WHICH Allied Division saw the most days in Combat.

I have asked myself this question and decided it must be one from the Eight Army. Maybe the 2nd New Zealand etc.

Possibilly :

US 32
AUS 9/7/6
USSR Division (which I don't know)

 

Most likely for the Western Allies one of the British divisions that fought in France then went to the Middle East and then to Italy.
For the US I think it was the 4th Infantry Division that had the most actual combat days.

 

The 32nd Infantry Div is credited with 654 days. The 4th was in action "only" from 6 June to the end of the war.

I would think that the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 36th and 45th would have more than the 4th.

 

I know that the 32nd Division did alot of "hauling', as you would say in the States.

However, did a British Division or indeed an Australian Division see more active service. I am not sure. If they did not, the 32 nd must take the honours.

 

I don't know the numbers on the British or Aussie divisions, I was hoping y'all did. I don't how the 32nd compares.

 

On the British side it won't be one division, as several in the original BEF had long periods of front line service during WW2; the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Divisions for example.

 

british mobile-then renamed-7th armd div.u.s 1 marine div.russia 1st nkvd div.guessing of course.lee.

 

There is no doubt in my main! It was my old Division the "Third British Infantry Division! Commonly called "Monty's Ironsides" Or earlier, it earned the name of "Iron Division" because of ite fighting qualities. going back to archaic times. Fought on France in 1940 acquitted itself very well. Acted as rearguard to fight off the enemy while Dunkirk was in operation. earned a great reputation for that.

Monty "rewareded"? the Div by the accolade of last out of France. First back into France. On Sword. IT suffered the greatest casualties, and was the only div to take part in every battle from Normandy to Bremen. Not my words, but the archivist.

No Doubt at all. The Div that earned the name of "The Iron Division"

 

There is no doubt in my main! It was my old Division the "Third British Infantry Division! Commonly called "Monty's Ironsides" Or earlier, it earned the name of "Iron Division" because of its fighting qualities. going back to archaic times. Fought in France in 1940, acquitted itself very well. Acted as rearguard to fight off the enemy, while Dunkirk was in operation. earned a great reputation for that.

Monty "rewarded"? the Div by the accolade of last out of France. First back into France. On Sword. It suffered the greatest casualties, and was the only div to take part in every battle from Normandy to Bremen. Not my words, but the archivist.

No Doubt at all. The Div that earned the name of "The Iron Division"
sapper
Eighth Brigade
Third British Infantry Division
Monty's Ironsides
Any doubt? Look at the medals and awards.

 

the americal div was about a lot after uncle sam entered the war as well,apparently.the australian 6th div was in early too,apparently.lee.

 

the 25th inf division had 165 days of continual combat in the Philipines.

 

The 32nd Infantry Div is credited with 654 days. The 4th was in action "only" from 6 June to the end of the war.

I would think that the 1st, 2nd, 9th, 36th and 45th would have more than the 4th.

The 32nd logged a total of 654 days of combat during WWII, more than any other US division in any war.


This seems to be number one in the US Divisions.

From the book by Patrick C Delaforce

The 51st Highland Division was the most famous infantry division that fought with the British Army in WW2. It was the only infantry division in the armies of the British Empire that accompanied Monty from during Alamein to Berlin.


Does not give days however they must have been quite high.

The Third British Infantry Division spent 4 years in England between Dunkirk and D-Day so they would never get near the 654 days of the US 32nd.

With respect to the Australian divisions, I have not seen recorded days in combat however some would be quite high.

The 7th division sometimes known by the nickname "The Silent Seventh", due to a perception that its achievements were and are unrecognised, in comparison to the other 2nd AIF divisions. The origin of this belief appears to be censorship of the reporting of the fierce fighting in the Syria - Lebanon campaign against the Vichy French. The 7th Division was one of only a few Allied units to serve with distinction in the Middle East campaign, North African campaign and the South West Pacific Area.

The 18th brigade 7th Division was at Tobruk where they were in combat for over 250 days.

In December 1941 the 6th & 7th division were recalled and the 7th division went straight to New Guinea where the 21st brigade (Brigadier Potts - any relation Aaron) were involved on the Kokoda track. The 18th went to Milne Bay where they were first to beat the Japanese on land. The 7th were then, except for retraining for amphibious landings on Borneo, not out of the action until August 1945 when the Japanese finally surrendered.

• Syria 1941
• Syrian Frontier
• Merjayun
• Jezzine
• Damour
• Hill 1069
• Baradene
• South-West Pacific 1942-1945
• Kokoda Trail
• Ioribaiwa
• Eora Creek-Templeton's Crossing II
• Oivi-Gorari
• Buna-Gona
• Gona
• Lae-Nadzab
• Lae Road
• Liberation of Australian New Guinea
• Ramu Valley
• Shaggy Ridge
• Borneo 1945
• Balikpapan
• Milford Highway

How those next three and a half years transferred into days in combat is difficult to assess however they were definitely busy for most of it!

 

I believe it had to be the desert rats - no real foundation for this - just a hunch

 

51 hd was captured at st.valery,then reconstituted.lee.

 

One possibility not yet mentioned is the 4th Indian Division. It & the 7th Armoured, then still called the Mobile Force, were the only 2 British Commonwealth forces in Egypt when hostilities in the Western Desert started in June 1940. It was in operational theatres in Africa & the Middle East until May 1943 & then in Italy & Greece from January 1944 to the end of the war.

The 7th Armoured's operational career started & finished at the same times but it was training in the UK between leaving Sicily in October 1943 & D-Day, which would leave it very close to the 4th Indian in terms of time in operational theatres.

4th Infantry Division (India) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On reflection, though, I think that the answer probably either the 7th Australian Division nominated by Spidge or the 6th Australian. They arrived in the Western Desert after the 4th Indian & 7th Armoured had been fighting for around 6 months but didn't have periods out of the line as long as the time that the 4th Indian remained in Africa after the end of that campaign or that the 7th Armoured was training in the UK before D-Day. In addition their war lasted 3 months longer since they were in the Pacific.

 

yeah,the 4th indian was fighting down in abbasynia was it not.yours,lee.

 

Via Spidge:

 

Okay lets use my Grandfather as an example.

His discharge had him at 1500 days overseas plus. He spent the entire war in New Guinea in the 49th Militia Battallion and the 2/1 AIF.

If you discount the fact that he was in Port Moresby (from May 1940) until Japan declared war (December 1941), you would need to minus about 500 days.

Depending on what the definition of 'combat' is, that would put him in harms way for about 1000 days.

This presumably would be easily more than the 32nd US. I would again suggest that if it was not an Australian Division it must be from the Eighth Army. (2nd NZ, 51st Highlanders etc,)

 

51 hd was captured at st.valery,then reconstituted.lee.

Not all 51st captured, 154th Brigade known as "ARK FORCE" were evacuated from Le Havre area to Cherbourg and eventually back to England.

 

There wouldn't be a huge number to pick from.

Possibly needs further investigation.