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3rd Division 3rd Infantry Division 3rd Armoured Division 3rd Mechanised Division 3rd (United Kingdom) Division
Divisional insignia since 1940
Active	18 June 1809 - present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Armoured Infantry
Part of	Field Army
Garrison/HQ	Bulford Camp, Wiltshire
Nickname(s)	1810–1814: Fighting 3rd From 1916: The Iron Division, Ironsides, or Iron Sides
Engagements	Napoleonic Wars Crimean War Second Boer War First World War Second World War Gulf War Iraq War
Website	Official website
Commanders
Current commander	James Martin
Insignia
c. First World War

The 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, also known as The Iron Division, is a regular army division of the British Army. It was created in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War, and was known as the Fighting 3rd under Sir Thomas Picton during the Napoleonic Wars. The division fought at the Battle of Waterloo, as well as during the Crimean War and the Second Boer War. As a result of bitter fighting in 1916, during the First World War, the division became referred to as the 3rd (Iron) Division, or the Iron Division or Ironsides. During the Second World War, the division (now known as the 3rd Infantry Division) fought in the Battle of France including a rearguard action during the Dunkirk Evacuation, and played a prominent role in the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944. The division was to have been part of a proposed Commonwealth Corps, formed for a planned invasion of Japan in 1945–46, and later served in the British Mandate of Palestine. During the Second World War, the insignia became the "pattern of three" — a black triangle trisected by an inverted red triangle.

Napoleonic Wars

The division was part of the Allied British and Portuguese forces that took part in the Peninsular War. It fought at the Battle of Bussaco in September 1810, the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May 1811 and the Battle of El Bodón in September 1811, before further combat at the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in January 1812, the Siege of Badajoz in March 1812 and the Battle of Salamanca in July 1812. It also fought at the Siege of Burgos in September 1812 and the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813. It then pursued the French army into France and saw action at the Battle of the Pyrenees in July 1813, the Battle of Nivelle in November 1813 and the Battle of the Nive in December 1813. After that it fought at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814.

According to Picton, the fighting by the 3rd was so intense at the Battle of Vitoria, that the division lost 1,800 men (over one third of all Allied losses at the battle) having taken a key bridge and village, where they were subjected to fire by 40 to 50 cannons, and a counter-attack on the right flank (which was open because the rest of the army had not kept pace). The 3rd held their ground and pushed on with other divisions to capture the village of Arinez.

The 3rd Division was also present at the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo in the Waterloo campaign under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Alten K.C.B. (Count Carl von Alten).

Crimean War

The 3rd Division took part in the Crimean War and fought in the Battle of Alma and the Siege of Sevastopol. It was under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir Richard England.

Second Boer War

During the Second Boer War (1899–1902) the division began under the command of General Gatacre. In 1902 the army was restructured, and a 3rd Infantry division was established permanently at Bordon as part of the 1st Army Corps, comprising the 5th and 6th Infantry Brigades.

First World War

During the First World War the 3rd Division was a permanently established Regular Army division that was amongst the first to be sent to France at the outbreak of the war as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The 3rd Division served on the Western Front in France and Belgium for four years, from 1914 to 1918. During this time, it was nicknamed "The Iron Division". Its first commander during the war, Major-General Hubert Hamilton, was killed by shellfire near Béthune in October 1914. The division served in many major battles of the war, including the Battle of Mons and the subsequent Great Retreat, and later the First Battle of Ypres.

Inter-War Period

After the end of the First World War, the division was stationed in southern England where it formed part of Southern Command. In 1937, one of its brigades, the 9th Infantry Brigade, was commanded by Brigadier Bernard Montgomery. He assumed command of the 3rd Division shortly before Britain declared war on Germany in September 1939.

