| |
|---|---|
 Divisional insignia since 1940[1] | |
| Active | 18 June 1809 - present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | ArmouredInfantry |
| Part of | Field Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Bulford Camp,Wiltshire |
| Nicknames | 1810–1814: Fighting 3rd From 1916: The Iron Division, Ironsides, or Iron Sides |
| Engagements | Napoleonic Wars Crimean War Second Boer War First World War Second World War Palestine Emergency Gulf War Iraq War |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major GeneralOliver Brown |
| Insignia | |
| c. First World War |  |
The3rd (United Kingdom) Division, also known as The Iron Division, is aregular armydivision of theBritish Army. It was created in 1809 byArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of theAnglo-Portuguese Army, for service in thePeninsular War, and was known as the Fighting 3rd underSir Thomas Picton during theNapoleonic Wars. The division fought at theBattle of Waterloo, as well as during theCrimean War and theSecond Boer War. As a result of bitter fighting in 1916, during theFirst World War, the division became referred to as the 3rd (Iron) Division, or the Iron Division or Ironsides. During theSecond World War, the division (now known as the 3rd Infantry Division) fought in theBattle of France including a rearguard action during theDunkirk Evacuation, and played a prominent role in theD-Day landings of 6 June 1944. The division was to have been part of a proposedCommonwealth Corps, formed for aplanned invasion of Japan in 1945–46, and later served in theBritish Mandate of Palestine. During the Second World War, the insignia became the "pattern of three" — a black triangle trisected by an inverted red triangle.
The division was part of the Allied British and Portuguese forces that took part in thePeninsular War. It fought at theBattle of Bussaco in September 1810,[2] theBattle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811[3] and theBattle of El Bodón in September 1811,[4] before further combat at theSiege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812,[5] theSiege of Badajoz in March 1812[6] and theBattle of Salamanca in July 1812.[7] It also fought at theSiege of Burgos in September 1812[8] and theBattle of Vitoria in June 1813.[9] It then pursued the French army into France and saw action at theBattle of the Pyrenees in July 1813,[10] theBattle of Nivelle in November 1813[11] and theBattle of the Nive in December 1813.[12] After that it fought at theBattle of Orthez in February 1814[13] and theBattle of Toulouse in April 1814.[14]
According to Picton, the fighting by the 3rd was so intense at the Battle of Vitoria, that the division lost 1,800 men (over one third of all Allied losses at the battle) having taken a key bridge and village, where they were subjected to fire by 40 to 50cannons, and a counter-attack on the right flank (which was open because the rest of the army had not kept pace).[9] The 3rd held their ground and pushed on with other divisions to capture the village ofArinez.[9]
The 3rd Division was also present at theBattle of Quatre Bras and theBattle of Waterloo in theWaterloo campaign under the command of Lieutenant-General SirCharles Alten K.C.B. (Count Carl von Alten).[15]
The 3rd Division took part in theCrimean War and fought in theBattle of Alma and theSiege of Sevastopol. It was under the command of Lieutenant-GeneralSir Richard England.[16]
During theSecond Boer War (1899–1902) the division began under the command of GeneralGatacre.[17] In 1902 the army was restructured, and a 3rd Infantry division was established permanently atBordon as part of the1st Army Corps, comprising the5th and6th Infantry Brigades.[18][19]
During theFirst World War the 3rd Division was a permanently establishedRegular Armydivision that was amongst the first to be sent to France at the outbreak of the war as part of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF). The 3rd Division served on theWestern Front in France and Belgium for four years, from 1914 to 1918. During this time, it was nicknamed "The Iron Division". Its first commander during the war,Major-GeneralHubert Hamilton, was killed by shellfire nearBéthune in October 1914. The division served in many major battles of the war, including theBattle of Mons and the subsequentGreat Retreat, and later theFirst Battle of Ypres and theBattle of Passchendaele.[20]
After the end of the First World War, the division was stationed in southern England where it formed part ofSouthern Command. In 1937, one of its brigades, the 9th Infantry Brigade, was commanded byBrigadierBernard Montgomery. He assumed command of the 3rd Division shortly before Britain declared war onGermany in September 1939.[21]
The 3rd Infantry Division, under the command of Major-General Bernard Montgomery was sent overseas to France in late September 1939, just under a month after the outbreak of theSecond World War.[22] There the division became part ofLieutenant GeneralAlan Brooke'sII Corps of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF).[22]
