Structure of Aldershot Command in 1939 explained

Aldershot Command was a formation of the British Army at the start of the Second World War in September 1939. It had been re-formed in 1905, when the army established a series of geographical military districts, known as "commands", to replace six army corps that had existed for a short period. The purpose of the commands was to administer all units and formations located within their geographical borders, and if needed could be further subdivided into "areas". In 1939, it was one of the army's six regional commands, which existed within the British Isles, on the outbreak of the Second World War. Its geographical area encompassed parts of the following four counties: Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex.[1]

A command was placed under the control of a general officer commanding who was assisted by an assortment of staff officers, which were subdivided between the General Staff, the Adjutant-General, the Quartermaster-General, as well as the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Corps of Signals, Royal Army Medical Corps, and various other branches of the army. On the outbreak of the war, the general officer commanding of Aldershot Command was Lieutenant-General Sir John Dill.[1] Within the British Army's hierarchy, the command's general officer commanding would receive orders from General Headquarters, Home Forces and would then disseminate those instructions to the units under its charge. In the event of an invasion of the UK, it was intended that each command could form the basis for a field army. However, on the outbreak of the war, Aldershot Command was used to form I Corps and then became responsible for providing drafts for British Expeditionary Force. Following defeat during the Battle of France, the British Army reorganised their forces based in the UK. For Aldershot Command, this resulted in being downgraded into Aldershot Area within the new South Eastern Command on 15 February 1941. The new formation was formed by the splitting of Eastern Command and absorbing Aldershot's geographical area.

Aldershot Command, outbreak of the Second World War, September 1939

See main article: Aldershot Command and Structure of the British Army in 1939.

Headquarters : Aldershot[1]
Commander-in-Chief: Lieutenant General Sir John Dill[1]
Brigadier, General Staff: Brigadier Arthur Percival[1]

Services

Royal Army Medical Corps (location for units not identified)[2]

Royal Army Ordnance Corps (location for units not identified)[2]

Royal Army Pay Corps[2]

Royal Army Veterinary Corps[2]

Independent brigades

Army Tank Brigade (headquartered at Aldershot)[2]

1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (headquartered at Blackdown)[2]

1st Infantry Division

See main article: List of wartime orders of battle for the British 1st Division (1809–1945).

1st Infantry Division (headquartered at Aldershot)[2] [3]

1st Infantry Brigade (Guards) (headquartered at Aldershot)

2nd Infantry Brigade (headquartered at Aldershot)

3rd Infantry Brigade (headquartered at Bordon)

Divisional Troops

2nd Infantry Division

See main article: List of orders of battle for the British 2nd Division.

2nd Infantry Division (headquartered at Aldershot)[3] [4]

4th Infantry Brigade (Aldershot)

5th Infantry Brigade (Aldershot)

6th Infantry Brigade (Blackdown)

Divisional Troops:

Other troops assigned directly to the command

Royal Armoured Corps[4]

Royal Artillery[4]

Royal Engineers[4]

Royal Corps of Signals (all located at Aldershot)[4]

Infantry

Royal Army Service Corps[4]

See also

Notes

Footnotes Citations

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, August, 1939: Security Edition. 41. National Library of Scotland. 11 July 2023.
  2. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, August, 1939: Security Edition. 42. National Library of Scotland. 11 July 2023.
  3. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, August, 1939: Security Edition. 43. National Library of Scotland. 11 July 2023.
  4. Web site: War Office, Monthly Army List, August, 1939: Security Edition. 44–50. National Library of Scotland. 11 July 2023.

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