56th (London) Division in the Second World War 1939-1945

56th (London) Division

56th (London) Division was formed in 1940 by the reorganisation of the Territorial 1st (London) Motor Division. They saw action in Home Defence, in Iraq, Palestine, North Africa, Sicily and Italy.
The Division consisted of:

167th (1st London) Infantry Brigade

8th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (disbanded 23 September 1944)
9th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers
1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles (from 3 September 1939 to 4 November 1940, and 23 September 1944 onwards)
1st London Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 11 May 1940)
167th (London) Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (disbanded 8 January 1941)
15th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (from 9 November 1940, left 13 February 1941)
7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (from 14 February 1941, left 23 September 1944)
1st Battalion, London Scottish(from 23 September 1944)

168th (2nd London) Infantry Brigade (detached from 56th Division between 8 April 1943 and 17 October 1943, left 26 September 1944)

11th (1st Queen's Westminster Rifles) Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps (left 4 November 1940)
1st Battalion, London Scottish (left 23 September 1944)
1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade (left 30 November 1940)
2nd London Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 7 February 1940)
168th (London) Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (disbanded 7 April 1941)
1st Battalion, London Irish Rifles (from 4 November 1940 - 23 September 1944)
18th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (from 5 November 1940 - 15 February 1941)
10th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 15 February 1941, disbanded 15 May 1944)
1st Battalion, Welch Regiment (from 17 May - 26 September 1944)

169th (London) Infantry Brigade

2/5th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
2/6th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
2/7th Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
35th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Regiment (formed 2 October 1940)
169th (London) Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (disbanded 7 April 1941)

201st Guards Motor Brigade (from 23 July to 17 September 1943)
6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards
3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
2nd Battalion, Scots Guards

24th Guards Brigade (from 10 March 1945)
5th Battalion, Grenadier Guards (disbanded 28 March 1945)
2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards
1st Battalion, Scots Guards
1st Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)

56th (London) Divisional Artillery
64th (7th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
90th (City of London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (to 18 March 1943)
113th (Home Counties) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 9 July 1940)
65th (8th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 23 April 1943)
67th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 1 July 1940)
115th (North Midland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 15th July 1940 - 31 December 1940)
100th (18th Royal Fusiliers) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 3 February 1942 - 9 November 1944)

56th (London) Divisional Royal Engineers
220th (2nd London) Field Company
501st Field Company (from 8 September 1939 - 18 March 1943, and from 13 October 1943)
221st (2nd London) Field Company (from 3 July 1940)
42nd Field Company (from 9 July 1943 - 3 January 1944)
223rd (London) Field Park Company (to 30 September 1939)
563rd Field Park Company (from 15 January 1940)

56th (1st London) Divisional Signals (City of London)
Reconnaissance
1st Battalion, Queen Victoria's Rifles (to 21 May 1940)
56th Battalion/Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps (from 1 January 1941 - 15 August 1942)
44th Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps (from 8 March 1943 - 1 January 1944)

Machine Guns

1st Battalion, Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment (11 November 1941 - 20 May 1942)
6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (from 12 January 1943)

