SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 NOVEMBER, 1946 5593 so that they could take their place Jn a British indiscipline in both brigades. The instigators field force. of the disturbances were left-wing officers and 258. The 2nd Polish Corps, under command men with violent anti-Metaxist sympathies. It of General Anders, was the largest allied force became necessary to remove a number of to 'be trained and equipped in this manner. officers, but for political reasons the ringleaders In August, 1943, a Polish Corps of two infantry could not be removed. The formation of the divisions and one tank brigade began to move ist Greek Divisional Headquarters was discon- to Middle East from Persia and Iraq Command. tinued and the command of both brigades was By the middle of October the first part of the taken over temporarily by British Brigadiers. move was complete, and most of the corps was On. 6th July further disturbances took place, concentrated for training in Southern Palestine. this time mainly 'in the 2nd Greek Brigade, At the end of November the corps moved to as a result of which two battalions of the 2nd Egypt, preparatory to moving overseas to Brigade were disbanded, and .the ist Italy. Here re-organisation took place on the Brigade wasi completed to war establishment latest British war establishments, to bring the tfrom the reliable elements of the 2nd Brigade. corps into' line with British formations and The 8th Greek Battalion, which was intended units, and on loth December the move to Italy for guard duties only, was formed from the began. The corps was landed in Italy fully remnants of the 2nd Brigade, less the ring- equipped with the exception of a small number leaders, who were sent to the Sudan. There of technical vehicles, of which there were none were no further disturbances throughout the available in the Middle East. period and in December, 1943, the ist Greek Brigade was pronounced fit for an operational 259. The Fighting French have also been role. trained and equipped by Middle East. In February, 1943, General de Larminat requested 262. The Greek Sacred Squadron, which that a Fighting French Division should be represents the finest elements in the Greek formed from the two independent Fighting Army, was part of General Lsclerc's " L " French Brigades then concentrated at Gambut. Force from the middle of February to the end This was agreed, andi the division was com- of March, 1943, and took part in active opera- pletely equipped by the end of March and tions under command of the Fighting French moved from Tobruk to Tripoli on i8th April. Forces. On ist April it came under command There it came under command of the loth of the New Zealand Division, and on iyth Corps and moved up to relieve the 5ist Divi- April it left them at Ecfidaville to return to the sion in the line at Enfidaville on 6th and yth Delta. The Squadron was re-organised by the May. A Fighting French Flying Column was middle of May and came under command of also placed under command of Eighth Army of the Special Air Sendee Regiment. It was during the advance to Tunisia. It came under trained in combined operations as a parachute command of the 30th Corps at Ben Gardane, squadron, and on 29th October part of the .and after a short attachment to the 4th Light squadron went to Samos by sea, the remainder Armojired Brigade it passed, on 3ist March, 'being dropped by air three days later. On- under command of General Leclerc as part of the fall of Samos they were safely evacuated to " L " Force, which had come up from Chad. Middle East through Turkey. 260. After the defeat of the enemy in 263. The Greek Armoured Car Regiment, of Tunisia, the French forces were withdrawn to two squadrons, has been a first-class unit Tripolitania for re-organisation; the ist Fight- throughout my period of command. It has ing French Division was organised as a normal been stationed in Syria, under the command British Division and the 2nd Fighting French first of the loth Armoured Division and then Armoured Division was formed from " L " of the gth Armoured Brigade. Force, the Flying Column, two Tank Squad- 264. At the beginning of February the rons which had arrived from the Delta by Yugoslav Army in the Middle East consisted sea at the end of June, and from recruits from of a headquarters, one battalion and a depot. Tunisia. The ist Fighting French Division The battalion came under command of the remained on British war establishments and 10th Indian Division (25th Indian Infantry with British equipment, and its battle losses Brigade) on 2ist July 1943, and moved to Ar were made up from the 2nd Fighting French Rama; it has remained under command ever Armoured Division, who were to be equipped since. By October the battalion, fully equipped from American sources. Both divisions and and up to strength, had reached a 'high stan- the 4th Fighting French Brigade passed under dard of training and was included in the Order French command at the end of August. French of Battle for operations in the Aegean. forces in Syria have acquitted themselves credit- 265. At the end of December, Partisan ably in the static role to which they have propaganda leaflets were distributed in the been assigned. battalion by the sympathisers of Marshal Tito. 261. The Poles and the French brought con- Shortly afterwards about one-third of the men siderable numbers to be trained and equipped; and one officer from the battalion signed a the Greeks have been fewer in numbers, .but declaration refusing to obey orders from the have none the less presented a difficult problem. General Headquarters of the Yugoslav Forces, In February, 1943, two Greek Brigades were and placed themselves under British command training -under command of Ninth Army. At until such time as they could join the Partisan this time the formation of the ist Greek Divi- Forces. They were segregated and put into a sion, which was to be a training and adminis- camp at Geneifa. trative formation, was under consideration and 266. A Belgian Brigade Group arrived in the staff was being collected and trained in the Middle East from the Belgian Congo Cairo. Political unrest, which had been a between the middle of April and the middle of considerable source of anxiety during the period June, 1943. It was organised on Belgian war under review, then broke out and at the begin- establishments and had been trained for jungle ning of March, 1943, led to a grave state of warfare.