BRITISH ARMY FORCES IN NORTHERN IRELAND

1939-1945

The following information was kindly supplied to me by David A. Ryan. Mr. Ryan researches Commonwealth Armed Forces topics and was supplied to following list of sources for the following list of units:
The major resource is:

Joslen, H.F. Orders of Battle. London: HMSO, 1960. (D.Ryan)(NYPL)(Cornell)
He also used:

Barclay, Cyril N. The history of the 53rd (Welsh) division in the Second World War. London: W. Clowes, 1956. (D.Ryan)(NYPL)
Knight, Peter. The 59th Division; its war story. London: F. Muller, 1954. (NYPL)
Aris, George. The Fifth British Division 1939 to 1945. London: Fifth Divisional Benevolent Fund, 1959. (NYPL)
Farndale, Sir Martin. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Volume V: The Years of Defeat 1939-41. London: Brassey¹s, 1996. (D.Ryan)
Routledge, Brig. N.W. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Volume IV: Anti-Aircraft Artillery, 1914-55. London: Brassey¹s, 1994. (D. Ryan)
Pakenham-Walsh, R.P. History of the Corps of Royal Engineers 1938-1948. Volumes 7, 8 & 9. Chatham: Institute of Royal Engineers, 1958. (NYPL Annex)(D. Ryan)
In addition, he consulted the regimental history of any regiment listed. He assures me he has seen them all. This would include about 80 sources, so regimental histories are assumed to be the source here.

The official history was also consulted:

Blake, John W. Northern Ireland in the Second World War. London: HMSO, 1956. Blake, John W. Northern Ireland in the Second World War. London: HMSO, 1956. (NYPL)(Cornell)
In parentheses are the locations of the books: D.Ryan is in his personal library, NYPL is New York Public Library in NYC, and Cornell is Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

NOTE: : If you wish to print this page, please select landscape for your page orientation. Thanks

British Army Forces in Northern Ireland 1939-1945

Northern Ireland District: HQ Belfast - 3 Sept. 1939

	Regular Troops in the District

		The Northern Ireland District Signal Company, RCS: Belfast
		2nd Btn., The South Wales Borderers: Londonderry
		1st Btn., The East Lancashire Regiment: Holywood, Belfast
		2nd Btn., The Northamptonshire Regiment: Ballykinler
		2nd Btn., The Royal Sussex Regiment: Belfast
		HQ Royal Artillery: Belfast
			Belfast Fire Command: Belfast
		Depot, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers: Omagh
		Depot, The Royal Ulster Rifles: Armagh

	Territorial Army Troops in the District

		188th (Antrim) Independent Heavy Battery, R.A. (T.A.)
			HQ: Great Victoria Road, Belfast
		The Antrim (Fortress) RE: Belfast

	Supplementary Reserve Troops in the District

		The North Irish Horse: North Road, Belfast

		3rd Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Supplementary Reserve: HQ Belfast
			3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (S.R.)
				HQ, 10th, 11th Btys:      Belfast
				9th Bty:                          Clonaver, Strandtown
				12th Bty:                        Lurgan
			8th (Belfast) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (S.R.)
				HQ, 21st-23rd AA Btys:  Belfast
				5th Light AA Bty:            Newtownards
			9th (Londonderry) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (S.R.)
				HQ, 24th-25th AA Btys: Londonderry
				26th AA Bty:                  Ballymena
				6th Light AA Bty:           Coleraine


Changes in 1939


	2nd Btn., The South Wales Borderers

- Left Londonderry in Dec. 1939 for England.

	1st Btn., The East Lancashire Regiment

- Left Belfast on 1 Nov. 1939 for England.

	2nd Btn., The Northamptonshire Regiment 

- Handed over to ITC, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on 3 Oct. 1939 and moved to England.

	2nd Btn., The Royal Sussex Regiment

- Left Belfast just before 25 December 1939 for England.

	1st Btn., The Rifle Brigade

- Replaced 2nd Northamptonshire Regiment at Ballykinler in early Oct. 1939 and remained until Dec. 1939.

	Depot, The Royal Irish Fusiliers

- Moved to Ballykinler from Catterick, England in the winter of 1939-40.

	3rd (Ulster) Searchlight Regiment, RA

- Left Ulster in Nov. 1939 and moved to France in Jan. 1940.

	8th (Belfast) Heavy AA Regiment, RA

- Moved to the United Kingdom in early Nov. 1939.

