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The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. The Eighth Army, formed in September 1941, was a diverse formation made up of units from all corners of the British Empire, with infantry divisions coming from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.
The original core of the army was based on the Western Desert Force, fighting in the North African campaign. It comprised of the 7th Armoured Division and 4th Indian Division, which had had success in the early fighting of Operation 'Compass' during 1940-1941.
By October 1942, the Eighth Army was made up of 7 British divisions and 4 Commonwealth divisions, including the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, 9th Australian Division and the New Zealand Division.
