7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom) had fallen foul of his superiors. The division was meant to be equipped with 220 tanks. However, at the outbreak of the Second World War, in September 1939, the 'Mobile Force' only had 65. Most of the unit's troops had already been deployed for two years by 1940 and it took as long as three months for mail to arrive. On 16 February 1940, the Mobile Division, which had changed names during the middle of 1939 to be called the Armoured Division, became the 7th Armoured Division. After the Italian declaration of war, the Western Desert Force, under the command
42nd Armoured Division (United Kingdom) 42nd Armoured Division (United Kingdom) The 42nd Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army raised during the Second World War. The division was formed in late 1941 by converting the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division. The 42nd Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army (TA) infantry formation that saw service in the Battle of France and was evacuated at Dunkirk in June 1940. The division was converted on 1 November 1941 into an armoured division. The division's first commander was Major-General Miles C. Dempsey. However, the division was not posted overseas and its divisional headquarters was disbanded