The history of 60th (2/2nd London) Division
On 31 August 1914 the War Office issued instructions for all units of the Territorial Force to form a reserve unit. The men who had agreed to serve overseas were separated from the rest. Those left as ‘home service only’ were formed into ‘second line’ units, which would be this reserve. They were joined by many new recruits from September 1914 onward. The 60th was the reserve to the 47th (2nd London) Division
1914
The units of the Division were quickly filled and a partial concentration carried out at White City in October. Early parades and training was done in civilian clothes and with only a bare minimum of available equipment. In December the units of he Division began to move to the Dorking-Reigate area in Surrey.
1915
Drafts of men began to be supplied to the corresponding ‘first line’ units as early as January 1915. In that month, the first rifles arrived by they were Japanese models and with only 100 rounds of ammunition each. Lord Kitchener inspected the Division at Epsom Downs on 21 January, by which date only one battalion was fully equipped with rifles.
In March 1917, the 47th (2nd London) Division was preparing to embark for service in France. Many large drafts left 60th Division to bring the ‘first line’ up to full strength. Later that month the Division moved to St Albans. At the end of May Divisional HQ moved to Bishops Stortford and the units were scattered across Hertfordshire and Essex.
At last, 6300 Lee Enfield rifles were received in November 1915. Modern artillery also began to arrive at the end of the month.
1916
The Division moved to Warminster (Salisbury Plain) training area in late January 1916, with Divisional HQ being set up at Sutton Veny. King George V inspected the Division there on 31 May.
Orders were received on 14 June 1916 to send advance parties to Le Havre 9on 15 June) and Boulogne (18) to prepare for the Division to cross to France. The crossing was completed by 29 June and the Division concentrated in XVII Corps area.
On 1 November the Division received orders to reorganise, preparatory for a move to Salonika. Units entrained at Longpre between 14-25 November and, going via Marseilles and Malta, assembled at Salonika on 25 December 1916. The Division then remained in Salonika and took part in the following engagements:
1917
The Battle of Doiran (24-25 April and 8-9 May)
In June 1917 the Division was once again reorganised in preparation for a move to Egypt for operations in Palestine. It embarked on 12 June and by 4 July had completed concentration at Moascar in the Southern Suez Canal Zone. The Division began to advance to Palestine and by 23 July was at Deir el Balah (8 miles SW of Gaza). The Division then remained in Palestine and took part in the following engagements:
The Third Battle of Gaza (30 October – 7 November), notably in the capture of Beersheba (31 October) and teh capture of the Sheria position (6 November)
The capture of Jerusalem (8-9 December)
The defence of Jerusalem (26-30 December)
1918
The capture of Jericho (19-21 February)
The battle of Tell’Asur (8-12 March)
The first Trans-Jordan raid (as part of Shea’s Force, 21 March – 2 April)
The attack on Amman (as part of Chaytor’s Column, 27-30 March)
The second Trans-Jordan raid (30 April – 4 May)
Between 26 May and 1 August 1918 the Division was “Indianised”; that is, British units (most of which went to France) were exchanged for units of the Indian Army.
The Battles of Megiddo (specifically the Battle of Sharon, 19-21 S.eptember)
After this the Divisional mounted units were engaged in pursuit of the broken enemy, while the rest of the Division remained on salvage and similar work. Divisional HQ moved to Mulebbis on 24 September and thence to Auja in early October. It moved (after the Armistice) on 3 November to Lydda, then five days later a longer move via Qantara to Alexandria commenced. By 26 November the whole Division was at Alexandria. demobilisation commenced. By 31 May 1919 the Division ceased to exist.
