The 23rd Division was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

raised in 1914 in the

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

as part of

Kitchener's Army The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, as Kitchener's Mob, was an (initially) all-volunteer portion of the British Army formed in the United Kingdom from 1914 onwards following the outbreak of hostilities in the Fi ...

. The division was sent to France in August 1915 under the command of

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Sir ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as p ...

James Melville Babington Lieutenant General Sir James Melville Babington (31 July 1854 – 15 June 1936) was a British Army officer and a renowned leader of cavalry, making a name for himself for his actions in the Second Boer War. He was Commander of the New Zealand De ...

C.B. C.M.G. During the war the division fought on the Western Front until October 1917 when it moved to the Italian Front. It remained in Italy and was disbanded by March 1919.

Unit history

1914–1915

Formation and training

The division formed part of Kitchener's third

New Army The New Armies (Traditional Chinese: 新軍, Simplified Chinese: 新军; Pinyin: Xīnjūn, Manchu: ''Ice cooha''), more fully called the Newly Created Army ( ''Xinjian Lujun''Also translated as "Newly Established Army" ()), was the modernised ar ...

, with concentration of units beginning on 16 September, the 68th Brigade at Bullswater and the 69th and 70th brigades, together with

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

companies at Frensham. It was commanded by Maj. Gen. James Melville Babington, who was at first hampered by a lack of clerks, cooks and a means of communicating orders, other than verbally. Together with other New Army divisions, uniforms of any description were not received until mid October, by which time many of the civilian clothes the men wore were reduced to rags. Division artillery began to be formed in early November. Initial weapons training was carried out with small numbers of Lee-Metford rifles and French 90mm guns. The division was concentrated at Aldershot in January 1915, where the division train was formed. Khaki uniforms were received at the end of February and the division moved to the Shorncliffe area in March and continued training. In May the division moved to Borden where 18 pounders and 4.5 inch howitzers were issued to the division artillery and in June the Infantry received its rifles. On 16 August the division was inspected by the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and next day received its orders for embarkation.

France

On arrival in France the division was concentrated near St Omer with the Guards and the 24th divisions, forming XI Corps, where it continued training. In early September the division was transferred to III Corps and in mid September took over part of the front line in the nursery sector of Armentières where, because of the high water table, much of the front line was defined by

breastworks A breastwork is a temporary fortification, often an earthwork thrown up to breast height to provide protection to defenders firing over it from a standing position. A more permanent structure, normally in stone, would be described as a parapet or ...

. The 103rd and 105th Artillery brigades were lent to the

8th Division 8th Division, 8th Infantry Division or 8th Armored Division may refer to: Infantry divisions * 8th Division (Australia) * 8th Canadian Infantry Division * 8th Air Division (People's Republic of China) * 8th Division (1st Formation) (People's Rep ...

for a diversionary attack in support of the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

in late September and won the division's first bravery awards, the rest of the division provided a smoke barrage. In early October the 70th Brigade was exchanged with the (regular army) 24th Brigade of the 8th Division, with two battalions in it being exchanged with battalions in the other brigades (the 2nd

East Lancashire Regiment The East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, a line infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment of Foot and 59th (2nd Nott ...

going to the 68th Brigade, the 1st

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to f ...

to the 69th Brigade and the 13th

Durham Light Infantry The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1968. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) and t ...

and the 10th

Duke of Wellington's Regiment The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

replacing them in the 24th Brigade, a similar process happening in the 8th Division). This not only gave the service battalions the benefit of the regulars experience but also gave the regulars a boost in morale by association with fresh troops. The division's first V.C was won on 4 November by Pte Thomas Kenny of 13th D.L.I., rescuing an officer in heavy fog after a patrol was ambushed. On the night of the last day of the year the division launched its first trench raid with 116 officers and men of the 10th

Northumberland Fusiliers The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Raised in 1674 as one of three 'English' units in the Dutch Anglo-Scots Brigade, it accompanied William III to England in the November 1688 Glorious Revolution an ...

and a party of Royal Engineers.