Second World War

The 3rd Infantry Division, under the command of Major General Bernard Montgomery, was sent overseas to France in late September 1939, just under a month after the outbreak of the Second World War. There the division became part of Lieutenant General Alan Brooke's II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). However, unlike in the First World War, where the division was almost immediately engaged in desperate fighting, there was no action. Montgomery instantly began training the men of his division in a tough training regime. As with most of the rest of the BEF, training was severely hampered by a shortage of modern equipment.

In May 1940, after several months of relative inactivity, the German Army launched its attack in the west which resulted in the BEF being split up from the French Army, evacuated from Dunkirk. Due to Montgomery's strict training regime, the 3rd Division suffered comparatively few casualties and earned a reputation as one of the best British divisions in France. During the evacuation Montgomery was promoted to temporary command of II Corps and Brigadier Kenneth Anderson took temporary control of the division before, in July, Major General James Gammell assumed command.

For over a year after Dunkirk the composition of 3rd Division remained largely unchanged (except that the motorcycle battalion was converted into 3rd (RNF) Reconnaissance Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps). Then, in September 1941, the 7th Guards Brigade was transferred to help create the Guards Armoured Division, and, in November, the 37th Infantry Brigade Group joined the 3rd Division and was renumbered 7th Brigade with the following composition: The brigade anti-tank companies were disbanded during 1941 and 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, formerly the 7th Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), joined the division in March 1942. In June 1942, 3rd Infantry Division was reorganised as a 'Mixed' Division, with 33rd Tank Brigade replacing 7th Infantry Brigade. By early 1943, the experiment with 'mixed' divisions was abandoned, and division reverted to being an infantry formation, 33rd Tank Brigade being replaced by 185th Infantry Brigade.

D-Day

The 3rd British Infantry Division was the first British formation to land at Sword Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944, as part of the invasion of Normandy, part of the larger Operation Overlord. For the assault landing, 3rd British Division was organised as a Division Group, with other formations temporarily under its command. These included 27th Armoured Brigade (Sherman DD amphibious tanks) and 22nd Dragoons (Sherman Crab flail tanks), 1st Special Service Brigade and No. 41 (Royal Marine) Commando, 5th Royal Marine Independent Armoured Support Battery (Centaur IV close support tanks), 77 and 79 Assault Squadrons of 5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers (Churchill AVREs).

The division's own artillery were all self-propelled (field regiments: M7 Priest; anti-tank regiment: M10 tank destroyer) and the SP field guns and RM Centaurs were able to fire from their landing craft during the run-in to the beach. In addition, 3rd British Division had 101 Beach Sub-Area HQ and Nos 5 and 6 Beach groups under command for the assault phase: these included additional engineers, transport, pioneers, medical services and vehicle recovery sections.

The 3rd Division's brigades were organised as brigade groups for the assault, with 8 Brigade Group making the first landing, followed by 185 Brigade Group and 9 Brigade Group in succession during the morning and early afternoon.

After D-Day

After D-Day the 3rd Infantry Division fought through the Battle for Caen, in Operation Charnwood and Operation Goodwood. With the fighting in Normandy over after the Battle of the Falaise Gap, the division also participated in the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine and fought in the Netherlands and Belgium and later the Allied invasion of Germany. For the campaign in Normandy, the division was commanded by Major-General Tom Rennie until he was wounded on 13 June 1944; Major-General 'Bolo' Whistler, a highly popular commander, took command on 23 June 1944. During the campaign in Normandy, the division won its first Victoria Cross of the Second World War, awarded in August 1944 to Corporal Sidney Bates of 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment, part of the 185th Brigade. Private James Stokes of the 2nd Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry, also of the 185th Brigade, was the second recipient awarded the Victoria Cross in March 1945.

During the often intense fighting from Sword Beach to Bremen, the 3rd Division suffered 2,586 killed with over 12,000 wounded. Following the German surrender, the division moved towards central Germany. It was then ordered to Berlin, to become part of the Western Allied garrison, but before a move could be made it was sent to Belgium. It was intended that the division would be flown to the United States, from where it would join the assault on Japan. With the surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War, the move was canceled.

