In 1943, a British infantry division comprised two infantry brigades, each of three infantry battalions, and a tank brigade. Artillery support came from three field regiments, an anti-tank regiment and a light anti-aircraft regiment. In addition, personnel from Royal Signals, Royal Engineers, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Royal Army Service Corps, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, Corps of Military Police and Intelligence Corps gave support through their own expertise and equipment.
The two Airborne Divisions, intended to parallel the work of their infantry division counterpart, had, in addition to two parachute brigades, an airlanding brigade. This combined infantry, artillery, reconnaissance and support units:
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1st Airborne |
6th Airborne |
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1st Parachute Brigade 4th Parachute Brigade 21st Independent Parachute Company No. 16 Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC No. 133 Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC |
5th Parachute Brigade 22nd Independent Parachute Company 224th Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC 225th Parachute Field Ambulance RAMC |
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1st Airborne |
6th Airborne |
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1st Battalion The Border Regiment 7th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment |
12th Battalion The Devonshire Regiment 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 1st Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles
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Artillery
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1st Airlanding Light Regiment 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery Anti-Aircraft support was added to the Recce Squadron No. 1 Forward Observer Unit |
53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment 3rd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery 4th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery 2nd Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (was converted to anti-tank in January 1945 and redesignated 6th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery) No. 2 Forward Observation Unit
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Reconnaissance
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9th Field Company 26th Field Park Company
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249th Field Company 286th Field Park Company |
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Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers |
1st Airborne Division Workshop
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6th Airborne Division Workshop
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250th Light Composite Company 93rd Composite Company
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716th Light Composite Company 398th Composite Company |
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Royal Army Ordnance Corps
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1st Airborne Division Ordnance Field Park |
6th Airborne Division Ordnance Field Park |
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Royal Army Medical Corps
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181st Airlanding Field Ambulance |
195th Airlanding Field Ambulance
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Corps of Military Police
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1 st Airborne Divisional Provost Company |
6th Airborne Divisional Provost Company
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Intelligence Corps |
89 th Parachute Field Security Section
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317 th Field Security Section (Airborne)
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