	5th Light AA Battery, RA

- Moved to Egypt in Nov. 1939

	9th (Londonderry) Heavy AA Regiment, RA

- Moved to Egypt in Nov. 1939

	6th Light AA Battery, RA

- Moved to the United Kingdom in Nov. 1939

	6th (Home Defence) Btn., The Royal Ulster Rifles

- Raised in Belfast on 2 Nov. 1939 from 200th Group, NDC. 
Served in Belfast until Nov. 1942, when it moved to Larne. 
Renamed 30th Btn. on 24 December 1941.  Disbanded May 1943.

	102nd Heavy AA Regiment, RA (TA) [314th, 315th, 316th Batteries]

- Raised pre-war in Antrim and in the process of forming at the outbreak of war. 
175th and 176th Light AA Batteries were added on 10 Sept. 1939. 
The regiment took over in Belfast in Feb. 1940. 175th and 176th Batteries left on 1 December 1940. 
It moved to the Levant (Palestine) in mid-1943.

	309th AA Battery, 70th AA Regiment, RA (TA)
		 - Moved to Belfast in early Nov. 1939.

	158th Infantry Brigade

- Moved to Northern Ireland on 23 Oct. 1939. Took over northern sector in December 1939.
		4th, 6th, 7th Btn.s, The Royal Welch Fusiliers
		2nd Btn., The Monmouthshire Regiment
- Attached from 160th Brigade, see below.

	160th Infantry Brigade
			- Moved to Northern Ireland - southern sector on 18 December 1939
		4th, 1st/5th Btn.s, The Welch Regiment
		2nd Btn., The Monmouthshire Regiment
- Rejoined brigade upon its arrival on arrival


Changes in 1940


	Depot, The Royal Ulster Rifles

 - Moved from Armagh to Ballymena in May 1940

	309th Heavy AA Battery, RA

- Returned to England in Feb. 1940.

	7th (Home Defence) Btn., The Royal Ulster Rifles

- Raised 29 Jun. 1940. Served in Ulster until leaving for the United Kingdom in Sept. 1942.  
  Renamed 31st Btn. on 24 December 1941.

	70th (Young Soldiers) Btn., The Royal Ulster Rifles

- Raised at Holywood on 12 Sept. 1940. It guarded aerodromes and moved to the 	UK on 23 Oct. 1941.

	5th (Home Defence) Btn., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

- Raised in Belfast on 10 Jun. 1940 and moved to Larne on 13 Jan. 1941. 
Retitled 30th Battalion on 24 December 1941 and moved to the United Kingdom on 12 Oct. 1942.

	6th Btn., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

-Raised in Oct. 1940 at Holywood.  It moved to Belfast in December 1940 and Bangor in May 1941. 
It left for the United Kingdom in Jan. 1942.

	70th (Young Soldiers) Btn., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers

- Raised at Donaghadee, C. Down on 24 December 1940. 
Moved to Craigarad on 18 Jan. 1941 and to Donaghadee on 9 Oct. 1941. 
It remained there until 24 Oct., when it moved to Larne and then the United Kingdom.

	5th (Northern Ireland) Btn., The Royal Irish Fusiliers

- Raised on 3 Jul. 1940 at Ballykinler.
Moved to Knock, Belfast in Feb. 1941 and to Armagh in late Feb. 1941.
Renamed 30th (North Ireland) Btn. in Nov. 1941 and shortly after moved to Kilkeel. 
It remained there until disbanded in Jun. 1943

	237th Searchlight Training Regiment, RA [552nd, 560th Batteries]

- Raised at Holywood on 29 Nov. 1940. 
Retitled 237th Light AA Training Regiment, RA on 27 Nov. 1941 and disbanded on 8 May 1942.

	66th Light AA Regiment, RA [175th, 176th Batteries]

- Raised at Belfast on 1 December 1940. 251st Battery was added on 28 Mar. 1941. 
276th Battery replaced it on 19 Sept. 1941. 459th Battery was added from 19 Feb. to 10 Jul. 1942. 
The regiment moved to the United Kingdom sometime in 1942-43?

	Antrim Heavy Regiment, RA [188th, 200th Batteries] 

- Formed 1 Mar. 1940. Renamed 515th (Antrim) Coast Regiment, RA [‘A’, ‘B’ Batteries] on 14 Jul. 1940. 
Added ‘C’ Battery on 4 Feb. 1941 and 380th and 381st Batteries on 20 February 1941. 
‘A’ - ‘C’ Batteries renamed 113th-115th Batteries on 1 Apr. 1941. Regiment was disbanded on 1 Jun. 1945.

