History Of The British 1st Division Between 1809–1909

The 1st Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was formed and disestablished numerous times between 1809 and the present. It was raised by Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley for service in the Peninsular War (part of the Coalition Wars of the Napoleonic Wars). It was disestablished in 1814 but re-formed the following year for service in the War of the Seventh Coalition. It then fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where it repulsed numerous attacks including the final attack of the day that was launched by the French Imperial Guard. Following the battle, it then marched into France and became part of the Army of Occupation before being disbanded a few years later.

During the mid- to late-19th century, several formations bearing the name 1st Division were formed. Per the division's official website, three such formations form part of its lineage. The first, formed in 1854 in Ottoman Bulgaria, took part in the Siege of Sevastopol, as part of the Crimean War, including the Battle of Inkerman. After the end of hostilities, it was disbanded. A new division was formed in Africa in 1879, for service in the Anglo-Zulu War. However, it made little impact on the campaign and was again disbanded once fighting ended. The final division to bear the name was formed in 1899, when the Second Boer War broke out. The division was raised in England, sailed to southern Africa, and then took place in most of the major battles to lift the Siege of Kimberley. These battles saw high casualties and were a mix of victories and defeats, with the division's defeat at the Battle of Magersfontein contributing to the political crisis of Black Week. Over the course of 1900, the division saw more success but was ultimately disbanded as the British Army reacted to the end of conventional warfare and moved to combat the guerrilla tactics adopted by the Boers.

While the prior formations had all been raised for a particular war, a new permanent 1st Division was formed in 1902 in the UK. It subsequently fought in the First and the Second World Wars, was converted into the 1st Armoured Division in the 1970s, fought in the Gulf War, and was renamed as the 1st (United Kingdom) Division in 2014.

Napoleonic Wars

Peninsular War

During the French Revolutionary Wars and early in the Napoleonic Wars, the largest permanent organised structure within the British Army was the brigade. The brigade, which consisted of two or more battalions grouped together under the command of a major-general, suited the small size of the army and the operations that it conducted. When needed, larger forces were organised on an ''ad hoc'' basis. This included multiple brigades grouped into 'lines' or 'columns'. As the army and its operations grew, it implemented divisions—a single formation of two or more brigades, usually commanded by a lieutenant-general. The division concept was not new and had been used by other European armies towards the end of the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). On 18 June 1809, Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, commander of British forces in Spain and Portugal during the Peninsular War, reorganised his force into four divisions: the 1st, the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 4th.

On formation, the division consisted of a brigade of Foot Guards, one of British line infantry, and two brigades of troops from the King's German Legion (KGL). Due to the inclusion of guardsmen, the division was considered a social (but not a military) elite and obtained the nickname "The Gentlemen's Sons'". Just shy of 6,000 men strong, the division first saw action at the Battle of Talavera where they formed the centre of the Allied army. A brief action was fought on 27 July 1809, resulting in 188 casualties while the main engagement of the battle took place the following day. Under intense French artillery fire, the 1st was approached by two divisions (15,000 men). The British-German troops had been instructed to hold fire until the French were within close range, to deliver one volley, and then charge. Charles Oman, a historian of the Peninsular War, wrote that the division did just that and the leading French ranks "went down in swathes", with casualties amounting to one third within ten minutes. The division then charged recklessly after the routed troops and ran straight into the French second line, who rebuked the British and German troops forcing them to conduct a fighting retreat back to the main Allied position. Redeployed British forces ensured the division was not routed and the line held. By the end of the battle, the 1st had suffered 2,249 casualties. The next engagement was at the Battle of Bussaco (27 September 1810) were it suffered 141 casualties. This was followed by a general retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras and skirmishing during the Battle of Sobral. The following year, 828 casualties were suffered at the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro (3–5 May 1811). In early 1812, the division took part in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and then later in the year fought at in the Battle of Salamanca (22 July 1812). At the latter, it formed the left wing of the army and defended the village of Arapiles that saw back and forth fighting for its control although only 158 casualties were suffered. In September 1812, the division invested the castle at Burgos. Over the next four weeks, it repulsed several French sorties and launched two failed assaults with heavy losses. By the end of the unsuccessful siege, close to 2,000 casualties had been suffered. A general retreat followed from Burgos, during which the commanding officer (Edward Paget) was captured. His replacement, William Stewart, delayed part of the retreat when he ignored orders issued by Wellington.

