British 3rd Division

D-Day order of battle 

Battle casualties: 6th June 1944 to 30th April 1945

Source: Major L.F. Ellis, et. al., Victory in the West, Volume I, The Battle of Normandy (History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1962).

BRITISH 3RD DIVISION
8th Brigade			9th Brigade			185th Brigade
1st Battalion The Suffolk Regiment			2nd Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment			2nd Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
2nd Battalion The East Yorkshire Regiment			1st Battalion The King’s Own Scottish Borders			1st Battalion The Royal Norfolk Regiment
1st Battalion The South Lancashire Regiment			2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles			2nd Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry Regiment
DIVISIONAL TROOPS
3rd Reconnaissance Regiment R.A.C			3rd Divisional Engineers			3rd Divisional Signals
7th, 33rd and 76th Field, 20th Anti-Tank, and 92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiments R.A.
2nd Battalion The Middlesex Regiment (Machine Gun)
SUMMARY OF BATTLE CASUALTIES TO THE DIVISION  BETWEEN 6 JUNE 1944 AND 30 APRIL 1945
MONTH	KILLED	WOUNDED		MISSING	TOTAL		WOUNDED AND RETURNED	TOTAL LOST TO DIVISION
June ’44	417	2280		811	3508		——	3508
July ’44	379	1810		315	2504		——	2504
August ’44	108	848		132	1088		——	1088
Sept. ’44	53	278		36	367		10	357
Oct. ’44	223	1048		117	1388		87	1301
Nov. ’44	69	327		32	428		17	411
Dec. ’44	17	66		17	100		15	85
Jan. ’45	18	122		31	171		14	157
Feb. ’45	71	345		55	471		——	471
March ’45	113	389		25	527		12	515
April ’45	111	526		65	702		15	687
	1,579	8,039		1,636	11,254		170	11,084
When the number of Non-Battle Casualties to the Division is added, the total number of men lost to the Division over the period stands at 16,241. The great majority of Battle Casualties are suffered by the 4,500 men of the Rifle Companies.
27TH (INDEPENDENT) ARMOURED BRIGADE 13/18th Royal Hussars 1st East Riding Yeomanry The Staffordshire Yeomanry

 

NOTES ON BRITISH ARMY ORGANIZATION

INFANTRY: RIFLE BATTALIONS

Four rifle companies: each three platoons of three sections. The section contained 10 men with one light machine gun; the platoon one officer and 36 men with one 2-in. mortar, and the company five officers and 122 men with three PIATs at company headquarters.

Support company: four platoons; mortar (six 3-in mortars), carrier (13 Bren carriers) anti-tank (six 6-pdr guns) and assault pioneer.

Battalion transport included 38 carriers of all kinds and 55 cars, trucks and lorries.

Strength: 35 Officers and 786 Other Ranks.

ARMOURED UNITS

Armoured and Armoured Reconnaissance Regiments and Tank Battalions (except in some minor details) all were organised alike and capable of performing the same role.

Headquarters: four cruiser or infantry tanks.

Headquarter squadron: four troops; anti-aircraft (four tanks fitted with 20-mm guns), reconnaissance (n light tanks), intercommunication eight scout cars) and administrative.

Three tank squadrons: each a headquarters of four, and five troops of three tanks, total 19. This was the organisation with standard tanks but as units began to receive the scarce 17-pdr Sherman shortly before or after D-day, their squadrons were re-organised into four troops of four tanks, one of which had the new 17-pdr.

Total tanks: cruiser (Shermans and Cromwells) or infantry (Churchills) 61; light (Stuarts) 11.    

Strength: 36 Officers and 630 Other Ranks.

ARTILLERY (headquarters omitted)

Field Regiments

Three batteries: each two troops of four 25-pdr guns, total 24 guns per regiment; tractor-towed or self-propelled. Ammunition carried in first line: HE 144, smoke 16, armour-piercing 12 rounds per gun.

Medium Regiments

Two batteries: each two troops of four 5.5-in guns, total 16 guns per regiment; tractor-towed. Ammunition carried in first line: HE 100 rounds per gun.

Heavy Regiments

Two batteries of four 7-2-in howitzers and two batteries of four U.S. 155-mm guns, total 16 howitzers and guns per regiment.