42nd (East Lancashire) Division
Encyclopedia
The 42nd Division was a Territorial Force
division
of the British Army
. Originally called the East Lancashire Division, it was redesignated as the 42nd Division on 25 May 1915. It was the first Territorial division to be sent overseas during the First World War. The division fought at Gallipoli, in the Sinai
desert and on the Western Front
in France and Belgium. In World War II
it served as the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division with the British Expeditionary Force
in France, was then reformed in Britain in November 1941 as the 42nd Armoured Division
which was disbanded in October 1943 without serving overseas.
In 1914 the East Lancashire Division was one of fourteen infantry divisions and fifty–three mounted regiments called the Yeomanry which made up the Territorial Force. Lord Kitchener
, the Secretary of State for War, described these divisions and regiments of mainly white–collar workers as "a town clerk's army." Their junior officers were trained at the Officer Training Corps set up at the universities and large public schools such as Eton and Harrow and Kitchener sent these forces to the peripheral campaigns; to the Sudan, Mesopotamia, Egypt, to the Caucasus to release Regular British Army soldiers for duty on the Western Front
because he wrongly thought these amateur soldiers 'might not be able to hold their own with the German Army.'
The East Lancashire Division arrived in Egypt
on 25 September 1914 and served in the interior, around Cairo with some Yeomanry units, and the Australian and New Zealand contingents before going to Gallipoli
.
The division was sent to Egypt
to defend the Suez Canal
against anticipated Turkish attacks. The 15 pounder gun
batteries were deployed at key points on the west bank in support of Indian Army
and New Zealand troops manning guardposts. The 20th Battery (Bolton
Artillery) fired the Division's first artillery rounds of the Great War, and the first of the Territorial Force of the campaign, near El Ferdan on 2 February 1915. The 19th Battery (Bolton Artillery) was in action in support of Indian and New Zealand troops between Tussum and Serapeum on the night and morning of 3–4 February 1915, against the attempted crossing of the canal by the 74th Regiment, Turkish 25th Division.
Beginning in early May 1915 the division joined the British Army Corps, from June known as VIII Corps, at Cape Helles
following the failure of the Allies to achieve the anticipated swift success at Gallipoli during April.
The 4th (Blackburn) battery, 1 section of the 6th (Burnley
) battery, and 19th and 20th (Bolton) batteries did not join the division on Gallipoli until 23/24 September, and the 1st/2nd East Lancs Brigade RFA
(Manchester Artillery) arrived in Egypt in May from Britain and remained in Egypt.
The 125th Brigade landed in time to participate in the Second Battle of Krithia
on 6 May. The 126th Brigade arrived on 11 May. The entire division was involved in the Third Battle of Krithia
on 4 June.
The division carried out the Helles diversion at the start of the Battle of Sari Bair
in what became known as the Battle of Krithia Vineyard
. Captain William Thomas Forshaw
of the 1/9th Manchesters was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his actions in this battle from 7 August to 9 August.
Second Lieutenant Alfred Victor Smith
of the 1/5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his action at Helles on 23 December.
The division remained at Gallipoli until the final evacuation of Helles in January 1916 but was severely depleted by casualties and illness.
42nd Division's casualties at Gallipoli were 395 officers and 8152 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.
and the advance from Romani to Katia
.
The 42nd Infantry Division served at Kantara on the Suez Canal in No. 3 Section of the Suez Canal Defences under General Lawrence until they were entrained for railhead at Pelusium on the first day of the Battle of Romani
4 August 1916.
On arrival late in the day, the 127th Infantry Brigade of the 42nd Infantry Division took over outpost duties at 1930 hours while the New Zealand Mounted Rifle and 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigades, which had been heavily involved in fighting during the day, withdrew to water and rest at Pelusium.
On the second day of battle, 5 August 1916, the 42nd Infantry Division along with the 52nd Infantry Division
which had fought the previous day from their entrenched position, were ordered to move out to support the Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
s in a pursuit of the enemy. The 42nd Infantry Division was not prepared for the conditions they found in the Sinai desert. They had not been trained to operate in heavy sand in mid summer heat, and with insufficient water, extreme distress and tragedy followed. The mounted troops alone, were unable to stop the enemy making a disciplined withdrawal to water at Katia
and to fall back in good order, the following day.
The 127th Infantry Brigade, 42nd Division eventually reached Katia the next day, 6 August; 800 men had died in the two–day march from Pelusium Station. The 125th Brigade of the 42nd Division and the 155th, and 157th Brigades of the 52nd Division also had many men fall victim to thirst and the blazing sun; the infantry pursuit could not go on.
Robert Bethel, Army Service Corps, and McPherson, an officer in the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
, worked to transport provisions and water to the 125th and 127th Brigades. They recorded what they saw of these terrible days. Nearly fifty years after serving with the 42nd Division in the Sinai, one veteran, gunner J. Thompson, confessed that the "sight of a leaking tap" made him "squirm."
By December 1916, the 42nd Division was furnishing units to protect the lines of communication at Salmana, Abu Tilul and the railway station Maadan and took part in a practice attack on 13 December. On 21 December 42nd & 52nd Divisions marched from Kilo 128 to Bardawil and continued to move eastwards towards Masaid.
On 17 January 1917, the 42nd Infantry Division was no longer in the Sinai Campaign having been among the first of the Territorial Force to receive orders for the Western Front
. The division was replaced in Desert Column by another Territorial Division, the 53rd (158,159,160 Brigades) commanded by Dallas. The two other Territorial infantry divisions; the 52nd at Rafa and the 54th ordered out to Romani from the Suez Canal, were put directly under General Dobell commander of Eastern Force. The 42nd Division departed Egypt early in February 1917.
during the Battle of France
. After the evacuation of Dunkirk
the Division was regrouped but then reorganised as 42nd Armoured Division
on 1 November 1941. It was later disbanded on 17 October 1943 without seeing action as an armoured formation. The name of the division was later used for the purpose of military deception.