1916

In late February the division was relieved by the 34th Division, and after a short rest was sent to the front near Souchez, south of Lens. Here the division's artillery was used to support the

47th (1/2nd London) Division The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised in 1908 as part of the Territorial Force. Formation The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Res ...

in early April as a feint and again in late May to counter a German advance. In mid June the division was relieved by the 47th Division and by the end of the month was in reserve at Rainneville behind the Somme front.

Somme

Ordered to relieve the 34th Division the 23rd entered the Somme battle on 3 July, and subsequently advanced toward and captured

Contalmaison Contalmaison () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Contalmaison is situated on the D147 and D20 crossroads, some northeast of Amiens. History As with many towns in this part of France, Contal ...

by 10 July. The divisions second V.C. was won by 2nd Lt Donald Bell of the 9th

Yorkshire Regiment The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (abbreviated YORKS) is an infantry regiment of the British Army, created by the amalgamation of three historic regiments in 2006. It lost one battalion as part of the Army 2020 defence ...

on 5 July when he and two others (who both won the D.C.M.) rushed a machine gun nest. The division was relieved on 11 July, except for the 68th Brigade which joined the 34th Division on 11 July and took part in an abortive attack on Pozières on the night of 16/17 July,Sandilands p. 83 the artillery remained in action supporting the 1st Division. Indicative of the high morale of the division, the sick list for 14 July was one man. By 20 July the division once again had its three original brigades, the 70th Brigade returning from 8th Division where it had suffered heavy losses in the first day of the Somme battle and the 68th returning from the 34th Division. On 25 July the division began to relieve the 1st Division east of Contalmaison, and began with each brigade in turn fighting along a trench called "Munster Alley" towards Martinpuich. The division's third V.C was won by Pte William Short of 8th West Yorkshire Regiment on 5 August. The division was relieved on 8 August by the 15th Division, and was sent to the relatively quiet sector of

Ploegsteert Wood Ploegsteert Wood was a sector of the Western Front in Flanders in World War I, part of the Ypres Salient. It is located around the Belgian village of Ploegsteert, Wallonia. After fierce fighting in late 1914 and early 1915, Ploegsteert Wood bec ...

near Armentières. Returning to the Somme in mid-September, the division was placed in reserve for the early part of the

Battle of Flers-Courcelette A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, and over 18/19 September relieved the 15th Division and took over part of the 50th Division's line. Here they held the line and conducted raids, until advancing on 25 September at the request of the

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

on the division's left to support their advance. The position, a trench called '26th Avenue' was occupied by 70th Brigade on 27 September after a German withdrawal, after an earlier attack failed when it was occupied, the subsequent advance and occupation of Destremont Farm on 29 September just outside the village of Le Sars was heavily contested. On 3 October in the initial advance on Le Sars, the division's fourth V.C. was won by 2nd Lt

Henry Kelly Henry Kelly (born 17 April 1946) is an Irish radio and television broadcaster, actor and journalist. Early life Kelly was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, and educated at Belvedere College SJ, and at University College Dublin, where ...

. The village and positions around it, were captured by 68th and 69th brigades on 7/8 October, earning praise from III Corps, 50th and 15th division commanders. On 9 October the division was relieved by 15th Division, and was transferred to X Corps in the

Ypres Salient The Ypres Salient around Ypres in Belgium was the scene of several battles and an extremely important part of the Western front during the First World War. Ypres district Ypres lies at the junction of the Ypres–Comines Canal and the Ieperlee. ...

. Arriving at Ypres between 17 and 20 October, the division relieved the 2nd Australian Division around

Sanctuary Wood Sanctuary Wood is an area east of Ypres, Belgium which was the site of fighting on the Ypres Salient in World War I. Memorials * Hill 62 Memorial * Sanctuary Wood Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery * Sanctuary Wood Museum Hill 62 See al ...

and the Menin Ridge Road. While there they conducted patrols and trench raids and were in turn subjected to occasional artillery bombardments. On 10 December 1916 the division was required to execute one its commissioned officers, 2/Lt. Eric Poole, of the 11th (Service) Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, who had been sentenced to death by a court martial for desertion from his unit during the Somme Offensive. The division was relieved by the 38th Division in the Ypres sector on 25 February 1917.