In May 1813, a new campaign was launched. After a march north through Portugal, the Allied Army again entered Spain. The division then fought in a string of battles in June: San Millan-Osma, Vittoria, Tolosa, and was present during the opening days of the Siege of San Sebastián in July. The following month, the division sent around 400 volunteers to assist in the storming of San Sebastián, with nearly half being rendered casualties. The invasion of France followed, with the division in action at the Battle of the Bidassoa in October. It forded the Bidasoa, pushed back the French defenders and seized the village of Béhobie for around 160 casualties. Engagements at the battles of Nivelle (November, 193 casualties) and Nive (December, 289 casualties) followed. After a brief rest, the division forced the Adour in February 1814. Meanwhile, Napoleon, Emperor of the French, had abdicated following the capture of Paris on 31 March. This occurred while the 1st Division was besieging Bayonne. On 14 April, the French sortied and the division fought in the final battle of the War of the Sixth Coalition suffering just over 700 casualties in the process. With the war over, the division was broken up. The troops marched to Bordeaux, where they either returned to the UK or were transported to North America to take part in the ongoing War of 1812.

Waterloo campaign

At the end of the fighting, British and Hanoverian troops moved into the Southern Netherlands (previously Austrian Netherlands), as part of an Anglo-Dutch effort to secure the territory while they awaited a political outcome to the war at the Congress of Vienna. On 11 April 1815, after the outbreak of the War of the Seventh Coalition upon Napoleon's return to power and the arrival of allied reinforcements, the force in the Southern Netherlands was reorganised into divisions. The 1st Division was reformed under Major-General George Cooke and contained four foot guard battalions, including one that had previously served with the division during the Peninsular War. The First British Brigade, under Major-General Peregrine Maitland, contained the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards; and the Second British Brigade, under Major-General John Byng, contained the 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, and the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards. The division was the only one within Wellington's new army that was composed completely of British infantry, the other British formations included Hanoverian troops.

The division's first action of the new war came at the Battle of Quatre Bras. Arriving on the right flank at around 18:30 on 16 June 1815, by which point fighting had been ongoing for several hours, the division launched a counterattack to recaptured Bossu Wood that had just been taken. The attack drove out the French, but as the British troops advanced beyond the wood, they were repulsed by a second French line and forced back. Fighting continued in and around the woods and included the repulse of a French cavalry attack. Casualties were reported for the period 16–17 June, and amounted to 46 men killed and 508 wounded. Two days later, at the Battle of Waterloo, the division formed the right flank of the front line of the allied army. Its four battalions were arranged on the reverse slope of the ridge that had been occupied by the allied army. Their light infantry companies - alongside Hanoverian and Nassau troops – took up an advanced position at Hougomont, a walled farm complex within a wooded area that lay in front of the occupied ridge. The farmhouse and its surrounding area became a vital tactical location.

In the late morning, Napoleon ordered the farm complex and its environs to be captured, thus beginning the battle. As French troops moved forward, the guns of the division opened fire and were able to check several advances. They were not able to completely halt the French, who soon pushed into the woods and drove the division's infantry back into the farm complex. Sous-Lieutenant Legros, leading a group of French troops, used an axe to breach the gates allowing a large number of French troops to enter the complex's courtyard. In the following melee the gates were closed, despite the efforts of additional French troops to enter, trapping those within who were all eventually killed in hand-to-hand fighting or from being shot from defenders within the buildings. Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonell and Corporal James Graham were both noted for their efforts. As the fighting wore on around the farm, Byng's brigade was fully committed to the defense. French attempts were made to encircle Hougomont and attack from the rear. The division's guns again caused the French problems and fresh infantry were moved to check the French moves. An attempt to assault and scale the northern wall of the complex, and to open the gate from the inside, were also repulsed. French artillery fire was maintained throughout the day, causing some damage to the walls, setting several buildings ablaze, and collapsing the main building's roof. A renewed attack in the late afternoon was also thrown back. When the final main French assault of the day was launched, in the evening, it was spearheaded by skirmishers who engaged with the Hougomont garrison while the main assault pushed past the area. Following its defeat, the allied army conducted a general advance and poured into the Hougomont area to reinforce and clear the position.