In the modern British Army
the 42 North West Brigade
has adopted the former 42nd (Lancashire) Division badge.
The division comprised three infantry
brigade
s:
125th Brigade (Lancashire Fusiliers
Brigade) :
126th Brigade (East Lancashire
Brigade) :
127th Brigade (Manchester
Brigade) :
See: Museum of The Manchester Regiment. History Territorial Force 1914 – 1919 (external link)
Originally each of the above batteries was equipped with four obsolescent BLC 15 pounder
field guns (referred to somewhat inaccurately by Ian Hamilton as "relics of South Africa
"). They were replaced on 29 February 1916 with modern QF 18 pounder
guns handed over by 29th Division in Egypt.
In February 1917 the Cumberland Artillery / 213 Brigade was disbanded and its two howitzer batteries merged into the 18-pounder brigades in accordance with the new artillery brigade philosophy. Existing four-gun, 18-pounder batteries in each of 210, 211 and 212 Brigades were merged into six-gun batteries, and the four brigades replaced by new 210 and 211 Brigades
each with 3 six-gun, 18-pounder batteries and one howitzer battery.
Gibbon's divisional history states that the above occurred on paper on Christmas Day 1916, when the division was on manoeuvres at Al Mazar, and the reorganization actually occurred in February 1917 on return to the canal zone.
Hence from February 1917 to 11 November 1918 the divisional artillery consisted of 210 and 211 Brigades, each with 3 six-gun batteries of 18-pounders (A,B,C) and one battery of four 4.5-inch howitzers (D).
The inscription reads: "In memory of all ranks of the 42nd East Lancashire Territorial Division who gave their lives for King and Country during the Great War and in commemoration of the attack and capture of the Hindenburg line at Trescault by the Division on 28 September 1918"
On the north-east side of Trescault, 274 metres to the east of the monument, is Ribecourt Road Cemetery, which the 42nd Division called the Divisional Cemetery, Trescault.
Further details and photographs can be found on the World War One Battlefields: Cambrai page (external link).
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
of the British Army
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...
. Originally called the East Lancashire Division, it was redesignated as the 42nd Division on 25 May 1915. It was the first Territorial division to be sent overseas during the First World War. The division fought at Gallipoli, in the Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
desert and 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...
in France and Belgium. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it served as the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division with the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in France, was then reformed in Britain in November 1941 as the 42nd Armoured Division
42nd Armoured Division (United Kingdom)
The 42nd Armoured Division was a First Line Territorial Army formation during the Second World War. It was formed by converting an infantry division into an armoured role...
which was disbanded in October 1943 without serving overseas.
First World War
The division was embodied upon the outbreak of war. The war station was intended to be Ireland, but due to its pacific state, the intended move did not materialise. After a brief period at their drill halls, the various units proceeded to large tented camps at Turton Bottoms (near Bolton), Chesham (near Bury) and Holingworth Lake, Littleborough (near Rochdale). The personnel were asked to volunteer for overseas service, and the overwhelming majority did so, the deficiences made up of men from the National Reserve and other re-enlistments. The 'home service' men formed the cadre of duplicate units, intended to train the rush of volunteers at the drill halls. These would form the divisional reserve.In 1914 the East Lancashire Division was one of fourteen infantry divisions and fifty–three mounted regiments called the Yeomanry which made up the Territorial Force. Lord Kitchener
Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener
Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, ADC, PC , was an Irish-born British Field Marshal and proconsul who won fame for his imperial campaigns and later played a central role in the early part of the First World War, although he died halfway...
, the Secretary of State for War, described these divisions and regiments of mainly white–collar workers as "a town clerk's army." Their junior officers were trained at the Officer Training Corps set up at the universities and large public schools such as Eton and Harrow and Kitchener sent these forces to the peripheral campaigns; to the Sudan, Mesopotamia, Egypt, to the Caucasus to release Regular British Army soldiers for duty 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...
because he wrongly thought these amateur soldiers 'might not be able to hold their own with the German Army.'
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 25 September 1914 and served in the interior, around Cairo with some Yeomanry units, and the Australian and New Zealand contingents before going to Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
.
The division was sent to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to defend the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
against anticipated Turkish attacks. The 15 pounder gun
Ordnance BLC 15 pounder
The Ordnance BLC 15 pounder gun was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15 pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and modified quicker-opening breech...
batteries were deployed at key points on the west bank in support of Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
and New Zealand troops manning guardposts. The 20th Battery (Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
Artillery) fired the Division's first artillery rounds of the Great War, and the first of the Territorial Force of the campaign, near El Ferdan on 2 February 1915. The 19th Battery (Bolton Artillery) was in action in support of Indian and New Zealand troops between Tussum and Serapeum on the night and morning of 3–4 February 1915, against the attempted crossing of the canal by the 74th Regiment, Turkish 25th Division.
Gallipoli
Cape Helles
Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the south-westernmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. It was the scene of heavy fighting between Turkish and British troops during the landing at Cape Helles at the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915....
following the failure of the Allies to achieve the anticipated swift success at Gallipoli during April.
The 4th (Blackburn) battery, 1 section of the 6th (Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
) battery, and 19th and 20th (Bolton) batteries did not join the division on Gallipoli until 23/24 September, and the 1st/2nd East Lancs Brigade RFA
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
(Manchester Artillery) arrived in Egypt in May from Britain and remained in Egypt.
The 125th Brigade landed in time to participate in the Second Battle of Krithia
Second Battle of Krithia
The Second Battle of Krithia continued the Allies' attempts to advance on the Helles battlefield during the Battle of Gallipoli of the First World War. The village of Krithia and neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order for the British to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula to the...
on 6 May. The 126th Brigade arrived on 11 May. The entire division was involved in the Third Battle of Krithia
Third Battle of Krithia
The Third Battle of Krithia , fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Ottoman defences aimed at capturing the original objectives of 25 April 1915...
on 4 June.
