Formation badge, 2nd Infantry Division, 1953 (c)

Rectangular badge, made of silk and wool, with two white crossed keys on a black background.

The crossed keys insignia, originally part of the coat of arms of the Archbishop of York, was adopted by this formation in 1940 after it was chosen by its then commander General Sir Henry Charles Loyd (1891-1973).

During World War Two (1939-1945) the 2nd Infantry Division formed part of the British Expeditionary Force deployed to France and Belgium in 1940. It formed part of the rear guard protecting the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk. As a result, only a small proportion of the force escaped back to England. The 2nd Divison was sent to India in 1942 and became part of the 14th Army in 1944, participating in the fighting for Kohima and Imphal and the subsequent offensive to drive Japanese forces from Burma.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s the 2nd Division was a key part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in West Germany. The formation was disbanded in April 2012.