British 40th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
World War I
The 40th Infantry Division was originally formed as a Kitchener's ArmyKitchener's Army
The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob, was an all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in the First World War...
'Bantam
Bantam (military)
A bantam, in British army usage, was a soldier of below the British Army's minimum regulation height of 5ft. 3ins.During the First World War, the British Army raised battalions in which the normal minimum height requirement for recruits was reduced from 5'3" to 5'...
' division between September and December 1915 for service in 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...
. 'Bantam' personnel were those who were under the 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...
regulation height but otherwise fit for service. It comprised the 119th, 120th, and 121st Brigades. It moved to the Western Front in June 1916 and served there throughout the war. From July 1918 until March 1919, the division was led by General Sir William Peyton
William Peyton
General Sir William Eliot Peyton KCB KCVO DSO was a British soldier, a general of the First World War who fought in several other wars.He was Delhi Herald of Arms Extraordinary at the time of the Delhi Durbar of 1911....
and took part in the Hundred Days advance through Flanders.
World War II
The Division was re-formed by the British ArmyBritish 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...
in 1943 during the Second World War for deception purposes. It was formed in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
from the H.Q. of the 43rd Infantry Brigade
British 43rd Infantry Brigade
The British Army's 43rd Infantry Brigade was originally created during World War I as part of the 14th Division. It was reformed as a Lines of Communication security force in North Africa during the Second World War....
and it's units were designated for deception purposes as well. The division ceased to exist on 17th June 1944.
Post World War II
Following the increasing success of the CommunistsCommunism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in the Chinese Civil War, the 40th Division was reformed to bolster the defences of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1949 under the command of Major General G.C. Evans. In Hong Kong the Division comprised the 26th Gurkha, 27th
British 27th Infantry Brigade
The 27th Infantry Brigade was a British Army brigade during the Second World War and Korean War. In Korea, the brigade was known as 27th British Commonwealth Brigade due to the addition of Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and Indian units....
and 28th Infantry Brigades
British 28th Infantry Brigade
The 28th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation which served during the First World War, the Second World War, and the Korean War.-Second World War:...
, and 3rd Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Royal Tank Regiment
The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1992. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It originally saw action as C Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917....
. However the 27th Brigade was soon dispatched to Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in August 1950, and followed by other units of the division. The Division was later disbanded.