Looking around online I looked up a list of British armies during WW2. Something that struck me as odd was the naming of these armies. Apparently the first armies the British had was the Eighth Army and Ninth Army, forming in 1941 and serving to 45. In 42 the First Army and Tenth Army was formed, both serving to 1943. The British had according to this list 8 armies in the period 41-45, with the Fourth being fictitious, for military deception purposes. But why then the Ninth Army, Tenth Army, Twelfth Army and Fourteenth Army? And why no Third Army, Fifth Army, Sixth Army and Seventh Army?