In May 1940, after several months of relative inactivity, theGerman Army launched itsattack in the west which resulted in the BEF being split up from theFrench Army, evacuated fromDunkirk. Due to Montgomery's strict training regime, the 3rd Division suffered comparatively few casualties and earned a reputation as one of the best British divisions in France. During the evacuation Montgomery was promoted to temporary command of II Corps and BrigadierKenneth Anderson took temporary control of the division before, in July, Major GeneralJames Gammell assumed command.[22]
For over a year after Dunkirk the composition of 3rd Division remained largely unchanged (except that the motorcycle battalion was converted into3rd (RNF) Reconnaissance Regiment,Reconnaissance Corps). Then, in September 1941, the7th Guards Brigade was transferred to help create theGuards Armoured Division, and, in November, the37th Infantry Brigade Group joined the 3rd Division and was renumbered 7th Brigade with the following composition:[23][24] The brigade anti-tank companies were disbanded during 1941 and92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, formerly the 7th Battalion,Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), joined the division in March 1942. In June 1942, 3rd Infantry Division was reorganised as a 'Mixed' Division, with33rd Tank Brigade replacing 7th Infantry Brigade. By early 1943, the experiment with 'mixed' divisions was abandoned, and division reverted to being an infantry formation, 33rd Tank Brigade being replaced by185th Infantry Brigade.[23][25]
The 3rd British Infantry Division was the first British formation to land atSword Beach onD-Day, 6 June 1944, as part of theinvasion of Normandy, part of the largerOperation Overlord. For the assault landing, 3rd British Division was organised as a Division Group, with other formations temporarily under its command. These included27th Armoured Brigade (Sherman DD amphibious tanks of 13/18th Hussars, and the Sherman tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry and East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry) ,1st Special Service Brigade andNo. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando, with5th Royal Marine Independent Armoured Support Battery (Centaur IV close support tanks), and specialist units of the79th Armoured Division:22nd Dragoons (Sherman Crab mine clearing tanks),Royal Engineers 77 and 79 Assault Squadrons of 5th Assault Regiment (Churchill AVRE tanks for obstacle demolition).[26]
The division's own artillery were all self-propelled (the artillery field regiments withM7 Priest;[27][28][29][30] the anti-tank regiment:M10 tank destroyer[31][32]) and the SP field guns and RM Centaurs were able to fire from their landing craft during the run-in to the beach. In addition, 3rd Division had 101 Beach Sub-Area HQ and No. 5 andNo. 6 Beach groups under command for the assault phase: these included additional engineers, transport, pioneers, medical services and vehicle recovery sections which would hold and manage the beach landing area after the initial assault.[33][34]
The 3rd Division's brigades were organised asbrigade groups for the assault, with 8 Brigade Group making the first landing, followed by 185 Brigade Group and 9 Brigade Group in succession during the morning and early afternoon.[33]
The 3rd Infantry Division fought through theBattle for Caen, inOperation Charnwood andOperation Goodwood.[35]
The division participated in theAllied advance from Paris to the Rhine and fought in theNetherlands andBelgium and later theAllied invasion of Germany. For the campaign in Normandy, the division was commanded by Major-GeneralTom Rennie until he was wounded on 13 June 1944; Major-General'Bolo' Whistler, a highly popular commander, took command on 23 June 1944.[36] During the campaign in Normandy, two posthumousVictoria Crosses were awarded to units under its command. In August 1944, corporalSidney Bates of 1st Battalion,Royal Norfolk Regiment and in March 1945PrivateJames Stokes of the 2nd Battalion,King's Shropshire Light Infantry, both units part of the 185th Infantry Brigade.[37]
During the often intense fighting from Sword Beach to Bremen, the 3rd Division suffered 2,586 killed with over 12,000 wounded.[38] Following the German surrender, the division moved towards central Germany. It was then ordered to Berlin, to become part of the Western Allied garrison, but before a move could be made it was sent to Belgium. It was intended that the division would be flown to the United States, from where it would jointhe assault on Japan. With thesurrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War, the move was cancelled.[39]
The division remained in Europe until October 1945, when it left for the Middle East. After spending time in Egypt and undertakinginternal security operations during theJewish insurgency, it was disbanded in June 1947. Sources differ on the specifics. The Imperial War Museum stated it was disbanded in Palestine while historians Lord and Watson stated the division first returned to the UK in April 1947 before being disbanded. However, they also note that at least one source (although not specified by the authors) claimed that the division was still active in Palestine until February 1948.[39][40][41]
