The 59th (2nd 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 during World War I
The British Army during the First World War fought the largest and most costly war in its long history. Unlike the French and German Armies, the British Army was made up exclusively of volunteers—as opposed to conscripts—at the beginnin ...
. It was formed in late 1914/early 1915 as a 2nd Line
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 ...
formation raised as a duplicate of the
46th (North Midland) Division
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. Monta ...
. After training in the United Kingdom and saw service in the
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
in April 1916, the division joined the
British Expeditionary Force (BEF) 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 ...
in early 1917. It saw action at
Ypres
Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...
and
Cambrai
Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...
, and was almost destroyed during the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
's
Spring Offensive in March 1918. The reconstituted division took part in the
final advances of the war.
Origin
The formation of Reserve or 2nd Line units of the Territorial Force (TF) was authorised on 31 August 1914, and the units were quickly formed from the flood of volunteers coming forward, trained by those men of the 1st Line TF who had not signed up for overseas service or were medically unfit. At first the men had to live at home, and parade in civilian clothes until the county TF associations were able to issue clothing and equipment. In January 1915, the 2nd North Midland was created as an exact duplicate of the 1st North Midland Division, the units being differentiated by '1/' or '2/' prefix. The 1st North Midland Division was the first complete TF formation to reach the Western Front, where it received the designation
46th (North Midland) Division
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. Monta ...
. The 2nd Line division was designated 59th (2nd North Midland) Division in August 1915.
[Becke, pp. 17–23.][59th Div at Long, Long Trail.]
/ref>
Order of battle
The composition of 59th (2nd North Midland Division) until May 1918 was as follows:[
]
176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade
* 2/5th 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 ...
''(drafted and disbanded 1 January 1918)''
* 2/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment
* 2/5th 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 Battali ...
''(absorbed 1/5th Bn 30 January 1918 and became 5th Bn)''
* 2/6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment
* 174th 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 ...
''(joined 24 February 1917; to 59th Battalion, MGC 7–8 March 1918)''
* 176th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 20 January 1917; temporarily disbanded 8 May 1918)''
The infantry battalions of 176th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 9 May 1918 and transferred to 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division
The 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, which saw service in the trenches of the Western Front, during the later years of the Great War and was disbanded after the w ...
on 30 May 1918.
177th (2/1st Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade
* 2/4th 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 ...
''(absorbed 1/4th Bn and became 4th Bn)''
* 2/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment ''(disbanded 31 July 1918)''
* 2/4th 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 ...
* 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment ''(drafted and disbanded 1 January 1918)''
* 177th Company, MGC ''(joined 19 February 1917; to 59th Battalion, MGC 7–8 March 1918)''
* 177th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 20 January 1917; temporarily disbanded 8 May 1918)''
The infantry battalions of 177th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 9 May 1918 and transferred to 16th (Irish) Division
The 16th (Irish) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised for service during World War I. The division was a voluntary 'Service' formation of Lord Kitchener's New Armies, created in Ireland from the 'National Volunteers', i ...
and 30th Division.
178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade
* 2/5th Battalion, 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 ...
* 2/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters
* 2/7th Robin Hood Battalion
The Robin Hood Battalion was a unit of the Volunteer Force of the British Army and Territorial Force, later the Territorial Army. The battalion served as infantry during the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin and then served on the Western Front dur ...
, Sherwood Foresters ''(absorbed 1/7th Bn and became 7th Bn)''
* 2/8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters ''(drafted and disbanded 1 January 1918)''
* 178th Company, MGC ''(joined 17 February 1917; to 59th Battalion, MGC 7–8 March 1918)''
* 178th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 20 January 1917; temporarily disbanded 7 May 1918)''
The infantry battalions of 178th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 7 May 1918 and transferred to 16th (Irish) and 30th Divisions.
Support troops
;Mounted Troops
* 2/1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry
The Northamptonshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1794 as Volunteer Force (Great Britain), volunteer cavalry. It served in the Second Boer War, the World War I, First World War and the World War II, Second World ...
''(left in April 1916)''
* 59th (2/1st 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 ...
''(joined 17 March 1915; did not accompany division to France)''
* B Squadron, North Irish Horse
The North Irish Horse was a yeomanry unit of the British Territorial Army raised in the northern counties of Ireland in the aftermath of the Second Boer War. Raised and patronised by the nobility from its inception to the present day, it was on ...
