The 46th (North Midland) 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 ...

, part of the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry i ...

, that saw service in the

First World 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 ...

. At the outbreak of the war, the 46th Division was commanded by

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 ...

Hon. E.J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley. Originally called the North Midland Division, it was redesignated as the 46th Division in May 1915.Becke, pp. 61–7.

Formation

The

(TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ('' 7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territori ...

(7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old

Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated ...

, the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

and the

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...

. On formation, the TF contained 14

divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s. One of the divisions was the North Midland Division. The North Midland Division was created by combining two existing

Volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

Infantry brigades, the Staffordshire Brigade and the

North Midland Brigade The North Midland Brigade was an infantry formation of Britain's Volunteer Force from 1888 to 1908. Origins The North Midland Brigade had its origin in the Stanhope Memorandum of December 1888. This proposed a Mobilisation Scheme for units of ...

. The Staffordshire Brigade was composed of battalions of the

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 ...

and the

Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battal ...

. The North Midland Brigade was split into two, one, the Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, composed of battalions of the

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

and

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 ...

s, the other, the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Brigade, comprising the four TF battalions of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (later the

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 ...

). In peacetime, the divisional

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

was in

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

History

The North Midland Division was sent to France in February 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the

. On 12 May 1915 the division was numbered 46th (North Midland) Division and the brigades were also numbered. During 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 ...

the 46th Division was decimated in an attack on the

Hohenzollern Redoubt The Hohenzollern Redoubt () was a strongpoint of the German 6th Army on the Western Front during the First World War, at Auchy-les-Mines near Loos-en-Gohelle in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Named after the House of Hohenzollern, ...

on 13 October 1915. The British Army on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q6020

It was later involved in the

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 ...

in July 1916, where in the opening phase as part of

VII Corps 7th Corps, Seventh Corps, or VII Corps may refer to: * VII Corps (Grande Armée), a corps of the Imperial French army during the Napoleonic Wars * VII Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World War I * VII ...

, the southernmost corps of the

British Third Army The Third Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I that saw active service on the Western Front throughout the war. First World War The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 ...

, the Division took part in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the

first day on the Somme The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the beginning of the Battle of Albert the name given by the British to the first two weeks of the 141 days of the Battle of the Somme () in the First World War. Nine corps of the French Sixth Arm ...

, 1 July 1916, which was a catastrophic failure resulting in heavy losses. The event dogged the division afterwards with a poor reputation until 29 September 1918, during the

Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allies of World War I, Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (1918), Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Wester ...

, when it re-established its name at the

Battle of St. Quentin Canal The Battle of St. Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir He ...

where, utilising life-belts and collapsible boats, it crossed the formidable obstacle of the canal and used scaling ladders to surmount the steep gradient of the opposite bank and captured multiple fortified machine-gun posts.

Order of battle

During the war, the composition of the division was as follows:46th Div at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>MacDonald, Appendix 3.Priestley, Appendices IV & V. ; 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade * 1/5th Battalion,

* 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment * 1/5th Battalion,

(''disbanded January 1918'') * 1/6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) * 4th Battalion,

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which we ...

''(from November to December 1915)'' * 1/4th Battalion,

Seaforth Highlanders The Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, mainly associated with large areas of the northern Highlands of Scotland. The regiment existed from 1881 to 1961, and saw servic ...

''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 1/4th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 137th Machine Gun Company,

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 ...

''(formed 7 March 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 February 1918)'' * 137th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 2 March 1916)'' ; 138th (Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade * 1/4th Battalion,

Lincolnshire Regiment The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised on 20 June 1685 as the Earl of Bath's Regiment for its first Colonel, John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. In 1751, it was numbered like most other Army regiments ...

(''left January 1918'') * 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment * 1/4th Battalion,

* 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment * 138th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 22 February 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 February 1918)'' * 138th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 2 March 1916)'' ; 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade * 1/5th Battalion,

* 1/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 1/7th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (''disbanded January 1918'') * 1/8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 1/4th Battalion,

Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The regiment was created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881, when the 42nd Regiment of Foot, 42nd (Roy ...

''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 1/3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 139th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 16 February 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 26 February 1918)'' * 139th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 9 March 1916)'' ;Mounted Troops * B Squadron, 1/1st

Yorkshire Hussars The Yorkshire Hussars (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own) was an auxiliary unit of the British Army formed in 1794. The regiment was formed as volunteer cavalry (Yeomanry) in 1794 during the French Revolutionary Wars and served in the Second Boe ...

''(joined at Luton, left 5 May 1916)'' * North Midland 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 11 November 1914, left 9 May 1916)'' ; Artillery : * I North Midland Brigade, RFA (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Lincolnshire Batteries, and I North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXX Bde on 13 May 1916)'' * II North Midland Brigade, RFA (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Staffordshire Batteries, and II North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXI Bde on 13 May 1916)'' * III North Midland Brigade, RFA (4th, 5th, and 6th Staffordshire Batteries, and III North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXII Bde on 13 May 1916; left 3 January 1917)'' * IV North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA (1st and 2nd Derbyshire Batteries, and IV North Midland (H) Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXIII Bde on 13 May 1916; broken up 29 August 1916)'' * North Midland (Staffordshire) 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) ...