With the outbreak of theKorean War and the need for a divisional-sized strategic reserve based in the UK, the 3rd Infantry Division was reformed at Colchester, England, on 14 December 1950. In April 1951, the division helped form the signals regiment for the1st Commonwealth Division, which served in the Korean War. In November, the entire formation was dispatched to Egypt to garrison theSuez Canal Zone.[41] During this period, the Egyptian government abrogated theAnglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, which was the basis for British troops to remain in the canal area. The ensuing political landscape saw increased animosity to the British presence, eventually resulting in an agreement to withdraw.[42] The division departed for the UK during 1954, where it returned to Colchester and its role as the British Army's strategic reserve. March 1955 saw troops deployed to Cyprus, during theCyprus Emergency. The following year, the division was mobilised forOperation Musketeer, the attack on Egypt during theSuez Crisis. In the event of a successful invasion, the division would have severed as a follow-up formation and occupiedPort Said. Only the divisional headquarters was dispatched, and the division was ultimately not deployed. In April 1959, the divisional headquarters moved from Colchester to Bulford.[40][43]
In 1961, elements of the division weredispatched to Kuwait to deter an Iraqi invasion; signals personnel were sent to assist with theBritish Cameroons referendum; and other troops were sent to Kenya. Exercises in Libya followed in 1963, which also established the division in anair-portable role. Elements were dispatched to Cyprus, in February 1964, to support the formingUnited Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. That lasted until August, when the UN force was activated.[44] On 1 April 1968, theArmy Strategic Command was formed in the UK, with a goal of supportingNATO forces from as far north as Norway to as far south as Turkey; to provide internal security operations world-wide; and to undertake limited operations in conjunction with allies. The 3rd Division was assigned to this command, and from 1969 onwards was the primary British formation that would reinforce European-based NATO forces in the event of the Cold War heating up. UnderOperation Banner, the division also deployed troops to Northern Ireland for four-month tours of duty.[44][45] During 1974, the division returned to Cyprus in response to theTurkish invasion.[44]
The 1975Mason Review, a governmentwhite paper, outlined a new defence policy that removed the UK-based divisional-sized strategic reserve and also resulted in the restructure of theBritish Army of the Rhine (BAOR). With its role eliminated, the 3rd Division was disbanded. It was reformed inSoest, Germany, on 1 September 1977, as the 3rd Armoured Division.[44][46][47] Its reformation increased the BAOR to four divisions, for the first time since the end of the 1950s. Each division consisted of two armoured regiments, three mechanised infantry battalions, and two artillery regiments.[48][49]
The Mason Review removed brigades and replaced them with a concept of task forces or battlegroups. It was intended that the division could form up to five battlegroups, with each commanded by either an armoured regiment or an infantry battalion. These groups were to be formed for a specific task and allocated the required forces needed. The divisional commander (general officer commanding (GOC)) would oversee these battlegroups, but early training showed this to be impractical. To compensate, the divisional headquarters was increased to 750 men (wartime strength) and included two brigadiers. Each officer would command a flexible task force, which consisted of the battlegroups the GOC had formed. The division's task forces were named Task Force Echo and Task Force Foxtrot. These were not a reintroduction of a brigade command structure and had no administrative responsibilities. The approach intended to provide greater flexibility in tailoring forces to meet unforeseen events and allow for an overall reduction in the size of a division by 700 men.[50][51] The task force concept was dropped by the end of the decade, having been deemed to have not met expectations. The division then comprised the 6th and the 33rd Armoured Brigades, with each made up of two mechanised infantry battalions and one armoured regiment.[52][53][54]
In 1981,John Nott, the Secretary of State for Defence for the governmentelected in 1979, announced the1981 Defence White Paper. It, like the Mason Review, aimed to balance the British military in line with the nation's financial resources and save manpower. Resultingly, the BAOR was restructured from four armoured divisions of two brigades, into a force of three divisions of three brigades.[55][56] The division then comprised the4th (based inMünster), the 6th (Soest), and the 33rd Armoured Brigades (Paderborn). During the 1980s, the 33rd Armoured Brigade joined the4th Armoured Division and in exchange the 3rd Armoured Division received the19th Infantry Brigade (Colchester, England).[57] During 1983, the 6th Armoured Brigade converted into the 6th Airmobile Brigade and maintained that role until 1988.[52][58]
