The British 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division of 1947

[leigh kitchen]

The 44th Infantry Division was originally formed in 1908,& provided garrison units in the east during WWI, most units being in India but some in Burma & Aden, the division ceased to exist as such.

During WWII it formed part of III Corps of The British Expeditionary Force of Dunkirk in May 1940. It later served in North Africa & was disbanded after The Battle of El Alamein.

Reformed in 1947 with the post war reactivation of some TA divisions that had been disbanded after WWII, the division was disbanded by 1968.

The division's symbol during WWII was a scarlet horizontal oval, sometimes with the addition of a white border, but the division of 1947 wore the oval with white border & with the addition of The Home Counties Dstrict badge superimposed.

The scarlet ovel is said to have been chosen to represent "The Oval" cricket ground.

In 1956 the design was changed to a scarlet horizontal oval with yellow border, bearing a yellow trident.

The 1947 version of the Dvision's sign, printed, & the embroidered & printed versions of the 1956 version: