7 November 2011 [MALTA COMMAND (1943)]

Malta Command (1)

1st (Malta) Infantry Brigade (2)

2nd Bn. The Devonshire Regiment

1st Bn. The Hampshire Regiment
1st Bn. The Dorsetshire Regiment
2nd Bn. The Kings Own Malta Regiment
3rd Bn. The Kings Own Malta Regiment

2nd (Malta) Infantry Brigade (3)

8th Bn. The Kings Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)

8th (Ardwick) Bn. The Manchester Regiment
2nd Bn. The Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victorias) (4)
1st Bn. The Kings Own Malta Regiment

3rd (Malta) Infantry Brigade (5)

11th Bn. The Lancashire Fusiliers

2nd Bn. The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (6)
10th Bn. The Kings Own Malta Regiment

4th (Malta) Infantry Brigade (7)

4th Bn. The Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs)

1st Bn. The Durham Light Infantry
1st Bn. The Cheshire Regiment (8)

Artillery

Headquarters and District Establishment

12th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (9)

th rd th st
(H.Q., 6 /23 & 49 /91 Field Batteries, Royal Artillery)
th
26 Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (10)
th th th st
(H.Q., 15 /40 & 48 /71 Defence Batteries, Royal Artillery)
th
4 Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery (11)
th th rd
(H.Q., 6 , 10 & 23 Coast Batteries, Royal Artillery)

Headquarters, Royal Malta Artillery

1st Coast Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery (12)
(H.Q. 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Heavy Batteries, Royal Malta Artillery)

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 7 November 2011 [MALTA COMMAND (1943)]

School of Artillery, Malta

Malta Officer Cadet Training Unit

7th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (13)

32nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (14)

th th rd
(H.Q., 55 , 98 & 223 L.A.A. Batteries, Royal Artillery)
th
65 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (15)
(H.Q., 194th, 195th & 196th L.A.A. Batteries, Royal Artillery)
74th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (16)
(H.Q., 59th, 186th & 225th L.A.A. Batteries, Royal Artillery)
3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery (17)
th th nd th
(H.Q., 10 , 15 , 22 & 30 L.A.A. Batteries, Royal Malta Artillery)

4th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery (18)

th th
(H.Q., 484 S/L Battery Royal Artillery and 8 S/L Battery, Royal Malta Artillery)

10th Anti-Aircraft Brigade (19)

4th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (20)

th th
(H.Q., 5 & 6 Batteries, Royal Artillery)
th
7 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (21)
th th
(H.Q., 10, 13 & 27 H.A.A. Batteries, Royal Artillery)
th
10 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (22)
th st nd
(H.Q., 190 , 191 & 222 H.A.A. Batteries, Royal Artillery)
nd
2 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery (23)
th th th
(H.Q. 6 , 7 & 9 H.A.A. Batteries, Royal Malta Artillery)
th
11 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Malta Artillery (24)
(H.Q., 20th, 21st & 23rd H.A.A. Batteries, Royal Malta Artillery)

Royal Engineers (25)

16th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers

24th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
173rd Tunnel Company, Royal Engineers
127th Bomb Disposal Section, Royal Engineers
128th Bomb Disposal Section, Royal Engineers

Royal Corps of Signals

Malta Command Signals, Royal Corps of Signals

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NOTES:

1. Malta Command came under command of G.H.Q. Middle East with effect from the 11th
March 1942, and remained so until the 2nd December 1944. On that date, it reverted
to being an independent command.
2. This brigade was the original Regular Army formation that was based on the island. It
was known pre-war as the Malta Infantry Brigade. On the 7th August 1940, with the
creation of a second infantry brigade on the island, this brigade became known as the
Southern Infantry Brigade. On the 14th July 1942, the brigade was again
redesignated, this time as the 1st (Malta) Infantry Brigade. Finally, on the 1st April
1943, it was redesignated as the 231st Infantry Brigade. Under this title, it left the
island on the 30th March 1943 to move to Egypt, as the need to retain three Regular
Army units on Malta became a luxury. It landed in Sicily on the 10th July 1943 under
command of the 51st Infantry Division, later serving with the 78th Infantry Division and
50th Infantry Division in Sicily. It then crossed the Straits of Messina to land in Italy on
the 8th September 1943 under command of the 5th Infantry Division. It left Italy on the
23rd September 1943 to return to the United Kingdom with the 50th Infantry Division,
with which it served in Normandy, having been one of the assault formations on D-
Day. The 50th Infantry Division was withdrawn from North West Europe on the 14th
December 1944 to return to the United Kingdom, where it was downgraded to a
reserve division. This brigade remained with the 50th Infantry Division until August
1945, when it transferred to the Northumbrian District. It was disbanded late in 1945.
3. This brigade was formed in Malta on the 7th August 1940 as the Northern Infantry
Brigade. It comprised two British battalions and two battalions of the Kings Own
Malta Regiment. On the 14th July 1942, the brigade was redesignated as the 2nd
(Malta) Infantry Brigade and then on the 1st April 1943 as the 232nd Infantry Brigade.
By the end of October 1943, the brigade had no units under command; with the
brigade headquarters leaving Malta for Egypt on the 3rd November 1943. Shortly after
arrival in Egypt, the brigade headquarters disbanded.
4. This battalion transferred to the 234th Infantry Brigade on the 6th April 1943, and
travelled with the brigade to the Aegean Islands where it was captured with the
surrender of Leros on the 16th November 1943.
5. On the 27th July 1941, a new brigade was formed in Malta with an embryonic brigade
headquarters that had been sent from the United Kingdom. The brigade was at first
known as the Central Infantry Brigade, and took under command three British infantry
battalions. The brigade remained on Malta from its formation until the end of the war,
by which time it comprised two battalions of the Kings Own Malta Regiment and one
British battalion.
6. This battalion transferred to the 234th Infantry Brigade on the 11th April 1943, and
travelled with the brigade to the Aegean Islands where it was captured with the
surrender of Leros on the 16th November 1943.