Post War and Cold War

The division remained in Europe until October 1945, when it left for the Middle East. After spending time in Egypt and undertaking internal security duties in Palestine, it was disbanded in June 1947. Sources differ on the specifics. The Imperial War Musuem stated it was disbanded in Palestine while historians Lord and Watson stated the division first returned to the UK in April 1947 before being disbanded. However, they also note that at least one source (although not specified by the authors) stated that the division was still active in Palestine until February 1948.

With the outbreak of the Korean War and the need for a divisional-sized strategic reserve based in the UK, the 3rd Infantry Division was reformed at Colchester, England, on 14 December 1950. In April 1951, the division helped form the signals regiment for the 1st Commonwealth Division, which served in the Korean War. In November, the entire formation was dispatched to Egypt to garrison the Suez Canal Zone. During this period, the Egyptian government abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, which was the basis for British troops to remain in the canal area. The ensuing political landscape saw increased animosity to the British presence, eventually resulting in an agreement to withdraw. The division departed for the UK during 1954, where it returned to Colchester and its role as the British Army's strategic reserve. March 1955 saw troops deployed to Cyprus, during the Cyprus Emergency. The following year, the division was mobilised for Operation Musketeer, the attack on Egypt during the Suez Crisis. In the event of a successful invasion, the division would have severed as a follow-up formation and occupied Port Said. Only the divisional headquarters was dispatched, and the division was ultimately not deployed. In April 1959, the divisional headquarters moved from Colchester to Bulford.

In 1961, elements of the division were dispatched to Kuwait to deter an Iraqi invasion; signals personnel were sent to assist the 1961 British Cameroons referendum; and other troops were sent to Kenya. Exercises in Libya followed in 1963, which also established the division in an air-portable role. Parts of the division were sent to Cyprus in February 1964, to support the forming United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. This lasted until August, when the UN force was activated. A relatively quiet period followed, until the division returned to Cyprus in 1974 in response to the Turkish invasion.

Armoured division

The 1975 Mason Review, a government white paper, outlined a new defence policy that removed the UK-based divisional-sized strategic reserve and also resulted in the restructure of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). With its role eliminated, the 3rd Division was disbanded. It was reformed in Soest, Germany, on 1 September 1977, as the 3rd Armoured Division. Its reformation increased the BAOR to four divisions, for the first time since the end of the 1950s. Each division was composed of two armoured regiments, three mechanised infantry battalions, and two artillery regiments.

The Mason Review removed brigades and replaced them with a concept of task forces or battlegroups. It was intended that the division could form up to five battlegroups, with each commanded by either an armoured regiment or an infantry battalion. These groups were to be formed for a specific task and allocated the required forces needed. The divisional commander (general officer commanding (GOC)) would oversee these battlegroups, but early training showed this to be impractical. To compensate, the divisional headquarters was increased to 750 men (wartime strength) and included two brigadiers. Each officer would command a flexible task force, which consisted of the battlegroups the GOC had formed. The division's task forces were named Task Force Echo and Task Force Foxtrot. These were not a reintroduction of a brigade command structure, and had no administrative responsibilities. The approach intended to provide greater flexibility in tailoring forces to meet unforeseen events and allow for an overall reduction in the size of a division by 700 men. The task force concept was dropped by the end of the decade, having been deemed to have not met expectations. The division then comprised the 6th and the 33rd Armoured Brigades. Both brigades contained two mechanised infantry battalions and one armoured regiment.

In 1981, John Nott, the Secretary of State for Defence for the government elected in 1979, announced the 1981 Defence White Paper. It, like the Mason Review, aimed to balance the British military in line with the nation's financial resources and save manpower. Resultingly, the BAOR was restructured from four armoured divisions of two brigades, into a force of three divisions of three brigades. The division then comprised the 4th (Münster, the 6th (Soest), and the 33rd Armoured Brigades. During the 1980s, the 33rd Armoured Brigade joined the 4th Armoured Division and in exchange the 3rd Armoured Division received the 19th Infantry Brigade (Colchester, England). During 1983, the 6th Armoured Brigade converted into the 6th Airmobile Brigade and maintained that role until 1988.