The order of battle of the 60th (2/2nd London) Division
| 179th (2/4th London) Brigade | |
| 2/13th Bn, the London Regiment | |
| 2/14th Bn, the London Regiment | left 30 May 1918 |
| 2/15th Bn, the London Regiment | left 30 May 1918 |
| 2/16th Bn, the London Regiment | left 30 May 1918 |
| 179th Machine Gun Company | joined 29 June 1916, moved to 60th Bn MGC 14 May 1918 |
| 179th Trench Mortar Battery | joined 4 July 1916 |
| SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined December 1916, left June 1917 |
| 3/151st Infantry | joined 4 June 1918 |
| 2/19th Punjabis | joined 23 June 1918 |
| 2/127th Baluchis | joined 26 June 1918 |
| 180th (2/5th London) Brigade | |
| 2/17th Bn, the London Regiment | left 27 May 1918 |
| 2/18th Bn, the London Regiment | disbanded 4-7 July 1918 |
| 2/19th Bn, the London Regiment | |
| 2/20th Bn, the London Regiment | left 27 May 1918 |
| 180th Machine Gun Company | joined 29 June 1916, moved to 60th Bn MGC 14 May 1918 |
| 180th Trench Mortar Battery | joined 4 July 1916 |
| SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined December 1916, left June 1917 |
| 2nd Guides | joined 13 July 1918 |
| 2/30th Punjabis | joined 13 July 1918 |
| 1/50th Kumaon Rifles | joined 23 July 1918 |
| 181st (2/6th London) Brigade | |
| 2/21st Bn, the London Regiment | disbanded 3 June 1918 |
| 2/22nd Bn, the London Regiment | |
| 2/23rd Bn, the London Regiment | left 26 May 1918 |
| 2/24th Bn, the London Regiment | left 26 May 1918 |
| 181st Machine Gun Company | joined 29 June 1916, moved to 60th Bn MGC 14 May 1918 |
| 181st Trench Mortar Battery | joined 4 July 1916 |
| SAA Section Ammunition Column | joined December 1916, left June 1917 |
| 2/97th Infantry | joined 26 June 1918 |
| 130th Baluchis | joined 26 June 1918 |
| 2/152nd Infantry | joined 30 June 1918 |
| Divisional Troops | |
| 1/12th Bn, the Loyal North Lancashire Regt | joined as Divisional Pioneer Bn 1 June 1916, left 30 April 1918 |
| 2/155th Pioneers | joined as Divisional Pioneer Bn 28 June 1918, left for 10th Division 19 July 1918 |
| 2/107th Infantry | joined as Divisional Pioneer Bn 16 September 1918 |
| 60th Battalion MGC | formed 14 May 1918 |
| Divisional Mounted Troops | |
| 2/2nd City of London Yeomanry | left 24 January 1916 |
| 60th Divisional Cyclist Company | left 5 September 1916 |
| B Sqn, the 1/1st Hampshire Carabiniers | joined 26 April 1916, left 8 July 1916 |
| A Sqn, the Duke of Lancaster’s Yeomanry | briefly atttached in August 1917 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| CCC (2/V London) Brigade, RFA | broken up 30-31 August 1916 |
| CCCI (2/VI London) Brigade, RFA | |
| CCCII (2/VII London) Brigade, RFA | |
| CCCIII (2/VIII London (Howitzer)) Brigade, RFA | |
| 60th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA | |
| 2/2nd London Heavy Battery RGA | left 24 January 1916 |
| 1/1st Wessex Heavy Battery RGA | joined 7 April 1915, left 24 January 1916 |
| 2/1st Wessex Heavy Battery RGA | joined April 1915, left 24 January 1916 |
| W.60 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA | formed in France 28 July 1916 and proceeded to 3rd Army TM School; joined division 8 August 1916; left and remained in France when division moved to Salonika in December 1916 |
| X.60, Y.60 and Z.60 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA | joined 6 July 1916; all disbanded in arrival in Egypt |
| Royal Engineers | |
| 2/3rd London Field Company | left and moved independently to France 23 June 1915, joined 47th (2nd London) Division |
| 521st (2/4th London) Field Company | |
| 519th (3/3rd London) Field Company | joined by November 1915 |
| 522nd (1/6th London) Company | joined June 1915, left 18 July 1918 |
| 60th Divisional Signals Company | |
| Royal Army Medical Corps | |
| 2/4th London Field Ambulance | broken up 30 June – 4 July 1918 |
| 2/5th London Field Ambulance | broken up 30 June – 4 July 1918 |
| 2/6th London Field Ambulance | broken up 30 June – 4 July 1918 |
| 60th Sanitary Section | joined 29 February 1916 |
| 121st Combined Field Ambulance | joined 29 June 1918 |
| 160th Combined London Field Ambulance | joined 30 June 1918 |
| 179th Combined Field Ambulance | joined 1 July 1918 |
| Other Divisional Troops | |
| 60th Divisional Train ASC | 517, 518, 519 and 520 Companies ASC (while in Salonika the Train was reorganised. These Companies became the Wheeled Echelon. A Pack Echelon, consisting of 861, 862, 863 and 864 Companies, was also formed. The organisation reverted once in Egypt) |
| 2/2nd London Mobile Veterinary Section AVC |
Divisional histories
“History of the 60th Division (2/2nd London Division)” by Col. P. H. Dalbiac
Divisional memorials
A monument in Jerusalem marks the capture of the city by the 60th Division on 9 December 1917