The history of 2nd Division
One of the first British formations to move to France, the 2nd Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It took part in the following battles and engagements.
Commanded by Major-General C. C. Monro
1914
The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the Affair of Landrecies, the Rearguard Affair of Le Grand Fayt and the Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterets (August)
The Battle of the Marne (September)
The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights (September)
First Battle of Ypres (October-November)
Commanded by Brigadier-General R. Fanshawe, 26 Dec 1914 to 1 January 1915
Then Major-General H. S. Horne
1915
Winter Operations 1914-15
The Battle of Festubert (May)
The Battle of Loos (September-October)
Commanded by Major-General W. G. Walker VC from 5 November 1915
1916
The Battles of the Somme 1916, in phases
– Battle of Delville Wood
– Battle of the Ancre
Operations on the Ancre
Commanded by Major-General C. E. Pereira from 27 Dec 1916
1917
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line (March-April)
The Battles of Arras 1917 (April-May), in phases
– First Battle of the Scarpe
– Battle of Arleux
– Second Battle of the Scarpe
The Battle of Cambrai (November-December)
1918
The First Battles of the Somme 1918 (March-April) (Operation Michael, “Kaiserschlacht”), in phases
– Battle of St Quentin
– Battle of Bapaume
– First Battle of Arras 1918 (Operation Mars)
The battles Second Battles of the Somme 1918 (August), in phases
– Battle of Albert
– Second Battle of Bapaume
The Battles of the Hindenburg Line (September-October), in phases
– Battle of Havrincourt
– Battle of the Canal du Nord
– Battle of Cambrai 1918
The Battle of the Selle
The Division was selected to advance into Germany to form part of the Occupation Force.
The order of battle of the 2nd Division
| Units and sub-formations | Dates with division |
|---|---|
| Division Headquarters | Throughout |
| 4th (Guards) Brigade | On the formation of the Guards Division in August 1915, this Brigade left 2nd Division and on joining Guard Division was retitled as 1st Guards Brigade |
| 2nd Bn, the Grenadier Guards | From start |
| 2nd Bn, the Coldstream Guards | From start |
| 3rd Bn, the Coldstream Guards | From start |
| 1st Bn, the Irish Guards | From start |
| 1/1st Bn, the Hertfordshire Regiment | Joined November 1914. Acquired nickname, “Hertfordshire Guards”. Left 19 August 1915 |
| 5th Infantry Brigade | |
| 2nd Bn, the Worcestershire Regiment | From start. Left December 1915 |
| 2nd Bn, the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry | Throughout |
| 2nd Bn, the Highland Light Infantry | Throughout |
| 2nd Bn, the Connaught Rangers | From start. Left November 1914 |
| 1/9th Bn, the Highland Light Infantry | Joined November 1914, left January 1916 |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | Joined 26 January 1915, left 22 July 1915 |
| 1st Bn, the Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment) | Joined July 1915, left December 1915 |
| 1/7th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | Joined 4 September 1915, left 11 November 1915 |
| 17th Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (Empire) | Joined 13 December 1915, left 6 February 1918 |
| 24th Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (2nd Sportsmen’s) | Joined 13 December 1915 |
| 5th Machine Gun Company | Formed on 1 January 1916. Left to move into 2nd MG Battalion 4 March 1918 |
| 5th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 11 March 1916 |
| 6th Infantry Brigade | |
| 1st Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | Throughout |
| 2nd Bn, the South Staffordshire Regimentt | Throughout |
| 1st Bn, the Royal Berkshire Regiment | From start. Left 15 December 1915 |
| 1st Bn, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps | From start. Left 13 December 1915 |
| 1/5th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | Joined 24 February 1915, left 15 December 1915 |
| 1/7th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | Joined 12 March 1915, left 4 September 1915 |
| 1/1st Bn, the Hertfordshire Regiment | Joined 19 August 1915. Left 28 February 1916 |
| 17th Bn, the Middlesex Regiment (Football) | Joined 8 December 1915, disbanded February 1918 |
| 13th Bn, the Essex Regiment (West Ham) | Joined December 1915, disbanded February 1918 |
| 17th Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (Empire) | Joined 6 February 1918 |
| 6th Machine Gun Company | Formed on 4 January 1916. Left to move into 2nd MG Battalion 4 March 1918 |
| 6th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 18 March 1916 |
