This is the order of battle for Operation Granby, the name given to the British Armed Forces deployment to the Middle East after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 and subsequent operations during the 1991 Gulf War.
British Forces Middle East (BFME) – Lieutenant-General Sir Peter de la BillièreJohann Price, British Ground Force in the Gulf War, 1990–91 1st Armoured Division – Major General Rupert Smith Force Maintenance Area (FMA) – Brigadier Martin White BFME direct reporting units
British Army 1st Armoured Division 1 Armoured Division Signal Regiment 7th Armoured Brigade 7th Armoured Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron (207) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) Queen's Royal Irish Hussars A Squadron, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) 40 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 21 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers 4th Armoured Brigade 4th Armoured Brigade HQ and Signal Squadron (204) 14th/20th King's Hussars 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment) 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 23 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers Divisional Troops 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers 4 Regiment Army Air Corps 26 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery 32 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery 39 Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery 12 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers 39 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers 15 Field Support Squadron Royal Engineers Supporting units
1 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1 Armoured Division Signal Regiment 30 Signal Regiment 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) 1st Battalion Scots Guards 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards 1st Battalion Royal Highland Fusiliers 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers Elements of 1st Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders 1 Armoured Division Transport Regiment Royal Corps of Transport 4 Armoured Division Transport Regiment Royal Corps of Transport 7 Tank Transporter Regiment Royal Corps of Transport 10 Regiment Royal Corps of Transport 27 Regiment Royal Corps of Transport 28 Ambulance Squadron Gurkha Transport Regiment 52 Port Squadron Royal Corps of Transport 1 Armoured Field Ambulance 5 Armoured Field Ambulance 22 Field Hospital 23 Parachute Field Ambulance 24 Airmobile Field Ambulance 32 Field Hospital 33 General Hospital 60 Field Psychiatric Team 205 General Hospital 3 Ordnance Battalion Royal Army Ordnance Corps 6 Ordnance Battalion RAOC 6 Armoured Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 7 Armoured Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 11 Armoured Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 71 Aircraft Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 174 Provost Company Royal Military Police 203 Provost Company Royal Military Police 27 Group Royal Pioneer Corps 187 Company Royal Pioneer Corps 221 EOD Coy RAOC 598 Company Royal Pioneer Corps 54 Squadron Engineer Support and Ambulance Squadron Royal Corps of Transport Elements of the Royal Army Pay Corps
Royal Air Force 18 Panavia Tornado F.3s
Panavia Tornado GR.1
Panavia Tornado GR.1a No. 2 Squadron RAF No. 13 Squadron RAF
12 SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1s No. 6 Squadron RAF No. 41 Squadron RAF No. 54 Squadron RAF Blackburn Buccaneer No. 12 Squadron RAF No. 208 Squadron RAF Hawker Siddeley Nimrod No. 42 Squadron RAF No. 120 Squadron RAF No. 201 Squadron RAF No. 206 Squadron RAF Lockheed C-130 Hercules No. 24 Squadron RAF No. 30 Squadron RAF No. 47 Squadron RAF No. 70 Squadron RAF Handley Page Victor No. 55 Squadron RAF Lockheed TriStar K.1 No. 216 Squadron RAF Boeing Chinook No. 7 Squadron RAF No. 18 Squadron RAF Westland Puma HC.1 No. 33 Squadron RAF No. 230 Squadron RAF
RAF Regiment
4001 Flight RAF Regiment Members of 4001 Flt RAF Regiment became NBC team attached to the 4th Armoured Division during Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Desert Sabre. No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment 1 Squadron RAF Regiment were flown into Al Qaysumah to reinforce the base from RAF Germany. Equipped with Scorpion and Spartan armoured vehicles, they reinforced Muharraq and crossed into Iraq with 1 (BR) Armoured Division as the reconnaissance screen for the Division, ending the war astride the Kuwait-Basra highway. No. 20 Squadron RAF Regiment 20 Squadron RAF Regiment deployed to Cyprus August 1990. One flight deployed to Muharraq late August 1990, second flight joined first in the middle of October 1990, relieved by 66 Squadron in November 1990, and returned to UK after setting up airbase defence of Muharraq. No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment 26 Squadron RAF Regiment, RAF Laarbruch Commander Sqn Ldr Dipper. Deployed 28 November 1990 to 14 February 1991. Used to defend the airfield before Patriot was even conceived. In the aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia and detachments saw service at Dharan, Muharraq, and Tabuk during the war. Successfully deployed all equipment within 10 days of arrival No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment 34 Squadron RAF Regiment deployed to Bahrain and Dahrhan in August 1990. No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment In aftermath of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the squadron deployed to Saudi Arabia, and detachments saw service at Dharan, Muharraq, and Tabuk during the war. No. 58 Squadron RAF Regiment 58 Squadron RAF Regiment deployed from RAF Catterick in January 1991 to Bahrain to allow 1 Squadron RAF Regiment to deploy to the front. With only three days notice, those three days included all kitting and ANTHRAX jabs. No. 66 Squadron RAF Regiment
Other RAF units 4626 Aeromed Evac Squadron (Co-located with 205 Fd Hosp RAMC and in Cyprus) United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron deployed on the first Hercules and served throughout the Gulf at all air heads and landing strips. Joint Helicopter Support Unit deployed with the Chinook Squadrons Tactical Communications Wing Tactical Supply Wing
Royal Navy Aircraft carrier
(deployed to the Mediterranean Sea)
Frigates
(deployed to the Mediterranean Sea) Type 22 frigate
829 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.3 (deployed to the Mediterranean Sea) (Flagship) 815 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.3
Destroyers Sheffield class
815 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.3
815 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.3
815 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.2
815 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Lynx HAS.3
Command ships
Mine countermeasure vessels
Submarines s
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
HM Royal Marines Band Commander in Chief Fleet 846 Naval Air Squadron with 4 x Westland Sea King HC Mk4 21 (AD) Bty RA with Javelin Air Defence System
RFA Fort Grange 826 with the Westland Sea King HC.5 & 846 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Sea King HC.4
846 Naval Air Squadron with the Westland Sea King HC.4
Fleet Air Arm Deployed to land bases 845 Naval Air Squadron with Westland Sea King HC.4s 848 Naval Air Squadron with Westland Sea King HC.4s 846 Naval Air Squadron with Westland Sea King HC.4s (Detached from RFA Argus)
Fleet Diving Group Fleet Diving Group A & B Embarked on RFA Sir Galahad members of FDU1 Maritime Counter terrorist Unit and members of FDU2 Worldwide Operations Unit. Fleet Diving Group C Embarked on RFA Argus Members of Fleet Diving Unit 3, deep diving and Trials Team
See also List of Gulf War military equipment List of orders of battle
Notes
References
Further reading
British Ground Force in the Gulf War, 1990–91