British Army in Western Europe 1940

British Army, Home Guard and Canadian troops in Western Europe and Britain in 1940. Strength and organization.

The British Army in the first year of the Second World War

This was a formative period, often called the “Phoney War” (Sept 1939 – May 1940), before the German blitzkrieg in Western Europe.

Overview

State of Readiness (Sept 1939)
– The British Army entered WWII still recovering from the interwar years, when it had been underfunded and focused largely on imperial policing rather than large-scale continental warfare.
– At the outbreak of war, the regular army was relatively small compared to continental powers, with about 224,000 regular soldiers and a larger pool of reservists and territorials.
– The army relied heavily on the Territorial Army (TA), which was doubled in size in 1939.

British Expeditionary Force (BEF)
– Under General Lord Gort, the BEF was sent to France to support the French Army.
– Initially consisted of 4 infantry divisions, but by early 1940 it grew to 10 divisions plus support units.
– The BEF was well-trained but lacked modern equipment compared to Germany (e.g., fewer tanks, limited anti-tank weapons).

Equipment and Organization
– Infantry: Equipped with the Lee-Enfield rifle, Bren light machine gun, and Boys anti-tank rifle (the latter quickly proved inadequate).
– Artillery: The 25-pounder field gun was effective but not yet available in large numbers.
– Armour: Tanks were divided between “infantry tanks” (slow, heavily armoured, e.g., Matilda I & II) and “cruiser tanks” (faster, lighter). In 1939–40, numbers were limited.
– Air Support: Coordination with the RAF was still developing; the army lacked its own dedicated air arm.

The “Phoney War” (Sept 1939 – May 1940)
– After declaring war on Germany (3 Sept 1939), the BEF moved into defensive positions along the Belgian frontier.
– No major battles occurred on the Western Front during this period, though both sides engaged in patrols and artillery duels.
– The BEF trained, built fortifications, and prepared for a German offensive.

The German Offensive (May–June 1940)
– In May 1940, Germany launched ‘Fall Gelb’ (Case Yellow), invading Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
– The BEF advanced into Belgium but was outflanked when German forces broke through the Ardennes.
– After heavy fighting and retreats, the BEF was pushed back to the coast.
– Dunkirk Evacuation (Operation Dynamo, 26 May – 4 June 1940): Over 338,000 British and French troops were evacuated across the Channel. Much of the BEF’s heavy equipment (tanks, artillery, vehicles) was abandoned.

Aftermath
– Britain lost most of its modern equipment in France, leaving the army in a precarious state in mid-1940.
– However, the survival of the BEF’s manpower allowed Britain to rebuild and continue the war effort.
– The army shifted focus to defending against a possible German invasion (Operation Sea Lion).

In 1939–40, the British Army was professional but small, under-equipped for modern mechanized war, and reliant on France as the main continental power. The BEF fought bravely but was forced into retreat, culminating in Dunkirk. Despite the material losses, the preservation of manpower meant Britain could regroup for the long war ahead.

The British Army in Western Europe 1940

For the first six months little military action took place at the Western Front except a minor, halfhearted French offensive in the Saar region. The BEF trained, consolidated its position, and built up its depots and dumps. From November 1939, by arrangement with the French, one British division at a time served for a short spell under French command on the Saar front to get experience. By the end of April 1940, the strength of the BEF was 394,165 men in 10 divisions.

When war did begin in earnest on 10 May 1940 the small British contingent was unable to stem the rapid German advance: within two weeks the BEF was forced back towards the Channel coast and Operation ‘Dynamo’ the evacuation from Dunkirk – was put into effect. Largely through the efforts of the French Army in holding back German forces (as well as Hitler’s controversial order to halt the Panzers outside Dunkirk) 224,320 British (including 15,350 wounded) and 141,842 Allied soldiers were evacuated. Although Dunkirk was the last act of a major British defeat, the escape from France of over a third of a million trained soldiers was a great achievement and a considerable boost to sagging British morale.

3,457 members of the BEF were killed during the campaign in France, and although the British role in the fighting was only a minor one, many German soldiers had been impressed by the disciplined performance of the British troops.

Home Guard

The German invasion of Holland and Belgium focused attention upon the use of paratroops to occupy areas behind the enemy’s main defense lines and it seemed highly probable that this form of attack would be employed against Britain. As a precaution Anthony Eden, the Secretary of State for War, broadcast an appeal on 14 May 1940 for fit men between the ages of 16 and 65 to enrol in a military organization which would be known as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). By 20 May nearly 250,000 volunteers had come forward and by the end of the month the figure had reached 300,000. The force was to be organized in conjunction with the Territorial County Associations and came under the operational command of the C-in-C, Home Forces. On 31 July 1940 the title of the force was changed to the Home Guard.

The immediate problem faced by the Home Guard was an acute shortage of arms, uniform and equipment. There were military rifles for only one-third of the Guard and the remainder had to make do for many months with shotguns, sporting rifles, and even golf clubs and home-made pikes. The Home Guard were unpaid and were required for duty and training only after working hours. They were organized as battalions, companies, and platoons but there was no fixed size for these units and a company could be 300 or 400 men strong. Commanders of units were not commissioned officers but holders of appointments and every man whatever his rank was subject to Military Law as a private soldier.

The Home Guard was dispersed through the country and each city, town and village had its contingent. Their duties consisted of guarding important buildings, road junctions, railways and factories, and patrolling coastal areas where enemy landings might be made. By the end of July 1940 the Home Guard numbered 500,000 all ranks and during the invasion months of that year its presence and enthusiasm not only helped to inspire the population of Britain but also relieved large numbers of regular troops from the distraction of guard and garrison duties.

Canadian Army

In June 1940 the 1st Canadian Division was evacuated from France. In July the division combined with the 1st British Armored Division and the majority of the 2nd New Zealand Division to form the 7th Corps. Since May 1940, units of the 2nd Canadian Division had begun to arrive in Britain but the divisions’ concentration was not achieved until 25 December 1940. From late October the units that had arrived in the United Kingdom joined the 1st Division guarding the beaches of Sussex between Worthing and Newhaven, and on Christmas Day 1940 the 7th Corps was disbanded and the Canadian Corps (later 1st Canadian Corps) was created with nearly 57,000 Canadians serving in Britain.

Total British and Empire divisions in France on 10 May 1940: 10
Total British and Empire divisions in Great Britain in August 1940: 26 (2 armored), all short of equipment.

Basic British and Empire Army units in August 1940:

References and literature

The Armed Forces of World War II (Andrew Mollo)
World War II – A Statistical Survey (John Ellis)