	63rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA 

- It arrived at the same time as 61st Infantry Division in Jul. 1940, but served as Command Troops, at Lisburn.
 It was attached to 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division at this time and joined the division on 12 Apr. 1941.

	12th (Garrison) Btn., The Royal Warwickshire Regiment 

- Moved to Larne in Jun. 1940 and remained until Aug. 1941, when it returned to the United Kingdom.

	16th (Pioneer) Btn., The Royal Fusiliers 

- Moved to Dungannon and Cookstown in Jun. 1940. Left Northern Ireland in Nov. 1940.

	9th (Garrison) Btn., The Gloucestershire Regiment 

- Moved to Northern Ireland in Oct. 1940. 
Served near Belfast and Knock in local defence until disbanded there on 30 Jun. 1943.

	9th (Garrison) Btn., The East Surrey Regiment

- Moved to Londonderry in Oct. 1940. It moved to Belfast in Feb. 1941 and was disbanded there in Jun. 1943.

	13th Btn., The Royal Welch Fusiliers 

- Moved to Bangor on 14/15 Oct. 1940 and remained there until the Btn. joined 72nd Infantry Brigade on 21 Jan. 1941.

	15th Btn., The South Staffordshire Regiment 

- Moved to Comber, Northern Ireland in Oct. 1940. 
 Remained there until the Btn. joined 72nd Infantry Brigade on 21 Jan. 1941.

	53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division
 - Moved to Northern Ireland on 3 Apr. 1940.  
Served under Northern Ireland District until 11 Jul. 1940, 
under British Troops, Northern Ireland until 30 Apr. 1941 and 
under III Corps until 10 Nov. 1941, when it left.

		2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry 		- Until December 1940.
		5th Btn., The Cheshire Regiment M-G 		- From Jul. 1940.
		53rd Reconnaissance Btn. 			- From 1 Jan. 1941
		81st, 83rd, 133rd Field Regiments, RA
		71st Anti-Tank Regiment, RA 			- From 31 Oct. 1940 until 11 Apr. 1941
		63rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA 			- From 12 Apr. 1941
		244th, 282nd, 555th Field Companies, RE
		285th Field Park Company, RE

		158th Infantry Brigade
 - Northern Sector
			4th, 6th, 7th Btn.s, The Royal Welch Fusiliers
			158th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company - From 3 Jul. 1940 to 16 Feb. 1941)
		159th Infantry Brigade
 - Eastern Sector
			4th Btn., The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry
			3rd Btn., The Monmouthshire Regiment
			1st Btn., The Herefordshire Regiment
			159th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company - From 29 Jun. 1940 to 15 Feb. 1941
		160th Infantry Brigade
 - Southern Sector
			4th, 1st/5th Btn.s, The Welch Regiment
			2nd Btn., The Monmouthshire Regiment
			160th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company
 - From 1 Jul. 1940 to 15 Feb. 1941)

	61st Infantry Division

 - Moved to Northern Ireland District on 20 Jun. 1940. 
Transferred to British Troops, Northern Ireland on 12 Jul. 1940 and remained in Northern Ireland until 2 Feb. 1943

		61st Reconnaissance Btn. - From 14 Sept. 1941.
		2nd/8th Btn., The Middlesex Regiment M-G	 - Renamed 1st Btn. on 20 May 1942
		119th, 120th, 145th Field Regiments, RA
		71st Anti-Tank Regiment, RA			 - From 12 Feb. 1941 to 20 Jun. 1941
		266th, 267th, 268th Field Companies, RE
		269th Field Park Company, RE

		182nd Infantry Brigade
			2nd/7th, 9th Btn.s, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
			9th Btn., The Worcestershire Regiment
			182nd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company	 - From 2 Sept. 1940 to 6 Oct. 1941

		183rd Infantry Brigade
			7th Btn., The Gloucestershire Regiment
			10th Btn., The Worcestershire Regiment
			4th Btn., The Northamptonshire Regiment
			183rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company	 - From 23 Sept. 1940 to 11 May 1941

		184th Infantry Brigade
			5th Btn., The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
			2nd Buckinghamshire Btn.
			6th Btn., The Royal Berkshire Regiment
			184th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company	 - From 2 Sept. 1940 to 6 Sept. 1941

	71st Infantry Brigade
 - Served under British Troops, Northern Ireland from 12 December 1940 until 28 Apr. 1942.
			7th Btn., The King’s Own Regiment
			8th, 9th Btn.s, The York and Lancaster Regiment