Maitland's brigade spent the entire day under heavy French cannon fire, while based on the crest of the ridge, and fought off several cavalry and infantry attacks. Around 19:00, the final French attack of the day was launched by the Middle Guard of the Imperial Guard. In preparation, Maitland's brigade was formed into a line four ranks deep and told to lay down. The French attack, due to the disorganized manner in how the troops assembled, came in several waves. The 3rd and 4e Régiment de Chasseurs led under heavy cannon fire that diminished as they closed on the ridge, due to dwindling ammunition stocks. Wellington then allegedly shouted “Up, Guards' make ready!”. The sudden appearance of the brigade caused the French to halt and start to deploy to exchange volleys. The 4th Chasseurs was heavily engaged by Maitland's two battalions and forced to retreat. The British guards followed with a bayonet charge. The sight of these two events, in conjunction with being under heavy attack themselves, resulted in the 3rd Chasseurs also retreating. The next wave was spearheaded by the 3e Régiment de Grenadiers, who were joined by other Midde Guard units and regular French infantry. Maitland's troops halted their chase of the chasseurs and reformed. Both sides then engaged in a ferocious exchange of volleys. While the French were concentrated on Maitland's men, the British 2nd Division conducted a flanking maneuver, unleashed close range volleys upon the French and charged causing them to retreat.

During the course of the battle, the division suffered 232 killed, 819 wounded, and four men were reported missing. The following day, in conjunction with the rest of the army, the division marched into France and arrived on the outskirts of Paris on 1 July. The French capitulated a short while later, ending the war. The division was chosen to form part of the Army of Occupation and remained in France until December 1818, when it was disbanded when the British military withdrew from the country and back to the UK.

Victorian Era

Per the 1st Division's official website, its lineage is described as including the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Crimean War, the Anglo-Zulu War, and the Second Boer War. Outside of this lineage, other 1st Divisions were raised during the 19th century, each on an ad hoc basis. A 1st Division was organised in 1851 under Major-General Henry Somerset, during the Eighth Xhosa War. In 1857, an expeditionary force was formed from the Indian Army for service in the Second Opium War. The force contained a 1st Division, which was under the command of Major-General John Michel. Major-General Charles Staveley took command of a 1st Division, which was around 10,000-men strong and had been formed in September 1871 solely for training manoeuvres in England. During the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, Lieutenant-General George Willis commanded another newly established 1st Division.

Crimean War

On 28 March 1854, in support of the Ottoman Empire, the British and the Second French Empire declared war on the Russian Empire. Anglo-French forces landed at Gallipoli, to be in a position to defend Constantinople if needed, and then moved to Varna, on the Black Sea coast of Ottoman Bulgaria, where it was reorganised into divisions. Prince George, Duke of Cambridge was appointed to command the division. Clive Ponting, an historian of the conflict, wrote Cambridge "was chosen ... soley because he was Queen Victoria's cousin." On 14 September, the Anglo-French expeditionary landed north of Sevastopol, on the Crimean peninsula. They marched south and encountered the Russians at the Alma River, which blocked further progress. During the afternoon of 20 September, on the left wing of the expeditionary force, the division went into action. It crossed the Alma River, then attacked and cleared a Russian redoubt on Kourgané Hill suffering 439 casualties in the process. The advance resumed on 23 September, and the expeditionary force surrounded the Russian port in October. This began the Siege of Sevastopol.