Post–Cold War

In September 1992, the headquarters of 3rd Armoured Division was relocated from Germany to Bulford, Wiltshire in the UK, where it became 3rd Mechanised Division. It provided the headquarters for Multi-National Division (South-West) in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995 / 1996 and again in 1998. In early 2002, the division headquarters and its GOC, Major General John McColl, formed the initial basis of the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan.

On 1 September 1999 the division was freed from its administrative and regional responsibilities and became a deployable or "fly-away" division. As 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division it was the only division at continual operational readiness in the United Kingdom (the other at operational readiness being 1st (UK) Armoured Division in Germany). It was based at Picton Barracks, Bulford Camp, and reported to the Commander Land Forces at Andover.

On 11 July 2003, the division deployed to Iraq to replace the British 1st Armoured Division, signalling the start of Operation Telic II. The 3rd Division also controlled numerous other coalition forces in southeast Iraq, including contingents from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.

Under Army 2020, the division was renamed as 3rd (United Kingdom) Division and continued to be based at Bulford Camp and to command the Reaction Force. In 2015, Brigadier General Mike Tarsa of the United States Army was assigned as deputy commanding general of the division. He was replaced in May 2016 by Brigadier General Doug Crissman. Crissman was replaced by Brigadier General Matthew J. Van Wagenen in April 2018. This was part of a growing practice for senior officers of the British Army and the United States Army to be assigned as deputy commanders (and effectively liaison officers) in each other's operational units.

Future Soldier

Under the 2021 Future Soldier programme, the division is organised as such:

• 12th Armoured Brigade Combat Team (Bulford)
• 20th Armoured Brigade Combat Team (Bulford)
• 1st Deep Recce Strike Combat Team (Tidworth)
• 7 Air Defence Group (Thorney Island)
• 25 (Close Support) Engineer Group (Bulford)
• 101 Operational Sustainment Brigade (Aldershot)
• 4th Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps (Bulford)
• 7th Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps (Bristol)
• 1st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (Perham Down)
• 3rd Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (Bulford)
• 15th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (Perham Down)
• 71st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals (Bexley Heath)

The Iron Division

During the First World War, the division obtained the nickname "the ironsides" and "The Iron Division. Norman Scarfe, the divisional historian for the period 1943-1945, argued against a continuation of the nickname beyond the First World War. He wrote that while it was a complement to be associated with the term, it was a nickname "earned by quite different groups of units in quite different circumstances, not by the 3rd Division in its Assault form. 'Ironsides' is surely another not entirely justifiable reference to East Anglia, where Cromwell did his recruiting; and Iron, a symbol of strength and resolution of the 3rd Division in the Four Years' War, can also suggest inflexibility and cruelty, rust and robots. The distinction of being British , on the other hand, is open to only one interpretation. It is the most suitable of all titles. There was only one 3rd British Division fighting in Europe, and from D-Day until the Germans were defeated the men of the division deserved the honour of their name." The separation of traditions was also suggested by Lieutenant-Colonel T. F. Furnell, secretary of the Association of the 3rd (Iron) Division, who in a reunion speech to Second World War 3rd Division veterans stated "You of the 3rd British Division have more than lived up to the tradition of the Iron Division." The Imperial War Musuem highlighted that while the nickname was earned during the First World War, it continued on through the Second World War and indicated Major-General Bernard Montgomery (who took command in 1939) referred to the division as such. Per Patrick Delaforce, Montgomery told an officer "I knew it in the last war – it was known as the 'Iron Division' then and it is going to be known as the "Iron Division" in this war." The modern-day division still refers to itself as such.

