After being evacuated at Dunkirk, during which it was reduced to 8 officers and 134 other ranks, the battalion spent many years on home defence anticipating a German invasion and remained in the United Kingdom for the rest of the war. In 1944, the battalion became a training formation and a draft finding unit for forces deployed overseas. In this capacity, it served initially with the 80th Infantry (Reserve) Division and later the 38th Infantry (Reserve) Division. The 2/7th and 9th Battalions, both formed in mid-1939 during the doubling of the Territorial Army, were raised as duplicates of the 1/7th and 8th battalions, respectively. Both battalions were assigned to the 182nd Infantry Brigade, 61st Infantry Division. However, both remained in the United Kingdom throughout the war, both briefly serving in Northern Ireland until being reduced to reserve training battalions, with the 9th being disbanded in late 1944. Hostilities-only battalions The 12th (Garrison) Battalion was created in November 1939 and formally came into existence on 18 January 1940 at Newton Abbot in Devonshire. Formed mainly from ex-servicemen around the age of 35–50, its role was overseas garrison duties in the rear areas guarding important areas and line of communications. In March 1940, the battalion was sent to France, fulfilling its job of guarding the rear echelons, until ordered to evacuate, with the rest of the BEF, and was evacuated from Brest and St. Malo on 16/17 June 1940, without a single casualty. When the battalion returned to the United Kingdom, it followed the usual pattern that consumed the British Army after Dunkirk, mainly guarding against an invasion, which it continued to do so until 19 February 1942, when its other ranks personnel formed 182nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery; the 12th Battalion was formally disbanded on 19 March 1942. 1n 1943 182nd Field Rgt was assigned to 38th (Welsh) Infantry Division; it was disbanded in December 1944. The 13th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment was formed in July 1940. Later in the year, the battalion became part of the 213th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), later becoming part of the Norfolk County Division. The battalion was converted in late 1942 to become a battalion of the newly formed Parachute Regiment, namely the 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion, and also included numerous volunteers from other battalions of the regiment, such as the 70th. It was assigned to the 3rd Parachute Brigade, serving alongside the 1st Canadian