1917

While out of the line the division was rested and trained, returning to the Ypres front line between 6 and 8 April and taking over positions held partly by the 38th and 47th divisions, south of where it had been previously. On 9 April the Germans launched an intense bombardment followed by an infantry assault which fell on the 70th Brigade. The division was quickly withdrawn from the line on 28 April, replaced by the 19th Division and given special training for the upcoming battle to improve the positions around Ypres.

Messines Ridge

The division returned to the front line on 10 May in the region of Hill 60 and began preparations for the attack. These preparation were observed by the Germans on the higher ground who assaulted the line on 13 May, which was repulsed, this attracted counter raiding by the 70th Brigade on 16 and 20 May. During this time the division's easily observed artillery attracted heavy German counter battery fire with serious casualties resulting. The division was to form the left flank of the advance on a front ~2000 yards wide, with its furthest advance ~1400 yards deep. After the artillery bombardment and the detonation of 19 mines on 7 June, the 69th and 70th brigades (the 69th reinforced with the 11th Northumberland Fusiliers and 12th Durham Light Infantry) advanced over the ridge and down each side of the valley on the southern flank of the Klein-Zillebeke spur, with fresh battalions leap-frogging the others when the second phase line had been reached. The new line was held until the 24th Division relieved them on 13 June. The division returned to the line between 26 and 28 June in the area of Battle wood and Mt Sorrel and began preparations for the next phase of the planned assault. During a German raid on 7 July the division's fifth V.C. was won by 2nd Lt. Frederick Youens. The division was relieved in the line by 24th Division by 23 July.

Third Battle of Ypres

Durham_Light_Infantry_Battle_of_Menin_Road_20-09-1917_IWM_Q_5966

The battle to deny the Germans the heights east and north of Ypres began on 31 July, while the division was still in training. On 23 August the division was placed in reserve, with the 70th Brigade briefly reinforcing the 14th Division after a German attack until 30 August when the division was relieved. From 3 September the division began to make preparations for its attack due east, at first along either side of the

Menin Road Menin may refer to: *Menin, the French name for the Belgian town of Menen *Menin, a little village in the municipality of Cesiomaggiore, Italy *Menin or MEN1, a tumor suppressor associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 *Měnín, villag ...

, and then north of it, on a front 1,000 yards wide with the objective up to 2000 yards away. The division moved into the line on 15 September. The attack began on 20 September with the 68th and 69th brigades advancing, one battalion of each brigade was to secure each of the three phase lines with the fourth as a reserve. The first line was captured within the hour, the advance to the second faced resistance from pill-boxes and dug-outs as did the advance to the third. The division held this line under German artillery fire until 25 September, relieved by the 33rd and 39th divisions. In this attack the division had lost 397 killed, 1,724 wounded and 179 missing, it had captured 596 prisoners. Relief was short-lived, as on 27 September the division returned to the front to reinforce the 33rd Division, which had been counterattacked after its arrival. The 69th and 70th brigades fought off further attacks, while the division artillery suffered

Mustard Gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...

attacks, the halting of one determined counterattack on 1 October earning the thanks of the Second Army Commander. The division left the front line on 3 October when relieved by the 5th Division, only to return on 8 October to relieve 7th Division in front of Polygon Wood. Required only to hold the line the division was subject to heavy shelling and lost 275 killed and 954 injured before relief on 14 October. On 28 October the division was ordered to make ready to move by rail, and on 31 October the destination was confirmed as Italy.

Italy

The division arrived in Italy and concentrated around Mantua, South of Verona as part of

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

on 11 November, 16 days after the

Battle of Caporetto The Battle of Caporetto (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Kobarid or the Battle of Karfreit) was a battle on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central ...

. From here on 19 November the division marched out to the front line, with the 69th and 70th brigades relieving the 70th Italian Division on the western part of the Montello and the adjoining plain South of the Piave River from 2–4 December. They immediately began to reorganise the defences to the standard defence in depth pattern used in Flanders and began patrols. Relief by the 41st Division began on 13 February 1918, by which time the division had suffered 38 dead and 136 wounded mostly due to artillery and air attack, comparatively small numbers compared to Flanders.

1918–1919

The relief was short-lived as the 5th and 41st divisions were withdrawn from Italy to meet the impending German spring offensive (the Germans had also withdrawn six of their divisions from Italy), the division returned to the Montello from 24 to 26 February, and by 8 March patrolling was impossible due to the height of the Piave river. The division was quickly relieved by the 51st Italian Division and by 16 March was out of the line.

