| The 23rd Division |  |
The curious Divisional symbol |
| A New Army Division of K3 | ||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||
| Summary history of the division | ||
| This Division of K3, the third New Army, began to assemble at Frensham in Hampshire in September 1914. The artillery began to form at nearby Mytchett Camp, from November. In December, as the weather worsened the Division moved into Aldershot, with parts of the artillery at Ewshott. More moves were made, to Shorncliffe in Kent, at the end of February 1915, and Bordon in Hampshire at the end of May 1915. 21-26 August 1915 : landed in Boulogne and proceeded to the Western Front, initially concentrating near Tilques. The Division took part in the following battles and engagements: The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) In the latter action, the Division captured Contalmaison. The Battle of Bazentin (second phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Battle of Pozieres (third phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (sixth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Battle of Morval (seventh phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Battle of Le Transloy (eighth) phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) In the above action, the Division captured Le Sars. The Battle of the Menin Road (third phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) The Battle of the Polygon Wood (fourth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) The First Battle of Passchendaele (seventh phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) The Second Battle of Passchendaele (eighth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) On 23 October 1917, orders were received to prepare to move to an unknown destination. Commander in Chief Sir Douglas Haig inspected the Division at Leulinghem on 31 October, and within days the lengthy move by rail to Italy began. On 16 November 1917, concentration had been completed between Mantua and Marcaria. On 4 december, the Division took over a section of front line on the Montello, relieveing the 70th Italian Division. When the armistice halted fighting in this front on 4 November 1918, the Division was midway between the Rivers Livenza and Meduna, east of Sacile. Demobilisation took place with the Division in the area of Vicenza, and by March it was down to a cadre strength. The 23rd Division suffered 23,574 casualties during the war, killed, wounded and missing. |
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| Order of Battle | ||
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68th Brigade 10th (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined September 1914) 11th (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined September 1914) 12th (Service) Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined September 1914) 13th (Service) Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined September 1914, left 14 September 1918) 68th Machine Gun Company MGC (joined 4 March 1916; moved into Divisional MG Battalion 1 April 1918) 68th
Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 13 June 1916) 69th Brigade 11th (Service) Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined September 1914) 8th (Service) Bn, the Yorkshire (joined September 1914) 9th (Service) Bn, the Yorkshire (joined September 1914, 13 left September 1918) 10th (Service) Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined September 1914) 69th Machine Gun Company MGC (joined 4 March 1916; moved into Divisional MG Battalion 1 April 1918) 69th
Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 23 June 1916) 70th Brigade 18 October 1915 : Brigade transferred to 8th Division, returning 17 July 1916. 11th (Service) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined October 1914, left 13 September 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the KOYLI (joined October 1914) 8th (Service) Bn, the York and Lancaster (joined October 1914) 9th (Service) Bn, the York and Lancaster (joined October 1914) 1/8th Bn, the Middlesex (joined October 1915, left February 1916) 70th Machine Gun Company MGC (joined with Brigade in July 1916; moved into Divisional MG Battalion 1 April 1918) 70th
Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 18 June 1916) 24th Brigade 18 October 1915 : Brigade transferred from 8th Division, returning 15 July 1916. 1st Bn, the Worcesters 2nd Bn, the East Lancashire 1st Bn, the Sherwood Foresters 2nd Bn, the Northamptonshire 24th Machine Gun Company MGC (formed by 17 February 1916; left with Brigade in July 1916) 24th Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 13 June 1916; left with Brigade in July 1916) Mounted Troops RHQ, MG Section and C Squadron, the Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (joined 27 June 1915, left for 1st Cavalry Division 20 April 1916) 23rd Divisional Cyclist Company (formed in January 1915, left for 1st Cavalry Division 20 April 1916) Divisional Artillery CII Brigade, RFA (joined November 1914) CIII Brigade, RFA (joined November 1914) CIV Brigade, RFA (joined November 1914, left 18 January 1917) CV Brigade, RFA (joined November 1914, broken up by 3 September 1916) 23rd Heavy Battery RGA (raised in August 1914 for the Division but left and moved independently to France on 15 September 1915, joining No. 1 Group in I Corps. In November 1915, moved to XXII HA Brigade) V.23 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (formed in the Division in March 1916, disbanded in late October 1917) X.23 Medium Mortar Battery RFA (raised as 12th TM batt in 1915, joined Division in january 1916 and redesignated as X Battery in March 1916) Y.23 Medium Mortar Battery RFA (raised as 21st TM batt in 1915, joined Division in january 1916 and redesignated as X Battery on 15 March 1916) Z.23 Medium Mortar Battery RFA (formed in the Division in March 1916. Broken up in March 1918, and X and Y Batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) 23rd Divisional Ammunition Column Engineer Units 89th Field Company (joined Sep 1914, left for 14th Division 22 January 1915) 90th Field Company (joined Sep 1914, left for 9th Division in January 1915) 101st Field Company (joined from 32nd Division 1 February 1915) 102nd Field Company (joined from 32nd Division 1 February 1915) 128th Field Company (joined by 9 April 1915) 2 Sections of 180 Tunnelling Company RE (attached in October 1915) 23rd Divisional Signal Company Field Ambulances 69th (joined Sep 14) 70th (joined Sep 14) 71st (joined Sep 14) 23rd Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop (joined Sep 14) Divisional Troops 8th (Service) Bn, the Leicesters (joined 3 October 1914, left 8 April 1915) 9th (Service) Bn, the Leicesters (joined 3 October 1914, left 8 April 1915) 9th (Service) Bn (Pioneers), the South Staffordshire (joined 3 October 1914, converted to pioneer battalion in April 1915) 194th Machine Gun Company (joined 16 December 1916, near Vlamertinghe; moved into Divisional MG Battalion 1 April 1918) 23rd Machine Gun Battalion (formed 1 April 1918) 23rd Divisional Train ASC (190, 191, 192 and 193 Coys formed 16 January 1915) 35th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 20 June 1915) 40th Sanitary Section (joined 20 August 1915, left 10 April 1917 for X Corps) 223rd Divisional Employment Company (formed by 30 June 1917)
Major-General J. Babington (18 September 1914) Major-General H. Thuillier (21 October 1918) Brig-Gens. J. Byron and H. Gordon took command in an acting capacity for brief periods in October 1918. |
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