British Army & CW ad-hoc 'Force' formations

[Andy H]

1) Vic Force Col CE Vicary
2) ?
3) May 18 1940
4) May 31 1940 (incorporated into Beauman Division)
5) 5 Btns drawn from reinforcements at various depots
6) ?
7) Responsible for strengthening the LOC south of the Somme. Defensive posistions along the rivers Andelle & Bethume were prepared
8.) Blitzkrieg in the West by Jean Paul Pallud
The Years of Retreat 1939-41 (History of the Royal Regiment if Artillery by Gen Sir Martin Farndale

1) Beauforce Force
2) ?
3) May 18 1940
4) May 31 1940 (incorporated into Beauman Division)
5) ?
6) Intially 20 2Pdrs & 25mm A/T plus 4 40mm Bofors
7) Responsible for strengthening the LOC south of the Somme. Defensive posistions along the rivers Andelle & Bethume were prepared
8.) Blitzkrieg in the West by Jean Paul Pallud The Years of Retreat 1939-41 (History of the Royal Regiment if Artillery by Gen Sir Martin Farndale

Andy H

[Andy H]

1) Petre Force Maj-Gen RL Petre
2) 12th Infantry Division
3) May 17th 1940
4) ?
5) 36th Infantry Bde/23rd Inf Div, plus from the Arras garrison- 1st Btn Welsh Gds, 6th Btn Green Howards, 8th N'Berland Fusiliers, RA Base Depot, Searchlight & Engineer units and a ad-hoc grouping of AFV's from a local Ordanance Depot, christened 'Cook's Light Tanks'
6) ?
7) Responsible for the defence of Arras, but forced to retreat to the canal line beyond it.
8.) Blitzkrieg in the West by Jean Paul Pallud and Captains of the Gates by Dennis Bloomfield Smith, Bartholomew Committee (Post 27) in http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/36330-r ... -flanders/

Andy H

[Andy H]

1) Ark Force Brig Stanley-Clarke
2) ?
3) June 9 1940
4) June 15 1940?
5) HQ 154 Bde with remnants of 7th & 8thArgyll & Sutherland Bns, 4th Black Watch, 6th Royal Scots Fusiliers plus A Bde (4th Borders, 5th Sherwood and 4th Royal East Kent) of Beaumann Dvision and various support units inc 75th (Highland) Fld Regt RA, 17th Fld Regt RA[/color] 154th Bde AT-TK Coy (HQ plus HQ Coy, B and C Coys) 204th AT-TK Bty RA, 154th Fld Amb and 4 companies of RE
51st Med.Regt A R(but with no guns)
6) 17 x 25Pdrs
7) Defence of Le Harve
8.) Blitzkrieg in the West by Jean Paul Pallud and None Bolder by Richard Doherty Kensington to St Valery En Caux by Robert Gardner

Andy H

[Aufklarung]

Not necessarily an "ad hoc" force but certainly thrown together and only in action for a short time.

1) C Force (Brigadier J.K. Lawson)
2) Maj-Gen CM Maltby's Hong Kong Defense Forces on Hong Kong Island
3) Oct 1941 (arrived HK 16 Nov '41)
4) Killed or captured by 25 Dec '41
5) x2 Inf Bns (the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers) 1973 men
6) Rifles, Brens, 2 and 3" mortars. (212 Vehs, MCs and Univ carriers never arrived in time)
7) Defense of Hong Kong (290 dead, 493 wounded, remainder captured.
8 ) We Stand on Guard for Thee, John Marteinson, 1992

regards
A

[Andy H]

1) Scissors Force (Brigadier W Fraser)
2)
3) May 9th 1940
4) May 11th 1940
5) No 1,2,3,4 & 5 Indep Companies plus 1section 166th LAA Bty RA
6)
7) Operation in and around Mosjöen,Mo and Bodö in Norway
8 ) The Campaign in Norway by TK Derry

1) Scissors Force (Brigadier W Frazer till 27/05/40) then (Brigadier C Gubbins)
2)
3) May 12th 1940
4) May 22nd 1940
5) No 1,2,3,4 & 5 Indep Companies, 1st Btn Scots Guards,1Tp from 203rd F.Bty RA, 1Tp from 55th LAA Bty RA plus a detachment from 230th Field Company RE
6) 3 Bofors Guns ?x 25Pdrs
7) Operation in and around Mosjöen,Mo and Bodö in Norway
8 ) The Campaign in Norway by TK Derry Ubique (The Royal Artillery in WW2) by Richard Doherty P35

1) Scissors Force (Brigadier C Gubbins) This became Bodo Force on May 24th 1940
2)
3) May 23rd 1940
4) May 29th 1940
5) No 1,2,3,4 & 5 Indep Companies, 1st Btn Scots Guards, 1st Btn Irish Guards, 1st Btn The South Wales Borderer's,
1Tp from 203rd F.Bty RA, 1Tp from 55th LAA Bty RA plus a detachment from 230th Field Company RE
6)
7) Operation in and around Mosjöen,Mo and Bodö in Norway
8 ) The Campaign in Norway by TK Derry

Note: The Independent Companies were recruited from the 52nd,9th,54th,55th and 1st London Division respectively.

