8th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)

8th Armoured Division
8th Armoured Division insignia.
Active	4 November 1940 – 1 January 1943
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Armoured
Size	Division, 13,235 men 130+ tanks
Commanders
Notable commanders	Sir Richard McCreery

The 8th Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. It was deployed to Egypt in June 1942 but never operated as a complete formation and was disbanded in January the following year.

The division was sent to North Africa but never saw active service as a complete formation. As the division could not be provided with a lorried infantry brigade, it was broken up and was finally disbanded in Egypt on 1 January 1943.

Following the Second Battle of El Alamein a plan was put forth to use the remains of the division as a self-contained pursuit force to dart forward into the German-Italian rear as far as possibly Tobruk, however the plan to use the division was shelfed and units in the forward area were used instead. Afterwards, the name of the division was used for the purpose of military deception.

The division had four officers who held the position of General Officer Commanding, during the Second World War.

(all brigades stripped away from the division prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein)