The history of 63rd (Royal Naval) Division
1914
At the declaration of the war on 4 August 1914, there was a surplus of some 20-30,000 men of the reserves of the Royal Navy who would not find jobs on any ship of war. It was recognised that this was sufficient to form two Naval Brigades and a Brigade of Marines for operations on land.
The Royal Marine Brigade was formed at once and was moved to Ostende on 27 August 1914, although it returned to England four days later.
The Royal Naval Division was formed on 21 September 1914 and the three brigades placed under its control.
Under command of Brigadier-General Sir George Grey Aston
On 20 September the Royal Marine Brigade went back overseas and arrived at Dunkirk with orders to assist in the defence of Antwerp, to which the Belgian field army had withdrawn and was in the process of being besieged. The two other brigades moved to Dunkirk for the same purpose on 5 October 1914. In the haste to deploy these forces, 80% went to war without even basic equipment such as packs, mess tins or water bottles. No khaki uniform was issued. The two Naval Brigades were armed with ancient charger-loading rifles, just three days before embarking. The division was originally titled the Royal Naval Division, and was formed in England in September 1914. At this stage, it had no artillery, field ambulances or other ancillary units.
Under command of Brigadier-General Archibald Paris (replacing Aston, sick 29 September 1914), promoted to Major-General to command RND 3 October 1914
- The defence of Antwerp (4-10 October 1914)
Approximately 1,500 troops of the 1st Royal Naval Brigade crossed the Dutch frontier to escape from capture or destruction Antwerp and were interned in the Netherlands.
RND units that managed to successfully withdraw from Antwerp returned to England, arriving 11 October 1914.
1915
After a lengthy period of refit and training (scattered in various locations, and still short of many of the units that ordinarily made up the establishment of a division), the RND moved to Egypt preparatory to the Gallipoli campaign.
- Gallipoli, in phases
- Demonstration in the Gulf of Xeros, 25 – 26 April 1915 (less Anson and Plymouth Battalions)
- The landing at Cape Helles 25 – 26 April (Anson and Plymouth Battalions under temporary orders of 29th Division)
- The First Battle of Krithia, 28 April (2nd RN Brigade, Drake and Plymouth Battalions)
- The Battle of Eski Hissarlik 1 – 2 May (same)
- The Second Battle of Krithia, 6 – 8 May (same)
- The defence of Anzac, 28 April – 12 May (3rd RM Bde less Plymouth Battalion plus Nelson and Deal Battalions, under temporary orders of 1st Australian Division to 1 May then New Zealand and Australian Division)
- The Chessboard 2 May (3rd RM Bde less Plymouth Battalion plus Nelson and Deal Battalions, under temporary orders of Anzac Corps)
- The Third Battle of Krithia 4 June (under VIII Corps)
1916
- The evacuation of Helles 7-9 January 1916 (under VIII Corps)
When the Gallipoli peninsula was evacuated by the British, the division was retained to hold the islands of Lemnos, Imbros and Tenedos. By this time, very few men with pre-war sea service remained. The division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29 April 1916 and was redesignated as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19 July 1916. It moved to France, arriving Marseilles 12-23 May 1916, after which it remained on the Western Front for the rest of the war and took part in the following engagements:
Under temporary command of Brigadier-General C. H. de Rougemont (12 October 1916)
Under temporary command of Brigadier-General C. N. Trotman (replaced Rougemont 16 October 1916)
Under command of Major-General Cameron Deane Shute (17 October 1916)
- The Battles of the Somme 1916, in phase:
- Battle of the Ancre (13-18 November 1916, under V Corps of Fifth Army)
1917
- The Operations on the Ancre (20 January –
- 27 February 1917, under II Corps of Fifth Army), including:
- Miraumont (17-18 February 1917)
Under command of Major-General Charles Edward Lawrie (replaced Shute 19 February 1917; moved to 32nd Division)
- The Arras Offensive, in phase:
- The Second Battle of the Scarpe (23 – 24 April 1917, under XIII Corps of First Army), in which the RND captured Gavrelle
- The Battle of Arleux (28 – 29 April 1917, also under XIII Corps of First Army)
- The Third Battles of Ypres 1917, in phase:
- The Second Battle of Passchendaele (26 October – 10 November 1917, under XVIII Corps of Fifth Army)
- The action of Welsh Ridge (30 December 1917, subsequent to the Battle of Cambrai, under V Corps of Third Army)
1918
- The First Battles of the Somme 1918, in phases:
- The Battle of St Quentin (21-23 March 1918, under V Corps of Third Army)
- The First Battle of Bapaume (24-25 March 1918, same)
- The Battle of the Ancre (5 April, same)
- The Second Battles of the Somme 1918, in phase:
- The Battle of Albert (21-23 August 1918), under IV Corps of Third Army
Under command of Major-General Cyril Aubrey Blacklock (replaced Lawrie 30 August 1918)
- The Second Battles of Arras 1918 in phases:
- The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (2-3 September 1918, under XVII Corps of Third Army)
- The Battles of the Hindenburg Line, in phases:
- The Battle of the Canal du Nord (27 September – 1 October 1918, , under XVII Corps of Third Army)
- The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (8-9 October 1918, same and including the RND Capture of Niergnies)
- The Final Advance in Picardy, in phase:
- The passage of the Grand Honelle (5-7 November 1918, under XXII Corps of First Army)
This unique division was demobilised in France by April 1919. It had suffered over 47,900 casualties.
