Operation Telic order of battle

British Forces Middle East HQ - Air Marshal Brian Burridge

• British Maritime Component Commander - Rear Admiral David Snelson (suceeded by Major General Tony Milton 16 April 2003)
  • Commander Amphibious Task Group - Commodore Jamie Miller
    • HMS Ark Royal
      • 4 Sea King AsaC7[?]'s of Flight A No. 849 NAS[?]
      • 5 Chinook HC2[?]'s of No. 18 Squadron[?]
    • HMS Ocean
      • 10 Sea King HC4[?]'s of No. 845 NAS[?]
      • 6 Gazelle AH1[?] of No. 847 NAS[?]
      • 6 Lynx AH7[?] of No. 847 NAS[?]
    • HMS Edinburgh[?]
      • 1 Lynx of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS Liverpool[?]
      • 1 Lynx HAS3[?] of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS York[?]
      • 1 Lynx of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS Chatham[?]
      • 1 Lynx of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS Richmond[?]
      • 1 Lynx HMA8[?] of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS Marlborough[?]
      • 1 Lynx of No. 815 NAS[?]
    • HMS Bangor[?]
    • HMS Blyth[?]
    • HMS Brocklesby[?]
    • HMS Grimsby[?]
    • HMS Ledbury[?]
    • HMS Sandown[?]
    • HMS Roebuck[?]
    • HMS Scott[?]
    • HMS Splendid[?]
    • HMS Turbulent[?]
    • RFA Sir Bedivere
    • RFA Sir Galahad
    • RFA Sir Percivale[?]
    • RFA Sir Tristram[?]
    • RFA Argus[?]
      • 5 Sea King HAS6[?]'s of No. 820 NAS[?]
    • RFA Bayleaf[?]
    • RFA Oakleaf[?]
    • RFA Orangeleaf[?]
    • RFA Grey Rover[?]
    • RFA Fort Austin[?]
    • RFA Fort Rosalie[?]
    • RFA Fort Victoria[?]
      • 5 Merlin[?] HM1[?]'s of No. 814 NAS[?]
    • RFA Diligence[?]
    • 2 Lynxes of No. 814 NAS[?] ashore in Bahrain

• British Air Forces Component Commander - Air Vice Marshal[?] Glenn Torpy
  • Tornado GR4 Wing 1 - 18 Tornado GR4[?]'s and GR4A[?]'s at Ali al Salem[?], Kuwait
    • Part of No. II Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. IX Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. XIII Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 31 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 617 Squadron[?]
  • Tornado GR4 Wing 2 - 12 Tornado GR4's at Al Udeid[?], Qatar
    • Part of No. 12 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 617 Squadron[?]
  • Harrier Wing 1 - 10 Harrier GR7[?]'s
    • Part of No. I Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 3 Squadron[?]
  • Harrier Wing 2 - 8 Harrier GR7's
    • Part of No. IV Squadron[?] at Al Jaber[?], Kuwait
  • Tornado F3 Wing - 14 Tornado F3's at Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia
    • Part of No. XI Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. XXV Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 43 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 111 Squadron[?]
  • Nimrod MR2 Wing - 6 Nimrod MR2[?]'s
    • Part of No. 120 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 201 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 206 Squadron[?]
  • Tristar Detatchment - 4 Tristar's of No. 216 Squadron[?]
  • VC10 Wing - 7 VC10's at Prince Sultan in Saudi Arabia
    • Part of No. 10 Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 101 Squadron[?]
  • VC10 Medevac - 1 VC10 C1K[?] at RAF Akrotiri[?] from No. 10 Squadron[?]
  • Sentry Wing - 4 Sentry AEW1[?]'s
    • Part of No. VIII Squadron[?]
    • Part of No. 23 Squadron[?]
  • BAe 125 Detatchment - 3 BAe 125[?]'s of No. XXXII Squadron[?]
  • Hercules Wing - 6 Hercules
  • Canberra Detatchment - 2 Canberra PR9's[?] of No. 39(PRU) Squadron[?]
  • Nimrod R1 Detatchment - 1 Nimrod R1[?] of No. 51 Squadron[?]

