Twelfth Army (United Kingdom)

A British Twelfth Army was initially invented by 'A' Force as part as the deception plan for Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

[1] The deception plan attempted to convince the Germans that this army had twelve divisions under its control and was located in Egypt.

[1][2] The army's formation insignia was a trained seal balancing on its nose a terrestrial globe showing the Eastern Hemisphere, black on a white background.

[4] Between 1943 and 1945, when it was disbanded to allow the formation of the second British Twelfth Army, its nominal existence was used to create the impression of a standing threat to the Balkans.

The formation insignia was a Chinthe on a red background, with a superimposed horizontal black stripe on which was written "XII" in white letters.

The insignia of the second British Twelfth Army
Lieutenant General Sakurai, an officer from the staff of Japanese General Kimura , hands over his sword to Brigadier J. D. Shapland his opposite number on the staff of the British Twelfth Army at a formal ceremony held in Rangoon.