The order of battle of the original Royal Marine Brigade: operations at Ostende
| Units | Notes |
|---|---|
| Chatham Battalion | |
| Portsmouth Battalion | |
| Plymouth Battalion | |
| Royal Marine Artillery Battalion |
The order of battle of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division: operations at Dunkirk and Antwerp
| Units and sub-formations | Information |
|---|---|
| Divisional headquarters | |
| 1st Royal Naval Brigade | |
| 1st (Drake) Battalion | |
| 2nd (Hawke) Battalion | |
| 3rd (Benbow) Battalion | |
| 4th (Collingwood) Battalion | |
| 2nd Royal Naval Brigade | |
| 5th (Nelson) Battalion | |
| 6th (Howe) Battalion | |
| 7th (Hood) Battalion | |
| 8th (Anson) Battalion | |
| Royal Marine Brigade | |
| 9th (Chatham) Battalion | |
| 10th (Portsmouth) Battalion | |
| 11th (Plymouth) Battalion | |
| 12th (Deal) Battalion | |
| Commander C. R. Samson’s Detachment | Attached to the brigade 20 September to 3 October 1914 |
| Royal Engineers | |
| Detachment | Capt. E. H. Rooke, 4 NCOs and 28 Sappers |
| Other | |
| 1/1st Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars Yeomanry | Served with RND 29 September to 3 October 1914 |
The order of battle of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division: operations at Gallipoli
| Units and sub-formations | Information |
|---|---|
| Divisional headquarters | |
| 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade | Redesignated as 1st Brigade on 2 August 1915. |
| Drake Battalion | |
| Nelson Battalion | |
| Deal Battalion | Moved to 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade 30 May 1918 |
| Hawke Battalion | Joined brigade at Cape Helles night 28-29 May 1915 |
| Benbow Battalion | Joined brigade at Cape Helles night 30-31 May 1915. Disbanded 9 June 1915 and men redeployed |
| Hood Battalion | Joined from 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade 2 August 1915 |
| 2/4th Battalion London Regiment | Joined at Cape Helles 15 October 1915. Left January 1916 |
| 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade | Redesignated as 2nd Brigade on 2 August 1915. |
| Howe Battalion | |
| Hood Battalion | Moved to 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade 2 August 1915 |
| Anson Battalion | |
| Collingwood Battalion | Joined brigade at Cape Helles night 29-30 May 1915. Disbanded 9 June 1915 after sustaining heavy casualties |
| Chatham & Deal Battalion | Joined from 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade 2 August 1915. Renamed 1st RM Battalion 12 August 1915 |
| Portsmouth & Plymouth Battalion | Joined from 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade 2 August 1915. Renamed 2nd RM Battalion 12 August 1915 |
| 2/2nd Battalion London Regiment | Joined at Cape Helles 14 October 1915. Left January 1916 |
| 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade | On 2 August 1915, the four battalions of the brigade were reorganised into two. These units were then transferred to the 2nd Brigade and the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade ceased to exist. |
| Chatham Battalion | |
| Portsmouth Battalion | |
| Plymouth Battalion | |
| Deal Battalion | Joined from 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade 30 May 1918 and then reorganised into three companies |
| Divisional Troops | |
| RND Cyclist Company | |
| Armoured Motor Machine Gun Squadron | Joined at Lemnos 17 March 1915 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| RND Small Arms Ammunition Column | Joined at Port Said 26 March 1915 |
| Divisional Engineers | |
| 1 Company | |
| 2 Company | Moved to Mudros 5 August 1915 |
| RND Signal Company | |
| 3 Company | Joined by August 1915 |
| Divisional Medical Units | |
| 1 Field Ambulance | |
| 2 Field Ambulance | |
| 3 Field Ambulance | |
| Royal Naval Sanitary Section | Joined in Egypt 30 March 1915. Remained in Egypt when RND moved to France |
| Divisional Veterinary Units | |
| 19th Mobile Veterinary Service | Left for 42nd (East Lancashire) Division in Egypt 18 February 1916 |
