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This is the structure of the British Army in 1989.

The original source, though with much modification, can be seen at http://www.microarmormayhem.com/NATO_ORDER_OF_BATTLE_mod_8.doc.

Where details are unclear, the general pattern portrayed in Isby and Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985 has been followed.

The most authoritative source for this type of information available is Ministry of Defence (Army Department), Master Order of Battle, ASD 6500-25, Ministry of Defence, 1991. Also, see United Kingdom Land Forces, HQ UKLF, UKLF ORBAT Review Action Plan, HQ UKLF, 1990.

Antony Beevor wrote in 1991 that the 'Army's own Cabinet' was the Army Board of the Defence Council. The Executive Committee of the Army Board was responsible for the 'detailed management of the Army.' It included the four military members of the Army Board, including the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir John Chapple in 1989, the Second Permanent Under Secretary, and the Assistant Chief of the General Staff, a major general.[1] The Army Department consisted of four components: the General Staff, the Adjutant General's department, which dealt with recruiting, and also had the Provost Marshal (Army), a brigadier, reporting to him, though the RMP headquarters was at Roussillon Barracks, Chichester (Beevor 419); the Military Secretary's department, and the Quartermaster General's department.

United Kingdom Land Forces

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Commander-in-Chief, UK Land Forces, General Sir Charles Huxtable

HQ: Wilton

HQ United Kingdom Land Forces commanded nine military districts until the spring of 1991.[2] These districts controlled the regular army brigades in the UK (inc 1st and 5th Brigades) and the predominantly TA regional brigades. In 1984-85, the nine districts were Eastern (19th and 54th Brigades), London, North-East (2nd Infantry Division, 15, 24, and 49 Brigades), North-West District (42 Brigade), Scotland (51 and 52 Brigades), South-Eastern District (2 and 5 Brigades), South-West District (UK Contingent, ACE Mobile Force, 1, and 43 Brigades) Headquarters Wales (160 Brigade), and Western District (143 Brigade).[3]

In December 1989, Headquarters UK Land Forces at Wilton directed field forces through a three-star's command, Commander UK Field Army, Lieutenant General Sir David Ramsbotham.[4] Many of the units stationed in the United Kingdom were to move immediately to Germany to reinforce British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in case of war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. For administrative purposes these units were under command of brigade HQ based in the UK during peacetime. Such reinforcement units are indicated in the list below in italics followed by the higher command they were to reinforce in Germany in brackets.

Scotland

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North-East District

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2nd Infantry Division

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Eastern District

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Eastern District, Colchester, covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Rutland, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire HQ Eastern District & 239 Signal Squadron, Royal Signals, Colchester

London District

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London District, Horse Guards, covering Greater London

South-East District

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South-West District

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Wales District

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Western District

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North-West District

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Army Air Corps

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British Army Training Unit Suffield

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British Army Schools

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Headquarters Northern Ireland

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The General Officer commanding Headquarters Northern Ireland reported directly, operationally, to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. During 1988 the disposition of brigades in Northern Ireland changed: On 1 July 1988 3rd Infantry Brigade reformed at Armagh and became responsible for the UK-Ireland border zone from Armagh to South Londonderry.[9] The brigade had been disbanded in September 1981 and its units and area initially been taken over by 8th Infantry Brigade.[10] On 2 November 1988 107th (Ulster) Brigade (V) was raised and took command of all Territorial Army units in Northern Ireland, thus freeing 8th Infantry Brigade and 39th Infantry Brigade to focus on counterinsurgency operations. This structure was in force until the 1992 amalgamation of Royal Irish Rangers and Ulster Defence Regiment, after which 3rd Infantry Brigade returned to control its traditional area of County Armagh and County Down.

British Army of the Rhine

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See also: NORTHAG wartime structure in 1989

The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) was the United Kingdom's main contribution to NATO. Headquartered at JHQ Rheindahlen in West Germany and commanded by a General it consisted in peacetime of British I Corps and support troops. In the event of war with the Warsaw Pact the Commander-in-Chief of BAOR would have assumed command of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG), which was tasked with defending Northern Germany up to the river Elbe. BAOR was armed with tactical nuclear weapons and supported by Royal Air Force Germany.