(''until 18 April 1915'') * 46th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade, RFA ** V.46 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 20 June 1916; absorbed partly by X and Y and partly by I Corps HTM Bty on 3 February 1918)'' ** X.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 9 March 1916)'' ** Y.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 17 March 1916)'' ** Z.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 17 March 1916; absorbed by X and Y on 3 February 1918)'' * North Midland Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA ''(formed before embarkation, later numbered 46th; absorbed brigade ammunition columns 22 May 1916)'' ;Engineers * North Midland Divisional Engineers ''(later numbered 46th)'' ** 1/1st North Midland Field Company,

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 ...

''(served with 28th Division from 26 December 1914 to 6 April 1915; later numbered 465th Field Company)'' ** 1/2nd North Midland Field Company, RE ''(later numbered 466th Field Company)'' ** 57th Field Company, RE ''(joined from 3rd Division 7 April, left 10 July 1915)'' ** 2/1st North Midland Field Company, RE ''(joined 10 July 1915, later numbered 468th Field Company)'' ** North Midland Signal Company, RE ''(later numbered 46th Signal Company)'' ; Pioneers : * 1/1st Battalion,

Monmouthshire Regiment The Monmouthshire Regiment was a Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Territorial infantry regiment of the British Army. Originating in units of Volunteer Force (Great Britain), rifle volunteers formed in Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire in 1859, ...

;Machine Guns * 46th Battalion,

''(formed on 28 February 1918)'' ** 137th Company, MGC ''(moved from 137th Brigade)'' ** 138th Company, MGC ''(moved from 138th Brigade)'' ** 139th Company, MGC ''(moved from 139th Brigade)'' ** 178th Company, MGC ''(joined on 28 March 1917)'' ;Medical Services * 1st North Midland Field Ambulance,

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 ...

* 2nd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC * 3rd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC * 17th Sanitary Section ''(joined 4 March 1915; left 21 March 1917)'' * North Midland Divisional Ambulance Workshop, Army Service Corps ''(joined 4 March 1915, later numbered 46th, moved to Divisional Train 6 April 1916)'' * 1st North Midland 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 ...

;Transport * North Midland Divisional Train, ASC ''(later numbered 46th)'' ** 451st Horse Transport Company, ASC ** 452nd HT Company, ASC ** 453rd HT Company, ASC ** 454th HT Company, ASC ;Labour * 240th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps ''(formed 25 June 1917)''

Memorials

Image:46th Division Memorial.JPG, The 46th (North Midland) Division memorial on the road between

Vermelles Vermelles () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Vermelles is situated southeast of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D39, D75 and D943 roads and by the banks ...

and

Hulluch Hulluch () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography An ex-coalmining town, now a farming commune, situated some north of Lens, at the junction of the D947 and the D39 roads. History The ...

Image:46th Division Memorial Hohenzollern Redoubt.JPG, The memorial honouring the casualties of the 46th Division at the Hohenzollern Redoubt Image:46th division DSC03145.JPG, 46th Division Memorial near

Bellenglise Bellenglise () is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The village lies close to the N44, in a loop of the St. Quentin Canal, nine kilometres north of St. Quentin. History About two kilometres t ...

(Hindenburg Line)

Postwar

The

was disbanded after the war. It was reformed as the Territorial Army in 1920 as was the 46th Division. However, the 46th Division was disbanded in 1936, the headquarters was converted into

2nd Anti-Aircraft Division The 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division (2nd AA Division) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army from 1935 to 1942. It controlled anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units of the Territorial Army (TA) defending the East Midlands and East Anglia ...

and several of its infantry battalions into AA units. Most of the remainder of 46th Division's units were sent to other divisions, mainly the 49th (West Riding).

Commanders

The following officers commanded the division at various times:Becke, p. 61.

Victoria Cross recipients

Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...

William Coltman William Harold Coltman, (17 November 1891 – 29 June 1974) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was the most ...

, 1/6th Battalion,

North Staffordshire Regiment The North Staffordshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was in existence between 1881 and 1959. The 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot was created on 21 April 1758 from the 2nd Battalio ...

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

John Barrett, 1/5th Battalion,

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author, YouTube Content creation, content creator, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' ( ...

, attached 1/5th Battalion,

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

William Johnson, 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Bernard Vann Lieutenant Colonel Bernard William Vann, (9 July 1887 – 3 October 1918) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Common ...

, 1/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * Captain

Geoffrey Vickers Sir (Charles) Geoffrey Vickers, VC (13 October 1894 – 16 March 1982) was an English lawyer, administrator, writer and pioneering systems scientist. He had varied interests with roles at different times with the London Passenger Transport Board ...

, 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters

References

Bibliography

* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * * Alan MacDonald, ''A Lack of Offensive Spirit? The 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916'', West Wickham: Iona Books, 2008, . */Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002, . *

External links

The British Army in the Great War (The Long, Long Trail)

British Military History
* {{DEFAULTSORT:46 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations established in 1908 1908 establishments in the United Kingdom