| Divisional Supply and Transport Units | |
| RND Divisional Train | 275 and 279 (Horse Transport) Companies of the Army Service Corps. Joined at Port Said 26 March 1915. 275 remained in Egypt when RND moved to France; 279 joined 31st Division 15 March 1916 |
The order of battle of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division: operations in France and Flanders
| Units and sub-formations | Information |
|---|---|
| Divisional headquarters | |
| 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade | The brigade was broken up on 2 July 1916, the HQ staff joining the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. |
| Drake Battalion | Landed Marseilles 20 May 1916. Went to 2nd (RN) Brigade 2 July 1916 |
| Hawke Battalion | Landed Marseilles 23 May 1916. Moved to 2nd (RN) Brigade May 1916 |
| Nelson Battalion | Landed Marseilles 22 May 1916. Moved to 2nd (RN) Brigade May 1916 |
| 1st Hood Battalion | The former 7th (Hood) Battalion landed at Marseilles 20 May 1916. On 1 June it was split to form the 1st and 2nd Hood Battalions. On 5 July 1916 they merged to form the Hood Battalion. Went to 2nd (RN) Brigade 2 July 1916 |
| 2nd Hood Battalion | See 1st Hood Battalion, above |
| 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade | On 19 July 1916 became 189th Brigade |
| Hawke Battalion | Joined from 1st (RN) Brigade May 1916 |
| Nelson Battalion | Joined from 1st (RN) Brigade May 1916 |
| Howe Battalion | Landed Marseilles 12 May 1916. Moved to 3rd (RM) Brigade 3 July 1916 |
| 2nd Brigade Machine Gun Company | Formed mainly by transfer of MG sections from Howe, Nelson and Hawke Battalions 27 May 1916. Attached to 1st Brigade 16 July 1916. Rejoined its own brigade, by now renamed 189 Brigade, 25 July 1916 [by implication, company name changed to 189 MG Company at this point]. Detached and returned to Base Depot May 1917. Company then ceased to exist. |
| Drake Battalion | Joined from 1st (RN) Brigade 2 July 1916 |
| Hood Battalion | Joined from 1st (RN) Brigade 2 July 1916 |
| 189th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined 21 July 1916 |
| 223rd Machine Gun Company | Took over equipment from 189 MG Company at Villers-Brulin 9 May 1917. Joined brigade near Roclincourt 11 May 1917. Merged into 63rd Battalion MGC as its “B” Company 1 March 1918 |
| 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade | On 7 July 1916 it was renamed as 1st Brigade but on 19 July 1916 became 188th Brigade |
| Anson Battalion | Landed at Marseilles 19 May 1916 |
| 1st Royal Marine Battalion | Landed at Marseilles 19 May 1916 |
| 2nd Royal Marine Battalion | Landed at Marseilles 12 May 1916 |
| Howe Battalion | Joined from 2nd (RN) Brigade 3 July 1916. Broken up during February 1918, men redeployed, and disbanded at end of month |
| 188th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined 21 July 1916 |
| 188th Machine Gun Company | Joined at Bully-Grenay 4 August 1916 Merged into 63rd Battalion MGC as its “A” Company 28 February 1918 |
| 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment | Joined 23 April 1918 |
| 190th Brigade | Formed in France 19 July 1916 |
| 7th Battalion Royal Fusiliers | Joined at Verdrel 26 July 1916 |
| 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment | Joined at Coupigny 27 July 1916 |
| 1/1st Battalion the Honourable Artillery Company | Joined at Coupigny 16 July 1916. Left 29 June 1917 |
| 10th Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers | Joined at Maisnil-les-Ruitz 21 August 1916. Left 22 June 1917 |
| 190th Trench Mortar Battery | Joined 25 July 1916 |
| 190th Machine Gun Company | Joined at Bully-Grenay 6 September 1916 Merged into 63rd Battalion MGC as its “C” Company 28 February 1918 |
| 1/28th Battalion London Regiment (Artists Rifles) | Joined 28 June 1917 |
| 1/4th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry | Joined at Maroeuil 18 August 1917, left 4 February 1918 |
| Divisional Troops | |