The division carried out the Helles diversion at the start of the Battle of Sari Bair
Battle of Sari Bair
The Battle of Sari Bair , also known as the August Offensive, was the final attempt made by the British in August 1915 to seize control of the Gallipoli peninsula from the Ottoman Empire during First World War.The Battle of Gallipoli had raged on two fronts, Anzac and Helles, for three months since...
in what became known as the Battle of Krithia Vineyard
Battle of Krithia Vineyard
The Battle of Krithia Vineyard was intended as a minor British action at Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula to divert attention from the imminent launch of the August Offensive. Instead, the British commander, Brigadier General H.E...
. Captain William Thomas Forshaw
William Thomas Forshaw
Major William Thomas Forshaw VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. In civilian life Forshaw was a teacher at The Manchester Grammar School.Forshaw was...
of the 1/9th Manchesters was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his actions in this battle from 7 August to 9 August.
Second Lieutenant Alfred Victor Smith
Alfred Victor Smith
Alfred Victor Smith VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of the 1/5th Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his action at Helles on 23 December.
The division remained at Gallipoli until the final evacuation of Helles in January 1916 but was severely depleted by casualties and illness.
42nd Division's casualties at Gallipoli were 395 officers and 8152 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.
Egypt and the Sinai Campaign
After the evacuation of Gallipoli, the division returned to Egypt and participated in the Battle of RomaniBattle of Romani
The Battle of Romani was fought east of the Suez Canal, near the Egyptian town of Romani and the site of ancient Pelusium on the Sinai Peninsula during the First World War...
and the advance from Romani to Katia
Affair of Katia
The Battle of Katia was an engagement fought east of the Suez Canal and north of El Ferdan Station, in the vicinity of Katia and Oghratina, on 23 April 1916 during the Defence of the Suez Canal Campaign of World War I...
.
The 42nd Infantry Division served at Kantara on the Suez Canal in No. 3 Section of the Suez Canal Defences under General Lawrence until they were entrained for railhead at Pelusium on the first day of the Battle of Romani
Battle of Romani
The Battle of Romani was fought east of the Suez Canal, near the Egyptian town of Romani and the site of ancient Pelusium on the Sinai Peninsula during the First World War...
4 August 1916.
On arrival late in the day, the 127th Infantry Brigade of the 42nd Infantry Division took over outpost duties at 1930 hours while the New Zealand Mounted Rifle and 5th Mounted Yeomanry Brigades, which had been heavily involved in fighting during the day, withdrew to water and rest at Pelusium.
On the second day of battle, 5 August 1916, the 42nd Infantry Division along with the 52nd Infantry Division
British 52nd (Lowland) Division
The British 52nd Division was a Territorial Army division that was originally formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908.- World War I :...
which had fought the previous day from their entrenched position, were ordered to move out to support the Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, consisting usually of four units of mounted infantry, fought in World War I and World War II. Initially a milita, under the instruction of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henry Banks they formed the core of the New Zealand Army following successful service in the...
s in a pursuit of the enemy. The 42nd Infantry Division was not prepared for the conditions they found in the Sinai desert. They had not been trained to operate in heavy sand in mid summer heat, and with insufficient water, extreme distress and tragedy followed. The mounted troops alone, were unable to stop the enemy making a disciplined withdrawal to water at Katia
Affair of Katia
The Battle of Katia was an engagement fought east of the Suez Canal and north of El Ferdan Station, in the vicinity of Katia and Oghratina, on 23 April 1916 during the Defence of the Suez Canal Campaign of World War I...
and to fall back in good order, the following day.
The 127th Infantry Brigade, 42nd Division eventually reached Katia the next day, 6 August; 800 men had died in the two–day march from Pelusium Station. The 125th Brigade of the 42nd Division and the 155th, and 157th Brigades of the 52nd Division also had many men fall victim to thirst and the blazing sun; the infantry pursuit could not go on.
Robert Bethel, Army Service Corps, and McPherson, an officer in the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
Egyptian Camel Transport Corps
The Egyptian Camel Transport Corps were a group of Egyptian camel drivers who supported the British Army in Egypt during the First World War's Sinai and Palestine Campaign...
, worked to transport provisions and water to the 125th and 127th Brigades. They recorded what they saw of these terrible days. Nearly fifty years after serving with the 42nd Division in the Sinai, one veteran, gunner J. Thompson, confessed that the "sight of a leaking tap" made him "squirm."
By December 1916, the 42nd Division was furnishing units to protect the lines of communication at Salmana, Abu Tilul and the railway station Maadan and took part in a practice attack on 13 December. On 21 December 42nd & 52nd Divisions marched from Kilo 128 to Bardawil and continued to move eastwards towards Masaid.
On 17 January 1917, the 42nd Infantry Division was no longer in the Sinai Campaign having been among the first of the Territorial Force to receive orders for 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...
. The division was replaced in Desert Column by another Territorial Division, the 53rd (158,159,160 Brigades) commanded by Dallas. The two other Territorial infantry divisions; the 52nd at Rafa and the 54th ordered out to Romani from the Suez Canal, were put directly under General Dobell commander of Eastern Force. The 42nd Division departed Egypt early in February 1917.
Western Front
In March 1917 the division moved to France and joined 3 Corps in Fourth Army.- 8 April – 23 May 1917 : Relieved 48th Division48th (South Midland) DivisionThe British 48th Division was a Territorial Force division. Originally called the 'South Midland Division', it was redesignated as the 48th Division in 1915.- 1914 - 1918 :...
. Held line at ÉpehyÉpehyÉpehy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Épehy is situated in the northeast of the department, on the D24 and D58 roads some north-northwest of Saint Quentin.-Population:-External links:* * * *...
