| Home > Army Organisation > 16th (Irish) Division, Order of Battle and History | |
| A New Army Division | History | Order of Battle | Commanders |
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The
memorial to the Division, situated next to the military cemetery
at Wijtschaete |
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| Summary history of the Division | |
| September 1914 : Formed in Ireland as part of the New Army, K2 September 1915 : moved to England and into barracks at Aldershot. The training and preparation of the Division was slowed by the loss of many of its units to the Guards Division. December 1915 : moved to France and concentrated in the Bethune area. Served on the Western Front with distinction throughout the war, taking part in the following enagements: The Battle of Guillemont (fourth phase of the Battle of the Somme) The Battle of Ginchy (fifth phase of the Battle of the Somme) The Battle of Langemarck (second phase of Third Battle of Ypres) The Battle of St Quentin (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Rosieres (third phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) 18 June 1918 : After suffering very heavy casualties, the Division returned to England for refit and was significantly reconstituted. The Division lost virtually all of its remaining Irish units at this point. 1 August 1918 : returned to France The Division suffered the loss of more than 28,000 casualties during the war. |
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| Order of Battle | |
| 47th Brigade | |
| 6th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Regiment | joined September 1914, disbanded 9 February 1918. Troops were redeployed to 2nd and 7th Royal Irish Regiment |
| 6th (Service) Bn, the Connaught Rangers | joined September 1914, reduced to cadre 13 April 1918. Troops were redeployed to 2nd Leinster, left June 1918 |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the Leinster | joined September 1914, disbanded 14 February 1918. Troops went to 2nd Bn and to 19th Entrenching Bn |
| 8th (Service) Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | joined September 1914, absorbed by 1st Bn of the regiment on 23 November 1916 |
| 1st Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | joined 22 November 1916, left 20 April 1918 |
| 2nd Bn, the Leinster | joined 2 February 1918, left 23 April 1918 |
| 14th (Service) Bn, the Leicesters | joined 26 June 1918, after absorbing 2/4th Bn of the regiment |
| 6/7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers | joined as a cadre June 1918, left July 1918 |
| 9th (Service) Bn, the Black Watch | joined 2 July 1918 after absorbing 15th Bn of the regiment |
| 18th (Service) Bn (2nd Glamorgan), the Welsh | joined 7 July 1918 after absorbing 25th Bn of the regiment |
| 47th Machine Gun Company MGC | joined 28 April 1916, moved to 16th Battalion MGC 9 March 1918 |
| 47th Trench Mortar Battery | formed by 16 June 1916, reformed in England 1918 |
| 48th Brigade | |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles | joined September 1914, left 23 August 1917 |
| 9th (Service) Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | joined September 1914, disbanded 30 May 1916. Troops deployed to 1st, 2nd and 8th Bns of the regiment |
| 8th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined September 1914, merged and became 8/9th Bn 24 October 1917. Surplus troops went to 10th Bn. Disbanded 10 February 1918, troops went to 1st Bn |
| 9th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined September 1914, amalgamated into 8/9 Bn 24 October 1917 |
| 1st Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | joined 28 May 1916, left 22 November 1916 |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined 16 November 1916, amalgamated with 1st Bn 14 April 1918. 2nd Bn was then reformed as a training cadre. Left 1 June 1918 |
| 1st Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined 19 October 1917, amalgamated with 2nd Bn 14 April 1918. Left 26 April 1918 |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers | joined 3 February 1918, left as cadre 19 May 1918, surplus troops going to 1st Bn. Left 31 May 1918 |
| 22nd (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers | joined 2 July 1918, after absorbing 38th Bn of the regiment |
| 18th (Service) Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) | joined 2 July 1918 |
| 11th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers | joined 10 June 1918, absorbed by 5th Bn 29 August 1918 |
| 5th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers | joined 24 August 1918 |
| 10th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined 23 June 1917, left 13 February 1918. Disbanded two days later and troops went to 19th Entrenching Bn |
| 48th Machine Gun Company MGC | joined 28 April 1916, moved to 16th Battalion MGC 9 March 1918 |
| 48th Trench Mortar Battery | formed by 24 June 1916, reformed in England 1918 |
| 49th Brigade | |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers | joined September 1914, amalgamated with 8th Bn 15 October 1916 and became 7/8th Bn. Disbanded 10 February 1918, troops going to 1st and 9th Bns |
