The history of 22nd Division
This Division was established in September 1914 as part of Army Order 388 authorising Kitchener’s Third New Army, K3. The units began to assemble in the area of Eastbourne and Seaford, with the artillery at Lewes, from September 1914. The Division remained in these areas, other than when the infantry moved for two weeks entrenchment training to Maidstone in April 1915, as it was trained and equipped.
The Division crossed to France in early September 1915, all units being concentrated near Flesselles by 9th of the month. But the stay in France was to be very short.
On 27 October 1915, the Division, having been moved by train to Marseilles, began to embark for Salonika. It completed concentration there in November, although the final artillery units were still coming in as late as 13 December 1915. The 22nd Division remained in the theatre for the rest of the war, taking part in the following operations:
1915
8-13 December: the Retreat from Serbia (Advanced Divisional HQ, 6th Brigade, 9th Border and 68th Field Ambulance only)
1916
10-18 August 1916: the Battle of Horseshoe Hill
13-14 September 1916: the Battle of Machukovo
1917
24-25 April and 8-9 May 1917: the Battles of Doiran
1918
The Division lost a number of units in mid 1918; they were transferred to France
18-19 September 1918: the Battle of Doiran
An Armistice with Bulgaria was signed on 30 September 1918.
By 18-20 October, units of the Division had marched back to Stavros. Here they embarked on destroyers with the intention of a landing at Dede Agach to continue the fight against Turkey. After one attempt was called off due to rough weather, the infantry finally landed on 28 October 1918. On reaching Makri, the Division learned that an Armistice with Turkey was imminent. Demobilisation began at Chugunsi and the Division ceased to exist by 31 March 1919.
The 22nd Division had suffered casualties of 7,728 killed, wounded and missing during the war but vastly larger numbers sick with malaria, dysentery and other diseases rife in the Salonika theatre.
The order of battle of the 22nd Division
| 65th Brigade | |
| 9th Bn, the King’s Own | |
| 14th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | left 11 June 1918 |
| 12th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers | left 2 July 1918 |
| 9th Bn, the East Lancashire Regiment | |
| 65th Machine Gun Company | joined 14 July 1916 |
| 65th SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined by 17 July 1916 |
| 65th Trench Mortar Battery | joined 3 November 1916 |
| 8th Bn, the South Wales Borderers | joined July 1918 |
| 66th Brigade | |
| 9th Bn, the Border Regiment | left February 1915 |
| 9th Bn, the South Lancashire Regiment | |
| 8th Bn, the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry | |
| 13th Bn, the Manchester Regiment | left 28 June 1918 |
| 12th Bn, the Cheshire Regiment | joined February 1915 |
| 66th Machine Gun Company | joined 14 July 1916 |
| 66th SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined by 17 July 1916 |
| 66th Trench Mortar Battery | joined 5 November 1916 |
| 67th Brigade | |
| 11th Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers | |
| 7th Bn, the South Wales Borderers | |
| 8th Bn, the South Wales Borderers | left 30 June 1918 |
| 11th Bn, the Welsh Regiment | |
| 67th Machine Gun Company | joined 14 July 1916 |
| 67th SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined by 17 July 1916 |
| 67th Trench Mortar Battery | joined 4 November 1916 |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 12th Bn, the Cheshire regiment | left February 1915 |
| 10th Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment | left April 1915 |
| 9th Bn, the North Staffordshire Regiment | left April 1915 |
| 9th Bn, the Border Regiment | joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion in February 1915 |
| 10th Bn, the Hampshire Regiment | joined January 1919, left February 1919 |
| 2nd Bn, the QVO Rajput Light Infantry | joined January 1919, left February 1919 |
| 10th Bn, the Hampshire Regiment | joined January 1919, left February 1919 |
| 1/10th Bn, the Jats | briefly in January 1919 |
| 95th Bn, Russell’s Infantry | joined January 1919, left February 1919 |
| Divisional Mounted Troops | |
| D Sqn, the Lothians & Border Horse Yeomanry | joined July 1915, left 29 November 1916 |
| 22nd Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps | formed February 1915, left November 1916 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| XCVIII Brigade, RFA | |
| XCIX Brigade, RFA | |
| C Brigade, RFA | |
| CI Brigade, RFA | |
| 22nd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA | transferred to become ‘A’ Section of XII Corps Ammunition Column, January 1915. 22nd Division retained the Brigade Ammunition Columns |
| 22nd Heavy Battery, RGA | raised with the Division but moved to France joining XXIII Heavy Artillery Brigade on 31 August 1915 |
| Royal Engineers | |
| 87th Field Company | left February 1915 |
| 88th Field Company | left February 1915 |
| 99th Field Company | joined February 1915 |
| 100th Field Company | joined February 1915 |
| 127th Field Company | joined by June 1915 |
| 22nd Divisional Signals Company | |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| 66th Field Ambulance | |
| 67th Field Ambulance | |
| 68th Field Ambulance | |
| 39th Sanitary Section | |
| Other Divisional Troops | |
| 22nd Divisional Train ASC | 186, 187, 188 and 189 Coys ASC joined October 1914 but moved to 30th Division when 22nd Division left France; 108, 109, 110 and 111 Coys ASC joined from 10th (Irish) Division when in Salonika |
| 34th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC | |
| 816th Divisional Employment Company | formed 10 October 1917 |
| 22nd Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop | remained in France |
Divisional histories
There appears to be no published history of the 22nd Division.
Divisional memorials
Original and new (2008) memorials to the 22nd Division near Doiran in Macedonia