25th Division (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The 25th Division of the British Army
was raised for the Third New Army during September 1914. It served on the Western Front
for most of the First World War. The component units were assembled around Salisbury
and moved to Aldershot
in May 1915 to complete their training. The division was formed by Major-General Francis Ventris
; it subsequently crossed to France on 25–30 September 1915 under the command of Major-General Beauchamp Doran
.
In June 1916 Major-General E G T Bainbridge
took command and the Division went on to fight at the Battle of the Somme, at the Battle of Messines
, at the Battle of Passchendaele, in the German offensive of March/April 1918 and at the Battle of Aisne
.
The 25th was uniquely unlucky during the 1918 German Spring Offensive
s. It was on the northern flank defences during Operation Michael
in March 1918 and was moved north to refit. There it lost more men in the Battle of the Lys attacks in April. Moved south to another quiet area, it was attacked for a third time in the Third Battle of the Aisne
.
After suffering severe casualties in June 1918, it underwent a major refit and reorganisation, the reformed division moving back to France in September 1918.
The division was demobilised by the end of March 1919, having suffered 48,300 casualties during the war.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
was raised for the Third New Army during September 1914. It served on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
for most of the First World War. The component units were assembled around Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
and moved to Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
in May 1915 to complete their training. The division was formed by Major-General Francis Ventris
Francis Ventris
Major-General Francis Ventris CB was Commander of British Forces in China.-Military career:Educated at Adams' Grammar School in Newport, Ventris was commissioned into the 44th Regiment of Foot in 1875. He became an Adjutant of that Regiment in 1880. In 1897, having served as an Assistant...
; it subsequently crossed to France on 25–30 September 1915 under the command of Major-General Beauchamp Doran
Beauchamp Doran
Major-General Beauchamp John Colclough Doran, CB, was a British Army officer who commanded the 25th Division during the First World War...
.
In June 1916 Major-General E G T Bainbridge
Guy Bainbridge
Major-General Sir Guy Bainbridge KCB was a British Army officer who commanded 25th Division during World War I.-Military career:...
took command and the Division went on to fight at the Battle of the Somme, at the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
, at the Battle of Passchendaele, in the German offensive of March/April 1918 and at the Battle of Aisne
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
.
The 25th was uniquely unlucky during the 1918 German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
s. It was on the northern flank defences during Operation Michael
Operation Michael
Operation Michael was a First World War German military operation that began the Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France...
in March 1918 and was moved north to refit. There it lost more men in the Battle of the Lys attacks in April. Moved south to another quiet area, it was attacked for a third time in the Third Battle of the Aisne
Third Battle of the Aisne
The Third Battle of the Aisne was a battle of the German Spring Offensive during World War I that focused on capturing the Chemin des Dames Ridge before the American Expeditionary Force could arrive completely in France. It was one of a series of desperate offensives, known as the Kaiserschlacht,...
.
After suffering severe casualties in June 1918, it underwent a major refit and reorganisation, the reformed division moving back to France in September 1918.
The division was demobilised by the end of March 1919, having suffered 48,300 casualties during the war.