	148th Infantry Brigade
 - Served under British Troops, Northern Ireland from 7 Jul. 1940 until 26 Apr. 1942.
		1st/5th Btn., The Leicestershire Regiment
		8th Btn., The Sherwood Foresters
		2nd Btn., The South Wales Borderers		 - To 6 December 1941
		1st Btn., The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry	 - From 8 December 1941
		4th Btn., The Royal Berkshire Regiment			 - Attached from 17 December 1940
		
		150th Field Regiment, RA			 - From 23 Nov. 1940
		286th Anti-Tank Battery, RA			 - From 10 Mar. 1941
		507th Field Company, RE			 - From 29 Nov. 1940
		‘A’ Company, 5th Btn., The Cheshire Regiment M-G	 - From 13-31 December 1940
		148th Infantry Brigade M-G Company (Cheshire Regiment)	 - From 1 Jan. 1941
		148th Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Company		 - From 8 Jan. 1941
		148th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company		 - From 4 Aug. 1940 to 7 Jan. 1941


Changes in 1941


	4th Btn., The East Lancashire Regiment

 - To Northern Ireland on 22 Oct. 1941 (probably). Joined 72nd Infantry Brigade on 14 Jan. 1942.

	70th (Young Soldiers) Btn., The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

 - Moved to Northern Ireland at Donaghadee on 2 Oct. 1941 and took over from 70th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. 
Moved to Strabane on 7 Sept. 1942 and to Ballgemand on 1 Apr. 1943. Disbanded on 30 Jun. 1943.

	70th (Young Soldiers) Btn., The Royal Berkshire Regiment

 - Moved to Belfast on 22 Oct. 1941 and Ballykinler in December 1941. 
It moved to Olenarm in Aug. 1942 and from there to Donaghadee. It was disbanded in Jun. 1943.

	7th Light AA Regiment, RCA [42nd, 57th, 67th LAA Batteries]

 - Arrived in December 1941 and left in May 1942.

	90th Searchlight Regiment, RA [546th, 548th, 560th Batteries]

 - Formed at Orangefield House, Belfast under 3rd AA Brigade on 25 Mar. 1941. Disbanded on 4 Aug. 1943.

	91st Searchlight Regiment, RA [549th, 550th, 552nd Batteries]

 - Formed at Orangefield House, Belfast under 3rd AA Brigade on 25 Mar. 1941. 
553rd Battery was added on 15 Apr. 1941 (It arrived from the UK on 1 May 1941). 
Converted to 114th Light AA Regiment, RA on 12 Jan. 1942. 
Sent to the United Kingdom in 1943-44? and served in North-West Europe.

	77th Medium Regiment, RA

 - Located at Market Hill in late 1941-early 1942. Probably moved there earlier in 1941 and remained there until 1943.

	5th Infantry Division
 - Served in Northern Ireland under BTNI from 3-30 Apr. 1941 and under III Corps from 1 May 1941 to 16 Jan. 1942.
	
		7th Btn., The Cheshire Regiment M-G?
		5th Reconnaissance Btn.
		9th, 91st, 92nd Field Regiments, RA
		52nd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
		245th, 252nd, 38th Field Companies, RE
		254th Field Park Company, RE

		13th Infantry Brigade
			2nd Btn., The Cameronians
			2nd Btn., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
			2nd Btn., The Wiltshire Regiment

		15th Infantry Brigade
			1st Btn., The Green Howards
			1st Btn., The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
			1st Btn., The York and Lancaster Regiment

		17th Infantry Brigade
			2nd Btn., The Royal Scots Fusiliers
			2nd Btn., The Northamptonshire Regiment
			6th Btn., The Seaforth Highlanders


	59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Division
 - Served under BTNI from 10 Nov. 1941 until 30 May 1942 and then under III Corps from 1 Jun. 1942 to 19 Mar. 1943.

		7th Btn., The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers M-G
		59th Reconnaissance Btn.
		61st, 116th, 110th Field Regiments, RA
		68th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
		509th, 510th, 257th Field Companies, RE
		511th Field Park Company, RE

		176th Infantry Brigade
			7th Btn., The South Staffordshire Regiment
			6th Btn., The North Staffordshire Regiment
			7th Btn., The North Staffordshire Regiment - Till 14 Oct. 1942
			7th Btn., The Royal  Norfolk Regiment - From 14 Oct. 1942
	
		177th Infantry Brigade
			5th, 1st/6th, 2nd/6th Btn.s, The South Staffordshire Regiment

		197th Infantry Brigade
			2nd/5th Btn., The Lancashire Fusiliers
			5th Btn., The East Lancashire Regiment
			1st/7th Btn., The Royal Warwickshire Regiment

	72nd Infantry Brigade
- Served under NI District from 21 Jan. 1941 to 1 May 1942, under BTNI from 1
May 1942 to 14 May 1943 and under NI District from 15-25 May 1943.

