

We recommend that you start with this introduction to the Home Forces. This Storymap provides historical background and an introduction to the military hierarchy of the Home Forces in July 1940.


Disposition of Home Forces- July 1940

This map outlines the military organisation of the UK’s Home Forces circa July 1940. The layers in this map set to appear at set magnification levels to make sure the map does not become too cluttered.

Disposition of Home Forces- July 1940: Free Roam and Layer Select

This map is the same as the one above but presents all the data all in one go, allowing you to select which layers you want to view. It may look a bit messy, but there’s method to the madness.

Sources

Collier, B. (1957). The Defence of the United Kingdom. HMSO  Macleod, R., D. Kelly (Eds.). (1962). 

Dobinson, C.S., 1996. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England Volume II: Anti-Invasion defences of WWII. Council for British Archaeology.

Joslen, H.F. (1990) Orders of Battle- Second World War 1939-1945. HMSO.

Macleod, Roger & Kelly, Denis (eds.). 1962. The Ironside Diaries, 1937-1940. Constable, London.

May 1940 – British Military lists – National Library of Scotland (no date). Available at: https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/105521442 (Accessed: 17 March 2022).

Motor Machine Gun Brigade (1940) – The Vickers Machine Gun (2017). Available at: https://vickersmg.blog/in-use/british-service/the-british-army/motor-machine-gun-brigade-1940/ (Accessed: 8 May 2022).

Newbold, David John. 1988. British planning and preparations to resist invasion on land, September 1939 – September 1940. King’s College, University of London.

Northern Command Recce maps- July 1941. Author’s Collection.

US War Department, 30 September 1942. TM 30-410: Handbook on the British Army with Supplements on the Royal Air Force and Civil Defense Organizations. US Government Printing Office.

War Cabinet. December 1942. United Kingdom- Invasion 1943: Report by the Chiefs of Staff. TNA Ref: CAB-66-32-1.

P. Hibbs. pers comm. (2022).

Image Copyright

Here’s information regarding the copyright of the images used within the maps. Attribution is provided below for the formation badges used.

Formation Badge copyright information-

Formation Badges are reproduced in compliance with the Wikimedia Commons license (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia) and relevant Creative Commons licenses.

Commander in Chief of Home Forces

Cole, Howard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/GHQ_Home_Forces_%28UK%29.svg 

Corps

I Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:I_Corps.svg

II Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:II_corps.svg

III Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/III_corps.svg

IV Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/IV_corps.svg

V Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/V_corps.svg

VIII Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/VIII_corps_%282%29.svg

X Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/X_corps.svg

XI Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/XI_corps.svg

XII Corps- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/XII_corps.svg 

Divisions

44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division- Oatbakeuk, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/WW1_British_44th_Division.svg https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en

4th Infantry Division- Mliu92, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/4_inf_div_-vector.svg

15th (Scottish) Infantry Division- Mike Chappell, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/15th_%28Scottish%29_div_WW2_1st_pattern.svg

18th Infantry Division- Mliu92, Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/18_inf_div_-vector.svg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

1st Infantry Division- (svg) Usedtoknowthat, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/1st_Infantry_Division_sign_WW2.svg&nbsp;

1st London Division- Mliu92, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/56_inf_div_-vector.svg

2nd Infantry Division- User:Derfel73, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/British_2nd_Infantry_Division.svg&nbsp;

2nd London Division- Original: Imperial War Museum, INS 5412 Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/47th_div.svg&nbsp;

38th (Welsh) Infantry Division- Mliu92, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/38_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division- Oatbakeuk, CC0 < https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/WW1_British_42nd_Division.svg&nbsp;

45th Infantry Division- Original: Imperial War Museum, INS 5394 Vector:  Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/45_inf_div_-vector.svg

46th Infantry Division- Original: British Army Vector:  Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:46_inf_div_-vector.svg

48th (South Midland) Infantry Division- Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/48_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

50th (Northumbrian Infantry Division- Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/50_inf_div_-vector.svg

51st (Highland) Infantry Division- Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/51_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division- Mliu92, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0&gt;, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/52_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division- Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/53_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division- Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/54_inf_div_-vector.svg

55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division- Original: Hugh Jeudwine Vector:  Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/55_inf_div_-vector2.svg

59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division- Original: Imperial War Museum, INS 5394 Vector:  Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/59_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

61st Infantry Division: Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/61_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

9th (Highland) Infantry Division- Gsl at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/British_9th_%28Scottish%29_Division_Insignia.png&nbsp;

Brigades

148th Infantry Brigade- (svg) User:Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/148th_Independent_Infantry_Brigade.svg

21st Army Tank Brigade (TA)- svg Own work This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/21st_armoured_brigade.svg&nbsp;

23rd Army Tank Brigade- svg Own work This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/23rd_armoured.svg&nbsp;

24th Army Tank Brigade- svg Own work This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/24th_tank_brigade.svg&nbsp;

24th Independent Infantry Brigade (Guards)- UK Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/24th_Infantry_Brigade_Badge.gif

2nd Armoured Brigade- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/2nd_Armoured_brigade.svg&nbsp;

36th Infantry Brigade- Cole, Howard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/36th_Independent_Infantry_Brigade.svg&nbsp;

GHQ Reserve

1st Armoured Division- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/1st_Armoured_Div.svg&nbsp;

1st Canadian Division- Michael Dorosh, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/1_Canadian_Infantry_Division_patch.png&nbsp;

2nd Armoured Brigade- Original: British Army Vector:  Usedtoknowthat, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/2nd_Armoured_brigade.svg&nbsp;

2nd New Zealand Division- svg Own work This image shows a flag, a coat of arms, a seal or some other official insignia. The use of such symbols is restricted in many countries. These restrictions are independent of the copyright status., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/2nd_NZ.svg&nbsp;

3rd Infantry Division- Fallschirmjäger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/British_3rd_Infantry_Division2.svg

43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division- Original: Imperial War Museum, INS 5388 Vector:  Mliu92, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/43_inf_div_-vector.svg&nbsp;

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