In October, at the Battle of Balaclava, the division moved from besieging Sevastopol to reinforce the British forces in the Balaclava area due to a Russian buildup of troops. Delays in the arrival of additional infantry and a changing tactical situation resulted in the division not engaging Russian forces, and the charge of the Light Brigade was ordered. Following the ill-fated cavalry charge, it was decided not to commit the infantry to assaulting the Russian positions. If they were captured, they would then need to be occupied by the division and could invoke additional Russian attacks in the area that were not wanted. Moreso, the division was more needed around Sevastopol. On 5 November, the Russian Army launched a major attack known as the Battle of Inkerman. The division, containing just three battalions after leaving half its force to defend Balaclava, moved to reinforce the embattled 2nd Division. In a heavy mist, the Russian force was engaged in close range fighting with bayonets. Over the course of the morning, 582 men of the division were killed, wounded, or reported missing in the fighting. During the fighting, the Duke of Cambridge had his horse shot from under him and he retired from the battle. Although the battle ended in an Allied victory, it created the conditions that dragged the siege on through the winter into 1855. Over the following year, the Light and the 2nd Divisions bore the brunt of the fighting. During the assault on Sevastopol in June 1855, the 1st Division was tasked in a supporting role. A later attack in September, the Battle of the Great Redan, it was held in reserve. The expeditionary force remained in the Crimea until the war ended in 1856, after which the army demobilised.

1870s

Following the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), the British Army reviewed and attempted to implement a similar organisation to that used by the Prussian Army. The resultant 1875 mobilisation scheme called for 24 divisions spread across eight army corps. These formations did not exist, and the scheme looked for scattered units to coalesce in a time of crisis. This method was used to form three divisions, including the 1st, in 1871 when regular, reserve, militia, and yeomanry units as well as volunteers from across the UK converged on Aldershot.

The Anglo-Zulu War broke out in January 1879 and saw back and forth fighting over the following three months that included the Battle of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift. Reinforcements were dispatched to Natal to prepare for a second invasion of Zululand, which resulted in the formation of two divisions and included No. 1 Division. The division consisted of British, colonial, and African troops and was 9,215 men strong. It made a slow advance into Zululand along the coastal plain, established forts and improved infrastructure as it moved and was not engaged in combat. At the close of the campaign, the division was near Port Durnford on the uMlalazi River and accepted the surrender of neighbouring Zulus. With the war over, the division was broken up in July. Frances Colenso, who wrote about the campaign, stated "an earlier advance and a little dash would have given the laurels of the second campaign to the 1st Division ... but it was not to be."
Craig Stockings wrote that Lieutenant-General Garnet Wolseley, who had arrived to oversee the final stage of the campaign, considered the division to have been "entirely irrelevant".

Second Boer War

The Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, after tensions rose between the British Empire and the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. In response, and to reinforce the British military presence in southern Africa, the British Government mobilised the Natal Field Force in the UK. This force, also known as the First Army Corps, corresponded with the I Corps of the 1875 mobilisation scheme, and include the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions. On mobilisation, the 1st Division consisted of the 1st (later dubbed the Guards Brigade) and the 2nd Infantry Brigades, under the command of Lieutenant-General Paul Methuen. The majority of the division departed the UK between 20 and 24 October and arrived at Cape Town around three weeks later. Before their arrival, the Boers invaded the British Cape and Natal colonies, and besieged Kimberley and Ladysmith respectively. The loss of these two towns changed the initial plan for the army corps to march on the Boer capital of Bloemfontein. Instead, the majority of arriving force, which included the division's 2nd Brigade, were ordered to Natal to lift the siege of Ladysmith. The 1st Division was assigned to relieve Kimberley and allotted the 9th Infantry Brigade, newly formed from troops already based in southern Africa, to replace the loss of the 2nd Brigade. This brought the division to a strength of 7,726 infantry and 850 cavalry and mounted infantry. Additional support was provided by the 3rd (Highland) Brigade, which secured the division's lines of communication.

