WWII
British Cyprus Garrison

Aug 1942-Jan 1944

List B97

by Mark Bevis

1. Teeth Arm

British & Indian Infantry Battalions 10th Indian Division

Bttn HQ: 2 rifle sqds
4 Companies@

    CHQ: 1 rifle squad
    3 platoons@ 1(3 man) rifle PHQ sqd, 1x 2" mortar
    3(6 man) rifle sqds, 2 LMG

1 Support Company:

    CHQ: 1 rifle sqd
    1 battery: 2x 3" mortars
    1 platoon: 1 rifle/engineer sqd, 1 LMG
    1 platoon: 4x 2pdr portees
    1 platoon: 2 AALMG,1 truck
    1 platoon:
      PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1 LMG
      2 Sections@ 2-3x Carrier, 2 LMG , 1(6 man) rifle sqd

8th Irish Hussars Armoured Car Regiment (Dec 1942-June 1943)

RHQ: 3x Marmon-Herrington III
3 Squadrons@

    SHQ: 2x Marmon-Herrington III, 2x Universal Carriers
    4 Troops@ 3x Marmon-Herrington III
    1 Troop: 3x Universal Carrier, 3 LMG, 1 rifle squad

Indian Garrison Infantry Battalion
Bttn HQ: 4 rifle squads, 1 LMG
4 Companies@

    CHQ: 1 rifle squad, 1x 2" mortar
    3 platoons@ 1(8 man) rifle PHQ sqd, 1 Boys
    3(10 man) rifle squads, 3 LMG

1 Support Company:

    CHQ: 1 rifle sqd
    1 platoon: 2x 3" mortars
    1 platoon: 2(8 man) rifle/engineer sqds, 1 stores truck
    1 platoon: 2-4x 2pdr A/T guns, trucks
    1 Scout platoon:
      PHQ: 1x Universal Carrier, 1 LMG
      3 Sections@ 3x Carrier, 3 LMG, 1 rifle sqd

4th Hussars Armoured Regiment (Aug 1942-Jan 1944)
RHQ (Bttn HQ): 2x Crusader II, 2x Daimler Scout Car
1 Squadron:

    SHQ: 1x Crusader III, 1x Crusader CS
    2 Troops@ 3x Crusader II

1 Squadron:
    SHQ: 2x Valentine I, II
    3 Troops@ 2-3x Valentine I, II

1 Squadron:
    SHQ: 1 truck+ LMG, 2(4 man) crew squads
    3 Troops@ 3(4 man) SMG crew squads, 3 trucks+ LMG

39th Royal Tank Regiment, ex of 74th Armoured Brigade (Nov 1942-Jan 1944 )

RHQ: 4 dummy tanks on trucks
3 Squadrons@ SHQ: 4x dummy tanks on trucks
4 Troops@ 3x dummy tanks on trucks

2. Brigade Support

Infantry Brigade HQ: 4 rifle squads, 4 lorries , 1 LMG

3. Divisional Support

Up to:

Artillery Regiment (Jan-May 1943 only)
3 Batteries@

    BHQ: 3 rifle squads, 4 lorries, 1 AALMG
    2 Troops@ 2x 25pdr field guns, 3 trucks

2 Engineer Companies@

    CHQ: 1 rifle sqd
    3 platoons@ 2 rifle/engineer sqds, 1 LMG, 1 lorry

1 Light AA Battery:

    CHQ: 1 rifle sqd, 1 truck
    3 Troops@ 6x 40mmL60 Bofors, 6 trucks

1 Jewish Light Artillery Battery (Sept 1943-Oct 1944)

    BHQ: 3 rifle squads, 4 trucks, 2 AALMG
    2 Troops@ 4x 3.7" howitzers, 6 trucks, 2 LMG, OP Team

4. Notes

a) Radios are in all tanks and armoured cars, Carrier PHQ and other PHQs.
b) Infantry squads have Hawkins 75 anti-tank grenades.
c) The garrison has two Indian Garrison Infantry Battalions, and the 8th Irish Hussars (up to June 1943).
d) Also the remnants of the 10th Indian Division arrived in August 1942 and left in May 1943, apart from the 10th Brigade which stayed to January 1944.
e) The 10th Indian Division has the 10th Brigade of two Indian and one Ghurka Battalions; the 20th Brigade of one Indian Infantry Battalion, 39th RTR and 4th Hussars Armoured Regiments; and the 25th Indian Infantry Brigade of three Indian Infantry Battalions.
f) The 39th RTR was in fact a dummy tank unit, part of the fictional 74th Armoured Brigade used successfully in North Africa just before El Alemein.
g) After January 1944 the garrison in Cyprus was only three Indian Garrison Infantry Battalions.


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© Copyright 2003 by Mark Bevis and MicroMark.
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