18th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

18th Infantry Division
18th Infantry Division badge
Active	1939-1942
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Territorial Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	Battle of Muar (53rd Infantry Brigade) Singapore (1942)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major-General Bernard Paget

The 18th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army, that saw service in World War II. It was formed as a 2nd Line duplicate of the 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division using mostly units with connections to East Anglia. The division fought in the short but violent Battle of Singapore but later surrendered and was captured by the Imperial Japanese Army in February 1942.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1939 the Territorial Army was ordered to be doubled in size, due to the increasing likelihood of a war in Europe with Nazi Germany. The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division, a 1st Line division, formed a duplicate unit, to be known as the 18th Infantry Division. The 18th Division, however, was not formed as an exact mirror duplicate as most divisions were and was instead divided on geographical basis. The 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th battalions of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, the 4th and 5th Suffolk Regiment and the 1st and 2nd Cambridgeshire Regiment were all assigned to 18th Division, with the 1/4th, 1/5th, 2/4th and 2/5th battalions of the Essex Regiment, the 6th Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and both the 1st and 2nd Hertfordshire Regiment were assigned to 54th Division.

Among the infantry brigades, the 53rd Infantry Brigade was converted (simply redesignated) from the 163rd Infantry Brigade, originally part of the 54th (East Anglian) Division, on 18 September 1939.