BAOR Locations

Did you serve here...
Welcome     Home     History of BAOR     Barracks     Locations     Canadian Inf Bde     Regiments/Brigades     What's New     Forum     Links      
History of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division
May 1945 to February 1947
 
 
May 45 – 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division from 12th Corps – HQ Hamburg area to 8th Corps to 1st Corps District Köln/Bonn area to St David’s Barracks Hilden Jun 45 also known as X Division from Jul 46

 

General Officers Commanding: Brigadier GFC Coleman to Jun 45 then Major General RK Ross to Aug 45 then Brigadier GFC Coleman to mid 46 then Major General PM Balfour

 

53 Reconnaissance Regiment RAC – Hamburg to Anglesey Barracks (Sagan Kaserne) Wuppertal merged with North Irish Horse Jan 46

 

CRA:

81 (Welsh) Field Regiment RA

83 (Monmouth Volunteer Artillery) Field Regiment RA – Hamburg Race Course to Mönchengladbach

133 Field Regiment RA

71 (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Anti-Tank Regiment RA – Krefeld disbanded Oct 45

COs: Lieutenant Colonel J Thompson later Lieutenant Colonel DC Keating

 

CRE:

25 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

63 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA

244 Field Company RE

282 Field Company RE

555 Field Company RE

285 Field Park Company RE

22 Bridging Platoon RE

 

53 Welsh Divisional Signals

COs: Lieutenant Colonel DE Harrison OBE then Lieutenant Colonel MJ Conway

 

501Company (Divisional Transport) RASC

531 Company (Infantry Brigade) RASC

532 Company (Infantry Brigade) RASC

533 Company (Infantry Brigade) RASC

53 Ordnance Field Park RAOC

30 Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit RAOC

71 Infantry Brigade Workshop REME

158 Infantry Brigade Workshop REME

160 Infantry Brigade Workshop REME

with 11 Light Aid Detachments and a Light AA Workshop

147 Field Ambulance RAMC

202 Field Ambulance RAMC

212 Field Ambulance RAMC

13 Field Dressing Station RAMC

26 Field Dressing Station RAMC

53 Field Hygiene Station RAMC

511 Mobile Dental Unit RAMC

529 Mobile Dental Unit RAMC

541 Mobile Dental Unit RAMC

Royal Army Chaplaincy Service

53 Welsh Divisional Provost Company CMP

Field Security Company

53 Welsh Divisional Postal Unit

83 Field Cash Office

 

May 45 – 7 Survey Regiment RA from 12th Corps to Blankensee Hamburg to Iserbrook Barracks (Military Government Prison) handing t to Northeim (RHQ Hotel Sonne) – Hardegsen to 50th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Jun 45

 

Jun 45 – 20 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA Iserbrook Barracks (Military Government Prison) Hamburg

Jun 45 – 10 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA Iserbrook Barracks (Military Government Prison) Hamburg

 

Late 45 – 53rd (Welsh) Divisonal Military Police School - Düsseldorf 

 

May 45 – 1 Battalion Manchester Regiment (Machine Gun) from 8th Corps – Essen to 5th Infantry Division Jan 46

Aug 45 7 Royal Tank Regiment from 31st Armoured Brigade – Krefeld to 7th Armoured Division Aug 46 

Jan 46 – 1 Battalion Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun) from 159th Infantry Brigade – Essen disbanded Feb 47

Jan 46 – North Irish Horse from Austria to Hilden to Anglesey Barracks (Sagan Kaserne) Wuppertal merged with 53 Reconnaissance Regiment disbanded later 1946

A Sqn – Flak Kaserne Düsseldorf

CO: Lieutenant Colonel AWA Llewellyn Palmer DSO MC later Lt Col R Heathcote-Amory

May 46 – 2 Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers from 17th Infantry Brigade to Fife Barracks Mönchengladbach to Buer Gelsenkirchen 1946 to 157th Infantry Brigade Aug 46

Jun 46 2 Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from Hamburg Sub Area Bottrop (BHQ + HQ + B + D Coys) and Dinslaken (A + C + Sp Coys) end 1946 to Wesel then to UK Dec 46

Jul 46 – 1 Battalion Border Regiment from 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division – Camp 10 Dortmund to Napier Barracks Aug 46 to Austria Oct 46

Sep 46 – 17 Field Regiment RA from Austria – Caernarvon Barracks Düsseldorf renamed 19 Field Regiment RA Apr 47

Sep 46 – 69 (West Riding) Field Regiment RA from 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division West Riding Barracks Dortmund renamed 40 Field Regiment RA Apr 47