The end of the 1980s saw thedissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. In July 1990, the British government announcedOptions for Change. This framework sought to restructure the British military based on the new strategic situation, allow for further cost saving measures to be enacted, and to reduce the BAOR by half.[59] During September and October 1992, the division relocated from Germany toBulford, Wiltshire where it was reorganised as amechanized infantry division known as the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division.[44][60]
Following its reorganisation, the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division (also referred to as the 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division) was assigned to theAllied Rapid Reaction Corps, a newly formedNATO HQ that was administered by the UK. Around 8,400 strong, it comprised the1st (Tidworth) and the 19th (Mechanised) Brigades (Catterick), in conjunction with the 5th (Airborne) Brigade (Aldershot), the2nd (National Communications) Brigade (Corsham), and the43rd (Wessex) Brigade (Exeter). The 1st and 19th Brigades each contained aChallenger 1 tank-equipped armoured regiment, an armoured infantry battalion carried inWarrior tracked armoured vehicles, and two mechanised infantry battalions carried inSaxonarmoured personnel carriers. In the event of a major emergency, as part of agreements between the UK and Italy, the division could be reinforced by the132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete". During the 1990s, the division deployed troops to Angola, the Falkland Islands, Kosovo, Northern Ireland as part ofOperation Banner, and Rwanda.[44][61][62] Most notably, in December 1995, following the signing of theDayton Agreement, the division was the first British formation deployed as part of theImplementation Force to serve as peacekeepers inBosnia and Herzegovina and remained through 1996. The British contribution to this force eventually came under the guidance of theMulti-National Division (South-West), which was administered by the 3rd Division for six months. Command then rotated to the1st (UK) Armoured Division.[63] During 1999, the 5th Airborne Brigade was converted into the12th Mechanised Brigade (still based at Aldershot). The division's tanks were replaced by 165Challenger 2s. By the early 2000s, the formation's strength ranged from 18–21,600, depending on the source.[62][64][65]
Following theUnited States invasion of Afghanistan, in December 2001, the divisional headquarters was dispatched toKabul as part of theInternational Security Assistance Force. It oversaw a multinational brigade until command was handed over to other NATO forces.[66] From 2006 onwards,Task Force Helmand (based on a reinforced brigade) was formed to conduct stabilisation and counter-insurgency missions inHelmand Province. Between April and October 2007, the division's 12th Mechanised Brigade was deployed to serve as the core of Task Force Helmand; it was replaced by the division's newly added52nd Infantry Brigade from October through to April 2008; the 19th Brigade deployed between April and October 2009; the 4th Mechanised Brigade undertook a tour between April and October 2010; the 12th Brigade returned between April and October 2011; followed by the 4th Brigade (joined the division in 2008) until April 2013; and the division's final deployment to Task Force Helmand came between April and October 2013, when then the 1st Brigade was dispatched. The task force was maintained until 2014, consisting of 1st Armoured Division units, when it was disbanded following the British withdrawal.[67]
In June 2003, following the initial stage of the2003 Invasion of Iraq and start of security and stabilisation responsibilities, the 19th Mechanised Brigade was deployed toBasra, Iraq, to replace the 1st (UK) Armoured Division's7th Armoured Brigade. This was followed by the divisional headquarters, which replaced the 1st (UK) Armoured Division on 11 July. TheMulti-National Division (South-East) was subsequently formed to oversee allMulti-National Forces in southern Iraq. The British portion of this force was based around a reinforced brigade, which came from different parent formations and were rotated through several deployments.[68][69] The 3rd Division held operational control of the Multi-National Division until December 2003, when it passed command to other forces. The 3rd Division's headquarters undertook additional tours of Iraqi between July 2006 and January 2007 as well as in 2008, during these periods it also controlled the Multi-National Division.[70][71][72] Between April and November 2004, the division's 1st Mechanised Brigade was dispatched to Iraq under the oversight of the Multi-National Division; the 12th Mechanised Brigade was deployed between April and October 2005; the 19th Brigade between November 2006 and June 2007; the 1st Mechanized Brigade returned between June and December 2007; and the division's final deployment, under the oversight of the Multi-National Division, was made by the newly added 4th Mechanised Brigade between December 2007 and June 2008.[68][69]
