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British Expeditionary ForceThe British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was the British army sent to France and Belgium in World War I and British Forces in Europe from 1939 - 1940 during World War II. The BEF was established by Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane following the Boer War in case Britain ever needed to deploy quickly a force to take part in an overseas war. World War I On the outbreak of World War I, the BEF was sent to Belgium under the command of General Sir John French. The BEF was composed of four regular infantry divisions, rising later to seven infantry and three cavalry divisions. It suffered defeat in its first battle at Mons, but helped to halt the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne. In December 1914, the British Expeditionary Force was divided into the First and Second Armies, with a third and fourth created later in the war. Although the term British Expeditionary Force strictly refers only to the forces sent initially to France in 1914, the name is often used of the British Army in France and Flanders throughout the First World War. World War II Following the German invasion of Poland in 1939, the British Expeditionary Force was sent to the Franco-Belgian border. By May 1940, when German attacks began, it consisted of ten infantry divisions in three corps, a tank brigade and an RAF detachment of about 500 aircraft. Commanded by General Lord Gort, although constituting approximately %10 of the defending Allied force it sustained heavy losses during the German advance and the remainder were evacuated from Dunkirk in June, leaving much of their equipment behind. Order of Battle (WWII) - 2nd Infantry Division - (Major-General H. C. Lloyd)
- HQ Royal Artillery
- 10th Field Regiment, RA
- 16th Field Regiment, RA
- 18th Field Regiment, RA
- HQ Royal Engineers
- 5th Field Company, RE
- 11th Field Company, RE
- 38th Field Company, RE
- 21st Field Park Company, RE
- Divisional Headquarters
- 2nd Divisional Signals
- 4th Infantry Brigade
- 5th Infantry Brigade
- 6th Infantry Brigade
- 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division) - (Major-General A. F. A. N. Thorne)
- HQ Royal Artillery
- 67th Field Regiment, RA
- 68th Field Regiment, RA
- 99th Field Regiment, RA
- 53rd Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
- HQ Royal Engineers
- 224th Field Company, RE
- 225th Field Company, RE
- 226th Field Company, RE
- 227th Field Park Company, RE
- 143rd Infantry Brigade
- 144th Infantry Brigade
- 145th Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
- 4th Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
- 1st (Buckinghamshire Battalion) The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry.
III Corps - (Lieutenant-General Sir R. F. Adam) G.H.Q. Reserve - 46th Infantry Division - (Major-General H. C. Curtis)
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