British Order of Battle – Mid 1980

In 1980 the British Army was still organised in the “Task Force” system. The idea was that each Division would have 2 “Task Forces”, which were essentially large brigades. Sufficient equipment had been ordered in the late 70’s to make sure that by the time of GDW’s Twilight War all BAOR Infantry would be Warrior equipped, and Saxon would be equipping all the TA BAOR roled battalions. Challenger was to supplement, not replace Chieftain.

The problem was one of manpower. By moving to 4 large Armoured Divisions (from 3 small Divisions), Britain could not keep the BAOR at full strength, as there were other operational tasks such as Northern Ireland, training etc. to do. The solution was to keep the Divisions at 50-67% strength, to be reinforced to full strength in time of war.

In 1982, this structure was abandoned for a 2.5 Armoured Division structure, with the majority of the forces in Germany. Two armoured divisions (1^st and 4^th) were the FEBA (Forward Edge of Battle Area) Divisions, while a reserve division (3^rd) had only two brigades, 1 armoured, 1 mech, with another held in the UK. The 2^nd Division became a TA centred Infantry Division.

British Army of the Rhine (1^st British Army)

Berlin Field Force

Royal Hussars (1 Sqn, the remainder at the Land Warfare Centre)

1^st Battalion, Grenadier Guards

2^nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment

1^st Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers

1^st Armoured Division

16^th/5^th Lancers (Recce)

TF A

14^th/20^th Hussars

2^nd Royal Tank Regiment

1^st Battalion, Coldstream Guards

3^rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

TF B

1^st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards

1^st Royal Tank Regiment

1^st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment

2^nd Armoured Division

Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars (Recce)

TF C

The Life Guards

4^th Royal Tank Regiment

2^nd Battalion, Grenadier Guards

TF D

5^th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards

1^st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

1^st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh’s Regiment

3^rd Armoured Division

15^th/19^th Hussars (Recce)

TF E

Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

1^st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers

1^st Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters

TF F

3^rd Royal Tank Regiment

1^st Battalion, Black Watch

4^th Armoured Division

4^th/7^th Dragoon Guards (Recce)

TF G

Queen’s Own Hussars

1^st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment

1^st Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment

TF H

9^th/12^th Royal Lancers

1^st Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers

5^th Field Force

1^st Battalion, Devon and Dorset Regiment

1^st Battalion, Green Howards (deployed at Catterick, UK)

1^st Battalion, King’s Own Scottish Borderers

HQ, Northern Ireland

3 Infantry Brigade

1^st Battalion, Scots Guards

8 Infantry Brigade

1^st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment

39 Infantry Brigade

2^nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

2^nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment

Overseas Forces

Belize Field Force

1^st Battalion, Cheshire Regiment

Brunei Field Force

1^st Battalion, 7^th Gurkha Rifles

1^st Battalion, 10^th Gurkha Rifles

Cyprus Field Force

3^rd Battalion, Light Infantry

1^st Battalion, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment

Gibraltar Field Force

2^nd Battalion, Light Infantry

Gurkha Field Force (Hong Kong)

1^st Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment

1^st Battalion, Queen’s Own Highlanders

2^nd Battalion, 6^th Gurkha Rifles

1^st Battalion, 7^th Gurkha Rifles

Salerno Company, 41 (Independent) Commando RM

United Kingdom Land Forces

6^th Field Force (Strategic Reserve)

The Blues and Royals

1^st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales

1^st Battalion, Parachute Regiment

3^rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment

7^th Field Force (Reinforces BAOR)

2^nd Battalion, Queen’s Regiment

1^st Battalion, King’s Regiment

3^rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

8^th Field Force (Home Defence)

13/18 Royal Hussars (Recce)

17/21 Queen’s Royal Lancers (Tank)

1^st Battalion, Light Infantry

2^nd Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers

2^nd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets

3 Commando Brigade

40 Commando RM

42 Commando RM

45 Commando RM

Allied Mobile Force (Land)

1^st Battalion, Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment

Unbrigaded Units (Reinforce BAOR formations in wartime)

Canturbury: 1^st Battalion, Queen’s Regiment

Church Crookham: 1^st Battalion, 2^nd Gurkha Rifles

Dover: 3^rd Battalion, Queen’s Regiment

Edinburgh: 1^st Battalion, Royal Scots and 1^st Battalion, Gordon Highlanders

Houndslow: 1^st Battalion, Royal Green Jackets

London: 2^nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, 2^nd Battalion, Scots Guards, 1^st Battalion, Irish Guards and 1^st Battalion, Welsh Guards

Oakington: 3^rd Battalion, Royal Green Jackets

Weeton: 1^st Battalion, King’s Own Royal Border Regiment

?: Albuhera and Tiger Companies (Cadres of 4^th Battalions of the Queen’s and Royal Anglian Regiments)

Territorial Army Units reinforcing BAOR in event of war (approximate at the moment, based on 1986 roles)

Royal Yeomanry (Recce for 5^th Field Force)

Queen’s Own Yeomanry (Recce for 7^th Field Force)

1^st Battalion, 52^nd Lowland Volunteers

5^th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment

5^th/8^th Battalion, King’s Regiment (1^st Lancastrian Volunteers)

4^th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Border Regiment

5^th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

1^st Battalion, Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers) – UKMF

5^th (Shropshire and Herefordshire) Battalion, Light Infantry

7^th (Durham) Battalion, Light Infantry

1^st Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers

1^st Battalion, Mercian Volunteers

5^th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment

6^th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment

3^rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales

4^th Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers (North Irish Militia)

5^th Battalion, Royal Irish Rangers

3^rd Battalion, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters

1^st Battalion, 51^st Highland Volunteers

2^nd Battalion, 51^st Highland Volunteers

4^th Battalion, Royal Green Jackets

4^th (Yorkshire) Battalion, Parachute Regiment

10^th (London) Battalion, Parachute Regiment

15^th (Scottish) Battalion, Parachute Regiment

Territorial Army Units dedicated to home defence (All structured as Home Defence Infantry Battalions, including the Yeomanry)

Royal Wessex Yeomanry

Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry

Duke of Lancaster’s Yeomanry

2^nd Battalion, 52^nd Lowland Volunteers

6^th/7^th Battalion, Queen’s Regiment

4^th Battalion, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment (2^nd Lancastrian Volunteers)

6^th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

2^nd Battalion, Wessex Regiment

6^th (Somerset and Cornwall) Battalion, Light Infantry

2^nd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers

3^rd Battalion, Yorkshire Volunteers

2^nd Battalion, Mercian Volunteers

7^th Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment

3^rd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers

4^th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales

3^rd Battalion, 51^st Highland Volunteers

There are the following Regional units in the British Orbat

1^st – 11^th Battalions, Ulster Defence Regiment

Gibraltar Regiment

Royal Hong Kong Regiment

Bermuda Regiment

Falklands Islands Defence Force (1 Coy)