''(attached from 6 August 1915 until April 1916)''
* 2/2nd County of London Yeomanry ''(attached from 20 February until April 1916)''
* C Squadron, 21st Northumberland Hussars
The Northumberland Hussars was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, transferred to the Royal Artillery for the duration of the Second World War. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of t ...
''(28 March 1916 to 22 January 1917)''
;Artillery
* 2/I North Midland 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 ...
(2/1st, 2/2nd, and 2/3rd Lincolnshire Batteries, and 2/I North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXCV Bde in May 1916 and 2/1st Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery
The Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery Artillery battery, battery that was formed in Hampshire in 1909. It saw active service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine from 1916 to 1918, initia ...
joined as D Battery; served with other divisions 22 March to 27 August 1918)''
* 2/II North Midland Brigade, RFA (2/1st, 2/2nd, and 2/3rd Staffordshire Batteries, and 2/II North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXCVI Bde in May 1916 and 2/1st Essex Royal Horse Artillery
The Essex Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Essex in 1908. It saw active service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine from 1916 to 1918, initially as field artillery with ...
joined as D Battery; served with other divisions 22 March to 27 August 1918)''
* 2/III North Midland Brigade, RFA (2/4th, 2/5th, and 2/6th Staffordshire Batteries, and 2/III North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXCVII Bde in May 1916 and 2/1st Glamorganshire Royal Horse Artillery joined as D Battery; broken up before the division embarked for France)''
* 2/IV North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA (2/1st and 2/2nd Derbyshire (H) Batteries, and 2/IV North Midland (H) Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXCVIII Bde in May 1916; left on 4 April 1917)''
* 1/IV Home Counties (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA ''(10 March to 27 June 1915)''
* 2/1st 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 1916'')
* 1/1st Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, RGA ''(joined 13 March 1915, to 60th (2/2nd London) Division
The 60th (2/2nd London) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised during the First World War. It was the second line-formation of the 47th (1/2nd London) Division, and was the second of two such Territorial Force divisions for ...
7 April 1915)''
* 2/1st Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, RGA ''(joined 20 February 1916, drafted to 1/1st Wessex October 1916)''
* 59th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade, RFA
** V.59 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 21 January 1917; left in March 1918)''
** X.59 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 21 January 1917)''
** Y.59 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 21 January 1917)''
** Z.59 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 21 January 1917; absorbed by X and Y in March 1918)''
* 59th (North Midland) Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA ''(absorbed brigade ammunition columns 31 July 1916)''
;Engineers
* 59th Divisional Engineers
** 1/3rd 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 ...
''(later numbered 467th Field Company)''
** 2/1st North Midland Field Company, RE ''(joined 46th Division 10 July 1915)''
** 2/2nd North Midland Field Company, RE ''(joined 4 February 1915; later numbered 469th Field Company)''
** 3/1st North Midland Field Company, RE ''(joined 3 February 1915, later numbered 470th Field Company)''
** 59th (2/1st North Midland) Signal Company, RE
;Pioneers
* 6/7th Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...
''(joined 21 February 1918; reduced to training cadre in 176th Bde 7–10 May)''
;Machine Guns
** 200th Company, MGC ''(formed 20 January 1917; left behind when division embarked for France; rejoined on 18 April 1917)''
** 201st Company, MGC ''(formed 25 October 1916; joined 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War.
History
During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullec ...
in April 1917)''
** 202nd Company, MGC ''(formed 20 January 1917; joined 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division
The 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, which saw service in the trenches of the Western Front, during the later years of the Great War and was disbanded after the w ...
in April 1917)''
** 203rd Company, MGC ''(formed 20 January 1917; joined 66th Division in April 1917)''
* 59th Battalion, MGC ''(formed on 7–8 March 1918; reduced to training cadre May 1918)''
** 176th Company, MGC ''(moved from 176th Brigade)''
** 177th Company, MGC ''(moved from 177th Brigade)''
** 178th Company, MGC ''(moved from 178th Brigade)''
** 200th Company, MGC ''(see above)''
;Medical Services
* 2/1st 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 ...
* 2/2nd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
* 2/3rd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC
* 59th Sanitary Section ''(left on 18 May 1917)''
* 59th (2/1st 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
* 59th (2/1st North Midland) Divisional Train, Army Service Corps
** 513th Horse Transport Company, ASC
** 514th HT Company, ASC
** 515th HT Company, ASC
** 516th HT Company, ASC
;Labour
* 250th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps ''(formed 16 June 1917)''
Training
Early in January 1915, the units assigned to the division concentrated round Luton
Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...
