8th Army NQM Pocket Orbat at ALAMEIN

8th Army Pocket Orbat (FSO) for ALAMEIN –

Parts of the orbat that I do not intend to model are in light grey

8th-army

8th Army

Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery Comd staff car (C3), Tac HQ DAF (C3), CRA (C3)

montys-staff-car

Under direct Army Command

8th Army HQ and Army Troops

1st Army Tank Brigade Brigadier Price (equipped with minesweeping Matilda tanks, allotted to XXX Corps for minefield clearance[1]) – HQ groups with HQ XXX Corps Matilda Scorpion (E1,Reg, Ha¹d)
- 1. Heavy attack vs minefields only, Light against anything else.

1st Armoured Brigade Brigadier G.N. Todd (reforming) 1 M3 Stuart, Grant or Crusader III? (S3,Reg,Mad)

12th Anti-Aircraft Brigade
- Morris Limber + 40mm Bofors AA (S3,Reg, Lad)
- Matador Limber + 3.7″ AA (S3,Reg,HaLd)
- 27th (London Electrical Engineers) Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery (two troops) Searchlight (C1,Reg,Ld)

2nd Anti-Aircraft Brigade (for HQ and railway protection[1]) HQ with 8th Army HQ
- Matador Limber + 3.7″ AA (S3,Reg,HaLd)
- 3.7″ AA and Matador FAT
21st Indian Infantry Brigade Brigadier J.J. Purves (reforming; used for HQ protection, camouflage and guard duties[1]) HQ with 8th Army HQ
- Infantry stand (S3,Reg, Lad)

8th-army

Army Troops

1st? Tank Delivery Regt Scammel Tank Transporter (L1,Reg,Ld)
8th Army Signals “Monty’s Caravan” Signals Truck (C1,Reg,Ld)

10th-corps

X Corps

Lieutenant-General Herbert Lumsden Comd staff car (C3,Reg,Lad), Dorchester (C3,Reg,Lad), Ambulance (L3,Reg,Noncom,Ld), Sapper Base (E1,Reg,MaLd), Ammo/POL/Wksp Truck (L3,Reg,Ld),

1st-armdiv

1st Armoured Division

Major-General Raymond Briggs Comd Grant Tank (C3,Reg,Mad), Workshop Truck (L3,Reg,Ld),Humber A/C (R1,Vet,Lad),M7 Priest (S3,Vet,Mad), Deacon 6pdr Portee (S1,Vet,Mad)

2nd Armoured Brigade, Brigadier Arthur Fisher Crusader III (S3,Reg,Mad)

7th Motor Brigade, Brigadier Thomas J. Bosville Infantry in Carrier + 6pdr Atk (S3,Reg,L/MaLd²)

Hammerforce (attached from 8th Armoured Division),Marmon-Herrington III (R1,Vet,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S1, Vet,MaLd),Universal Carrier + 6pdr (F1,Vet,MaLd)

Major-General Alexander Gatehouse Comd Stuart (C3,Reg,Lad), Motor Inf stand in 15cwt truck + 2pdr Atk (S3,Reg,MaLd²), Morris A/C (R1,Vet,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S4,Vet,MaLd), Carrier + 6pdr (S1,Vet,MaLd), Sapper base (E1,Reg,MaLd)

8th Armoured Brigade

Brigadier Edward C.N. Custance Grant Tank (C3,Reg,Mad)

24th Army Tk Bde

24th Armoured Brigade (attached from 8th Armoured Division) Brigadier Arthur G. Kenchington Sherman Tank (C3,Reg,Mad)

133rd Infantry Brigade (attached from 44th Infantry Division) Brigadier Alec W. Lee Infantry in Carrier (C3,Reg,Lad)

8th Armoured Division

Major-General Charles Gairdner Comd staff car (C3), Ammo Truck (L3), POL Truck (L3), Ambulance (L3), Workshop Truck (L3) (This divisional HQ does not need to be modelled)

(all brigades stripped away from the division prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein)

XIII Corps

Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks Comd staff car (C3,Reg,Lad), Dorchester (C3,Reg,Ld), Ammo/POL/Wksp Truck (L3,Reg,Ld), Ambulance (L3,Reg,Noncombatant), Universal Carrier + 6pdr (S3,Reg,MaLd), Morris Limber + 40mm Bofors AA (S3,Reg,Lad), Sapper base (E1,Reg,MaLd)

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division

Major-General John Nichols Infantry HQ (C3,Reg,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S4,Reg,MaLd), Carrier + 2pdr (S3,Reg,MaLd)

1st Greek Infantry Brigade, Colonel Pausanias Katsotas Infantry (C3,Con,Lad)

151st Infantry Brigade (attached to 2nd New Zealand Division 29 October to 3 November), Brigadier Joscelyn E.S. Percy Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

69th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Edward C. Cooke-Collis Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

2nd Free French Brigade Group (under command), 5th Battalion de Marche Infantry stand (S1,Reg,Lad)

44th-infdiv

44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, Major-General Ivor T.P.Hughes Infantry (C3,Reg,Lad), Infantry MMG stand (S1,Reg,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), 2pdr Portee (S1,Reg,Lad), Engineer (E1,Reg,MaLd)

131st Infantry Brigade, Brigadier William Donovan Stamer Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

132nd (Kent) Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Lashmer Whistler Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