The Asiago Plateau

It was quickly redeployed to the hills south of, and overlooking the Asiago plain, with its back to the edge of the Asiago plateau, some 3500 feet above the coastal plain, another different environment to Flanders, the 68th and 70th brigades taking over from the 11th Italian Division. Patrolling and raids were once again possible in spite of the cold and snow, and there was very little fire from the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

artillery. Relieved by the 48th Division on 23 April the division went into reserve around Trissino. It was planned to return the division to the plateau on 19 May, for an offensive timed for mid June, on the march back men began to fall sick with

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

, which swept through the division over the next few weeks. Back on the plateau, early June saw raiding of the Austrian lines, when it was learned that the Austrians planned their own offensive for 14 June. After bombarding only the front lines, the Austrian advance was stopped on the 68th Brigade front after three hours by rifle and machine gun fire, here Lt. Jack Youll of 11th Northumberland Fusiliers won the V.C. securing the junction between the 23rd and 48th divisions. To their left the 70th Brigade's front line was partly overrun, it was restored by headquarters details and some Italian trench mortar-men led by Lt. Col.

Charles Hudson Charles Hudson may refer to: * Sir Charles Hudson, 1st Baronet (1730–1813), English baronet * Charles Hudson (American politician) (1795–1881), American historian and politician, Congressman in U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts * ...

of the 11th Sherwood Foresters for which he received the V.C. Further Austrian assaults were broken up by artillery. In late July the division was relieved by the 48th Division after having further reinforced the front and reserve lines and conducted trench raids against the Austrians. On 19 August the division returned to the plateau for a planned attack, relieving the 48th Division, and began to conduct trench raids. One of these consisting of over 360 officers and men of 10th Duke of Wellington's Regiment failed to achieve surprise and was strongly opposed, despite this, 70 prisoners were taken for the loss of 2 dead, 48 injured and 6 missing. In September the reorganisation that had been applied to divisions in France in March was now applied in Italy, and each brigade lost one of its battalions. The 13th Durham Light Infantry, 9th Yorkshire Regiment and the 11th Sherwood Foresters left the division on 11 September, eventually to form the 74th Brigade of the reconstituted 25th Division. News was received that the division was expected to return to France, and relief of the division from the plateau completed by 27 September by 20th Italian division, and training in open battle commenced around Costa Bissara then Trissino. Since arriving on the plateau the division had taken over 700 prisoners and deserters.

Vittorio Veneto

The planned move to France was cancelled and an attack on the Piave front was to be mounted in its place with the 7th and 23rd British divisions, for which the training remained appropriate. The division took its place in the line on the right bank of the Piave river on 21 October, where the river runs in braided channels over one mile wide around an island, Grave di Papadopoli, which the Austrians used as a post in front of their main line. On the night of 25–26 October the 8th Yorkshire Regiment captured the northern part of the Grave, troops from the 7th division the southern part. The 68th and 69th brigades crossed the river on 27 October, and the planned 3000 yard advance was achieved in spite of the division's left flank being unsupported by the 58th Italian division which could not cross the river. The Austrians were, however, demoralised and were retreating behind a rear-guard. The next day the divisions advance of 3,500 yards was done by mid afternoon, during which Pte.

Wilfred Wood Wilfred Wood VC (2 February 1897 – 3 January 1982) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The VC ...

of the 10th Northumberland Fusiliers won the V.C. for subduing a machine gun nest. Early on 28 October the river Monticano was crossed by the 69th brigade, and in securing the bridgehead (amongst other actions) Sgt

William McNally Sergeant William McNally VC, MM and Bar (16 December 1894 – 5 January 1976) was a British Army soldier and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that ...

of the 8th Yorkshire Regiment won the division's ninth and last V.C.. Stiffening resistance meant the day's advance was much less than expected. By the afternoon of 31 October the 69th brigade was in the town of

Sacile Sacile (; vec, Sathìl ; Liventina: ; Western Friulian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pordenone, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeastern Italy. It is known as the "Garden of the ''Serenissima''" after the many palace ...

some 15 miles from the Piave, where the last shot was fired by the division. The advance continued through the remains of Austrian columns attacked by aircraft, until the armistice signed on 3 November came into effect the next day, by which time the division was east of the river

Tagliamento The Tagliamento () is a braided river in north-east Italy, flowing from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea at a point between Trieste and Venice. The Tagliamento river is considered as the last morphologically intact river in the Alps. (Its ...