During transition to war, the support units of BAOR would have formed the British Rear Combat Zone headquartered in Düsseldorf, which would have supplied the fighting forces and guarded the lines of communication within West Germany. Further West in Belgium was the British Communications Zone, which was headquartered in Emblem, outside Antwerp and tasked with receiving reinforcements and supplies from Great Britain and to co-ordinate their onward movement to 1 (BR) Corps.

On 27 November 1989 Peter Inge became the commander of NATO’s Northern Army Group and Commander-in-Chief, British Army of the Rhine in Germany with the local rank of general;[11] he succeeded General Brian Kenny.

  • British Army of the Rhine, JHQ Rheindahlen, Federal Republic of Germany
    • No. 12 Flight AAC, RAF Wildenrath, (Gazelle AH.1)
    • Commander Engineers BAOR, JHQ Rheindahlen
      • 40th Army Engineer Support Group, Royal Engineers, Willich
      • 10th Field Squadron (Airfields), 38th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, RAF Gütersloh, (Forward deployed, 24x FV432, 12x Spartan, 9x engineer vehicles)
      • 14th Independent Topographic Squadron, Royal Engineers, Ratingen
      • 52nd Field Squadron (Construction), 22nd Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, RAF Bruggen, (Forward deployed)
      • 516th Specialist Team (Bulk Petrol), Royal Engineers, RAF Gütersloh
    • Commander Postal & Courier Service BAOR, Royal Engineers, Düsseldorf
      • 3rd Postal & Courier Regiment, Royal Engineers, Düsseldorf
      • 4th (NATO) Postal & Courier Regiment, Royal Engineers, Brunssum, Belgium
    • Commander Communications BAOR, JHQ Rheindahlen
    • Commander Transport & Movements BAOR, Düsseldorf
      • 68th Transport Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport, JHQ Rheindahlen
      • HQ 2nd Transport Group, Royal Corps of Transport, Düsseldorf
      • HQ Communications Zone, Royal Corps of Transport , Antwerp, Belgium
        • 602nd Transport Unit, Royal Corps of Transport, Antwerp, Belgium
    • Commander Medical BAOR, Düsseldorf
      • Commander Medical Rear Communication Zone, Düsseldorf
        • 31 General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, Iserlohn
        • 82nd Field Medical Equipment Depot, Royal Army Medical Corps, Düsseldorf
        • 382nd Field Medical Company, Royal Army Medical Corps
      • Commander Medical Communication Zone, Antwerp, Belgium
    • Commander Supply BAOR, Düsseldorf
      • 3rd Base Ammo Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Bracht
      • 221st (BAOR) EOD Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Herford
      • Communications Zone Ordnance Depot, Antwerp, Belgium
      • 15th Ordnance Group, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Dulmen
        • Forward Stores Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Dulmen
        • Forward Vehicle Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Recklinghausen
        • 4th Petrol Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Warendorf
        • 154th Forward Ammo Depot, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Wulfen
    • Commander Maintenance BAOR, Mönchengladbach
      • Rear Combat Zone:
        • 23rd Base Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Wetter
        • 37th (Rhine) Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Mönchengladbach
        • 62nd Rear Combat Zone Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Mönchengladbach
        • 64th Rear Combat Zone Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Willich
      • Communications Zone:
        • 60th Communications Zone Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Antwerp, Belgium
      • Theatre Units in 1 (BR) Corps Area:
        • 57th Station Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Paderborn
        • 58th Station Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Minden
        • 61st Station Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Dortmund
        • 63rd Station Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Hannover
    • Provost Marshal BAOR, JHQ Rheindahlen
      • Special Investigations Branch (Germany), JHQ Rheindahlen
      • 101st Provost Company, Royal Military Police, Düsseldorf
      • 102nd Provost Company, Royal Military Police, JHQ Rheindahlen
    • HQ Intelligence & Security Group (Germany), JHQ Rheindahlen
      • 2nd Intelligence Company, Intelligence Corps, JHQ Rheindahlen
      • 4th Security Company, Intelligence Corps, Düsseldorf
      • 5th Security Company, Intelligence Corps, Hannover
      • 6th Intelligence Company (Photo Intell), Intelligence Corps, JHQ Rheindahlen
      • 7th Intelligence Company, Intelligence Corps, Bielefeld
      • Recce Intelligence Centre (Gütersloh), Intelligence Corps, RAF Gütersloh
      • Recce Intelligence Centre (Laarbruch), Intelligence Corps, RAF Laarbruch

