57th (2nd West Lancashire) Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The 57th Division was a British Army
unit created in 1914 as part of the massive expansion of the British military during World War I
. It was demobilized in 1919 following cessation of hostilities. The 57th Division was originally created as a Territorial Army (reserve) force but was sent to France
on 22 Feb 1917, serving on the Western front for the duration of the war. The 57th was subordinate to XI Corps, First Army.
During the World War II it was reconstituted from the 42nd Infantry Brigade
for deception purposes. It was one of a number of units created for this purpose or having their names or numbers changed to keep the Axis forces confused.
The Battle of the Scarpe
(first phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918
, also known as the Second Battle of the Somme)
The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918
)
The Battle of the Canal du Nord
(third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line
)
The Battle of Cambrai
(sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)
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...
unit created in 1914 as part of the massive expansion of the British military during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. It was demobilized in 1919 following cessation of hostilities. The 57th Division was originally created as a Territorial Army (reserve) force but was sent to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 22 Feb 1917, serving on the Western front for the duration of the war. The 57th was subordinate to XI Corps, First Army.
During the World War II it was reconstituted from the 42nd Infantry 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....
for deception purposes. It was one of a number of units created for this purpose or having their names or numbers changed to keep the Axis forces confused.
Commanders
- Brigadier Adam (acting) (05 Nov 1914 to April 1915)
- Major General Forster (April 1915 to 20 Oct 1916)
- Lieutenant General Robert BroadwoodRobert George BroadwoodLieutenant General Robert George Broadwood, CB was Commander of British Troops in South China.-Military career:Robert was the third son and child of Thomas Broadwood and Mary Athlea Matthews and a grandson of John Broadwood the founder of the Broadwood Piano Company...
, (20 Oct 1916 until killed in action 21 Jun 1917) - Brigadeer Wray (acting) (21 Jun 1917 to 01 Jul 1917)
- Major General Barnes (01 Jul 1917 to 04 Jul 1919)
WW-I Order of Battle
- 170th (2nd North Lancs) Brigade
- 171st (2nd Liverpool) Brigade
- 172nd (2nd South Lancashire) Brigade
- Assorted subordinate units
WW-I Battles
The Second Battle of Passchendaele (eighth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres)The Battle of the Scarpe
Battle of the Scarpe
The Battle of the Scarpe refers to a number of battles fought on the Western Front during World War I in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France:...
(first phase of the Second Battles of Arras 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...
, also known as the Second Battle of the Somme)
The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 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...
)
The Battle of the Canal du Nord
Battle of the Canal du Nord
The 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...
(third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The 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...
)
The Battle of Cambrai
Battle of Cambrai (1918)
The Battle of Cambrai was a battle between troops of the British First, Third and Fourth Armies and German Empire forces during the Hundred Days Offensive of the First World War. The battle took place in and around the French city of Cambrai, between 8 and 10 October 1918...
(sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)