10th May 1940 Coastal Defence

28th August 1940 HQ Moves

Sep 1940 Defence

5th Sep 1940 Alert

8th Sep 1940 Orders

4th Nov 1940 Reliefs

14th February 1941 Operation Murphy

11th August 1943 Lecture

13th August 1943 Preparations

1st Sep 1943 Planning

1st Sep 1943 Orders

2nd Sep 1943 Briefing

2nd Sep 1943 On the Move

3rd Sep 1943 Preparations

4th Sep 1943 Move

4th Sep 1943 On the Move

5th Sep 1943 On the Move

5th Sep 1943 On the Move

6th Sep 1943 Training

7th Sep 1943 Training

8th Sep 1943 News

9th Sep 1943 Advance

9th Sep 1943 Stiff Opposition

10th Sep 1943 In Action

11th Sep 1943 Shelling

12th Sep 1943 Line Reinforced

13th Sep 1943 Stand to

14th September 1943 Orders Reconsidered

14th Sep 1943 Stand to

15th September 1943 Attacks Made

15th Sep 1943 Mortars

15th Sep 1943 Patrols

16th September 1943 Patrols

16th Sep 1943 Enemy Attack

16th Sep 1943 Enemy Active

17th Sep 1943 Reliefs

18th Sep 1943 At Rest

19th Sep 1943 Reorganisation

20th Sep 1943 Reliefs

21st of September 1943 Conference

21st Sep 1943 Shelling

21st Sep 1943 Shelling

22nd of September 1943 Reorganisation

22nd Sep 1943 Patrol

23rd Sep 1943 Enemy Artillery

24th Sep 1943 Preparations

25th Sep 1943 Quiet

26th Sep 1943 Quiet

27th Sep 1943 On the Move

28th of September 1943 Town Captured

28th Sep 1943 Hospitality

29th Sep 1943 On the Move

30th Sep 1943 Standing by

1st Oct 1943 Ready to Move

2nd Oct 1943 Ready to Move

3rd Oct 1943 Ready to Move

4th Oct 1943 On the Move

5th Oct 1943 Training

6th Oct 1943 Orders

7th Oct 1943 On the Move

8th Oct 1943 Training

9th Oct 1943 Training

9th Oct 1943 Crossing Points

10th Oct 1943 Shelling

11th Oct 1943 On the March

12th Oct 1943 Crossing Attempted

13th Oct 1943 Quiet

14th Oct 1943 Recce Patrol

15th Oct 1943 Patrol

16th Oct 1943 River Crossing

17th Oct 1943 Advance

19th Oct 1943 Advance

21st Oct 1943 Preparations

22nd Oct 1943 Advance

22nd Oct 1943 Assault Made

23rd Oct 1943 On the Move

23rd Oct 1943 Recce

24th Oct 1943 Attack Made

26th Oct 1943 Reliefs

28th Oct 1943 Supplies

29th Oct 1943 On the Move

30th Oct 1943 Advance

31st Oct 1943 Advance

2nd Dec 1943 In Action

6th Dec 1943 Reliefs

7th Dec 1943 At Rest

9th Dec 1943 On the Move

12th December 1943 Reliefs Planned

13th Dec 1943 Recce

14th Dec 1943 Reliefs

15th Dec 1943 Recce

16th Dec 1943 Reliefs Complete

17th Dec 1943 Patrols

18th Dec 1943 Patrols

19th Dec 1943 Aircraft shot down

20th Dec 1943 Shelling

21st Dec 1943 Reliefs

22nd Dec 1943 Preparations

23rd December 1943 Message from Headquarters 56th Division

23rd Dec 1943 Preparations

24th Dec 1943 Preparations

25th Dec 1943 Festivities

26th Dec 1943 Recce

27th Dec 1943 Preparations

28th Dec 1943 Preparations

29th Dec 1943 Preparations

30th Dec 1943 Fighting Patrols

31st Dec 1943 No Contact

1st Jan 1944 Move

5th Jan 1944 On the Move

6th Jan 1944 Training

7th Jan 1944 Training

8th Jan 1944 Training

9th Jan 1944 Training

10th Jan 1944 Conference

30th March 1944 Posting

If you can provide any additional information, especially on actions and locations at specific dates, please add it here.

Those known to have served with
56th (London) Division
during the Second World War 1939-1945.

Cockrill Willliam. CSM.
Pink Bert.
Taylor Arthur.
White Leonard Leslie. L/Sgt.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

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The Wartime Memories Project - 56th (London) Division during the Second World War -

56th (London) Division

Those known to have served with 56th (London) Divisionduring the Second World War 1939-1945.

The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

Announcements

Want to know more about 56th (London) Division?

The Wartime Memories Project
- 56th (London) Division during the Second World War -

Those known to have served with
56th (London) Division
during the Second World War 1939-1945.