More detailed information about the actions of Scissors Force can be found here:- http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 4&t=215329

[Andy H]

1) Birk Force Lt Col H Birk
2) 7th Armoured Division
3) December 13th ? 1940
4) ?
5) 7th Hussar's, 1/2 of 11th Hussars, 2Bty's RHA
6) ?
7) Operation's within the overall Op.Compass plan
8 ) Churchill's Desert Rats 2-7th Armd Division in Africa,Burma,Sicily & Italy by P.Delaforce


1) Combe Force Lt Col J Combe (CO 11th Hussars)
2) 7th Armoured Division
3) December 5th ? 1940
4) ?
5) 1/2 of 11th Hussars, 2RTR and 2Bty's RHA C Bty 4th RHA plus 1 section 155th LAA Regt, 1 section 106th At-Tk Regt, 1 RAF Armoured Car Sqn plus a Sqn of Kings Dragoon Guards
6) 20 Artillery peices but no tanks
7) Operation's within the overall Op.Compass plan
8 ) Churchill's Desert Rats 2-7th Armd Division in Africa,Burma,Sicily & Italy by P.Delaforce & British Armoured Divisions and their Commanders 1939-1945 by R Doherty Pg38

[Andy H]

1) Wood Force Brig EG Woods (Co Dogra Regt)
2) 17th Indian Division
3) May 20th 1944
4) May 30th 1944
5) 9/12th Frontier Force Regiment, 3/1st Gurkha Rifles (from 26/05), 1Bty 9th F.Regt RA
6)
7) Took part in the 2nd Battle of Bishenpur during the Imphal/Kohima offensive
8 ) Burma The Turning Point by Maj-Gen I.L.Grant MC

Andy H

[Andy H]

1) Ol Force (Capt. J.Olivey)
2) 234th Infantry Brigade
3) 23/10/43
4) 23/10/43
5) 49 men of the LRDG
6) 2 Motor Launches (ML579 & 836)
7) To recapture the isalnd of Levitha, which failed
8. ) 'Churchills Folly-Leros & the Aegean' by Anthony Rogers

Andy H

[Andy H]

1) Rees Force
2) HQ Div RA (10th Armd Div)
3) 17/06/42
4) 30/08/42
5) ?
6) ?
7) Formed for the defence of the Cairo B/H
8.) OoB of 10th Armoured Division

1) Gate Force Maj-Gen A Gatehouse, CO 10th Armoured Division
2) HQ 10th Armd Div
3) 01/07/42
4) 17/07/72
5) ?
6) ?
7) ?
8.) OoB of 10th Armoured Division

[Andy H]

1) Hammer Force Brigadier AG 'Hammer' Mathew CO Art 8th Armoured Division
2) 8th Armoured Division
3) ?
4) 03/11/42
5) 4th/6th SA Armd Car Regt, 146th F.Regt RA, 73rd AT-TK Regt RA and 56th Light A Regt RA
6) ?
7) To hold and administer the divisional troops of 8th Armd Div not being used at the Front
8.) Alamein by Jon Latimer

[Andy H]

1) Lumsdens Force
2) BEF
3) May 1940
4) ?
5) most of the 12th Lancers, 1st Welsh Guards, plus 1Bty Field Artillery plus 'Cook Light Tanks' (see Petre Force Pg3 )
6) ?
7) Recce for force for Frank Force (see Pg 1 )
8.) Captains of the Gates by Denis Blomfield-Smith and CAB66/7/47

[Andy H]

1) Pol Force
2) 137th Brigade HQ of 46th Inf Div
3) 22nd May 1940
4) ?
5) 2/5th West Yorkshire and 1 Fld Art Bty 65th Fd Regt
6) ?
7) To defend the communications centre at St Pol and the principal crossings of the La Basse canal between Aire and the R/F of Mac Force (Pg3)
8.) Captains of the Gates by Denis Blomfield-Smith
The Years of Retreat 1939-41 (History of the Royal Regiment if Artillery by Gen Sir Martin Farndale

1) Usher Force Colonel CM Usher
2) ?
3) May 1940
4) 24/5/40
5) 6th Btn Green Howards & 3rd Searchlight Regt
6) ?
7) Defend the area around Gravelines
8.) Captains of the Gates by Denis Blomfield-Smith
The Years of Retreat 1939-41 (History of the Royal Regiment if Artillery by Gen Sir Martin Farndale

[Andy H]

1) Wood Force Colonel JMD Wood
2) ?
3) 22nd May 1940
4) ?
5) ?
6) ?
7) Protecting the area around Hazebrouck in France
8.) Captains of the Gates by Denis Blomfield-Smith

[Andy H]

1) L Force Gen Leclerc
2) 8th Army
3) April 1943
4) ?
5) ?
6) 2 Grants/Shermans, 10 Crusader's and 2 CrusaderIII's
7) Took part in 8th Army's attack on Wadi Akarit in April 1943
8.) The Mediterranean & Middle East Vol IV by Mag-Gen Playfair

[Andy H]

1) Tom Force (Lt Col L C Thomas)
2) 3rd Indian Corps
3) 10/02/42
4) 11/02/42
5) 4th Norfolk Regt, 1st/5th Sherwood Foresters and 18th Reconnaissance Corp Btn. 1Bty 85th RA AT-TK Regt
6) 4x2pdr AT-TK guns. Support also provided by 3x15" of the Johore Battery (21miles away)
7) Formed for the battles around Bukit Timah village and actions against the Japanese 5th & 18th Divisions. Eventually merged (Absorbed) with Massy Force (Top of Pg5)
8.) Singapore Burning by Colin Smith; Loyalty & Honour : The Indian Army September 1939 - August 1947 by Chris Kempton and here:-http://www.britain-at-war.org.uk/WW2/Tomforce/

Andy H / Steen Ammentorp