, where it formed part of Third Army in Central Force
In classical mechanics, a central force on an object is a force that is directed towards or away from a point called center of force.
: \vec = \mathbf(\mathbf) = \left\vert F( \mathbf ) \right\vert \hat
where \vec F is the force, F is a vecto ...
. In February the men were issued with .256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train, and it was not until November 1915–March 1916 that these were replaced with .303 SMLE rifles and Lewis guns. Similarly, the gunners had to train with 'Quaker' guns – logs of wood mounted on cart wheels – until March 1915 when a few 90 mm French guns arrived for training. Later, some 15-pounder field guns and obsolete 5-inch howitzers were received, without sights.[
In June 1915, the 2nd Line units began to send drafts of reinforcements to their 1st Line parents serving on the Western Front, while the Home Service men were transferred to provisional battalions. This reduced the strength and delayed the training of the division. In July 1915 it moved to a training area around ]St Albans
St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...
. Here in early 1916 the artillery finally received their establishment of horses, 18-pounder
The Ordnance QF 18-pounder,British military traditionally denoted smaller ordnance by the weight of its standard projectile, in this case approximately or simply 18-pounder gun, was the standard British Empire field gun of the First World War ...
field guns and 4.5-inch howitzers.[
]
Ireland
The 59th was the 'mobile division' in Home Forces, held in readiness to combat a landing along the East Coast; when the Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the a ...
broke out in Dublin on 24 April 1916, it was ordered into immediate readiness and despatched to Ireland, the first TF formation to serve there. Here, units of the division – many with only a few weeks' training – were hastily thrown into combat, some taking heavy casualties; the 2/7th and 2/8th Sherwood Foresters lost over two hundred men killed or wounded at Mount Street on 26 April and at the South Dublin Union on 27 April. After the end of fighting in Dublin, the 59th moved to the Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
for further training until the end of the year.[
The division returned to England in January 1917 and began final battle training at ]Fovant
Fovant is a village and civil parish in southwest Wiltshire, England, lying about west of Salisbury on the A30 Salisbury-Shaftesbury road, on the south side of the Nadder valley.
History
The name is derived from the Old English ''Fobbefunt ...
, where there was a large purpose-built camp on the edge of the Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
training area, before embarking for France on 17 February.[
]
Western Front
Polygon Wood
The 59th Division took part in following the German Retreat to Hindenburg Line in March and April, but it was not until September that it was engaged in its first full-scale action, the phase of the 3rd Ypres Offensive known as the 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 ...
. This was a carefully prepared assault with massive artillery preparation, and most of the objectives were taken easily. The next phase, the 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 ...
(26 September), was equally successful, with 59th Division advancing steadily behind its barrage onto the final objectives.
Bourlon Wood
59th Division was next moved south to join in the Battle of Cambrai. The division entered the recently captured line between Cantaing and Bourlon Wood
The Bourlon Wood Memorial, near Bourlon, France, is a Canadian war memorial that commemorates the actions of the Canadian Corps during the final months of the First World War; a period also known as Canada's Hundred Days, part of the Hundred D ...
on 28 November. Fierce German counter-attacks began on 30 November. Two infantry assaults were made against 176 Bde, but both attacks were easily broken up under British artillery fire. Lance-Corporal John Thomas of the 2/5th North Staffords was awarded the Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
for his gallantry in reconnoitring these attacks. That night the rest of 176 Bde in Bourlon Wood were subjected to a violent bombardment of high explosive and gas shells, but the division was not directly attacked the following morning. By 4 December the decision had been made to withdraw from the Bourlon Salient, and 59th Division held covering positions while this was carried out. By 7 December the British were back on the line that they would hold for the coming winter.
As a result of the BEF's manpower crisis at the end of 1917, the establishment of each infantry brigade was reduced from four to three battalions in January 1918. In 59th Division, each brigade saw one battalion disbanded to provide reinforcements, and one other absorbed its 1st Line parent from the 46th Division.[
]
Spring Offensive
When the German spring offensive opened on 21 March 1918 (the Battle of St Quentin), 59th Division was holding the line of the Bullecourt
Bullecourt () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region in France.
Geography
Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. Thisatellite photographs ...