. The division remained in Northern Italy while its men were demobilised, with the division finally disbanded in early March 1919. During the war the division had suffered 23,574 men killed, wounded and missing.

General officers commanding

Order of battle

The following units served in the division: 68th Brigade * 10th (Service) Battalion,

* 11th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers * 12th (Service) Battalion,

* 13th (Service) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (''left September 1918'') * 68th Machine Gun Company (''formed March 1916, moved into 23rd Battalion

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tank ...

M.G.C. March 1918'') * 68th Trench Mortar Battery (''formed June 1916'') 69th Brigade * 11th (Service) Battalion,

Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ) , march = ''Ça Ira'' , battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine , anniversaries = Imphal (22 June) The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was ...

* 8th (Service) Battalion,

Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment), frequently known as the Yorkshire Regiment until the 1920s, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, in the King's Division. Raised in 1688, it served under variou ...

* 9th (Service) Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment) (''left September 1918'') * 10th (Service) Battalion,

Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

* 69th Machine Gun Company (''formed March 1916, moved into 23rd Battalion M.G.C. March 1918'') * 69th Trench Mortar Battery (''formed June 1916'') 70th Brigade (''Between October 1915 and July 1916 the brigade transferred to the

, swapping with the 24th Brigade.'') * 11th (Service) Battalion,

(''left September 1918'') * 8th (Service) Battalion,

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall ...

* 8th (Service) Battalion,

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment of ...

* 9th (Service) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment * 70th Machine Gun Company (''formed July 1916, moved into 23rd Battalion M.G.C. March 1918'') * 70th Trench Mortar Battery (''formed June 1916'') 24th Brigade (''Between October 1915 and July 1916 the brigade joined from the 8th Division, exchanging with the 70th Brigade.'') * 1st Battalion,

Worcestershire Regiment The Worcestershire Regiment was a line infantry regiment in the British Army, formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot and the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot. The regimen ...

* 2nd Battalion,

* 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 2nd Battalion,

Northamptonshire Regiment The Northamptonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1960. In 1960, it was amalgamated with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's Ow ...

* 24th Machine Gun Company (''formed February 1916'') * 24th Trench Mortar Battery (''formed June 1916'') Division Troops *8th (Service) Battalion,

Leicestershire Regiment The Leicestershire Regiment (Royal Leicestershire Regiment after 1946) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, with a history going back to 1688. The regiment saw service for three centuries, in numerous wars and conflicts such as both W ...

(''left 8 April 1915'') *9th (Service) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (''left 8 April 1915'') * 9th (Service) Battalion,

South Staffordshire Regiment The South Staffordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for only 68 years. The regiment was created in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 38th (1st Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot an ...

(''converted to divisional pioneer battalion in April 1915'') * 194th Machine Gun Company (''joined 16 December 1916, moved into 23rd Battalion M.G.C. March 1918'') * 23rd Battalion M.G.C. (''created 1 April 1918 absorbing brigade MG companies'') *100th (Warwicks and South Notts Yeomanry) Machine Gun Battalion (''joined 2 October 1918, left 19 October 1918'') *Division Mounted Troops ** Regimental HQ, MG Section, C Squadron,

Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (DLOY) was a yeomanry unit of the British Army from 1798 to 1992. Originally raised as part-time cavalry for home defence and internal security, the regiment sent mounted infantry to serve in the Second Boer ...

(''joined June 1915, left April 1916'') ** 23rd Divisional Cyclist Company,

Army Cyclist Corps The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry. History Formation Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicy ...

(''formed in January 1915, left April 1916'') * 23rd Divisional Train

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and dom ...

** 190th – 193rd Companies, * 35th Mobile Veterinary Section

Army Veterinary Corps The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), known as the Army Veterinary Corps (AVC) until it gained the royal prefix on 27 November 1918, is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and ca ...

(''joined 20 June 1915'') * 223rd Division Employment Company (''formed June 1917'')

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

*CII Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...

