The 46th (North Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, that saw service in the First World War. At the outbreak of the war, the 46th Division was commanded by Major-General 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 Territorial Force (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 Honourable Artillery Company and the Yeomanry. On formation, the TF contained 14 infantry divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades. One of the divisions was the North Midland Division. The North Midland Division was created by combining two existing Volunteer Infantry brigades, the

Staffordshire Brigade The Staffordshire Brigade (later 137th Brigade) was a volunteer infantry brigade formation of the British Army from 1888 to 1936. It saw active service on the Western Front in World War I, including the attacks on the Hohenzollern Redoubt and t ...

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 t ...

. The Staffordshire Brigade was composed of battalions of the South Staffordshire Regiment and the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). The North Midland Brigade was split into two, one, the Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, composed of battalions of the Lincolnshire and Leicestershire Regiments, the other, the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Brigade, comprising the four TF battalions of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (later the Sherwood Foresters). 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.

History

The North Midland Division was sent to France in February 1915 and served on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

for the duration of the First World War. On 12 May 1915 the division was numbered 46th (North Midland) Division and the brigades were also numbered. During the Battle of Loos the 46th Division was decimated in an attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October 1915. The British Army on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q6020

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 R ...

, the southernmost corps of the British Third Army, the Division took part in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the first day on the Somme, 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 137th may refer to: *137th (Calgary) Battalion, CEF, unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War *137th Air Reconnaissance Regiment, air reconnaissance and guidance regiment, part of the SFR Yugoslav Air Force *137th Special ...

* 1/5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment * 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment * 1/5th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) (''disbanded January 1918'') * 1/6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) * 4th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) ''(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 ''(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 The 138th (Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the First World War with the 46th (North Midland) Division. The brigade again saw active service in the Second World War, with the 46t ...

* 1/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (''left January 1918'') * 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment * 1/4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment * 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 The 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service in the World War I, First World War with the 46th (North Midland) Division. Later designated the 139th Infantry Brigade, the brigade also sa ...

* 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 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) ''(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 ''(joined at Luton, left 5 May 1916)'' * North Midland Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps ''(formed 11 November 1914, left 9 May 1916)'' ; Artillery : * I North Midland Brigade,

RFA RFA may refer to: Government and private organizations * Radio Free Asia, a private news broadcaster and publisher in East Asia, funded in part by the U.S. government * Renewable Fuels Agency, a former UK renewable fuel regulatory agency * Ren ...

(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 (''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 The North Midland Divisional Engineers was a Territorial Force unit of the British Royal Engineers created in 1908 by conversion of a volunteer infantry battalion from Staffordshire. It saw action in World War I at the Hohenzollern Redoubt, Gomm ...

''(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 ;Machine Guns * 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps ''(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 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 cha ...

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 (Hindenburg Line)

Postwar

The Territorial Force 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 William Coltman, 1/6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment * Lieutenant John Barrett, 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment *

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

, attached 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters *

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, 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