LWD,


"Indeed I believe during the entire period when Sea Lion was a threat there was at least 1 fully trained and equipped Canadian division in England (it may even have been an armored division)."


I read a little anecdote somewhere, that the Canadian Division landed in France to lend a hand, and the GOC saw straight away the disaster that was unfolding, and it's almost certain result.

The Division had only just completed disembarking, and he gave the order to pack it all up and sailed back to the UK. The Canadians presence in mid 1940 during the BoB was vital. I believe they were soon joined by a second Canadian Division.

Australia had most of the 6th Division there also.

With the 300,000 men from Dunkirk, and the old WW1 vets it was a formidable welcoming committee.

john

__________________
"I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". - Voltaire.

I believe there was also a fuly equipped Brigade of New Zealanders in the UK that was used as anti-invasion troops as well. In any event, by September, most of the British Army Divisions along the southern coastal shore had already had their wartime TOE returned to a better than 50% level after the horrendous losses at Dunkirk. Through replacement armaments and transport from the British War Industry, or through arms shipments from the US, all of which constituted a quite large percentage of all arms and ammuntion, the Commonwealth forces were armed, locked, loaded and ready. There would have been far more than enough men, tanks and wherewithal to decisively deal with any German invasion lodgements along the South Kent shore. The Germans never stood a ghost of a chance.

Be sure to factor in too, an unbroken, defiant, RAF that was stronger in September of 1940 than at the beginning of the Battle of Britain, (unlike the Luftwaffe) also a Royal Navy that was eagerly waiting for the "go order" that would bring them into the channel in overwhelming numbers to utterly and completely savage the German invasion ships, barges and what few paltry, Kriegsmarine warships that were present.

Historically speaking, during all of WW II, the Luftwaffe was never able to prevent the Royal Navy from carrying out any of its avowed missions, either by day, or especially at night.