- 23 May – 8 July 1917 : Relieved 20th Division. Held line at HavrincourtHavrincourtHavrincourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France.-Situation:The village lies about 14 kilometres south-west of Cambrai near the Havrincourt service area on the Autoroute A2...
, north of Epéhy.
- 8 July : Infantry relieved by 58th Division.
Divisional artillery remained in the line in support of 58th and then 9th (Scottish)Division at Havrincourt Wood.
- 9 July – 22 August 1917 : YtresYtresYtres is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Ytres is a farming village located 20 miles southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D7, D19 and D18E roads. It was completely rebuilt after being destroyed during World War I. The A2...
sector.
- 23 August – 1 September 1917 : Joined 5 Corps in Fifth Army. Infantry in Poperinghe area behind Ypres for training.
Divisional artillery entered line immediately in support of 15th Division near Potijze Chateau.
- 1–18 September 1917 : Ypres. Infantry relieved 15th Division in the line to the right of Potijze Road near Frezenberg Ridge. On 6 September 125 Brigade made an unsuccessful attempt to capture the fortified Iberian, Borry and Beck Farms. (Third Battle of Ypres)
- 18 September 1917 : Infantry relieved by 9th Division and retired to Poperinghe area.
Divisional artillery remained in the Line until 29 September, participated in heavy fighting from 20 September and advanced to exposed positions on Frezenberg Ridge on 25 September. (Battle of Menin Road)
- 26 September – November 1917 : Relieved 66th (2nd East Lancashire) Division66th (2nd East Lancashire) DivisionThe British 66th Division was raised as a second-line Territorial Force division in August 1914 shortly after the commencement of the First World War. It went on to serve as a full-fledged frontline division on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918...
. Divisional artillery rejoined. Held line at NieuportNieuwpoort, BelgiumNieuwpoort is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Nieuwpoort proper and the towns of Ramskapelle and Sint-Joris. On January 1, 2008 Nieuwpoort had a total population of 11,062....
- 29 November 1917 – 15 February 1918 : Relieved 25th Division25th Division (United Kingdom)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...
. Held line at GivenchyGivenchy-lès-la-BasséeGivenchy-lès-la-Bassée is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated some east of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D166 and the D167 roads...
on La BasséeLa BasséeLa Bassée is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-History:La Bassée was the birthplace of the painter and draftsman Louis-Léopold Boilly .-References:*...
sector. Constructed fortifications according to the new British defensive doctrine of "defended localities" in anticipation of major German attack.
Private Walter MillsWalter MillsWalter Mills VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
of C Company, the 1/10th Manchesters, was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for actions at Red Dragon Crater, GivenchyGivenchy-lès-la-BasséeGivenchy-lès-la-Bassée is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated some east of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D166 and the D167 roads...
on the night of 10 December 1917.
- 15 February 1918 – 22 March 1918 : Relieved by 55th Division. In reserve and training at BusnesBusnesBusnes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village some northwest of Béthune and west of Lille, at the junction of the D916, D94 and the D187 roads.-History:...
– BurbureBurbureBurbure is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village some west of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D916 and the D182 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
– FouquieresFouquières-lès-BéthuneFouquières-lès-Béthune is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial village suburb situated just southwest of Béthune and southwest of Lille, at the junction of the D181, N41 and the N43 roads...
area. 1 Corps reserve and then GHQ reserve from 1 March.
- 23 March/24 : Joined 6 Corps (Lt-General Sir Aylmer HaldaneJames Aylmer Lowthorpe HaldaneGeneral Sir James Aylmer Lowthorpe Haldane GCMG, KCB, DSO was a senior British Army officer with a long and distinguished career.-Military career:...
) in Third Army, initially in reserve, then at ErvillersErvillersErvillers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated south of Arras at the junction of the N17, D36 and D9 roads.-History:...
, to defend the line against the German Seventeenth Army (General Otto von BelowOtto von BelowOtto von Below was a Prussian general. He was born at and died at Danzig .Before World War I, Otto von Below became major-general in 1909 and lieutenant-general in 1912. On August 1, 1914 he took command of the I. Reserve Corps, which on the outbreak of the war was to be assigned to the Eight Army...
) on the right (i.e. north) wing of the "Michael 1" German Spring Offensive (Kaiserschlacht) in the First Battle of the Somme (1918). First Battle of Bapaume.
- 25 March 1918 : Counterattacked in the afternoon with 7 tanks and 300 infantry from Logeast Wood to delay the German VI Reserve Corps. 10th Manchesters repelled 8 attacks by the German 2nd Guards Reserve Division, at Ervillers.
- 26 March 1918 : Retired ErvillersErvillersErvillers is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated south of Arras at the junction of the N17, D36 and D9 roads.-History:...
– BucquoyBucquoyBucquoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Arras on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.-Population:-Places of interest:...
. Together the 42nd and 62nd Division62nd (2nd West Riding) Division- History :During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullecourt in the Battle of Arras and Havrincourt in the Battle of Cambrai. In the First Battle of the Somme , they were in the line near Arras and in the Second Battle of the Marne, in the Ardre Valley...
held the Rossignol Wood – Bucquoy sector under heavy shelling against 6 attacks by the German 3rd Guards Infantry Division, the last with assistance of 11 Mk. IV tanks.
- 27 March – 5 April 1918 : Held line until end of final German assault on 5 April at BucquoyBucquoyBucquoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Arras on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.-Population:-Places of interest:...
.
- 6 April – July 1918 : Held line at BucquoyBucquoyBucquoy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village located 12 miles south of Arras on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, GommecourtGommecourt, Pas-de-CalaisGommecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming village situated south of Arras, on the D6 road.-Population:-World War I:...
, HébuterneHébuterneHébuterne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southwest of Arras, at the junction of the D27 and the D28 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
.
