The British Army of the 1980s
The British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) maintained 1 infantry and 3 armoured divisions in West Germany as part of the Northern Army Group (NORTHAG). The UK abolished National Service in 1960 and returned to its long-standing practice of having regular armed forces. A tradition of regard for the military combined with a declining economic situation meant that the standard of recruits was high, although introductions of new equipment tended to be delayed.
A building block of the British Army was the regimental system whereby soldiers took on the traditions and history of their regiment going back up to 3 centuries. This strong identity did not prevent units from different regiments cooperating closely together and combined arms formations were the norm for the BAOR.
The British Army was on active service almost continuously from the end of the Second World War until after the Cold War, combating Communist guerillas, domestic terrorists and conventional forces in a variety of environments including deserts, jungle and mountains, a set of missions it accomplished with a high standard of professionalism. Front line British units will be rated as Professional and Trained or Expert.
The British Army lists can be downloaded here