The British Army had a global deficiency of 42,000 infantrymen, and the Mediterranean theatre was 21,000 short. To address the shortage, Alexander broke up the 1st Armoured Division and disbanded the 18th and 168th (2nd London) Brigades. Robertson tried to improve morale in what was becoming a forgotten army by increasing the beer ration, and granting one month's home leave to 3,000 men per month who had been overseas for three years or more. In February 1945, he returned to Durban on leave himself. Occupation of Germany At the end of July 1945, with the war in Europe over, Robertson flew to Germany to take over from Lieutenant-General Ronald Weeks as Montgomery's Chief of Staff and Deputy Military Governor of the British Occupation Zone of Germany. He also acted as Montgomery's deputy on the Allied Control Council. Robertson was restored to the British Army Active List on 30 October 1945 as a substantive major-general, with his seniority backdated to 17 November 1941. He retained his acting rank of lieutenant-general. He was subsequently promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-general on 1 May 1946, with seniority backdated to 12 September 1944. When Montgomery left to become CIGS in June 1946, Robertson stayed on as deputy to his successor, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir William Sholto Douglas. Robertson's family arrived in Berlin on 11 August 1946, moving into the with him, and he was able to enjoy a family life for the first time in over six years. Montgomery promised Robertson that he would appoint him as Quartermaster General in June 1947, but when that date rolled around, Montgomery was forced to concede that Robertson had made himself indispensable, and there was no chance that John Hynd and Ernest Bevin would approve his being moved from Germany. Robertson was made Commander of the United States Legion of Merit on 4 April 1946, and a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1947 Birthday Honours on 12 June 1947. He succeeded Douglas as Military Governor on 1 November 1947, and was promoted to full general on 17 November 1947, with seniority backdated to 3 October 1946. He attended the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, on 20 November 1947. Post-war Germany was in ruins. The British Zone was particularly affected, since it contained the devastated Ruhr area. It was less rural