7th Armoured Division

Major-General John Harding Comd Stuart (C3,Reg,Lad), Daimler A/C (R1,Vet,Lad), Morris CS9 A/C (R1,Vet,Lad), Humber A/C (R1,Reg,Lad), Dingo lt recce car (R1,Reg,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper base (E1 MaLd), Infantry in Carrier + 6pdr Atk (S3,Reg,MaLd), Wksp/log (S3,Reg,Ld)

4th Light Armoured Brigade, Brigadier Marcus G. Roddick M3 Stuart Tank (S3,Reg,Lad)

22nd Armoured Brigade, Brigadier George “Pip” Roberts M3 Grant Tank (S3,Reg,Mad)

Free French by YesthatPhil (CSO)

1st Free French Brigade Group (under command), Brigadier Marie Pierre Koenig Infantry (S3,Vet,Lad), Conus 75mm gun (S1,Reg,MaLd), Automitrailleuse Dodge Tanake (S1,Reg,Lad)

30th-corps

XXX Corps

Lieutenant General Oliver Leese Comd in staff car (S3), Dorchester (C3,Reg Ld)Ammo/POL Truck (L3), Ambulance (L3,Reg,Noncom), Workshop Truck (L3,Reg,Ld), Marmon Herrington (R1,Vet,Lad), Matador FAT + 5.5″ gun (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper (E1,Vet,MaLd), Austin QLD FAT + 40mm Bofors (S3,Reg,Lad)

9th Australian Division

Major General Leslie Morshead Comd in Dingo (C3, Vet,Lad), Crusader III (S1,Reg,Mad), Pioneer (E1, Reg,MaLd), Marmon Herrington FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper (E1,Reg,MaLd), Log/POL (L3, Reg,Ld)

24th Australian Brigade, Brigadier Arthur H.L. Godfrey Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

26th Australian Brigade, Brigadier David A. Whitehead Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

20th Australian Brigade, Brigadier H. Wrigley Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

51st Highland Infantry Division

Major General Douglas Wimberley Comd Jeep (C3,Reg,Lad), Dingo (R1,Reg,Lad), Valentine II Tank (S1,Reg,LaMd), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper base (E1,Reg,MaLd), Carrier + 6Pdr (S1,Reg,MaLd), Log/POL (L3, Reg,Ld)

152nd Infantry Brigade, Brigadier George Murray Infantry (F3,Reg,Lad)

153rd Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Douglas Graham Infantry (F3,Reg,Lad)

154th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Henry W. Houldsworth Infantry (F3,Reg,Lad)

2nd New Zealand Division

Lieutenant-General Bernard Freyberg Comd in Dingo (C3,Reg,Lad), Carrier (R1,Reg,Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper base (E1,Reg,MaLd), 15cwt + 2Pdr (S1,Reg,Lad), Log/POL (L3, Reg,Ld)

5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Howard Kippenberger Infantry (S3,Vet,Lad)

6th New Zealand Infantry Brigade, Brigadier William Gentry Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

9th Armoured Brigade, Brigadier John Currie Crusader III Tank (S4,Reg,Mad)

1st South African Infantry Division

Major-General Dan Pienaar Comd Dingo (C3,Reg,Lad), Valentine II Tank (C1,Reg,LaMd), Marmon Herrington A/C (R1,Reg,Lad), Marmon Herrington FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper E1,Vet,MaLd), 15cwt + 2Pdr (S1,Reg,Lad), Log/POL (L3, Reg,Ld)

1st South African Infantry Brigade, Brigadier E.P. Hartshorn Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

2nd South African Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Evered Poole Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

3rd South African Infantry Brigade, Brigadier R.J. Palmer Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

4th Indian Infantry Division

Major-General Francis Tuker Comd India Pattern Carrier (C3,Reg Lad), Quad FAT + 25pdr (S3,Vet,MaLd), Sapper (E1,Reg,MaLd), Carrier + 6Pdr (S1,Reg,MaLd), Log/POL (L3, Reg,Ld)

5th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Dudley Russell Infantry (S3,Reg,Lad)

7th Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Arthur Holworthy Infantry (F3,Reg,Lad)

61st Indian Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Francis E.C. Hughes Infantry (F3,Reg,Lad)

Corps Reserve

23rd Armd Bde

23rd Armoured Brigade, Brigadier George W. Richards Valentine II Tank (C3,Reg,LaMd), Bishop self-propelled 25pdr (S1,Reg,Mad), Morris Limber + 40mm Bofors AA (S1,Reg,Lad) (or portee)

Notes:

*CSO Written in 2015. D-Day 27th October 2018! FSO Apr 2019, Pocket Orbat Jul 2019

I haven’t shown the dozens of corps and army level RASC companies used for ferrying infantry battalions and supplies from railhead to front lines.

Use of 4.2″ mortar HE ammunition is mentioned mainly in 66 Smoke Squadron RE.

Note also links within the text referring to regimental histories, and to Wickipedia, mainly to determine which equipment was in use at the time of the battle. Where no evidence could be found, I have gone with the most likely TO&E, simplified for NQM, so for example, an armoured brigade that would have had a mix of tanks in each regiment has been shown with one tank type in each.

There is considerable latitude in representing units. Use whatever command and logistic vehicles you have. I’m not attempting to model this orbat in it’s entirety.

I have abbreviated inconsistently, in order to display the orbat in as compressed a manner as possible. Where there is space, I have given titles in full, and where there is not, I have abbreviated to modern British Army Staff College rules, with the odd idiosyncrasy thrown in, because I can! Infantry Stand and Rifles are used interchangeably.