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 7 November 2011 [MALTA COMMAND (1943)]

7. The fourth infantry brigade to be formed in Malta was the Western Infantry Brigade
raised on the 13th May 1942 and comprising three British battalions. On the 14th July
1942, the brigade was redesignated as the 4th (Malta) Infantry Brigade, and on the 1st
April 1943, it was redesignated as the 234th Infantry Brigade. On the 11th June 1943,
the brigade then comprising four battalions left Malta and moved by sea to Egypt. It
moved to Palestine where came under command of the 10th Indian Division for a
month. On the 16th September 1943, the brigade was redesignated as Force 292 for
deployed to the Aegean Islands. On the 20th September 1943, the brigade landed on
Leros and on the 1st November 1943 it was integrated into the Headquarters, British
Troops on Leros. The Germans invaded the island that month; the brigade
surrendering to them on the 16th November with only details escaping to Egypt.
8. This battalion left the command of this brigade on the 5th April 1943, and returned to
the United Kingdom by sea. It later joined the 11th Armoured Division in North West
Europe by which time it had reverted to the role of a standard infantry battalion.
9. The 12th Field Regiment was a pre-war Regular Army unit. It arrived on Malta in April
1941 and was the Command Reserve artillery unit. The regiment left Malta in March
1942 moving to Middle East Command where it was converted into a Medium
Regiment in November 1943.
10. Formed in February 1941 by the conversion of the 13th Mobile Coast Regiment, Royal
Artillery, the 17th Defence Regiment was redesignated as the 26th Defence Regiment,
Royal Artillery in June 1941. In September 1943, it was again redesignated, this time
as the 26th Medium Regiment. As such, it served in Palestine and Italy until the end of
the war.
11. This regiment was formed in December 1940 by the redesignation of the 4th Heavy
Regiment, Royal Artillery. The regiment served on Malta until August 1944 when it
moved to the United Kingdom where it saw out the rest of the war.
12. In December 1940, the 1st Heavy Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery was redesignated as
the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M.A.. It served on Malta throughout the war.
13. In January 1941, all the anti-aircraft regiments on the island of Malta were grouped
together into the 7th Anti-Aircraft Brigade. Lieutenant Colonel N. V. SADLER who had
been sent from the United Kingdom as the senior anti-aircraft officer was promoted to
the rank of Acting Brigadier to form the new brigade. He was soon replaced by
Brigadier C. J. WOOLLEY and in May 1941, it took command of all the light anti-aircraft
and searchlight units on the island, whilst the new 10th Anti-Aircraft Brigade took
command of all the heavy anti-aircraft units.
14. This regiment was formed in August 1939 in the United Kingdom. It left Home Forces
in December 1941 to travel to Malta, arriving in January 1942. It did not remain on
the island long, moving onto to Egypt in March 1942. It later served in North West
Europe with 2nd Army.
15. Formed in November 1940, this regiment was raised in the United Kingdom. It did not
arrive in Malta until September 1941, leaving in November 1942 to move to North
Africa. It returned to Malta in June 1944 and was disbanded there in November.
16. This regiment was raised on Malta in February 1941 from independent batteries. It
stayed on Malta until April 1942, when it moved to Middle East Forces. It later served
in Tunisia and Sicily with 8th Army, moving to the U.K. in April 1945.
17. In March 1941, this unit was formed with batteries from the 2nd H.A.A. Regiment,
R.M.A. and 11th H.A.A. Regiment, R.M.A. It remained stationed in Malta throughout
the war.

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 7 November 2011 [MALTA COMMAND (1943)]

18. This unit was formed in November 1940, and served on Malta during the war until it
was disbanded in May 1944.
19. The second anti-aircraft brigade was formed on Malta on the 18th April 1941 to take
command of all the heavy anti-aircraft units on the island.
20. .
21. This was a Regular Army regiment, which had been formed in 1936. It was sent to
Malta prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. It remained on the island until
February 1944, when it returned to the United Kingdom.
22. Formed in Gibraltar in December 1939, this unit was disbanded in Gibraltar in
November 1940, and immediately reformed on Malta in the same month. It remained
on Malta throughout the main air raids, being disbanded in June 1943.
23. In December 1939, personnel from the 7th Anti-Aircraft Regiment were used to form
this regiment. It was at first designated as the 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, the prefix
Heavy being added in June 1940. It served on Malta throughout the war.
24. This regiment was formed in September 1939 on Malta.

SOURCES:

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