I British Corps

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The area 1 BR Corps had to defend lay between Hanover to the North and Kassel to the South and extended from the Inner German Border to the Upper Weser Valley. In case of a war the Corps first line of defense would have been a screening force of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, 16th/5th Queen’s Royal Lancers and 664 Squadron AAC, which would have become an ad-hoc brigade formation under command of BAOR’s Brigadier Royal Armoured Corps. Behind the screening force 1st Armoured and 4th Armoured Division would form up. 3rd Armoured Division was to the rear of the two forward deployed division as reserve. 2nd Infantry Division was to defend the Corps Rear Area and prepare a last line of defense along the Western bank of the Weser river.

class=notpageimage|
I British Corps units 1989:
I Corps HQ Armoured Division Armoured Brigade Artillery Brigade
Royal Air Force Germany bases:
Tornado GR.1 Harrier GR.5 Phantom FGR.2

1st Armoured Division

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1st Armoured Division was the corps' Northern forward deployed division.

3rd Armoured Division

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3rd Armoured Division was the corps' reserve formation.

4th Armoured Division

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4th Armoured Division was the corps' Southern forward deployed division. As the division's area of operation was hilly and woody 19th Infantry Brigade based in Colchester was added to it.

British Sector Berlin

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Overseas Forces

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The Defence Operations Executive, led by the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments) and including the Assistant Chiefs of the Naval, General, and Air Staffs, supervised the Joint Operations Centre which in turn passed orders to the forces in Cyprus, Belize, the Falklands, and Hong Kong. These commands consisted of units of all three services and were commanded by one or 2-star rank flag officers. CBF Cyprus was a rotational post between the Army and RAF, at two-star level; CBF Belize was an Army brigadier; CBF Falklands was a rotational post between all three services at two-star level; and CBF Hong Kong was an Army major general.(Copied from the Structure of the British Armed Forces in 1989).

Miscellaneous support corps

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Women's Royal Army Corps

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Small Arms School Corps

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Royal Army Chaplains' Department

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Royal Army Veterinary Corps

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Royal Army Educational Corps

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Royal Army Physical Training Corps

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Royal Army Medical Corps

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Royal Army Dental Corps

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Military Provost Staff Corps

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Royal Army Ordnance Corps

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Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps

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Inventories of equipment

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Army Air Corps Inventory 1989

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The inventory of the Army Air Corps in 1989 consisted of the following aircraft:

References

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  1. ^ Antony Beevor, Inside the British Army, 192.
  2. ^ Antony Beevor (1991). Inside The British Army. Corgi Books. p. 232.
  3. ^ Isby and Kamp, Armies of NATO's Central Front, 1985, 251-255.
  4. ^ 17/05/2018 (2018-10-30). "Senior Army Appointments:Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces" (PDF). Colin Mackie. Retrieved 2018-10-30. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  5. ^ See details in Beevor, 1989 and 1991
  6. ^ On 1 April 1986 reassigned for war purposes from 3 AD to 4 AD. Watson and Rinaldi, Organizational History 1947-2004, 125.
  7. ^ Beevor 1991, 212, Isby & Kamps 1985, 234
  8. ^ Sup Regt RSA listed with SW Dist by Isby & Kamps 1985
  9. ^ Potter, John (2001). Testimony to Courage: The History of the Ulster Defence Regiment 1969-1992. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 0850528194. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  10. ^ van der Bijl, Nick (2009). Operation Banner: The British Army in Northern Ireland 1969 - 2007. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. p. 162. ISBN 9781844159567. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  11. ^ "No. 51948". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 November 1989. p. 13725.
  12. ^ a b Vieuxbill, Louis (2013). "BAOR ORDER OF BATTLE JULY 1989" (PDF): 130. Retrieved 27 June 2017. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ a b Staff Officers' Handbook 1989, pp, 10
  14. ^ "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 61–62. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  15. ^ Antony Beevor, Inside the British Army, 1991, 429.
  16. ^ "World's Air Forces 1989". Flight International: 61–62. 29 November 1989. Retrieved 19 November 2017.

Bibliography

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