Recipients of the Victoria Cross

* indicates a posthumous award

See also

• List of commanders of the British 3rd Division
• List of British divisions in World War I
• List of British divisions in World War II
• British Army Order of Battle (September 1939)
• Units of the Royal Corps of Signals
• Death of Baha Mousa

Notes

Footnotes

1. 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division (1990s)
   • 1st Mechanized Brigade
   • 4th Mechanized Brigade
   • 12th Mechanized Brigade
   • 3rd Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment
   • 5 Regiment Army Air Corps (Lynx)
   • 36 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
   • 3 Regiment, Royal Military Police
   • The Royal Wessex Yeomanry

Citations

1. Cole p. 36
2. Cannon, p. 48
3. Cannon, p. 56
4. Cannon, p. 59
5. Cannon, p. 61
6. Cannon, p. 65
7. Cannon, p. 73
8. Cannon, p. 77
9. ^ Cannon, p. 81
10. Cannon, p. 90
11. Cannon, p. 92
12. Cannon, p. 93
13. Cannon, p. 95
14. Cannon, p. 99
15. Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Alten, Sir Charles" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 763.
16.  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "England, Richard (1793–1883)". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
17. "No. 27126". The London Gazette. 13 October 1899. p. 6180.
18. Rinaldi, p. 31
19. "Naval & Military intelligence - The 1st Army Corps". The Times. No. 36892. London. 7 October 1902. p. 8.
20. "The Battles of Ypres, 1917 (Third Ypres)". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
21. Heathcote 1999, p. 214
22. ^ Joslen, p. 43-44
23. ^ Joslen, pp. 43–4.
24. Joslen, p. 286.
25. Joslen, pp. 30, 360.
26. "Private papers of FW Norris MM". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
27. "RA 1939–45 76 Fld Rgt". Ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
28. Ellis, p. 542.
29. "RA 1939–45 7 Fld Rgt". Ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
30. "RA 1939–45 33 Fld Rgt". Ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
31. Ellis, p. 546.
32. "RA 1939–45 20 A/Tk Rgt". Ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
33. ^ Ellis, pp. 173, 184–6.
34. Joslen, pp. 584–5.
35. Delaforce, p. .
36. "James Stokes". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
37. Delaforce, p. 206.
38. ^ Scarfe 2006, p. 200.
39. ^ "Badge, formation, 3rd Infantry Division". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
40. ^ Lord & Watson 2003, p. 30.
41. Darwin 1988, pp. 163, 207–208.
42. Lord & Watson 2003, pp. 30–31.
43. ^ Lord & Watson 2003, p. 31.
44. Taylor 2010, pp. 6–7. sfn error: no target: CITEREFTaylor2010 (help)
45. Mason 1975a, p. 23. sfn error: no target: CITEREFMason1975a (help)
46. Isby 1988, pp. 331–332. sfn error: no target: CITEREFIsby1988 (help)
47. Dodd 1977, p. 374. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDodd1977 (help)
48. Dodd 1977, p. 375. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDodd1977 (help)
49. DeVore 2009, pp. 281–282. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDeVore2009 (help)
50. ^ Isby 1988, p. 332. sfn error: no target: CITEREFIsby1988 (help)
51. Stone 1998, p. 224. sfn error: no target: CITEREFStone1998 (help)
52. Blume 2007, p. 4. sfn error: no target: CITEREFBlume2007 (help)
53. Taylor 2010, p. 7. sfn error: no target: CITEREFTaylor2010 (help)
54. Nott 1981, p. 17. sfn error: no target: CITEREFNott1981 (help)
55. Blume 2007, p. 5. sfn error: no target: CITEREFBlume2007 (help)
56. Cordesman 1988, p. 140. sfn error: no target: CITEREFCordesman1988 (help)
57. Watson and Rinaldi (2005). The British Army in Germany: An Organizational History 1947-2004. Tiger Lily Publications LLC. p. 131. ISBN 9780972029698.
58. Conrad, John (2011). Scarce Heard Amid the Guns: An Inside Look at Canadian Peacekeeping. Natural Heritage Books. ISBN 978-1-55488-981-5.
59. "John McColl Profile on". BBC News. 19 December 2001. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
60. Soldier Magazine, December 1998, p.13
61. Mackinlay, Gordon Angus (1 July 2007). "The British Army at a Moment in Time, Chapter 7" (PDF). Retrieved 13 July 2019.
62. Carney, Stephen A., Allied Participation in Operation Iraqi Freedom, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015 ISBN 1516909194, 978-1516909193
63. "General Officer Assignments". United States Department of Defense. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
64. "General Officer Assignments". United States Department of Defense. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
65. Stairrett, Amanda Kim (25 November 2013). "2nd British general officer takes post with 'BRO'". Fort Riley, Kansas: 1st Infantry Division. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
66. ^ British Army (2021). "Future Soldier Guide" (PDF). pp. 53–67. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
67. ^ Scarfe 2006, p. xxix.
68. Delaforce 1995, p. 1.
69. The Iron Division (27 June 2023). "The Iron Division". Twitter. Retrieved 6 July 2022. and "3rd (United Kingdom) Division". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 27 June 2023.