Salient, with a thinly held 'Forward Zone', covering Bullecourt itself. This was where the heaviest German attack fell, following a hurricane bombardment
In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small independent light infantry forces advancing into enemy rear areas, bypassing enemy frontline strongpoints, possibly isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons. Soldiers ta ...
and covered by morning mist. The battalions in front were driven from their defences and forced back through the village. Here and in the defences further to the north west a few survivors fought on for some hours. 176th and 178th Brigades were virtually destroyed (only one front-line officer of 176 Brigade made it back), and the reserves moving up were swamped. The division's field guns in the forward zone were captured after firing over open sights at the advancing Germans. The line was held by rear details, including the gunners using rifles and Lewis guns. Only two batteries of 59th Divisional Artillery escaped.
Over the next few days, 177th Brigade and the remaining divisional artillery remained in action under the command of 40th Division,[ fighting rearguard actions during the British Army's 'Great Retreat'. 59th Division was sent north to recuperate (without its artillery), but there the survivors were caught up in the second phase of the Spring Offensive at the Battle of Bailleul (14–15 April) and the ]Battle of Kemmel Ridge
Kemmelberg (, ) is a hill formation in Flanders, Belgium. It is located less than a kilometer from the village of Kemmel, part of the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders.
History
The earliest settlements on the Kemmelberg date back 2.500 y ...
(17–18 April). About 2,000 men of the division, under Brig-Gen C.H.L. James of 177th Brigade, formed 'James's Force' and fought on for a couple more days under the command of 49th (West Riding) Division
The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...
, but then the exhausted 59th Division was withdrawn from the front line.[
]
In May 1918 the shattered 59th Division was temporarily disbanded at Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France.
It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audomar, ...
and its battalions and trench mortar batteries reduced to training cadres, the surplus men being drafted to other units.[
However, the Divisional Artillery (CCXCV and CCXCVI Bdes) remained in the Line, serving with various formations as required: ]62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War.
History
During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullec ...
(15–24 April and 17 May–19 June), 37th Division (24 April–17 May), XVIII Corps (23 June–1 July), 5th Division In military terms, 5th Division may refer to:
Infantry divisions
*5th Division (Australia)
* 5th Division (People's Republic of China)
*5th Division (Colombia)
*Finnish 5th Division (Continuation War)
*5th Light Cavalry Division (France)
*5th Moto ...
(1–8 August) and 61st (2nd South Midland) Division
The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised in 1915 during the Great War as a second-line reserve for the first-line battalions of the 48th (South Midland) Division. The division was sent to the W ...
(8–26 August).[
The 59th Division was reconstructed at ]Hestrus
Hestrus is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions a ...
from Garrison Guard battalions sent from the United Kingdom. Until June, it was employed in digging rear defences, then it underwent training to enable it to hold a sector of the front line. On 25 July the reconstructed division went back into the line.[
]
Reconstruction
The order of battle of the reconstructed 59th Division (the 'North Midland' designation was no longer relevant) was as follows:[
]
176th Brigade
* 6th/7th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...
''(joined as training cadre from divisional pioneers 7–10 May 1918, left for England 18 June 1918)''
* 1st Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from Reserve Army 13 May 1918; became 17th Garrison 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 ...
25 May 1918, left 18 June 1918)''
* 2nd Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from Reserve Army 13 May 1918; transferred to 177th Bde 22 May 1918)''
* 3rd Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from Reserve Army 13 May 1918; transferred to 177th Bde 22 May 1918)''
* 4th Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from Reserve Army 13 May 1918; became 23rd Garrison Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that saw distinguished service through many years and wars, including the Second Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, and had many different titles throughout its 28 ...
25 May 1918, left 18 June 1918)''
* 5th Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from Reserve Army 13 May 1918, became 17th Garrison Guard Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment
The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot ...
25 May, then 17th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 4th Garrison Guard Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers ( cy, Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymreig) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales' Division, that was founded in 1689; shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated ...
''(joined 16 May 1918, became 26th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 25th Garrison Guard 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 ...
''(joined 16 June 1918, became 25th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 176th Trench Mortar Battery ''(reformed 11 July 1918)''
177th Brigade
* 2/6th Garrison Guard Battalion, 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 ...
, ''(joined from England 10 May 1918; became 2/6th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 11th Garrison Guard Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Some ...
''(joined from England 12 May 1918; became 11th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 15th Garrison Guard Battalion, Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
''(joined from England 12 May 1918; became 15th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 2nd Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from 176th Bde 22 May 1918; redesignated 25th Garrison Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps
The King's Royal Rifle Corps was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army that was originally raised in British North America as the Royal American Regiment during the phase of the Seven Years' War in North America known in the United St ...
