The history of 54th (East Anglian) Division
The East Anglian Division was a formation of the Territorial Force. It was formed as a result of the reforms of the army carried out in 1908 under the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane and was one of 14 Divisions of the peacetime TF.
1914
The units of the Division had just departed for annual summer camp when emergency orders recalled them to the home base. All units were mobilised for full time war service on 5 August 1914 and moved to their allotted positions at Brentwood by 10 August 1914. Ten days later the entire Division moved to the areas of Chelmsford, Bury St Edmunds and Norwich.
Several of the Division’s units left in the period November 1914 – February 1915. Some were gradually replaced by second line units. The Division was employed on coastal defence duties at this time.
1915
The Division moved to St Albans in May 1915 under orders for overseas service.
On 8 July the Division was ordered to refit for service at Gallipoli. Leaving the artillery and train behind, the rest of the Division left 14-19 July and embarked at Devonport. Sailing from Liverpool and Devonport, the first ships reached Lemnos on 6 August. On 10 August units landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. The Division was then involved in the following moves and engagements:
The landing at Suvla Bay (10-15 August)=
Operations in the Suvla Bay area=
= the battles marked = are phases of the Gallipoli campaign
On 26 November the Division was ordered to prepare to withdraw to Mudros. On 3-8 December the Division was evacuated from Gallioli, only 240 officers and 4480 men strong. On 13 December it then went on to Alexandria, where it arrived on18 December. The units then concentrated at Sidi Bishr..
1916
The divisional artillery rejoined at Mena Camp (Cairo) 11-15 February 1916. The Division occupied No 1 (Southern) Section of the Suez Canal defences on 2 April 1916.
1917
The First Battle of Gaza (26-27 March)*
The Second Battle of Gaza (17-19 April)*
The Third Battle of Gaza (27 October -7 November)* including the Capture of Gaza (1-7 November)
The Battle of Jaffa (21-22 December)
* the battles marked * are phases of the Palestine campaign
1918
The fight at Ras el’Ain (12 March, 162nd Brigade only)*
The operations at Berukin (9-10 April)*
The battle of Sharon (19-23 September, part of the Battles of Megiddo)*
* the battles marked * are phases of the Palestine campaign
On 24 September the Division concentrated at Hable and began an advance to Haifa three days later. This move was completed on 4 October. The division was ordered to Beirut on 20 October; this move began three days later and the brigades moved on successive days via Acre, Ras es Naqura, Tyre and Sidon. The units concentrated at Beirut between 31 October and 5 November, but the Turks signed an Armistice on 31 October.
The Division moved to El Qantara, back in Egypt, from 28 November.
The first parties to be demobilised left for England in January 1919.The final cadres sailed home on 30 September 1919 and the Division reformed as part of the Territorial Army in April 1920.
The order of battle of the 54th (East Anglian) Division
| 161st (Essex) Brigade | |
| 1/4th Bn, the Essex Regiment | |
| 1/5th Bn, the Essex Regiment | |
| 1/6th Bn, the Essex Regiment | |
| 1/7th Bn, the Essex Regiment | |
| 161st Machine Gun Company | formed 23 April 1916, moved to 54th Bn MGC 19 April 1918 |
| 161st Trench Mortar Battery | formed 17 May 1917 |
| 162nd (East Midland) Brigade | |
| 1/5th Bn, the Bedfordshire Regiment | |
| 1/4th Bn, the Northamptonshire Regiment | |
| 1/1st Bn, the Cambridgeshire Regiment | left February 1915 |
| 1/1st Bn, the Hertfordshire Regiment | left November 1914 |
| 2/1st Bn, the Cambridgeshire Regiment | joined February 1915, left April 1915 |
| 1/10th Bn, the London Regiment | joined April 1915 |
| 1/11th Bn, the London Regiment | joined April 1915 |
| 162nd Machine Gun Company | formed 26 April 1916, moved to 54th Bn MGC 19 April 1918 |
| 162nd Trench Mortar Battery | formed 5 May 1917 |
| 163rd (Norfolk & Suffolk) Brigade | |
| 1/4th Bn, the Norfolk Regiment | |
| 1/5th Bn, the Norfolk Regiment | |
| 1/4th Bn, the Suffolk Regiment | left November 1914 |
| 1/5th Bn, the Suffolk Regiment | |
| 1/8th Bn, the Hampshire Regiment | joined 19 April 1915 |
| 163rd Machine Gun Company | formed 1 May 1916, moved to 54th Bn MGC 19 April 1918 |
| 163rd Trench Mortar Battery | formed 9 May 1917 |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 54th Battalion MGC | formed 19 April 1918 |
| Divisional Mounted Troops | |
| East Anglian Divisional Cyclist Company | left February 1917 |
| HQ and A Sqn, the 1/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry | joined 20 March 1917, left for XXI Corps Cavalry Regiment on 26 August 1917 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| See history of the 54th Divisional Artillery | |
| CCLXX (I E Anglian) Brigade, RFA | |
| CCLXXI (II E Anglian) Brigade, RFA | |
| CCLXXII (III E Anglian) (How) Brigade, RFA | |
| CCLXXIII (IV E Anglian) Brigade, RFA | |
| East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, RGA | |
| 54th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA | |
| X.54, Y.54 and Z.54 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA | joined 3 October 1917, disbanded 2 March 1918 when Corps took over TM responsibilities |
| Royal Engineers | |
| 1st East Anglian Field Company | left December 1914 |
| 484th (2nd East Anglian) Field Company | |
| 486th (2/1st East Anglian) Field Company | joined September 1914 |
| 495th (1st Kent) Field Company | joined 1 July 1916 |
| 54th Divisional Signals Company | |
| 54th Divisional Signals Company | HQ and No 1 Section of this Company was attached at Suvla between 10-23 August 1915 |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance | left Jjanuary 1915 |
| 2nd East Anglian Field Ambulance | |
| 3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance | |
| 2/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance | joined late 1914 |
| 54th Sanitary Section | |
| Other Divisional Troops | |
| 54th Divisional Train ASC | comprising 483, 484, 485 and 486 Companies ASC, the original Train did not sail with the Division. It transferred to join 27th Division for service in Salonika. A new Train joined this Division on 5-24 February 1917, comprising 428, 429, 430 and 431 Companies ASC which were renumbered on 18 April 1917 to become 921, 922, 923 and 924 Companies ASC |
| 54th (East Anglian) Mobile Veterinary Section AVC | joined 11 April 1916 |
| Detachement Francais de Palestine et Syrie (7/1st Tirailleurs Algeriens, 1 and 2nd Armeniens and various other snmaller units) | attached 12 – 28 September 1918 for Megiddo operations |
Divisional histories
There appears to be no published history of the Division.
Divisional memorials
I have been unable to find any information regarding the existence of a memorial to the Division.