References

• Becke, Major A.F. (1935). History of the Great War Based on Official Documents. Order of Battle of Divisions: Part 1 - The Regular British Divisions. London: HMSO.
• Cannon, Richard (1851). Historical Record of the Seventy-Fourth Regiment (Highlanders) containing account of the formation of the regiment in 1787 and of its subsequent services to 1850. London: Parker, Furnivall and Parker.
• Chappel M., (1986) British Battle Insignia (1). 1914–18 Osprey Publishing ISBN 9780850457278
• Cole, Howard (1973). Formation Badges of World War 2. Britain, Commonwealth and Empire. London: Arms and Armour Press.
• Darwin, John (1988). Britain and Decolonisation: The Retreat from Empire in the Post-War World. London: MacMillan. ISBN 978-0-33329-258-7.
• Delaforce, Patrick (1995). Monty's Iron Sides: From the Normandy Beaches to Bremen with the 3rd Division. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Alan Sutton. ISBN 978-0-75090-779-8.
• Ellis, Major L.F. (2004) History of the Second World War: United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Volume I: The Battle of Normandy, London: HMSO, 1962/Uckfield: Naval & Military, ISBN 1-84574-058-0.
• Heathcote, Tony (1999). The British Field Marshals 1736–1997. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-696-5.
• Horrocks, Lt-Gen Sir Brian, (1960) A Full Life, London: Collins.
• Joslen, H. F. (2003) . Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
• Keegan, John (1991), Churchill's Generals, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
• Lord, Cliff; Watson, Graham (2003). The Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents. West Midlands: Helion. ISBN 978-1-874622-07-9.
• Montgomery, Field Marshal Viscount, (1958) Memoirs, London: Collins.
• Rinaldi, Richard (2008). Order of Battle of the British Army 1914. General Data. ISBN 978-0982054116.
• Scarfe, Norman (2006) . Assault Division: A History of the 3rd Division from the Invasion of Normandy to the Surrender of Germany. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Spellmount. ISBN 978-1-86227-338-2.

Further reading

• McNish, Robin; Bray, Paul; Messenger, Charles (2000). Iron Division: The History of the 3rd Division 1809-2000 (3rd. ed.). Salisbury: Headquarters 3 (UK) Division. ISBN 978-0-71102-820-3.

External links

• The Iron Division. "Division's official Twitter".
• The Iron Division. "Division's official Instragram".

• Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I
• Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War II
• Military units and formations established in 1809
• 1809 establishments in the United Kingdom
• Military units and formations of the United Kingdom in the Peninsular War