| RND Cyclist Company | Broken up in June 1916 |
| 14th (Service) Battalion Worcestershire Regiment (Severn Valley Pioneers) | Joined at Bruay 23 June 1916 |
| 223rd Machine Gun Company | Joined at Anzin St. Aubin 7 September 1917 Merged into 63 Battalion MGC as its “D” Company 1 March 1918 |
| 63rd Machine Gun Battalion | Created 1 March 1918 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| 1/IV (Home Counties) (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery | Joined 9 June 1916, renamed 223 Brigade 24 June 1916, broken up 26 July 1916 |
| The field artillery arrived from the confusingly named 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division on 5 July 1916 | See The history of the Royal Naval divisional artillery |
| CCCXV (2/I Northumbrian) Brigade RFA | Joined 5 July 1916, left 11 February 1917 |
| CCCXVI (2/II Northumbrian) Brigade RFA | Joined 5 July 1916, broken up 31 August 1916 |
| CCCXVII (2/III Northumbrian) Brigade RFA | Joined 5 July 1916 |
| CCCXVIII (2/IV Northumbrian) (Howitzer) Brigade RFA | Joined 5 July 1916 |
| 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA | Joined 5 July 1916 |
| V.63 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RGA | Joined 29 July 1916, when its first mortar arrived. Broken up 2 February 1918 |
| X.63, Y.63 and Z.63 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA | Joined as four-mortar batteries 5 July 1916. On 2 February 1918, Z broken up and X and Y batteries reorganised to have six 6-inch mortars each |
| Divisional Engineers | |
| 1st Royal Naval Field Company | Landed at Marseilles 22 May 1916. On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated as 274th Field Company. |
| 2nd Royal Naval Field Company | Landed at Marseilles 22 May 1916. n 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated as 275th Field Company. |
| 3rd Royal Naval Field Company | Landed at Marseilles 23 May 1916. n 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated as 276th Field Company. |
| RND Signal Company | Landed at Marseilles 23 May 1916 |
| Divisional medical units | |
| 1st (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance | Landed at Marseilles 20 May 1916 |
| 2nd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance | Landed at Marseilles 23 May 1916 |
| 3rd (Royal Naval) Field Ambulance | Landed at Marseilles 23 May 1916 |
| 63rd Sanitary Section | Formed 31 May 1916. Left for First Army area 8 April 1917 |
| Divisional veterinary units | |
| 53rd Mobile Veterinary Section | Joined at Bruary 18 June 1916 |
| Divisional Supply and Transport Units | |
| 63rd Divisional Train | The two original companies (see the Order of Battle for Gallipoli, above) left 15 March 1916. They were replaced by complete Divisional Train in France 14 June 1916. The Train was renumbered 63rd on 19 July 1916, and was composed of 761, 762, 763 and 764 (Horse Transport) Companies of the Army Service Corps |
Divisional memorials
There are memorials to the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division at Beaucourt (Somme), Gavrelle (Arras) and on Horse Guards Parade, London.
![Detail from the RND memorial at Gavrelle [Author's collection]](http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/RND_mem.jpg)
Research tips
Due to the nature of the RND, there can be some differences to the approach needed for researching an individual, depending on whether he served with the navy, marines or army. See my article How to research a man of the Royal Naval Division
Reading
I suggest
“The Royal Naval Division” by Douglas Jerrold here
Christopher Page’s “Command in the Royal Naval Division: A Military Biography of Brigadier General A.M. Asquith DSO“
Sparrow and Ross, “On Four Fronts with the Royal Naval Division During the First World War 1914-1918” here
“Britain’s Sea Soldiers, A Record of the Royal Marines during the War 1914-1919” by General Sir H E Blumberg here
There are also battalion histories for several of the units of the RND.