- 21–25 August 1918 : With 4 Corps in Third Army. Attacked and advanced Miraumont, across the River Ancre, Pys, Warlencourt. (Second Battle of the Somme (1918)Second Battle of the Somme (1918)During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
including Battle of Albert (1918)Battle of Albert (1918)Battle of Albert was the third battle by that name fought during World War I, following the First Battle of Albert, and the Second Battle of Albert, with each of the series of three being fought roughly two years apart...
)
Their opponent was the German 183rd Division.
Lance-Sergeant Edward SmithEdward Smith (VC)Edward Benn Smith VC, DCM was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, and the youngest such recipient from the First World War.-WWI:He is unusual in having...
of the 1/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions in the capture of The Lozenge (Hill 140, a German machine-gun nest) on 21 August and enemy counterattacks on 22 August.
- 25–27 August 1918 : Infantry withdrew for 2 days rest in Miraumont-Pys area.
Divisional artillery went into action under heavy fire in support of 63rd Division on outskirts of Loupart Wood.
- 28 August – 5 September 1918 : Relieved 63rd Division in the line and resumed advance. Attacked and advanced ThilloyLigny-ThilloyLigny-Thilloy is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Ligny-Thilloy is situated just southwest of Bapaume and south of Arras, at the junction of the D10 and the D10E roads.-Population:...
, Riencourt-lès-BapaumeRiencourt-lès-BapaumeRiencourt-lès-Bapaume is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Riencourt-lès-Bapaume lies south of Arras, at the junction of the D11E and N17 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, Villers-au-FlosVillers-au-FlosVillers-au-Flos is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Villers-au-Flos is situated some south of Arras, near the junction of the D11 and N17 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, Ytres, across the Canal du Nord to Metz-en-CoutureMetz-en-CoutureMetz-en-Couture is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Metz-en-Couture is situated southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D7 and the D17 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
(Second Battle of the Somme (1918)Second Battle of the Somme (1918)During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
including the Second Battle of BapaumeSecond Battle of BapaumeThe Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of World War I that took place at Bapaume, Francebetween 21 August and 3 September 1918. It followed the Battle of Amiens and is also referred to as the second phase of that battle...
)
- 6 September 1918 : Infantry relieved by New Zealand DivisionNew Zealand DivisionThe New Zealand Division was a World War I infantry division formed in Egypt in January 1916 following the evacuation of Gallipoli. At the outbreak of war the New Zealand Expeditionary Force contained a single infantry brigade which was combined with the unattached Australian 4th Infantry Brigade...
and moved to rest in Pys-Tholloy area. Divisional artillery remained in the line in support of New Zealand Division.
- 21 September/22 September 1918 : Relieved 37th Division east of Havrincourt Wood.
- 27–28 September 1918 : Attacked and advanced Havrincourt Wood through the Siegfried Stellung section of the Hindenburg LineHindenburg LineThe Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
via successive planned objectives denoted Black, Red, Brown, Yellow, Blue Lines, to Welsh Ridge. The Hindenburg Line was attacked in enfilade, or diagonally, as can be seen from the map. Many casualties were sustained from machine guns situated in Beaucamp to the right of the Division's front. (Battle of the Canal du NordBattle of the Canal du NordThe Battle of Canal du Nord was part of a general Allied offensive against German positions on the Western Front during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts...
)
- 29 September – 8 October 1918 : Infantry relieved by New Zealand Division and withdrew to Havrincourt Wood for rest.
Divisional artillery remained in action in support of the New Zealand Division in the Pursuit to the SellePursuit to the SelleThe Pursuit to the Selle, a portion of which is referred to as the Battle of the Selle, was a series of skirmishes between allied forces and the German Army, fought during what is known as The Last Hundred Days of World War I, and which occurred after the Second Battle of Cambrai.The pursuit began...
- 9–12 October 1918 : Infantry marched up to the front through Lesdain, Esnes, BeauvoisBeauvois-en-CambrésisBeauvois-en-Cambrésis is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-References:*...
and relieved New Zealand Division, who had established a bridgehead across the River Selle at BriastreBriastre-References:*...
.
- 12–23 October 1918 : Defended BriastreBriastre-References:*...
against heavy German counterattacks and shelling. Advanced across River Selle to Marou, Virtigneul and Belle Vue Farm (Battle of the Selle).
Private Alfred Robert WilkinsonAlfred Robert WilkinsonAlfred Robert Wilkinson VC ,was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
of the 1/5th Manchesters was awarded the Victoria Cross for actions on 20 October at Marou. The Division's opponent in these actions was the German 25th Division25th Division (German Empire)The 25th Division , officially the Grand Ducal Hessian Division , was a unit of the Prussian/German Army. It was headquartered in Darmstadt, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. The division was subordinated in peacetime to the XVIII Army Corps when that corps was formed in 1899...
.
- 24 October – 3 November 1918 : Relieved by New Zealand Division. Withdrew to BeauvoisBeauvois-en-CambrésisBeauvois-en-Cambrésis is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-References:*...
for rest.
- 3–6 November 1918 : Moved up though Le QuesnoyLe QuesnoyLe Quesnoy is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.Le Quesnoy's inhabitants are known as Quercitains.- Economy :The town of Le Quesnoy has somehow missed much of the Industrial Revolution. Unlike the neighboring towns of Valenciennes or Maubeuge, iron/steel works did not take hold...
and Forest of MormalForêt de MormalThe Forêt de Mormal is a forest in France, near the Franco-Belgian border. It is best known to the British for its role in the retreat from Mons in August 1914. Its lack of passable roads forced I and II Corps of the British army to divide and the two corps did not reunite for some days.- External...
in support of the advance of 37th and New Zealand DivisionNew Zealand DivisionThe New Zealand Division was a World War I infantry division formed in Egypt in January 1916 following the evacuation of Gallipoli. At the outbreak of war the New Zealand Expeditionary Force contained a single infantry brigade which was combined with the unattached Australian 4th Infantry Brigade...
s.