The advance towards Kimberley started on 21 November and followed the Cape Town–Kimberley train line. After skirmishing with Boer forces, the first prepared defensive position was encountered near Belmont, where the Boers had entrenched themselves on several hills that dominated the train track. The Battle of Belmont, fought on 23 November, saw the division assault and capture these positions just after daybreak, although the majority of the Boers were able to withdraw in good order. British losses amounted to 54 killed and 243 wounded. Boer losses included 80 killed and 70 taken as prisoner, in addition to the capture of draft animals and supplies. Frederick Maurice, author of the British official history of the war, lauded the small unit tactics utilised by the division but conceded Methuen failed to convert the "successful engagement into a decisive victory". Stephen Miller, a historian who has wrote about the war, noted that the battle "was a victory of sorts" for the division, but that it was not "the decisive victory Methuen had wanted" due to the lack of mounted troops. This deficiency meant the division was unable to press or attempt to encircle the retreating Boers, who were able to escape and fought again two days later.

Similar battles and outcomes occurred on 25 and 28 November, when the Boers were engaged in the battles of Graspan and the Modder River. Between the two battles, 628 casualties were suffered. Boer losses are not known but are believed to be low in comparison. Maurice stated that at least 40 Boers were taken prisoner and 73 dead bodies were located. After the Modder River, the Boers destroyed a railway bridge and retreated to Magersfontein. The division remained in the area until 10 December to rest, receive reinforcements, and to assist in the construction of a replacement bridge. The following day, the Battle of Magersfontein took place. Despite a preliminary artillery bombardment, the division's attack failed with 948 casualties. Boer losses are estimated between 236 and 275. In conjunction with other failed attacks that occurred during the same week, the news of what occurred at Magersfontein led to the political crisis known as Black Week.

Having failed at Magersfontein, Methuen retreated and took up position on the Riet River, which was dubbed the 'Modder position'. Part of the political backlash of Black Week saw Methuen's command come into question, with the War Office wanting to remove him. Lieutenant-General Charles Warren, commanding the 5th Division and who had not yet arrived in southern Africa, was the preferred replacement. General Redvers Buller, commander of the First Army Corps and who was under considerable political pressure himself due to Black Week, defended Methuen. This defense, coupled with a changing military situation and discussions about morale, resulted in no change of command. From the 'Modder Position', the division conducted reconnaissance and raids into the Orange Free State that destroyed farms, burnt crops, and seized livestock; a percussor to the large-scale adoption of similar efforts later in the war. Such tactics have been seen as war crimes in breach of the Hague Convention. In January, the division was assigned a defensive role. Over the month, artillery, engineers, cavalry, and most of the divisions transport were transferred to new commands, as was the Highland Brigade. Rumors that Methuen had scapegoated the brigade, in addition to heavy casualties that also saw the loss of their commanding officer, had resulted in a build-up on animosity by the soldiers. Their new commander noted all were relieved when the transfer took place, and Methuen privately wrote he believed none would want to serve under him again. However, the division was provided with four siege guns to reinforce their defensive posture. Miller wrote that the division's presence prevented the Boers from attempting to invade the Cape Colony during this period.

Behind the screen provided by 1st Division, four additional divisions were assembled. A new offensive was launched on 7 February that lifted the siege of Kimberly on 15 February, although the 1st Division was restricted to flank and lines of communication protection during this. Two days later the division moved to Kimberley, although it now commanded just one brigade as the Guards were transferred to a new division. There it guarded the British forward supply base supply lines and was also tasked with clearing the nearby area of Boer forces and to support the efforts to lift the Siege of Mafeking. To aid in these goals, a brigade of militia was attached as well as a brigade of Imperial Yeomanry. During March, the division pushed forward seizing several villages and reached Warrenton, repairing bridges and the railway line as they proceeded. On 5 April, a small Boer commando, led by Comte de Villebois-Mareuil, was defeated at the Battle of Boshof. While additional settlements were seized and patrols maintained that took prisoners, the push towards Mafeking ended and the town was relieved by forces that were closer. Thereafter, the division marched east, following the Vaal River with the goal of Kroonstad. It covered in 15 days, captured various small Boer forces, and destroyed 12,000 rounds of ammunition, before arriving at their destination on 28 May and earning the nickname the "Mobile Marvels".

