The British 32nd Division was a New Army 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...

 that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the British War Office

War Office

The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

 in September 1915. It served in France on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War

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...

.

The division's insignia was four 'eights' arranged in an 'X' shape.

Formation

95th Brigade :

The brigade moved to the 5th Division in December 1915, swapping with the 14th Brigade.

• 14th (Service) Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, (1st City of Birmingham Battalion)
• 15th (Service) Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, (2nd City of Birmingham Battalion)
• 16th (Service) Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, (3rd City of Birmingham Battalion)
• 12th (Service) Battalion (Bristol), The Gloucestershire Regiment
  The Gloucestershire Regiment
  The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed "The Glorious Glosters", the regiment carried more battle honours on their regimental colours than any other British Army line regiment.-Origins and early history:...
  
  

96th Brigade :

• 16th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
• 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Salford), 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:...
  
  
• 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Salford), Lancashire Fusiliers
• 19th (Service) Battalion (3rd Salford), Lancashire Fusiliers (to 14 Bde January 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
  Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
  The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
  
   (from December 1915 until February 1918)
• 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment
  The Manchester Regiment
  The 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 14 Bde February 1918)

97th Brigade :

• 11th (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale), The Border Regiment (until May 1918)
• 1/5th (Cumberland) Battalion, The Border Regiment (from May 1918)
• 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry
  Highland Light Infantry
  The Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
  
   (to 14 Bde January 1916)
• 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry (to Pioneers February 1918)
• 17th (Service) Battalion (3rd Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry (disbanded February 1918)
• 2nd Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
  King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
  The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. The regiment's traditions and history are now maintained by The Rifles.-The 51st Foot:...
  
   (from December 1915)
• 10th (Service) Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (from February 1918)

14th Brigade :

The brigade joined from the 5th Division in December 1915, swapping with the 95 Brigade.

• 1st Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment
• 19th (Service) Battalion (3rd Salford), Lancashire Fusiliers (from 96 Bde January 1916 until July 1916)
• 1/5th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (from July 1916)
• 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry (from 97 Bde January 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment (to 14 Bde February 1918)

Pioneers :

• 17th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (various times)
• 1/12th Battalion TF (Pioneers), The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (from November 1916 until January 1917)
• 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Glasgow), Highland Light Infantry (from 97 Bde February 1918)

Battles

• Battle of the Somme (1916)
  Battle of the Somme (1916)
  The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
  
  
  • Battle of Albert
    Battle of Albert (1916)
    The Battle of Albert, 1 July – 13 July 1916, was the opening phase of the British and French offensive that became the Battle of the Somme.-Haig's desire to break through versus Rawlinson's "bite and hold":...
    
    
• Battle of Amiens

External links

• The British Army in the Great War: The 32nd Division