| 19th Infantry Brigade | This Brigade joined from 27th Division in order to replace the 4th (Guards) Brigade. It came under divisional command on 19 August 1915 but left to go to 33rd Division on 25 November 1915 |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers | |
| 1st Bn, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | |
| 1/5th Bn, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | |
| 1st Bn, the Middlesex Regiment | |
| 2nd Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders | |
| 99th Infantry Brigade | This Brigade arrived from 33rd Division on 25 November 1915 |
| 22nd Bn, Royal Fusiliers (Kensington) | Disbanded 3 February 1918 |
| 23rd Bn, Royal Fusiliers (1st Sportsmen’s) | |
| 24th Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (2nd Sportsmen’s) | Left 13 December 1915 |
| 1/5th Bn, the King’s (Liverpool Regiment) | Joined 15 December 1915, left 7 January 1916 |
| 1st Bn, the Royal Berkshire Regiment | Joined 15 December 1915 |
| 1st Bn, the King’s Royal Rifle Corps | Joined 13 December 1915 |
| 17th Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (Empire) | Joined 6 February 1918 |
| 99th Machine Gun Company | Joined on 28 April 1916. Left to move into 2nd MG Battalion 4 March 1918 |
| 99th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined by 18 March 1916 |
| Divisional Troops | Units under direct command of Divisional HQ |
| 10th Bn, the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (Cornwall Pioneers) | Joined 23 June 1916, left 16 July 1917 but returned 7 November 1917 |
| 242nd Machine Gun Company | Joined 18 July 1917. Left to move into 2nd MG Battalion 4 March 1918 |
| 2nd Battalion, the Machine Gun Corps | Formed 4 March 1918 |
| 2nd Divisional Train, Army Service Corps | From start. Numbers 11, 28, 31, 35 Companies. 11 left division with 4th (Guards) Brigade on 19 August 1915 and was replaced by 8 Company. On 25 November 1915, 8 Company exchanged places with 172 Company from 33rd Division |
| 3rd Mobile Veterinary Section, Army Veterinary Corps | Throughout |
| 205th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps | Joined from 7th Division 18 May 1917 |
| 2nd Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop Unit | Joined by 4 April 1915, transferred to Divisional Train 9 April 1916 |
| Divisional Mounted Troops | Units under direct command of Divisional HQ |
| B Squadron, the 15th (King’s) Hussars | From start. Left April 1915 |
| B Sqn, South Irish Horse | Joined May 1915, left May 1916 |
| 2nd Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps | From start. Left June 1916 |
| Divisional Artillery | Under orders of Divisional Commander Royal Artillery |
| XXXIV Brigade, RFA | From start. Left January 1917 |
| XXXVI Brigade, RFA | Throughout |
| XLI Brigade, RFA | Throughout |
| XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA | From start. Left May 1916 |
| 35th Heavy Battery, RGA | From start. Left April 1915 |
| 11 Pom-Pom Section, RGA | Joined 22 September 1914. Left 25 January 1915 |
| 1st Siege Battery, RGA | Joined February 1915, left April 1915 |
| 26th Heavy Battery, RGA | Joined February 1915, left April 1915 |
| 7 Mountain Battery, RGA | Joined 4 February 1915. Left 9 December 1915. |
| V.2 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA | Formed 26 May 1917, left by 3 January 1918 |
| X.2, Y.2 and Z.2 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA | Joined in April 1916; on 24 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each |
| 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA | Throughout |
| Divisional Engineers | All of the Royal Engineers and under orders of Divisional Commander Royal Engineers |
| 5th Field Company | Throughout |
| 11th Field Company | From start. Left December 1915 |
| 1st (East Anglian) Field Company | Joined January 1915, later renamed 483rd Field Company RE |
| 226th Field Company | Joined December 1915 |
| 2nd Divisional Signal Company | Throughout |
| Divisional Medical Units | All of the Royal Army Medical Corps |
| 4th Field Ambulance | From start. Left for Guards Division 19 August 1915 Article “The capture of 4th Field Ambulance” |
| 5th Field Ambulance | Throughout |
| 6th Field Ambulance | Throughout |
| 19th Field Ambulance | Joined with 19th Infantry Brigade August 1915, left November 1915 |
| 100th Field Ambulance | Joined with 99th Infantry Brigade November 1915 |
| 11th Sanitary Section | Joined by 9 January 1915, left 27 December 1916 |
Divisional histories
“History of the Second Division 1914-1918” (in two volumes) by Everard Wyrall
Volume I (free PDF download)
Volume 2 (free PDF download)
Divisional memorials
There does not appear to be a memorial to the 2nd Division except that at Aldershot, unveiled in 1923.