Sep 46 – 7 Medium Regiment RA from Hamburg District – Aryshire Barracks Mönchengladbach renamed 32 Med Regt RA Apr 47

Sep 46 – 55 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti Tank Regiment RA from 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division – Ubique Barracks Dortmund renamed 53 Anti Tank Regiment Regt RA Apr 47

 

May 45 – 71st Infantry Brigade – HQ Hamburg to Luttringhausen near Remscheid disbanded Mar 46

Commander: Brigadier CL Firbank

1 Battalion Highland Light Infantry – Solingen to 185th Infantry Brigade Aug 45

1 Battalion Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry

4 Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers

CO: Lieutenant Colonel JM Hanmer DSO

2 Monmouthshire Regiment

6 Royal Welch Fusiliers

Aug 45 – 1 Battalion Norfolk Regiment from 185th Infantry Brigade 

 

May 45 – 158th (Royal Welch) Infantry Brigade – HQ Mulheim disbanded Jul 46

Commanders: Brigadier JHO Wilsey then Brigadier GD Browne

1 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment Oberhausen to 160th (South Wales) Infantry Brigade Jul 46

1/5 Battalion Welch Regiment

Jun 45 7 Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers from 56th Infantry Brigade

Dec 45 2 Battalion South Wales Borders from 56th Infantry Brigade Solingen to 157th Infantry Brigade Aug 46

 

May 45 – 160th (South Wales) Infantry Brigade from 7th Armoured Division formed 4th Infantry Brigade Feb 47

Commanders: Brigadier CFC Coleman then Lieutenant Colonel HBD Crozier then Brigadier CFC Coleman

4 Battalion Welch Regiment

2 Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

6 Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers

Dec 46 2 Battalion Grenadier Guards from 5th Guards Brigade Harding Barracks Wuppertal

Jul 46 – 1 Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers from UK – Caernarvon Barracks Düsseldorf then Llanelly Barracks Hubblerath

Jul 46 – 1 Battalion East Lancashire Regiment from 158th (Royal Welch) Infantry Brigade Oberhausen then Llanelly Barracks Hubblerath

 

Jun 45 – 308th Infantry Brigade from 1st Corps District – HQ Mönchengladbach disbanded Jul 46

Commanders: Lieutenant Colonel JD Ferguson later Lieutenant Colonel CB Venn later Brigadier F Stephens

Brigade HQ from 61st Anti-Aircraft Brigade RA

627 Infantry Regt RA

629 Infantry Regt RA from 2nd Army

Divisional RA units under command

 

Jan 46 159th Infantry Brigade from 11th Armoured Division – HQ unknown disbanded Jul 46

Commander: Brigadier JB Churcher

4 King’s Shropshire Light Infantry

1 Herefordshire Regiment

1 Cheshire Regiment

 

Jul 46 – 153th Infantry Brigade from 51st (Highland) Infantry Division formed 6th Infantry Brigade Feb 47

1 Battalion Gordon Highlanders – Meeanee Barracks Essen

7 Battalion Gordon Highlanders merged with 1st Battalion at Essen

1 Battalion Black Watch – Glamorgan Barracks Duisburg

5 Battalion Black Watch merged with 1st Battalion at Duisburg

1 Battalion Royal Fusiliers from UK – Epsom Barracks Iserlohn

 

Aug 46 – 157th Infantry Brigade from 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division formed 5th Infantry Brigade Feb 47

Commander: Lieutenant Colonel RLC Rose

5 Bn Highland Light Infantry

5 Bn King’s Own Scottish Borders

7 Bn Cameronians

2 Battalion South Wales Borders from Divisional Troops Harding Barracks Wuppertal to UK Dec 46

2 Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers Buer Gelsenkirchen to Napier Barracks Dortmund Oct 47

CO: Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell

 

On 1st February 1947 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division commanded by Major General CG Woolner CB MC formed the new 2nd Infantry Division with the headquarters at St David’s Barracks in Hilden

 

more research to follow...additions and amendments most welcome...steve@baor-locations.co.uk

 

Information sources

British Army Units 1945 on - Orders of  Battle - WW2Talk
The History of the Corps of Royal Engineers volume X + XI by the institution of Royal Engineers
Sapper Magazine

The Royal Corps of Signals a History of its Antecedents and Development (circa 1800-1955) by Major General RFH Nalder CB OBE
The Royal Corps of Signals Unit Histories (1920-2001) by Cliff Lord and Graham E Watson

Wire Magazine
The British Army in Germany an Organizational History 1947-2004 by Graham E Watson and Richard A Rinald