The history of 1st Division
One of the first British formations to move to France, the 1st Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It took part in most of the major actions, including:
1914
Commanded by Major-General S. H. Lomax
- The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the Rearguard Affair of Etreux (August)
- The Battle of the Marne (September)
- The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights and the Action of Chivy (September)
- First Battle of Ypres (October-November).
- On 31 October 1914, at the climax of the battle, 1st Divisional headquarters at Hooge was hit by enemy shellfire, whereupon the Divisional Commander (Major-General Lomax) was severely wounded and his GSO1 (Col. F. W. Kerr) was killed. Major-General H. S. Landon took temporary command. On 22 November 1914 he was replaced by Major-General Sir D. Henderson and he was replaced on 19 December 1914 by Major-General R. C. B. Haking.
1915
- Winter Operations 1914-15
- The Battle of Aubers (9 May)
Commanded by Major-General A. E. A. Holland from 11 September 1915
- The Battle of Loos (September-October)
1916
Commanded by Major-General E. P. Strickland from 12 June 1916
- The Battles of the Somme 1916:
- The Battle of Albert (July)
- The Battle of Bazentin (July)
- The Battle of Pozieres (July-September)
- The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (September)
- The Battle of Morval (September)
1917
- The British pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (March-April)
- The 1st Division was warned to prepare for an operation along the Belgian coast in summer 1917. It moved to the Dunkirk area for specialist training and occupied part of the front line east of Nieuwpoort. Several mobile units were attached in readiness. The operation was cancelled when the initial assaults in the Third Battle of Ypres failed to progress as expected.
- The Third Battles of Ypres:
- The Second Battle of Passchendaele (October-November)
1918
- The Battles of the Lys:
- The Battle of Estaires (April)
- The Battle of Hazebrouck (April)
- The Battle of Bethune (April)
- The Second Battles of Arras 1918:
- The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (September)
- The Battles of the Hindenburg Line:
- The Battle of Epehy (September)
- The Battle of the St Quentin Canal (September)
- The Battle of Beaurevoir (October)
- The Battle of the Selle (October)
- The Battle of the Sambre, in which the Division fought the Passage of the Sambre-Oise Canal (4 November)
The 1st Division was selected to advance into Germany and form part of the Occupation Force at Bonn.
The order of battle of the 1st Division
| Units and sub-formations | Dates with division |
|---|---|
| 1st Guards Brigade | On the formation of the Guards Division in August 1915, this brigade lost its two Guards battalions and was retitled as the 1st Brigade. |
| 1st Bn, the Coldstream Guards | From start. Left August 1915 |
| 1st Bn, the Scots Guards | From start. Left August 1915 |
| 1st Bn, the Black Watch | Throughout |
| 2nd, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | From start. Left August 1914 after near-destruction at the Rearguard Affair of Etreux |
| 1st Bn, the Cameron Highlanders | Joined September 1914 |
| 1/14th Bn, the London Regiment | Joined November 1914, left February 1916 |
| 10th Bn, the Gloucestershire Regt | Joined August 1915 |
| 8th Bn, the Royal Berkshire Regt | joined August 1915, left 2 February 1918 |
| 1st Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 27 November 1915 |
| 1st Machine Gun Company | Formed on 23 January 1916. Left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918 |
| 1st Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regt | Joined February 1918 |
| 2nd Infantry Brigade | |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Sussex Regt | Throughout |
| 1st Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regt | From start. Left for 1st Brigade February 1918 |
| 1st Bn, the Northamptonshire Regt | Throughout |
| 2nd Bn, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps | Throughout |
| 1/5th Bn, the Royal Sussex Regt | Joined February 1915, left August 1915 |
| 1/9th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regt) | Joined March 1915, left November 1915 |
| 1/5th Bn, the King’s Own (Lancaster Regt) | Joined October 1915, left January 1915 |
| 2nd Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 27 November 1915 |
| 2nd Machine Gun Company | Formed on 26 January 1916. Left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918 |
| 3rd Infantry Brigade | |
| 1st Bn, the Queen’s | From start. Left November 1914 |
| 1st Bn, the South Wales Borderers | Throughout |
| 1st Bn, the Gloucestershire Regiment | Throughout |
| 2nd Bn, the Welsh Regiment | Throughout |
| 2nd, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | Joined November 1914, left February 1918 |
| 1/4th Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers | Joined November 1914, left September 1915 |
| 1/6th Bn, the Welsh Regiment | Joined October 1915, left to become Divisional Pioneer Battalion May 1916 |
| 1/9th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regt) | Joined November 1915, left January 1916 |
| 3rd Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 27 November 1915 |
| 3rd Machine Gun Company | Formed on 26 January 1916. Left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918 |
| Divisional Troops | Units under direct command of Divisional HQ |
| 1/6th Bn, the Welsh Regiment | Joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion May 1916 |
| 216th Company, the Machine Gun Corps | Joined 22 March 1917. Left to move into 1st MG Battalion 28 February 1918 |
| 1st Battalion, the Machine Gun Corps | Formed 28 February 1918 |
| 1st Divisional Train ASC | Throughout. 6, 13, 16 and 36 Companies |
| 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section AVC | Throughout |
| 204th Divisional Employment Company | Joined 19 May 1917 at which time it was 6th Divisional Employment Company; renamed 14 June 1917 |
| 1st Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop Unit | Joined by 30 January 1915, transferred to Divisional Train 7 April 1916 |
| Divisional Mounted Troops | Units under direct command of Divisional HQ |
| C Squadron, the 15th (King’s) Hussars | From start. Left April 1915 |
| B Sqn, 1/1st Northumberland Hussars | Joined 13 April 1915, left 18 April 1916 |
| 1st Company, Army Cyclist Corps | From start. Left 15 June 1916 |
| Divisional Artillery | under orders of Divisional Commander Royal Artillery |
| XXV Brigade, RFA | Throughout |
| XXVI Brigade, RFA | From start. Left January 1917 |
| XXXIX Brigade, RFA | Throughout |
| LXI (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA | From start. Broken up 14 November 1916 |
| 1st Divisional Ammunition Column | Throughout |
| 26th Heavy Battery RGA | From start . Left April 1915 |
| V.1 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA | Formed 30 January 1917, broken up 9 February 1918 |
| X.1, Y.1 and Z.1 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA | Joined by 16 March 1916; on 9 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each |
| Royal Engineers | under orders of Divisional Commander Royal Engineers |
| 23rd Field Company | Throughout |
| 26th Field Company | Throughout |
| 1st (Lowland) Field Company | Joined December 1914, later renamed 409th Field Company |
| 1st Divisional Signals Company | Throughout |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| 1st Field Ambulance | Throughout |
| 2nd Field Ambulance | Throughout |
| 3rd Field Ambulance | From start. Left for Guards Division 24 August 1915 |
| 141st Field Ambulance | Joined 24 August 1915 |
| 13th Sanitary Section | Joined by 30 January 1915, left 2 April 1916 |
Links
Divisional history
There is no published history of 1st Division