27 helicopters were also sent to the area, a mixture of Pumas and Chinooks, although the breakdown of types within that number is yet to be determined. Beyond the Hercules aircraft that were based in theatre, virtually the whole of the rest of the Hercules fleet, the C-17 fleet, and those Tristars and VC10's that had remained based in the UK were involved in transport operations to and from the Persian Gulf. Please help to fill in any gaps in the information as new material comes to light.

• GOC[?] 1st (UK) Armoured Division[?]
  • 30 Signal Regiment
  • Queen's Dragoon Guards
  • 1st Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
  • 28 Regiment Royal Engineers
  • 1 General Support Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps
  • 2 Close Support Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps
  • 2nd Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
  • 1 Close Support Medical Regiment
  • 5 General Support Medical Regiment
  • 1 Regiment Royal Military Police
  • Elements of 5 (STA) Regiment Royal Artillery
  • Elements of 33 (EOD) Regiment Royal Engineers
  • Elements of 32 Regiment Royal Artillery - Phoenix UAV's
  • 3 Commando Brigade[?] - Brigadier Jim Dutton
    • 59 Indepedent (Commando) Squadron Royal Engineers
    • 131 Independent (Commando) Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteer)
    • 9 (Commando) Assault Squadron
    • 531 (Commando) Assault Squadron
    • 29 (Commando) Regiment Royal Artillery - 18 105mm howitzers
    • 40 Commando
    • 42 Commando
  • 7th Armoured Brigade[?] - Brigadier Graham Binns
    • 32 (Armoured) Regiment Royal Engineers
    • 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery - 32 AS-90 155mm howitzers
    • Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Battlegroup, incuding elements of 1st Battalion Irish Guards - 42 Challenger 2's, 28 Warriors
    • 2nd Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup, including elements of 1st Battalion The Light Infantry - 42 Challenger 2's, 28 Warriors
    • Black Watch Battlegroup, including elements of Queen's Royal Lancers - 14 Challenger 2's, 42 Warriors
    • 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Battlegroup, including elements of Queen's Royal Lancers - 14 Challenger 2's, 42 Warriors
  • 16 Air Assault Brigade[?] - Brigadier 'Jacko' Page
    • 7 (Parachute) Regiment Royal Horse Artillery - 18 105mm howitzers
    • 23 Engineer Regiment
    • D Squadron Household Cavalry Regiment
    • 3rd Regiment Army Air Corps
      • Elements of No. 662 Squadron[?] - Lynx AH7's[?] and Gazelle AH1[?]'s
      • Elements of No. 663 Squadron[?] - Lynx AH7's and Gazelle AH1's
    • 7 Air Assault Battlion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    • 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 16 Close Support Medical Regiment
    • 156 Provost Company Royal Military Police
    • 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment
    • 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment
    • 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment
  • 102 Logistics Brigade[?] - Brigadier Shaun Cowlam
    • 2 Signal Regiment
    • 36 Engineer Regiment
    • 33 Field Hospital
    • 34 Field Hospital
    • 202 Field Hospital (Volunteer)
    • 4 General Support Medical Regiment
    • 3 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    • 6 Supply Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 7 Transport Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 17 Port and Maritime Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 23 Pioneer Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 24 Regiment Royal Logistics Corps
    • 5 Regiment Royal Military Police
    • Elements of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment

It should be noted that when a battalion is referred to as a battlegroup, it is not purely made up of units from the parent unit, but is an integrated team, combining armoured units with tanks, and mechanised infantry with infantry fighting vehicles. Also, whilst 16 Air Assault Brigade is apparently the only fighting brigade listed with its own organic helicopter support in this order of battle, 3 Commando Brigade had the helicopters on board Ocean and Ark Royal to call upon, and 7th Armoured Brigade wasn't really air mobile as a formation. There were also the RAF Pumas and Chinooks mentioned above for transport purposes. Finally, 3 Commando Brigade had a United States Marine Corps unit, 15th MEU[?] under its command in the intial stages of the war. This went back to American command around 25 March.