The story of the two signs is complicated but briefly they resulted from the reorganisation of BAOR from 1956. An excellent guide to the changes can be found in Graham Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi : The British Army in Germany: An Organizational History 1947–2004 , Tiger Lily Publications LLC 2005 Copies available on the ABE Books site
To delay resorting to nuclear warfare if facing overwhelming Warsaw Pact forces, from 1956 BAOR began revising its tactics against conventional attack , dispersing its armoured forces and creating additional infantry formations. Pressure to reduce BAOR’s total strength brought further reorganisation, 2nd Division amalgamating with 6th Armoured Division in summer 1957, 7th Armoured becoming 5th Division in April 1958. The designations ‘Infantry’ and ‘Armoured’ now disappeared from BAOR’s divisions with many headquarters tasks delegated to newly-created Brigade Groups. The HQs of 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions now commanded two armoured and six infantry brigade groups; 4th Division for example comprised 20th Armoured Brigade 4th Guards and 5th Infantry Brigades each with an armoured regiment and three infantry battalions.
By 1959 divisional signs were only worn by divisional HQs and divisional troops, subordinate formations wearing the newly-introduced Brigade Group signs proposed by BAOR in October 1957. The signs adopted by 5th and 6th Infantry Brigade Groups crossed a bayonet with a key from the sign of 2nd Division with which they had a long association. 6th Infantry Brigade Group served with 2nd Division, 5th Infantry Brigade Group with 4th Division.
Jon
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