| The 24th Division |  |
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| A New Army Division | ||||||||||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||||||||||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||||||||||
A Division of K3, the units were assembled around Shoreham during September 1914. The Division crossed to France 28th August - 4th September 1915. It served on the Western Front throughout the war. The Division's first experience was truly appalling. Having been in France for only a few days, lengthy forced marches brought it into the reserve for the British assault at Loos. GHQ planning left it too far behind to be a useful reinforcement on the first day, but it was sent into action on 26th September, whereupon it suffered more than 3,900 casualties. The Battle of Delville Wood (third phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Battle of Guillemont (fourth phase of the Battle of the Somme) The Battle of Vimy (first phase of the Arras Offensive) The Battle of Pilckem (first phase of Third Battle of Ypres) 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) During the above action, the Division fought a stauch defence of the village of Le Verguier The Actions at the Somme Crossings (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Rosieres (third phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of the Avre (fifth phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The First Battle of Kemmel (fifth phase of the Battles of the Lys) (62nd and 64th Brigades) The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Passage of the Grand Honelle The Division suffered more than 35,000 casualties during the war. |
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| Order of Battle | ||||||||||||||||
17th Brigade Brigade joined from 6th Division on 11 October 1915, in exchange for 71st Brigade 1st Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined October 1915) 12th (Service) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined October 1915, disbanded February 1918) 8th (Service) Bn , the Queen's (joined February 1918) 8th (Service) Bn , the Buffs (joined October 1915, disbanded February 1918) 11th (Service) Bn , the Royal Warwicks (joined September 1914 as Army Troops, left April 1915) 2nd Bn, the Leinster (joined and left October 1915) 3rd Bn, the Rifle Brigade (joined October 1915) 1/2nd (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined October 1915, left February 1916) 17th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed on 17 January 1916, moved into 24 MG Bn 5 March 1918) 17th
Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 26 July 1916) 71st Brigade Brigade moved to join 6th Division on 11 October 1915, in exchange for 17th Brigade The Brigade transferred to 6th Division on October 1915 9th (Service) Bn, the Norfolks (joined September 1914) 9th (Service) Bn, the Suffolks (joined September 1914, disbanded February 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the Bedfords (joined September 1914, left November 1915) 11th
(Service) Bn, the Essex (joined September
1914, left October 1915) 72nd Brigade 8th (Service) Bn , the Queen's (joined September 1914, left February 1918) 8th (Service) Bn , the Buffs (joined September 1914, left October 1915) 9th (Service) Bn, the East Surreys (joined September 1914) 8th (Service) Bn, the Royal West Kents (joined September 1914) 1st Bn, the North Staffords(joined October 1915) 72nd Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined on 14 March 1916, moved into 24 MG Bn 5 March 1918) 72nd Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 19 July 1916) 73rd Brigade 12th (Service) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined September 1914, left October 1915) 9th (Service) Bn, the Royal Sussex (joined September 1914) 7th (Service) Bn, the Northamptonshire (joined September 1914) 13th (Service) Bn, the Middlesex (joined September 1914) 2nd Bn, the Leinster (joined October 1915, left February 1918) 73rd Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined on 14 March 1916, moved into 24 MG Bn 5 March 1918) 73rd
Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 15 June 1916) Divisional Troops 11th (Service) Bn , the Royal Warwicks (left April 1915) 13th (Service) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (left March 1915) 12th (Service) Bn (Pioneers), the Sherwood Foresters (joined October 1914) 191st Machine Gun Company (joined 15 December 1916, moved into 24 MGBn 5 March 1918) No 24 Machine Gun Battalion (created 5 March 1918) No 3 Motor Machine Gun Battery (attached 30 October - 23 November 1915) Divisional Mounted Troops A Squadron, 1st Royal Glasgow Yeomanry (joined 30 June 1915, left 29 April 1916) 24th Divisional Cyclist Company (formed by 15 February 1915, left 29 April 1916) CVI Brigade, RFA CVII Brigade, RFA CVIII Brigade, RFA (left 27 January 1917) CIX (H) Brigade, RFA (broken up 3 October 1916) 24th (New) Heavy Battery, RGA (a Battery of 4 60-lbr guns raised with the Division but redesignated 130th and moved to XXXV Heavy Artillery Brigade on formation 24th Divisional Ammunition Column 13th Divisional Ammunition Column (attached between 3 July and 6 August 1915) V.24 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (joined 30 July 1916, transferred to Corps Troops February 1918) X.24, Y.24 and Z.24 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (joined by 30 April 1916; in February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) 91st Field Company (joined Sep 1914, left Jan 1915) 92nd Field Company (joined Sep 1914, left Jan 1915) 103rd Field Company (joined Feb 1915) 104th Field Company (joined Jan 1915) 129th Field Company (joined Mar 1915) 24th Divisional Signal Company (joined Sept 1914) 72nd Field Ambulance (joined Oct 1914) 73rd Field Ambulance (joined Oct 1914) 74th Field Ambulance (joined Oct 1914) 24th Divisional Train ASC (194, 195, 196 and 197 Companies, joined November 1914) 224th Divisional Employment Company (joined 24 May 1917) 36th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 25 June 1915) 41st Sanitary Section ( left 5 April 1917) 24th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop (merged into Divisional Train in April 1916) |
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| Divisional command | ||||||||||||||||
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