- 6–9 November 1918 : Relieved New Zealand Division in line of attack on eastern edge of Forest of Mormal. Attacked and advanced to HautmontHautmont-Twin towns - sister cities:Kamianets-Podilskyi is twinned with: Kalisz in Poland -References:*...
in the Arrondissement of Avesnes-sur-HelpeArrondissement of Avesnes-sur-HelpeThe arrondissement of Avesnes-sur-Helpe is an arrondissement of France, located in the Nord department, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region. It has 12 cantons and 151 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Avesnes-sur-Helpe are:...
.
- 11 November 1918 : Stood fast on line MaubeugeMaubeugeMaubeuge is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It is situated on both banks of the Sambre , east of Valenciennes and about from the Belgian border.-History:...
– Avesnes-sur-HelpeAvesnes-sur-HelpeAvesnes-sur-Helpe is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department Nord-Pas Calais. Avesnes-sur-Helpe is known as "the little Switzerland of the north." This region is filled with spacious country parks areas and leisure facilities, including Val...
Road
Second World War
In 1940 the division was known as the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division. It was deployed as part of the British Expeditionary ForceBritish Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. After the evacuation of Dunkirk
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
the Division was regrouped but then reorganised as 42nd Armoured Division
42nd Armoured Division (United Kingdom)
The 42nd Armoured Division was a First Line Territorial Army formation during the Second World War. It was formed by converting an infantry division into an armoured role...
on 1 November 1941. It was later disbanded on 17 October 1943 without seeing action as an armoured formation. The name of the division was later used for the purpose of military deception.
Post 1945
In 1947, the 42nd and 55th Divisions were amalgamated to form the 42nd (Lancashire) Division as part of the post-war Territorial Army but this was disbanded by 1968 with changes to the Territorial Army structure.In the modern British Army
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...
the 42 North West Brigade
British 42nd Infantry Brigade
The British Army's 42nd Infantry Brigade was originally a brigade of the 14th Division in World War I. It was re-formed during the Second World War as a security force to protect Lines of Communication in North Africa....
has adopted the former 42nd (Lancashire) Division badge.
Infantry
The infantry were equipped with the obsolescent Long Magazine Lee-Enfield (MLE) rifle from embarkation in 1914 until arrival in France in March 1917, when they were re-equipped with the standard modern Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE).The division comprised three infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s:
125th Brigade (Lancashire Fusiliers
Lancashire Fusiliers
The Lancashire Fusiliers was a British infantry regiment that was amalgamated with other Fusilier regiments in 1968 to form the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.- Formation and early history:...
Brigade) :
- 1/5th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers from BuryBuryBury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester...
. Outlying detachments at Radcliffe and Heywood. - 1/6th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers from RochdaleRochdaleRochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
. Outlying detachments at Middleton and Todmorden. Disbanded February 1918. Men transferred within 42nd Division and to 66th Division. - 1/7th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers from SalfordCity of SalfordThe City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
- 1/8th Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers from Salford
126th Brigade (East Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
Brigade) :
- 1/4th Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment from Blackburn
disbanded February 1918. Men transferred within 42nd Division and to 66th Division. - 1/5th Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment from BurnleyBurnleyBurnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
- 1/8th (Ardwick) Battalion, The Manchester RegimentThe Manchester RegimentThe Manchester Regiment was a regiment of the British army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 63rd Regiment of Foot and the 96th Regiment of Foot...
from ArdwickArdwickArdwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
and East Manchester transferred from 127th Brigade February 1918. - 1/9th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment from Ashton-under-LyneAshton-under-LyneAshton-under-Lyne is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies on the north bank of the River Tame, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines...
disbanded February 1918. Men transferred within 42nd Division and to 66th Division. - 1/10th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment
from OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
127th Brigade (Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Brigade) :
See: Museum of The Manchester Regiment. History Territorial Force 1914 – 1919 (external link)
- 1/5th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment from WiganWiganWigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
Outlying detachments at Haydock, Atherton, Patricroft, and Swinton. - 1/6th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment from Manchester and suburbs including CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
- 1/7th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment from Manchester and suburbs including Cheshire
- 1/8th (Ardwick) Battalion, The Manchester Regiment
from ArdwickArdwickArdwick is a district of the City of Manchester, in North West England, about one mile east of Manchester City Centre.By the mid-19th century Ardwick had grown from being a village into a pleasant and wealthy suburb of Manchester, but by the end of that century it had become heavily industrialised...
and East Manchester transferred to 126th Brigade February 1918.
Pioneer Battalion
- 1/7th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Joined the 42nd Division from 50th Division on 12 February 1918 near Bethune after being converted from an infantry battalion. 3 companies
Cavalry
- A Squadron, 1/1st Duke of Lancaster's Own YeomanryDuke of Lancaster's Own YeomanryThe Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry has its origins in the various troops of light horse raised in the eighteenth century in the county of Lancaster, the earliest of which was the Bolton Light Horse formed in 1798....
from OldhamOldhamOldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
did not proceed to Gallipoli; remained in Egypt and fought in the Western Desert expedition against the Senussi. Rejoined 42nd Division after it returned to Egypt from Gallipoli.
Transferred to 53rd Division January 1917 and fought at Gaza, then served with 60th60th (2/2nd London) DivisionThe British 60th Division was the second of two second-line Territorial Force divisions formed from the surplus of London recruits in 1914. Originally the division merely supplied the first-line Territorial divisions with drafts to replace losses through casualties...
and 52nd Divisions in Palestine and Syria.
Divisional Artillery
- 1st East Lancs Brigade R.F.A. (Blackburn Artillery)
Renamed 210 Brigade 6 May 1916- 4th Lancashire Battery from Blackburn. Renamed A Battery 6 May 1916.
