Tenth Army (United Kingdom)

The Tenth Army was a unit of the British Army during World War II created in Iraq and formed from the major part of "Paiforce" (Persia and Iraq Force). It was active in 1942 and 1943, and then disbanded.

In April 1941 British and Indian troops had been deployed to Iraq from India under the command of Lieutenant-General Edward Quinan to protect British interests, in particular oil concessions, after a coup d'etat had brought to power a government sympathetic to the Axis powers. The force was known as Iraqforce and was engaged in the Anglo-Iraqi War which took place in April and May Iraqi rebellion and took part in the defeat of the Vichy forces in the subsequent Syria-Lebanon campaign. Later in 1941, the force took part in the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran to prevent the Axis elements from entering Persia, and preventing the possibility of the Germans gaining control of the Iraqi and Persian oil fields. Following this Iraqforce was renamed Paiforce (Persia and Iraq force).

After the campaigns of 1941, Quinan's headquarters was redesignated Tenth Army and its main task was the maintenance of the lines of communication to the Soviet Union from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian and the protection of the South Persian and Iraqi oilfields. Its badge was a golden Assyrian Lion with human head and eagle's wings (a Cherub Guardian). A variation of colouring of this badge was a white Lion on a pale blue background. Quinan was knighted in June 1942 and in August 1942, he was promoted to be a full general. Tenth Army was initially part of British Middle East Command but became part of Persia and Iraq Command when it was activated in September 1942.

Order of Battle 1942

 * Tenth Army commanded by General Sir Edward Quinan
 * British III Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Anderson
 * 5th Infantry Division, Major-General Horatio Berney-Ficklin
 * 56th (London) Division, Major-General Eric Miles
 * Indian XXI Corps, Lieutenant-General Sir Mosley Mayne
 * Indian 8th Infantry Division, Major-General Charles Harvey
 * Indian 10th Infantry Division, Major-General Alan Blaxland
 * Indian 6th Infantry Division commanded by Major-General J.N. Thomson
 * 31st Indian Armoured Division, Major-General Robert Wordsworth
 * 10th Indian Motor Brigade, Brigadier Harold Redman