56th (1st London) Division
| 1st London Division 56th (1st London) Division 1st London Infantry Division 56th (London) Infantry Division 56th (London) Armoured Division |
|
|---|---|
_Division_insignia.png)
Shoulder patch of the 56th (1st London) Division, First World War.
|
|
| Active | 1908–1919 1920–1946 1947–1961 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom
|
| Branch |
 British Army
|
| Type |
Infantry Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | "The Black Cats" |
| Engagements |
First World War Second World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Sir Claude Liardet Sir Montagu Stopford Douglas Graham Sir Gerald Templer Sir Harold Pyman |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 The formation badge for the 56th Division during the Second World War featured Dick Whittington's black cat on a red background. |
The 56th (London) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which served under several different titles and designations. The division served in the trenches of the Western Front during the First World War. Disbanded after the war, the division was reformed in 1920 and saw active service in the Second World War in Tunisia and Italy. The division was again disbanded in 1946 and reformed as an armoured formation before final disbandment in 1961.
The division's insignia in the First World War was the sword symbolising the martyrdom of Paul the Apostle from the coat of arms of the City of London; in the Second World War the insignia was changed to a black cat.
The 1st London Division was created upon the formation of the Territorial Force (TF), the part-time reserve force of the British Army, in April 1908. Originally designated as the 1st London Division, the division comprised the 1st, 2nd and 3rd London Brigades, along with supporting units and was one of fourteen divisions which constituted the peacetime TF.
The 56th Division was constituted as follows during the war:
The TF was disbanded after the war, as was the 56th Division, but started to reform in early 1920 and was later renamed the Territorial Army (TA) in 1920 and the division was reformed, as the 56th (1st London) Infantry Division, with much the same composition as before the First World War.
...
Wikipedia