(R.F.A.) *CIII Brigade, R.F.A. *CIV Brigade, R.F.A. (''left February 1917'') *CV (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. (''broken up 3 September 1916, redistributed to CII and CIII Brigades'') *23rd Heavy Battery

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

(''left 15 September 1915'') * 23rd Divisional Ammunition Column * V/23 (Heavy) Trench Mortar Battery (''formed from Division artillery March 1916, disbanded September 1917'') * X/23 Trench Mortar Battery (''joined early 1916'') * Y/23 Trench Mortar Battery (''joined early 1916'') * Z/23 Trench Mortar Battery (''formed March 1916, broken up March 1918, redistributed to X/23 and Y/23 Batteries'')

* 89th, 90th Field Companies (''left January 1915'') * 101st, 102nd Field Companies (''joined February 1915'') * 128th Field Company (''joined April 1915'') * 23rd Divisional Signal Company

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

* 69th, 70th, 71st Field Ambulance * 40th Sanitary Section, R.A.M.C. (''joined August 1915, left April 1917'')

Battles

See *

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

** Battle of Albert **

Battle of Pozières The Battle of Pozières (23 July – 3 September 1916) took place in northern France around the village of Pozières, during the Battle of the Somme. The costly fighting ended with the British in possession of the plateau north and east of the v ...

Battle of Morval The Battle of Morval, 25–28 September 1916, was an attack during the Battle of the Somme by the British Fourth Army (United Kingdom), Fourth Army on the villages of Morval, Pas-de-Calais, Morval, Gueudecourt and Lesboeufs, Lesbœufs held by th ...

Battle of Le Transloy The Battle of Le Transloy was the last big attack by the Fourth Army of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in the 1916 Battle of the Somme in France, during the First World War. The battle was fought in conjunction with attacks by the Frenc ...

* Battle of Messines *

Third Battle of Ypres The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

Battle of the Menin Road Ridge The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, sometimes called "Battle of the Menin Road", was the third British general attack of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The battle took place from 20 to 25 September 1917, in the Ypres Salient i ...

Battle of Polygon Wood The Battle of Polygon Wood took place from 26 September to 3 October 1917, during the second phase of the Third Battle of Ypres in the First World War. The battle was fought near Ypres in Belgium, in the area from the Menin road to Polygon Wood a ...

First Battle of Passchendaele The First Battle of Passchendaele took place on 12 October 1917 during the First World War, in the Ypres Salient in Belgium on the Western Front. The attack was part of the Third Battle of Ypres and was fought west of Passchendaele village. T ...

* Battle of the Asiago Plateau *

Battle of Vittorio Veneto The Battle of Vittorio Veneto was fought from 24 October to 3 November 1918 (with an armistice taking effect 24 hours later) near Vittorio Veneto on the Italian Front during World War I. After having thoroughly defeated Austro-Hungarian troops ...

Awards

General Graziani decorates British soldier in Italy July 1918 IWM Q 26867

Between 1915 and 1918 the officers and men of the division won the following:

Battle insignia

The practice of wearing battalion specific insignia (often called battle patches) in the B.E.F. began in mid 1915 with the arrival of units of Kitchener's Armies and was widespread after the Somme Battles of 1916. The patches shown were worn by the division during 1917.Hibbard p. 4 There was no overall division scheme for the battle patches, they were adopted gradually from mid 1916.Hibbard pp. 23-24

Related formation

The

23rd (Northumbrian) Division The 23rd (Northumbrian) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which fought briefly in the Battle of France during the Second World War. In March 1939, after the re-emergence of Germany as a European power and its occupation o ...

was a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 1st Line

50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division The 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw distinguished service in the Second World War. Pre-war, the division was part of the Territorial Army (TA) and the two ''Ts'' in the divisional ins ...

that was formed shortly after the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and was disbanded in July 1940 after suffering heavy losses in France before the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on ...

Notes

Footnotes

References

* * Chappel M 1986 ''British Battle Insignia (1). 1914-18'' Osprey Publishing * * * *

External links

The British Army in the Great War: The 23rd Division
{{DEFAULTSORT:23 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Kitchener's Army divisions Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 1914 establishments in the United Kingdom