		13th Btn., The Royal Welch Fusiliers 
				- Till 24 Sept. 1942 (Left for England on 14/15 Sept. 1942.)
		6th Btn., The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers 		- Till 14 Jan. 1942
		15th Btn., The South Staffordshire Regiment
		4th Btn., The East Lancashire Regiment		 - From 14 Jan. 1942 to 8 Oct. 1942
		11th Btn., The Devonshire Regiment		 - From 8 Oct. 1942
		9th Btn., The Somerset Light Infantry		- From 14 Sept. 1942


No Changes in 1942



Changes in 1943

	
	40th Searchlight Regiment, RA

- Moved to Holywood, Belfast in May 1943. 
Converted to 149th Light AA Regiment on
4 Jun. 1943 and returned to the England in mid-Jul. 1943.

	45th Infantry Division (Lower Establishment)
- Served under HQ BTNI from 3 Feb. to 30 December 1943.

		45th Independent Reconnaissance Squadron
		96th, 171st Field Regiments, RA
		90th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA			 - Till 12 Nov. 1943
		205th Field Company, RE			 - Till 15 December 1943
		259th Field Company, RE			 - Till 22 December 1943

		134th Infantry Brigade
			6th Btn., The Devonshire Regiment
			9th Btn., The Dorsetshire Regiment
			2nd Btn., The East Surrey Regiment

		135th Infantry Brigade
			5th, 6th Btn.s, The Somerset Light Infantry
			7th Btn., The Wiltshire Regiment

		136th Infantry Brigade
			4th Btn., The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
			12th Btn., The Hampshire Regiment
			10th Btn., The East Surrey Regiment

	55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division
				 - Served under BTNI from 21 December 1943 to 24 Jul. 1944

		161st Reconnaissance Regiment
		109th Field Regiment, RA
		170th Field Regiment, RA				 - Till 15 Mar. 1944
		66th Anti-Tank Regiment, RA

		164th Infantry Brigade
			1st/4th, 9th Btn.s, The South Lancashire Regiment
			9th Btn., The Buffs

		165th Infantry Brigade
			1st Btn., The Liverpool Scottish
			10th Btn., The Duke of Wellington’s Regiment
			9th Btn., The King’s Regiment

		199th Infantry Brigade
 - Remained in Northern Ireland until 28 Jun. 1945 under BTNI
			2nd Btn., The Lancashire Fusiliers		 - Till 23 Jul. 1944
			2nd Btn., The Loyal Regiment		 - Till 16 Oct. 1944
			9th Btn., The Bedfordshire Regiment	 - Till 13 Jul. 1944
			1st Btn., The Liverpool Scottish		 - From 14 Jul. 1944
			1st/4th Btn., The South Lancashire Regiment - From 24 Jul. 1944
			8th Btn., The Manchester Regiment		 - From 28 Nov. 1944


Changes in 1944


	9th Btn., The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
		 - Moved to Northern Ireland in Jul. 1944 at Ballykinler to train ex-RAF and RN personnel as infantry.
	9th Btn., The South Lancashire Regiment
		 - Moved to Northern Ireland on 12 Jul. 1944 as a static training unit.
	15th Btn., The South Staffordshire Regiment
		 - Moved to Northern Ireland in Jul. 1944? as a static training unit?
	15th Btn., The Welch Regiment
		 - Moved to Northern Ireland on 22 Jul. 1944 to train drafts at Ballydomal.


Changes in 1945


	Nos. 1 and 2 Companies, The Queen’s Regiment
 - Moved to Straner and Londonderry in May 1945.
Here is some more information regarding Mr. Ryan as supplied by himself. If you wish to contact him I will contact him and see if he wishes to get in touch with you.  Heres what he says:

I am actually a high school mathematics department head and computer science teacher in Connecticut. British Commonwealth military history 1939-45, though, is my avocation. I have been researching orders of battle for the period for over 30 years having made a number of trips to England to visit the Ministry of Defence Library, the National Army Museum Library, and the British Museum. I am currently working on an order of battle supplement to an organizational history of the British Army during the Second World War along with co-authors David Hughes of Canada and Alan Philson of Scotland.