25 May, and became divisional pioneers 16 June 1918)''
* 3rd Provisional Garrison Guard Battalion ''(joined from 176th Bde 22 May 1918; redesignated 13th Garrison Battalion, 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 ...
25 May; to 178th Bde 16 June 1918)''
* 177th Trench Mortar Battery ''(reformed 17 August 1918)''
178th Brigade
* 36th Garrison Guard Battalion, 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 ...
''(joined from England 12 May 1918, became 36th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 11th Garrison Guard Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
The Royal Scots Fusiliers was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1678 until 1959 when it was amalgamated with the Highland Light Infantry (City of Glasgow Regiment) to form the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Mar ...
''(joined from United Kingdom 12 May 1918, became 11th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 2nd Garrison Guard Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment ''(joined from Ireland 17 May 1918, became 8th Garrison Battalion 25 May and left 19 June 1918)''
* 13th Garrison Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment ''(from 177th Bde 16 June 1918; became 13th Battalion 16 July 1918)''
* 25th Garrison Guard Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
The Cheshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. The 22nd Regiment of Foot was raised by the Duke of Norfolk in 1689 and was able to boast an independent existence of over 300 years. T ...
''(joined from England 24 May 1918, left 19 June 1918)''
* 178th Trench Mortar Battery ''(reformed 24 June 1918)''
Support troops
;Mounted Troops
* XI Corps Mounted Troops ''(attached 17–21 October and 9 –14 November 1918)''
** 1st King Edward's Horse
King Edward's Horse (The King's Overseas Dominions Regiment) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1901, which saw service in the First World War.
Early history
The regiment was originally formed as part of the Imperial Yeomanry ...
** 11th Cyclist Battalion, ACC
;Artillery
* CCXCV Brigade, RFA
** A, B, C and D (H) Batteries
* CCXCVI Brigade, RFA
** A, B, C and D (H) Batteries
* 59th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade, RFA
** X.59 and Y.59 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries
* 59th Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA
;Engineers
* 59th Divisional Engineers
** 467th, 469th and 470th Field Companies, RE
** 59th Signal Company, RE
;Pioneers
* 25th Garrison Bn, King's Royal Rifle Corps ''(from 177th Bde 16 June 1918; dropped 'Garrison' title on 16 July 1918)''
;Machine Guns
* 25th Battalion, MGC ''(joined from 25th Division from 23 July to 19 October 1918)''
** 7th, 74th, 75th and 195th Companies
* 200th Battalion, MGC ''(joined on 2 October 1918)''
** A, B, C and D Companies
;Medical Services
* 2/1st, 2/2nd and 2/3rd North Midland Field Ambulances, RAMC
* 59th Mobile Veterinary Section, AVC
;Transport
* 59th Divisional Train, ASC
** 513th, 514th, 515th and 516th Horse Transport Companies
;Labour
* 250th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps
;Attached Allied Troops
* III Artillery Brigade, Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP, Portuguese: ''Corpo Expedicionário Português'') was the main military force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front, during World War I. Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the Portuguese ...
(CEP) ''(3 October to 15 November 1918)''
* 14th Infantry Battalion, CEP ''(3 October to 2 November 1918)''
* 15th Infantry Battalion, CEP ''(3 October to 15 November 1918)''
Advance to Victory
On 21 August the 59th Division once more took part in active operations, at the Battle of Albert. 59th Divisional Artillery rejoined on 27 August. From 2 October until 11 November 1918 the division participated in the final advance in Artois and Flanders.[ On 2 October, 59th Division ordered two minor operations in which detachments advanced under cover of smoke and a creeping barrage; these determined that the enemy had retired, and so the division advanced against little opposition. On 16 October the division fought its way through the old defences of ]Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
, and liberated the city against minimal opposition the following day. Opposition stiffened at the River Schelde was approached, but this was crossed in early November. The Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
on 11 November found the division astride the Schelde north of Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
.[Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, pp. 419-23, 543–5.]
Demobilisation
After the Armistice, 59th Division moved first to the area around Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
and then around Béthune
Béthune ( ; archaic and ''Bethwyn'' historically in English) is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.
Geography
Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated south-east of Calais, ...
. It was engaged in training and education. On 8–10 December it sent 178th Brigade, with 2/2 NM Field Ambulance and 516 Co ASC to Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.[Dieppe
Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...]
for demobilisation duties, where it was joined on 25 January by the pioneer battalion to build the demobilisation camp. On 8 March, Divisional HQ moved to Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...
