The British 18th Infantry Division was in route to the Middle East when the Japanese launched their offensive in the Pacific and Far East in December 1941. The division was subsequently diverted to fight the Japanese in the campaign for Singapore. Shortly after its arrival in that city, the division surrendered along with the rest of the British garrison when Singapore fell on 15 February, 1942 in what was one of the British Army's largest defeats in history.

If Japan had delayed the opening of hostilities or had Britain earlier realized that the defense of Singapore would be futile (absent increased air power or armor), the British 18th Infantry Division and associated units could have been available in the Middle East. To explore this option make the following modification to the War in the Desert Allied Order of Battle:

Dec II 1941

British:

Middle East:

Arrive:

2x 2-8 Inf X 54,55
1x 8 Inf HQ 18
1x 1-8 AT II 85
1x 0-8 It AA II AA= 1 6
1x 0-1-8 hv AA II AA=2 35

Available for Assembly:

1x 7-8 Inf XX 18

Middle East Replacement pool:

1x 1-8 AT II 82

Jan I 1942

British:

Middle East:

Arrive:

1x 2-8 Inf X 53

Feb I 1942:

British:

Middle East.

Arrive:

1x 0-8 It AA II AA= 1 21
1x 0-1-8 hv AA II AA=2 77

None of these units are available in counter form, other than the 18th Infantry XX HQ in Their Finest Hour, so you might want to make you own counters from the template provided below. A simpler option is to use three 2-8 infantry brigade breakdown counters from Second Front and the 18th Inf XX HQ from TFH.

The entire 18th Division was at sea in one convoy and "rounding the Cape," when the decision was made on 11 December 1941 to divert it to the Far East. Therefore, if we assume that "Japan had delayed the opening of hostilities" and this division was not diverted, then the entire division would probably have arrived at Suez about Dec II 41 or Jan I 42.

The entire division left England 28-30 October 1941; 53 Inf X, sailing direct, arrived Malaya 13 January, 1942; the rest of the division arrived India 27-29 December, and thence to Singapore, arriving 29 January, 1942.

The arrival times for the elements of the 18th component brigades are my best estimates based on the limited information available in Stanley L. Falk's Seventy Days to Singapore. Falk states that on 16 December, 1941 the 53rd Brigade was still at sea and that the rest of the 18th Infantry Division had already been diverted to India. The old SPI / AH game Panzerarmee Afrika suggest that the British 18th Infantry Division could have been available in November 1941, but that dates seems early based on the information in Falk.

The destiny of 17th Indian Division was similar to the 18th British.

Of the 17th Indian, also originally destined for the Middle East, two brigades diverted to Malaya, while the division headquarters and one brigade diverted to Burma.

From the British official history The War Against Japan,- Volume 1:

"The troops India had sent overseas before December 1941 had had perforce to leave her shores ill-equipped and semi-trained, and had had to undergo several months of formation training after they had received their full equipment on arrival in the theater of war to which they had been sent. The 44th and 45th Brigades were no exception, but they were all India had to offer. The 18th Division had been destined for the Middle East where it had been intended that it should complete its training. It was not tactically loaded and would arrive at the end of a long and tedious voyage without transport, supporting arms, or adequate maintenance facilities. it would not be an efficient fighting formation ready for action for some time. The troops would be soft after several weeks at sea in crowded transports; and they had had no training in jungle warfare."

Feb I 142:

Arrive:

2x 2-8 Inf X 44, 45 (Ind)
1x 1-8 Inf X 46 (Ind)
1x 8* Inf XX HQ 17 (Ind)

Availablefor Assembly:

1x 6-8* Inf XX 17 (Ind)