British 7th Armoured Division, 1944
Daimler Dingo scout car of divisional Headquarters. The 7th Armoured Division operated an interesting mixture of Sherman Firefly and Cromwell tanks in each squadron. Unfortunately, there are only two plastic model kits on the market today, the Matchbox/Revell Sherman Firefly in 1:76 scale, and the Revell Cromwell in 1:72 scale. The two vehicles are not strictly compatible, and it remains to be seen when this gap will be filled in one or the other of the popular military modelling scales.
7th Armoured Division 1944
- Divisional Headquarters (white tactical signs)
- Divisional Troops (white tactical signs)
- Armoured Recce Regiment
Similarly organised as the armoured regiments of the division, but with the main difference that the unit was equipped with three Cromwells and one A30 Challenger tank per troop. Later in the campaign the Challengers were gradually replaced by Firefly tanks.
- Royal Artillery
- Headquarters
- R.H.A. Regiment
- Field Artillery Regiment
- Anti-Tank Regiment
- Anti-aircraft Regiment
- Royal Engineers
- Headquarters
- 2 Field Squadrons
- 1 Field Park Squadron
- 1 Bridging Troop
- Armoured Recce Regiment
- Armoured Brigade
- Brigade Headquarters
- Armoured Regiment (red tactical signs)
- Armoured Regiment (yellow tactical signs)
- Armoured Regiment (blue tactical signs)
- Motor Battalion (green tactical signs)
- Battalion Headquarters
- Support Company
- 3 Motor Companies (Infantry in half-tracks)
- Company Headquarters
- 3 Motor Platoons
- 1 Scout Platoon (mounted in 13 Bren Carriers)
- Infantry Brigade
- Brigade Headquarters
- Independent Machinegun Company
- Infantry Battalion
- Infantry Battalion
- Infantry Battalion
- Battalion Headquarters
- Headquarters Company
- Motor Platoon
- Carrier Platoon (mounted in 13 Bren Carriers)
- Anti-tank Platoon
- Engineer Platoon
- 4 Rifle Companies
- Company Headquarters
- 3 Infantry Platoons
Troop and vehicle numbers were normally displayed inside the colourcoded squadron tactical sign. Some vehicles carried only the squadron tactical sign, others displayed the troop/vehicle numbers on the rear of the turret stowage bins.
Francis Liew