The 12th (Eastern) 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 ...

raised by the

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

during the

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

from men volunteering for Kitchener's New Armies. The division saw service in the

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

of the Western Front from June 1915 to the end of the war.

Formation and First World War

The 12th (Eastern) Division, was one of the first Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener. It was formed within Eastern Command as a result of Army Order No. 324 of 21 August 1914, as part of the K1 wave of divisions. It fought on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. One of its most notable actions was the

Battle of Épehy The Battle of Épehy was a battle of the First World War fought on 18 September 1918, involving the British Fourth Army under the command of General Henry Rawlinson against German outpost positions in front of the Hindenburg Line. The village ...

where there is a memorial cross to the 12th Division. In the First World War, the division's insignia was the

Ace of Spades The Ace of Spades (also known as the Spadille and Death Card) is traditionally the highest and most valued card in the deck of playing cards in English-speaking countries. The actual value of the card varies from game to game. Design The orn ...

, which has since been adopted by the present

12th Armoured Infantry Brigade The 12th Armoured Brigade Combat team, formerly the 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade, is a regular brigade of the British Army which has been in almost continuous existence since 1899 and now forms part of 3rd Division (United Kingdom), 3rd (United ...

Order of Battle

35th Brigade * 7th (Service) Battalion,

Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

* 7th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment ''(left May 1918)'' * 9th (Service) 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. ...

* 5th (Service) Battalion,

Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), by ...

''(transferred to 36th Brigade February 1918)'' * 1/1st

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 ...

(T.F.) Battalion,

Cambridgeshire Regiment The Cambridgeshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, and was part of the Territorial Army. Originating in units of rifle volunteers formed in 1860, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Secon ...

''(joined May 1918)'' * 35th Machine Gun Company,

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

''(formed 1 February 1916, moved to 12th Battalion,

(M.G.C.) 1 March 1918)'' * 35th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 25 June 1916)'' 36th Brigade * 8th (Service) Battalion,

Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

''(disbanded February 1918)'' * 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) * 7th (Service) 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 a ...

* 11th (Service) Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) ''(disbanded February 1918)'' * 5th (Service) Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) ''(transferred from 35th Brigade February 1918)'' * 36th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 1 February 1916, moved to 12th Battalion, M.G.C. 1 March 1918)'' * 36th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 15 June 1916)'' 37th Brigade * 6th (Service) Battalion,

Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) 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 Ar ...

* 6th (Service) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) * 7th (Service) Battalion, East Surrey Regiment ''(disbanded February 1918)'' * 6th (Service) Battalion,

Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...

* 37th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 4 February 1916, moved to 12th Battalion, M.G.C. 1 March 1918)'' * 37th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 15 June 1916)'' Divisional Troops * 5th (Service) Battalion,

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

''(division pioneers)'' * 9 Motor Machine Gun Battery ''(joined early 1915, left 20 June 1915)'' * 235th Machine Gun Company ''(joined 16 July 1917, left to move into 12th Battalion M.G. C. 1 March 1918)'' * 12th Battalion Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 1 March 1918, absorbing the brigade MG companies)'' * Divisional Mounted Troops ** A Squadron,

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 ...

''(joined April 1915, left June 1916)'' ** 12th Divisional Cyclist Company,

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

''(left 15 June 1916)'' * 12th Divisional Train Army Service Corps ** 116th, 117th, 118th and 119th Companies * 23rd 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 ...

* 214th Divisional Employment Company ''(joined 16 June 1917)''

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

* LXII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.) * LXIII Brigade, R.F.A. * LXIV Brigade, R.F.A. ''(left 6 January 1917)'' * LXV (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. ''(broken up 30 August 1916)'' * 12th Divisional Ammunition Column R.F.A. * 12th Heavy Battery,

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

''(left 8 June 1915)'' * V.12 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery R.F.A. ''(joined 31 July 1916, disbanded 12 February 1918)'' * X.12, Y.12 and Z.12 Medium Mortar Batteries R.F.A. ''(formed 1 July 1916; on 16 February 1918, Z broken up distributed among X and Y batteries)'' Royal EngineersWatson & Rinaldi, p. 29. * 69th Field Company * 70th Field Company * 87th Field Company ''(joined January 1915)'' * 12th Divisional Signals Company

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

* 36th Field Ambulance * 37th Field Ambulance * 38th Field Ambulance * 23rd Sanitary Section ''(left 1 April 1917)''

General Officer Commanding

* Major-General James Spens 24 August 1914 – 15 March 1915 * Major-General Frederick D.V. Wing 15 March – 2 October 1915 * Brigadier-General W. K. McLeod 2–3 October 1915 (''acting'') * Major-General Arthur B. Scott 3 October 1915 – 26 April 1918 * Major-General H. W. Higginson 26 April 1918 –

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * Ian F.W. Beckett, 'Territorials: A Century of Service,' First Published April 2008 by DRA Printing of 14 Mary Seacole Road, The Millfields, Plymouth PL1 3JY on behalf of TA 100, . * Cliff Lord & Graham Watson, ''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920–2001) and its Antecedents'', Solihull: Helion, 2003, . * Col L.F. Morling, ''Sussex Sappers: A History of the Sussex Volunteer and Territorial Army Royal Engineer Units from 1890 to 1967'', Seaford: 208th Field Co, RE/Christians–W.J. Offord, 1972. * Graham E. Watson & Richard A. Rinaldi, ''The Corps of Royal Engineers: Organization and Units 1889–2018'', Tiger Lily Books, 2018, .

External links

Source for level of Training of 12th Inf.Div.
* {{DEFAULTSORT:12 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Kitchener's Army divisions Military units and formations established in 1914 1914 establishments in the United Kingdom