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List of Allied deception formations in World War II

American

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Main article: United States Army deception formations of World War II

British

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Main article: List of British deception formations in World War II

Canadian

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
Unnamed armoured formation Euphrates plan The deception effort stated Canadian armoured forces had arrived in Egypt, after travelling directly from Canada. The force notionally moved to Palestine and made camp near Palmyra. An area was cordoned off for this alleged training camp. Soldiers were outfitted with Canadian insignia and money and visited numerous locations throughout Palestine. Vichy French (pro-Axis) forces were informed to be on alert for French-Canadian deserters. [1]

French

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
III Corps [2]
IV Corps [2]
French Expeditionary Corps for the Far East [3]
7th Algerian Infantry Division [3]
8th Algerian Infantry Division [3]
3rd Armoured Division [3]
10th Colonial Infantry Division [3]

Greek

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
1st Greek Division [3]

Indian

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
Indian Expeditionary Force Unknown Jun 1945 A sword, trident and wings Operation Fang A real formation that existed between March and October 1943. Recreated as an army-size commanding force for the threatened invasion of Sumatra (Fang) and was notionally based in India and Ceylon. It was notionally composed of XX and XXXVIII Indian Corps and was replaced by Force 144 in June 1945. The insignia invoked symbols of all three branches of the military. [4]
Force 114 [4]
XX Indian Corps [5]
XXXVIII Indian Corps [5]
Airborne Raiding Task Force An Indian Army corps sized deception formation [5]
2nd Indian Division [5]
6th Indian Division [6]
9th Indian Airborne Division [6]
12th Indian Division [6]
15th Indian Division [6]
16th Indian Division [6]
18th Indian Division [7]
21st Indian Division [7]
32nd Indian Armoured Division [7]
234th Indian Division [7]
Frontier Armoured Division [7]
Nepalese Division [7]
1st Burma Division [8]
51st Indian Tank Brigade [8]

New Zealand

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List of formations
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
3rd New Zealand Division May 1942 May 1942 A Kiwi Cascade The original New Zealand contribution to Operation Cascade. The division title was soon dropped and replaced by the 6th New Zealand Division, as a real 3rd New Zealand Division was being formed for service Pacific theatre. The real formation became active in August 1942. [8][9]
6th New Zealand Division May 1942 Oct 1944 A Kiwi Cascade The replacement for the 3rd New Zealand Division. The division was physically portrayed by the Middle East depot area of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Maadi Camp near Cairo. Various real small units were renamed and used to portray the 9th New Zealand Infantry Brigade and other divisional troops.[a] For example, the camp hospital became 23 NZ Field Ambulance, and the camp workshop portrayed the 25 NZ Field Company. The division notionally remained in North Africa until October 1944, when a fictitious transfer to the Pacific theatre took place. No further information available on if the division was used beyond its notional transfer. If the 10th and 11th Brigades were notionally formed in a similar manner is disputed between sources.[b] [8][11][10]

Polish

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
III Polish Corps [12]
2nd Polish Armoured Division [12]
7th Polish Division [12]
8th Polish Division [12]

South Africa

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List of armies
Formation name Date created Date ceased to exist Insignia Deception plan Notes Ref
7th South African Division [8]

Notes

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Footnotes

  1. ^ HQ NZ Maadi Camp: HQ 6 NZ Division
    HQ Company, II NZ Maadi Camp: 6 NZ Div Defence Platoon
    1 NZ Works Section: 25 NZ Field Company
    NZ Artillery Training Depot: 32 NZ Field Company
    NZ Infantry Training Depot: 9 NZ Infantry Brigade
    the Northern, Central, and Southern Companies: 31, 32, and 33 Battalions
    NZ Base Field Security Section: 6 NZ Division Field Security Section
    NZ Base Signals: 6 NZ Division Signals
    NZ Base Provost Company: 6 NZ Provost Company
    HQ NZ Base NZ Army Service Corps: HQ 6 NZ Division Army Service Corps
    NZ Base Supply Depot: 6 NZ Div Supply Company
    NZ Base Transport Platoon: 17 NZ General Transport Company
    NZ Base Ordnance Workshops: 6 NZ Division Ordnance Workshops
    1 NZ Camp Hospital: 23 NZ Field Ambulance
    NZ Base Hygiene Section: 6 NZ Division Hygiene Section.[10]
  2. ^ Thaddeus Holt, who wrote The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War, stated that both brigades were depicted in a similar manner to the 9th Brigade.[8] Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, who wrote New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches 1911–1991 and detailed the breakdown of each part of Maadi Camp that portrayed the division, do not support the brigades being "created".[10]

Citations

  1. ^ Holt 2004, pp. 35, 74.
  2. ^ a b Holt 2004, p. 931.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Holt 2004, p. 932.
  4. ^ a b Holt 2004, p. 926.
  5. ^ a b c d Holt 2004, p. 927.
  6. ^ a b c d e Holt 2004, p. 928.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Holt 2004, p. 929.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Holt 2004, p. 930.
  9. ^ Gillespie 1952, pp. 71–72; Stevens 1958, p. 55.
  10. ^ a b c Thomas & Lord 1995, p. 50.
  11. ^ Stevens 1958, p. 55.
  12. ^ a b c d Holt 2004, p. 933.

References

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  • Gillespie, Oliver A. (1952). Kippenberger, Howard Kard (ed.). The Pacific. The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. OCLC 846901610.
  • Holt, Thaddeus (2004). The Deceivers: Allied Military Deception in the Second World War. New York: Scribner. ISBN 978-0-743-25042-9.
  • Stevens, William George (1958). Problems of 2 NZEF. The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. OCLC 846901610.
  • Thomas, Malcolm; Lord, Cliff (1995). New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches 1911–1991: Part One. Wellington: Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord (self-published). ISBN 978-0-473-03288-3. OCLC 9802911903.
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