In June, the division operated to trap the elusive Boer leader Christiaan de Wet and relieve besieged Imperial Yeomanry. The first engagement occurred on the first of the month, near Lindley, where the division stormed Boer positions but found they had been too late to relieve the yeomanry. Skirmishing took place thereafter, but without major engagements. Between 17 and 23 June, several divisions – including the 1st Division – were radically changed as the British Army reacted to the end of conventional warfare and in order to combat the Boer guerrilla warfare tactics. Methuen's command, now a division in name only, became a flying column of five battalions, a force of 3,600 men supported by some artillery and machine guns. The intention was to be more mobile and constantly on the hunt for Boer forces. The rest of the division were transferred to similar columns or assigned to static defenses to guard settlements or other vulnerable positions. The frustrating pursuit of de Wet and other Boer leaders went on for months. In September, the division lifted a Boer siege of Schweizer-Reneke, took 28 prisoners, and seized nearly 5,000 animals and 20,000 rounds of ammunition. By the end of 1900, the field divisions ceased to be, as additional garrisons and mobile columns were formed and British strategy further refined to count the Boers.

Reform period

In response to the lessons learnt from the Boer War, which included the army's failings in the opening months, the Secretary of State for War, St John Brodrick, set out to reform the standing army. He intended to create six army corps, three of which would be composed of permanent standing formations that consisted of the army's regulars. They would be ready for immediate dispatch in light of an imperial crisis or in the event of European war. In 1902, three corps were formed that would allow up to nine divisions, each of two brigades, to be created. This included the reformation of the 1st Division, which was finalised on 30 September 1902 when Major-General Arthur Paget took command. The division then consisted of the 1st and the 2nd Brigades, each containing four infantry battalions. The division (along with the 2nd and 5th) was seen as ready for war, if the order for mobilisation came.

In 1907, the Haldane Reforms further restructured the regular army into six infantry divisions, each with three brigades. These divisions would form the basis of any British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that would be dispatched to Europe in the case of war. The reform also replaced the army corps with regional commands. The changes resulted in the 3rd Brigade being assigned to the division, in addition to two field companies of Royal Engineers, two signal companies provided by the Royal Engineers, and three artillery brigades (each containing three batteries of guns). The division itself was assigned to Aldershot Command, with the 1st Brigade located there; the 2nd was based out of Blackdown; and the 3rd Brigade housed at Bordon.

History beyond 1909

The 1st Division went on to fight in the First (1914–1918) and the Second World Wars (1939–1945). The division ended the Second World War based in the Middle East. During the Cold War period, it was garrisoned in Palestine, Libya, and Egypt, before it returned to the UK in 1955. It remained until 30 June 1960, when it was disbanded due to there being no need for an additional divisional headquarters in the UK. It was reformed the following day, when the 5th Division was renamed. The new division was based in Germany as part of the British Army of the Rhine. During April 1978, a reorganised took place and the formation was renamed the 1st Armoured Division. Under this banner, in 1990–1991, it fought in the Gulf War. When the Cold War ended, the British government restructured the army as part of Options for Change and this saw the division again disbanded on 31 December 1992. In 1993, the 4th Armoured Division, based in Germany, was renamed as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division. During the 1990s, the division was deployed to Bosnia as part of peacekeeping efforts and in the 2000s fought in the Iraq War. In 2014, the division was redesignated as the 1st (United Kingdom) Division in 2014.

See also

* List of commanders of the British 1st Division
* List of wartime orders of battle for the British 1st Division (1809–1945)
* List of Victoria Cross recipients from the British 1st Division

Notes

Footnotes

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{{DEFAULTSORT:01 Infantry Division
Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I
Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1809
British military units and formations of the Crimean War
Military units and formations disestablished in 1978
1809 establishments in the United Kingdom