, and during the month other units followed. On 21–23 May, the units of 176th Brigade left for service in Egypt (the Brigade HQ was disbanded in July) and were replaced on 16 June by 19th Brigade transferred from 33rd Division:[
19th Brigade
* 6th Battalion, ]Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Arm ...
* 5th/6th Battalion, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) was a rifle regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry. It was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 26th Cameronian Reg ...
* 10th Battalion, Cameronians
By now, the division's responsibility was to train drafts for the forces serving in Egypt and the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
. 59th Divisional Artillery was demobilised on 8 August, and on 29 August orders arrived to break up the rest of the division. Divisional HQ closed on 1 September 1919, and during the month the remaining cadres returned to England.[
]
General Officers Commanding
The following officers commanded 59th Division during its existence:[
* Brig-Gen ]Henry MacCall
Major-General Henry Blackwood MacCall (15 August 1845 – 22 July 1921) was a senior British Army officer.
Military career
MacCall was commissioned into the 60th Regiment of Foot on 16 February 1864. He served as commanding officer of the 1st ...
, appointed 6 January 1915
* Maj-Gen Raymond Reade
Major General Raymond Northland Revell Reade, ( – 18 October 1943) was a British Army general and Commandant of the Royal Military College of Canada.
Background
Born in Chelsea, London, he was the son of John Page Reade and his wife Lady Mary ...
, appointed 14 November 1915
* Maj-Gen Arthur Sandbach
Major-General Arthur Edmund Sandbach (30 July 1859 – 25 June 1928) was a British Army general officer who served in the Royal Engineers and on the General Staff, eventually rising to command the 68th (2nd Welsh) and 59th (2nd North Midland) ...
, appointed 14 February 1916
* Maj-Gen Cecil Romer
General Sir Cecil Francis Romer, (14 November 1869 – 1 October 1962) was a British Army general who reached high command during the 1920s.
Early life and education
Romer was born in Kensington, London, the son of Lord Justice Robert Romer ( ...
, appointed 9 April 1917
* Maj-Gen Sir Robert Whigham
General Sir Robert Dundas Whigham, (5 August 1865 – 23 June 1950) was a Scottish British Army officer and a former Adjutant-General to the Forces.
Early life
Whigham was born in 1865, the son of David Dundas Whigham"Death of Capt. Nicholson ...
, appointed 19 June 1918
* Maj-Gen Sir Nevill Smyth
Major General Sir Nevill Maskelyne Smyth, (14 August 1868 – 21 July 1941) was a senior officer in the British Army and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British a ...
, VC, appointed 28 August 1918
* Maj-Gen Charles Budworth
Major General Charles Edward Dutton Budworth, (3 October 1869 – 15 July 1921) was a British soldier who served as an artillery officer during the Second Boer War and the First World War.
Early life and family
Budworth was the son of Philip ...
, appointed 19 July 1919
Notable personnel
*John Crocker
General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker, (4 January 1896 – 9 March 1963) was a senior British Army officer who fought in both world wars. He served as both a private soldier and a junior officer in the First World War, and as a distinguished br ...
See also
* List of British divisions in World War I
List of military divisions — List of British divisions in the First World War
This page is a list of British divisions that existed in the First World War. Divisions were either infantry or cavalry. Divisions were categorised as being ...
References
Bibliography
* Becke, Maj A.F. ''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
* Edmonds, Brig-Gen Sir James E. (1992) ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1917'', Vol II, ''Messines and Third Ypres (Passchendaele)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1948/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, .
* Edmonds, Brig-Gen Sir James E. (1995) ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol I, ''The German March Offensive and its Preliminaries'', London: Macmillan, 1935/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, .
* Brig-Gen Sir James E. & Maxwell-Hyslop, (1993) Lt-Col R. ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol V, ''26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, .
* Middlebrook, Martin (1983) ''The Kaiser's Battle, 21 March 1918: The First Day of the German Spring Offensive'', London: Allen Lane, 1978/Penguin, .
* Farndale, Gen Sir Martin (1986) ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Western Front 1914–18'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, .
* Miles, Capt Wilfred ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1917'', Vol III, ''The Battle of Cambrai'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1948/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 2009, .
* Wolff, Leon ''In Flanders Fields: the 1917 Campaign'', London: Longmans, 1959/Corgi, 1966.
External links
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Long, Long Trail
{{DEFAULTSORT:59 Infantry Division
Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I
Military units and formations established in 1915
Military units and formations disestablished in 1919
1915 establishments in the United Kingdom