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|---|---|
_Division&sq=&lang=&file=File:1st_(UK)_Division%27s_insignia.png) Divisional insignia adopted in 1983 | |
| Active | 1809–Present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Part of | Field Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Imphal Barracks, York, United Kingdom |
| Anniversaries | Peninsular Day[1] |
| Engagements | Gulf War Iraq War |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major General Daniel Reeve |
| Insignia | |
| c. 1939–1960s | _Division&sq=&lang=&file=File:British_1st_Division_3_type.svg) |
| c. 1960s–1983 | _Division&sq=&lang=&file=File:1st_Infantry_Division_sign_WW2.svg) |
The 1st (United Kingdom) Division is an active division of the British Army that has been formed and disestablished numerous times between 1809 and the present. In its original incarnation as the 1st Division, it took part in the Peninsular War—part of the Coalition Wars of the Napoleonic Wars—and was disbanded in 1814 but was re-formed the following year for service in the War of the Seventh Coalition and fought at the Battle of Waterloo. It remained active as part of the British occupation of France until it was disbanded in 1818, when the British military withdrew. The division was then raised as needed; it served in the Crimean War, the Anglo-Zulu War, and the Second Boer War. In 1902, the British Army formed several permanent divisions, which included the 1st Division, which fought in the First World War, made various deployments during the interwar period, and took part in the Second World War when it was known as the 1st Infantry Division.
In the post-war period, the division was deployed to Mandatory Palestine on internal security operations during the Jewish insurgency. In 1948, when all British troops left, the division transferred to Tripoli, Libya, which was then under occupation by Anglo-French forces following the conclusion of the Second World War. With rising tensions in Egypt, the division was moved there to defend the Suez Canal. It remained there until 1955, when it was withdrawn to the UK as Britain removed its military from the area. The stay in the UK was short because there was little need for an additional divisional headquarters, and the division was disbanded on 30 June 1960. The following day, it was reformed in Germany as the 1st Division by the renaming of the 5th Division and served as part of the British Army of the Rhine, and helped pioneer new tactics. On 1 April 1978, the name was again changed when the division was converted into an armoured formation and it became the 1st Armoured Division.[a]
The division formed the basis of Operation Granby, the British contribution to the Gulf War in 1991. During a 48-hour period, the formation destroyed 300 Iraqi tanks and captured 7,000 prisoners. It then returned to Germany and was disbanded in 1992 as part of an army restructuring and downsizing that followed the end of the Cold War. In 1993, the formation was reformed when the 4th Armoured Division was redesignated as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division. It contributed to various peacekeeping operations during the 1990s. In 2003, the division again returned to the Middle East and formed the basis of Operation Telic, the British contribution to the US-led 2003 Invasion of Iraq. It rapidly achieved the objectives assigned to it, including the capture of the city of Basra. The division was withdrawn after a few months and southern Iraq came under the control of the Multi-National Division (South-East). Over the following years, the division was based in Germany and deployed brigades to the multi-national division in Iraq.
From 2010, the division has undergone several changes following defence reviews and army restructuring progammes. These included Army 2020, Army 2020 Refine, and the Future Soldier programme. As a result, in 2014, the formation was redesignated as the 1st (United Kingdom) Division; with this relabeling, the division transformed from an armoured formation into a light infantry one. The following year, the headquarters moved from Germany to Imphal Barracks, York. It is currently planned for the headquarters to be relocated to Catterick Garrison after 2028.
- ^ "1 (UK) Division". Twitter. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022., "1 (UK) Division". Twitter. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021., "1(UK) Division". Twitter. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020., and "1 (UK) Division". Twitter. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
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