On 1 January 2005, the 19th Mechanised Brigade was converted into the 19th Light Brigade. It then moved from Catterick to Northern Ireland in 2008.[73] The following year, the4th Mechanised Brigade moved from Germany and joined the division.[74] This was followed, during April 2007, with the addition of the 52nd Infantry Brigade.[75] By the late 2000s, the division comprised the 1st Mechanised Brigade (based at Tidworth), the 12th Mechnised Brigade (Aldershot), the 19th Light Brigade, and the 52nd Infantry Brigade (Edinburgh).[74] In 2013, the 19th Brigade was disbanded leaving the division with just four brigades.[76]
TheStrategic Defence and Security Review of 2010 outlined theArmy 2020 plan. This project aimed to restructure the army from one optimized for theWar in Afghanistan, to one that was more flexible and included the establishment of a "Reaction Force" and an "Adaptable Force". The latter would be based around the 1st (United Kingdom) Division, while the 3rd Division would serve as the basis for the Reaction Force. The division's new role required it to be held in a state of high readiness, ready to be deployed to undertake operations on short notice, and all its forces were concentrated around theSalisbury Plain Training Area. The restructured division then contained the 1st, 12th, and 20th Brigades. These were all renamed from "Mechanised" brigades to "Armoured Infantry" brigades, with each containing an armoured cavalry regiment for reconnaissance, an armoured regiment equipped with Challenger 2main battle tanks, two armoured infantry battalions carried in Warriors, and one infantry battalion carried inMastiffinfantry mobility vehicles (this battalion being described as a 'heavy protected mobility' battalion). The division also included the101st Logistic Brigade, and could be supported by the16 Air Assault Brigade as part of the reaction force.[77][78] By 2016, the division had a strength of around 16,000 personnel.[79]
Further changes occurred following the2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which resulted inArmy 2020 Refine that was implemented in 2019. Army 2020 Refine saw the1st Artillery Brigade, the25th Engineer Group, and the7th Air Defence Group all added to the division.[80][81]
In 2024, the 7th Air Defence Group was resubordinated toHQ ARRC.[82]
In 2025, it was reported that the division would be reorganised as a fully-tracked maneuver formation centred aroundChallenger 3 tanks andAjax armoured fighting vehicles.[83]
_Division_-_Future_Soldier_2024_organization.png)
Under the 2021Future Soldier programme, the division is organised as such:[85]
During the First World War, the division obtained the nickname "the ironsides" and "The Iron Division.[40]Norman Scarfe, the divisional historian for the period 1943-1945, argued against a continuation of the nickname beyond the First World War. He wrote that while it was a complement to be associated with the term, it was a nickname "earned by quite different groups of units in quite different circumstances, not by the 3rd Division in its Assault form. 'Ironsides' is surely another not entirely justifiable reference toEast Anglia, whereCromwell did his recruiting; and Iron, a symbol of strength and resolution of the 3rd Division in the Four Years' War, can also suggest inflexibility and cruelty, rust and robots. The distinction of being British [in comparison to the3rd Canadian Division], on the other hand, is open to only one interpretation. It is the most suitable of all titles. There was only one 3rd British Division fighting in Europe, and from D-Day until the Germans were defeated the men of the division deserved the honour of their name."[86] The separation of traditions was also suggested by Lieutenant-Colonel T. F. Furnell, secretary of the Association of the 3rd (Iron) Division, who in a reunion speech to Second World War 3rd Division veterans stated "You of the 3rd British Division have more than lived up to the tradition of the Iron Division."[86] TheImperial War Museum highlighted that while the nickname was earned during the First World War, it continued on through the Second World War and indicated Major-General Bernard Montgomery (who took command in 1939) referred to the division as such.[40] PerPatrick Delaforce, Montgomery told an officer "I knew it in the last war – it was known as the 'Iron Division' then and it is going to be known as the "Iron Division" in this war."[87] The modern-day division still refers to itself as such.[88]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "England, Richard (1793–1883)".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.