- 5th Lancashire Battery from ChurchChurch, LancashireChurch is a large village in Hyndburn, Lancashire, England; situated a mile west of Accrington. The local travel links are located less than a mile from the village centre to Church and Oswaldtwistle railway station and to Blackpool Airport. Also, the main road running through the village is the...
. Renamed B Battery 6 May 1916. - 6th Lancashire Battery from BurnleyBurnleyBurnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
. Renamed C Battery 6 May 1916.
- 2nd East Lancs Brigade R.F.A. (Manchester Artillery)
Arrived Egypt May 1915, did not go to Gallipoli.
Renamed 211 Brigade 29 May 1916- 15th Lancashire Battery from ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Renamed A Battery 29 May 1916. - 16th Lancashire Battery from Manchester. Renamed B Battery 29 May 1916.
- 17th Lancashire Battery from Manchester. Renamed C Battery 29 May 1916.
- 15th Lancashire Battery from Manchester
- 3rd East Lancs Brigade R.F.A. (Bolton Artillery)
Renamed 212 Brigade 29 May 1916- 18th Lancashire Battery from BoltonBoltonBolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
and district. Renamed A Battery 29 May 1916. - 19th Lancashire Battery from Bolton and district. Renamed B Battery 29 May 1916.
- 20th Lancashire Battery from Bolton and district. Renamed C Battery 29 May 1916.
- 18th Lancashire Battery from Bolton
Originally each of the above batteries was equipped with four obsolescent BLC 15 pounder
Ordnance BLC 15 pounder
The Ordnance BLC 15 pounder gun was a modernised version of the obsolete BL 15 pounder 7 cwt gun, incorporating a recoil and recuperator mechanism above the barrel and modified quicker-opening breech...
field guns (referred to somewhat inaccurately by Ian Hamilton as "relics of South Africa
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
"). They were replaced on 29 February 1916 with modern QF 18 pounder
Ordnance QF 18 pounder
The Ordnance QF 18 pounder, or simply 18-pounder Gun, was the standard British Army field gun of the World War I era. It formed the backbone of the Royal Field Artillery during the war, and was produced in large numbers. It was also used by British and Commonwealth Forces in all the main theatres,...
guns handed over by 29th Division in Egypt.
- 4th East Lancs (Howitzer) Brigade R.F.A. (CumberlandCumberlandCumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
Artillery)
Originally each of the 2 batteries was equipped with 4 obsolescent BL 5 inch HowitzerBL 5 inch HowitzerThe Ordnance BL 5 inch Howitzer was initially introduced to provide the Royal Field Artillery with continuing explosive shell capability following the decision to concentrate on shrapnel for field guns in the 1890s.-Sudan Campaign:...
s ("some of them OmdurmanBattle of OmdurmanAt the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the British Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...
veterans").
Joined Division on Gallipoli in July 1915 from Egypt. However, only limited supplies of the new 40 pound 5-inch shells were sent from Mudros (older shells were 50 pounds). No range tables for the lighter and hence longer-range shell were available, and they had a new pattern fuse for which no fuse keys were available. Hence use of these howitzers on Gallipoli became very limited.
Renamed 213 Brigade in May 1916.
Re-equipped in June 1916 with modern QF 4.5 inch HowitzerQF 4.5 inch HowitzerThe Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of the First World War era. It replaced the BL 5 inch Howitzer and equipped some 25% of the field artillery. It entered service in 1910 and remained in service through the interwar period and was last used in...
s.- 1st Cumberland (Howitzer) Battery from Carlisle. Renamed A Battery May 1916.
- 2nd Cumberland (Howitzer) Battery from WorkingtonWorkingtonWorkington is a town, civil parish and port on the west coast of Cumbria, England, at the mouth of the River Derwent. Lying within the Borough of Allerdale, Workington is southwest of Carlisle, west of Cockermouth, and southwest of Maryport...
. Renamed B Battery May 1916.
In February 1917 the Cumberland Artillery / 213 Brigade was disbanded and its two howitzer batteries merged into the 18-pounder brigades in accordance with the new artillery brigade philosophy. Existing four-gun, 18-pounder batteries in each of 210, 211 and 212 Brigades were merged into six-gun batteries, and the four brigades replaced by new 210 and 211 Brigades
each with 3 six-gun, 18-pounder batteries and one howitzer battery.
Gibbon's divisional history states that the above occurred on paper on Christmas Day 1916, when the division was on manoeuvres at Al Mazar, and the reorganization actually occurred in February 1917 on return to the canal zone.
Hence from February 1917 to 11 November 1918 the divisional artillery consisted of 210 and 211 Brigades, each with 3 six-gun batteries of 18-pounders (A,B,C) and one battery of four 4.5-inch howitzers (D).
Trench mortar batteries
- V/42 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery. Formed in France March 1917
Equipped with 4 9.45 inch Heavy Mortar9.45 inch Heavy MortarThe ML 9.45 inch Heavy Trench Mortar, nicknamed the Flying Pig, was a large calibre mortar of World War I and the standard British heavy mortar from Autumn 1916 onwards. It was a modification of an original French design, the Mortier de 240 mm developed by Batignolles Company of Paris and...
s. Part of Divisional Artillery until 15 February 1918 when it remained in La Bassée sector under Corps command when the Division departed. - Medium Trench Mortar Batteries. Formed in France March 1917
Initially 3 batteries, each equipped with 4 Newton 6 inch MortarNewton 6 inch MortarThe Newton 6 inch Mortar was the standard British medium mortar in World War I from early 1917 onwards.-Description:The Newton 6 inch replaced the 2 inch Medium Mortar beginning in February 1917....
s, and 2 batteries of 6 from February 1918, following the disbanding of Z Battery. Part of Divisional Artillery- X/42 Battery
- Y/42 Battery
- Z/42 Battery. Broken up February 1918. Redistributed to X and Y Batteries.