| 8th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers | joined September 1914, amalgamated with 8th Bn 15 October 1916 and became 7/8th Bn |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | joined October 1914, amalgamated with 8th Bn 23 August 1917 and became 7/8th Bn. Reduced to cadre 22 April 1918, surplus troops to 2nd Royal Irish Regiment. Cadre left 17 June 1918 |
| 8th (Service) Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers | joined October 1914, amalgamated with 7th Bn 23 August 1917 |
| 2nd Bn, the Royal Irish Regiment | joined 14 October 1916, left 23 April 1918 |
| 7th (South Irish Horse) Bn, the Royal Irish Regiment | joined 14 October 1917, reduced to cadre 18 April 1918. Left 17 June 1918 |
| 34th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment | joined 27 June 1918 |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the King's Royal Rifle Corps | joined as a cadre June 1918, absorbed by 34th London Regiment in same month |
| 5th (Service) Bn, the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry | joined as a cadre June 1918, absorbed by 18th Gloucesters in same month |
| 13th (Service) Bn, the DCLI | joined as a cadre June 1918, absorbed by 6th Somersets in same month |
| 7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers | joined as a cadre June 1918, absorbed by 11th Royal Irish Fusiliers in same month |
| 6/7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers | joined as a cadre June 1918, absorbed by 18th Scottish Rifles in same month |
| 18th (Service) Bn, the Gloucesters | joined 2 July 1918 |
| 6th (Service) Bn, the Somerset Light Infantry | joined 4 July 1918 |
| 49th Machine Gun Company MGC | joined 29 April 1916, moved to 16th Battalion MGC 9 March 1918 |
| 49th Trench Mortar Battery | formed by 16 June 1916, reformed in England 1918 |
| Divisional Troops (infantry) | |
| 11th (Service) Bn (Pioneers), the Hampshire | joined 20 September 1914. Absorbed many troops of 13th Bn, Border Regiment in June 1918 |
| 19th Entrenching Battalion | joined 4 April 1918, disbanded 5 May 1918. Troops went to 2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers |
| 269th Machine Gun Company MGC | joined 18 January 1918, moved to 16th Battalion MGC 9 March 1918 |
| 16th Machine Gun Battalion MGC | formed 9 March 1918. Broken up at Camiers on 8 May 1918 and troops transferred to infantry. A new Bn was formed at Grantham on 18 June 1918 and joined the Division at Samer on 2 August 1918 |
| Divisional Troops (mounted) | |
| 16th Divisional Cyclist Company | joined 11 December 1914, disbanded 1 June 1916. Troops redeployed to the infantry |
| C Squadron, the South Irish Horse | joined January 1915, left 17 May 1916 |
| Divisional Artillery | |
| LXXIV Brigade RFA | left in July 1915 to join Guards Division |
| LXXV Brigade RFA | ditto |
| LXXVI Brigade RFA | ditto |
| LXXVII (H) Brigade RFA | left in July 1915 but rejoined in France 22 February 1916, left 22 February 1917 |
| CLXXVII Brigade RFA | joined in France 22 February 1916 |
| CLXXX Brigade RFA | ditto |
| CLXXXII Brigade RFA | ditto. Broken up 27 August 1916 |
| 16th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA | the original DAC left in August 1915 to join Guards Division. A new DAC joined Division in France on 22 February 1916 |
| 16th Heavy Battery RGA | raised for the Division but moved independently to France in July 1915 |
| X.16, Y.16 and Z.16 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries RFA | joined by June 1916. Z.16 broken up 27 February 1918. X.16 and Y.16 broken up 20 April 1918, troops being absorbed by other units |
| V.16 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA | joined by 5 September 1916, left February 1918 |
| Divisional Engineers | All units of the Royal Engineers |
| 75th Field Company | joined August 1914, left 13 August 1915 to join Guards Division |
| 76th Field Company | ditto |
| 16th Divisional Signal Company | ditto. A new Company joined in September 1915 |
| 95th Field Company | joined 30 January 1915 from 26th Division, left 17 August 1915 to join 7th Division |
| 155th Field Company | joined August 1915 |
| 156th Field Company | ditto |
| 157th Field Company | ditto |
| Field Ambulances | All units of the Royal Army Medical Corps |
| 48th Field Ambulance | joined September 1914, left June 1915 and joined 37th Division |
| 49th Field Ambulance | ditto |
| 50th Field Ambulance | ditto |
| 111th Field Ambulance | joined September 1915 |
| 112th Field Ambulance | ditto |
| 113th Field Ambulance | ditto |
| Other Divisional Troops | |
| 16th Divisional Train ASC | 142, 143, 144 and 145 Coys ASC |
| 16th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop | joined 25 December 1915 from Lahore Division. Absorbed into Divisional Train by 9 April 1916 |
| 81st Sanitary Section RAMC | joined before embarkation, left for IX Corps in April 1917 |
| 217th Divisional Employment Company | formed by 30 June 1917 |
| 47th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC | |
| Divisional commanders | |
| Lieut.-Gen. Sir L. Parsons | 23 September 1914 |
| Major-Gen. W. Hickie | 5 December 1915 |
| Major-Gen. Sir C. Hull | 23 February 1918 |
| Major-Gen. A. Ritchie | 10 May 1918 |
| Brig.-Gen. R. Longe, Col. S. Moody and Brig.-Gen. F. Ramsay took command in acting capacity for short periods in January 1915, March 1915, February and May 1918 (the latter two under Ramsay). | |