- Light Trench Mortar Batteries. Formed in France March 1917. Equipped with the 3 inch Stokes MortarStokes MortarThe Stokes mortar was a British trench mortar invented by Sir Wilfred Stokes KBE which was issued to the British Army and the Commonwealth armies during the latter half of the First World War.-History:...
. Attached to the 3 infantry brigades and named after them.
42 Battalion Machine Gun Corps
Formed 23 February 1918 from the previous four separate companies. One company was attached to each of the three infantry brigades and one company in Divisional Reserve.Royal Engineers
- 1st East Lancashire Field Company renamed 427 Field Company February 1917
- 2nd East Lancashire Field Company renamed 428 Field Company February 1917
- 3rd East Lancashire Field Company joined Division June 1916 in Egypt. Renamed 429 Field Company February 1917
- 42nd Division Signal Company. See: Major I G Kelly, 42 Squadron History World War One (external link)
Army Service Corps
- 3 Companies
- Transport and Supply Column. Left and joined 53d Division in March 1917 and served in the operations against Gaza, then joined 74th Division. A new Divisional Train was formed in England and joined the 42nd Division in France after previously serving in France with the 3rd (Lahore) Division3rd (Lahore) DivisionThe 3rd Division was an infantry division of the British Indian Army, first organised in 1852. It saw service during World War I as part of the Indian Corps in France before being moved to the Middle East where it fought against troops of the Ottoman Empire.-Pre-Mutiny:The Lahore Division first...
.
Royal Army Medical Corps
- 1/1st East Lancashire Field Ambulance attached to 127 Brigade
- 1/2nd East Lancashire Field Ambulance did not proceed to Gallipoli; attached to 126 Brigade
- 1/3rd East Lancashire Field Ambulance; attached to 125 Brigade
Battles
- Battle of GallipoliBattle of GallipoliThe Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
- Second Battle of KrithiaSecond Battle of KrithiaThe Second Battle of Krithia continued the Allies' attempts to advance on the Helles battlefield during the Battle of Gallipoli of the First World War. The village of Krithia and neighbouring hill of Achi Baba had to be captured in order for the British to advance up the Gallipoli peninsula to the...
- Third Battle of KrithiaThird Battle of KrithiaThe Third Battle of Krithia , fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Ottoman defences aimed at capturing the original objectives of 25 April 1915...
- Battle of Krithia VineyardBattle of Krithia VineyardThe Battle of Krithia Vineyard was intended as a minor British action at Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula to divert attention from the imminent launch of the August Offensive. Instead, the British commander, Brigadier General H.E...
- Second Battle of Krithia
- Battle of RomaniBattle of RomaniThe Battle of Romani was fought east of the Suez Canal, near the Egyptian town of Romani and the site of ancient Pelusium on the Sinai Peninsula during the First World War...
- Third Battle of Ypres
- First Battle of the Somme (1918)
- First Battle of Bapaume
- Second Battle of the Somme (1918)Second Battle of the Somme (1918)During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
- Battle of Albert (1918)Battle of Albert (1918)Battle of Albert was the third battle by that name fought during World War I, following the First Battle of Albert, and the Second Battle of Albert, with each of the series of three being fought roughly two years apart...
- Second Battle of BapaumeSecond Battle of BapaumeThe Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of World War I that took place at Bapaume, Francebetween 21 August and 3 September 1918. It followed the Battle of Amiens and is also referred to as the second phase of that battle...
- Battle of Albert (1918)
- Battle of the Canal du NordBattle of the Canal du NordThe Battle of Canal du Nord was part of a general Allied offensive against German positions on the Western Front during the Hundred Days Offensive of World War I. The battle took place in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France, along an incomplete portion of the Canal du Nord and on the outskirts...
- Battle of the Selle
Trescault, France
The 42nd Division Memorial stands on the north edge of Trescault village (Multimap external link) on the left of the road to Havrincourt. It was unveiled by Major-General Solly-Flood on Easter Sunday, 1922.The inscription reads: "In memory of all ranks of the 42nd East Lancashire Territorial Division who gave their lives for King and Country during the Great War and in commemoration of the attack and capture of the Hindenburg line at Trescault by the Division on 28 September 1918"
On the north-east side of Trescault, 274 metres to the east of the monument, is Ribecourt Road Cemetery, which the 42nd Division called the Divisional Cemetery, Trescault.
Further details and photographs can be found on the World War One Battlefields: Cambrai page (external link).
See also
- List of British divisions in WWI
- British Divisions in World War IIBritish Divisions in World War IIThis page is a list of British Army divisions that fought in World War II.-Armoured:*Guards Armoured Division*1st Armoured Division*2nd Armoured Division - Formed 15 December 1939 in the UK. Served in Egypt from January 1941 until March 1941 and from April 1941 until May 1941, and in Libya from...
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939
External links
- Chris Baker, The British Army in the Great War: The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
- PB Chappell, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division Battles & Units
- Major I G Kelly, "Go One Better" A History of the 42nd (City of Manchester) Signal Squadron (Volunteers)
- Museum of The Manchester Regiment. History Territorial Force 1914 – 1919
- Linda Corbett, The Ashton Territorials, 9th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment During WWI
- John Hartley, "IN FROM THE COLD" A Manchester at Gallipoli. Sgt. Thomas Worthington, 1/6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment
- Captain S. J. Wilson, M.C. The Seventh Manchesters July 1916 to March 1919 Manchester University Press, 1920.
- Fusiliers' Museum, Lancashire
- Neil Drum and Roger Dowson, "Hell let loose. The 1/7th (Salford) Territorial Battalion, the Lancashire Fusiliers" published by Neil Richardson, 2005
- John Hartley, More than a Name. The stories of the men from the Stockport area who fought and died in the Great War 1914–1918
- Rob Palmer 42 (East Lancashire) Division 1930–38