| The 39th Division |  |
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| A New Army Division | ||||||||||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||||||||||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||||||||||
Formed from August 1915 in the Winchester area, the Division moved to Aldershot in late September, and Witley in November 1915. The Division moved to France at the end of February and early March 1916. On 30 June 1916, it took part in a very costly attack in the area of Richebourg l'Avoue, which is not officially recognised as a separate engagement. The Sussex Battalions in particular suffered very heavy casualties. The Division moved to the Somme in August 1916. Thereafter, it took part in the following actions: The Battle of the Ancre Heights (ninth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) In the above action, the Division captured the Schwaben Redoubt, and helped capture Regina Trench. The Battle of the Ancre (tenth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) 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 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 Second Battle of Passchendaele (eighth phase of the Third Battle of Ypres) The Battle of St Quentin (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) 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 First Battle of Kemmel (fifth phase of the Battles of the Lys) The Second Battle of Kemmel (seventh phase of the Battles of the Lys) From June 1918 onwards, the Division was not reconstituted as a fighting unit after the losses of the Spring fighting, but became a training formation for American troops arriving in France. The Division suffered a total of 27,869 casualties. |
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| Order of Battle | ||||||||||||||||
116th Brigade 11th (Service) Bn (1st South Down), the Royal Sussex (joined September 1914, left as a cadre June 1918) 12th (Service) Bn (2nd South Down), the Royal Sussex (joined September 1914, disbanded 8 February 1918) 13th (Service) Bn (3rd South Down), the Royal Sussex (joined September 1914, left as a cadre June 1918) 14th (Service) Bn (1st Portsmouth), the Hampshire (joined October 1915, disbanded 23 February 1918) 1/1st Bn, the Hertfordshire (joined from 118th Brigade 8 February 1918, left 9 May 1918) 116th Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined 18 May 1916, merged into No 39 Battalion MGC by 14 March 1918) 116th Trench Mortar Battery (formed from two existing TM Sections that had existed since 9 April 1916, on 16 June 1916) The following units were attached to the Brigade as Training Cadres, after 21 May 1918: 15th (Service) Bn (1st Edinburgh), the Royal Scots (joined 17 June 1918, disbanded 14 August 1918) 16th (Service) Bn (2nd Edinburgh), the Royal Scots (joined 17 June 1918, disbanded 14 August 1918) 18th (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 17 June 1918, left for 118th Brigade 29 July 1918) 23rd (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 17 June 1918, left 16 August 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Lincolns (joined 28 September 1918, disembodied 8 November 1918) 10th (Service) Bn, the Lincolns (joined 17 June 1918, left 16 August 1918) 7th (Service) Bn, the Suffolks (joined 24 May 1918, left 16 August 1918) 1/4th Bn, the East Yorkshires (joined 16 August 1918, disembodied 6 November 1918) 6th (Service) Bn, the Bedfords (joined 22 May 1918, left for 118th Brigade 31 May 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Yorkshire (joined 16 August 1918, demobilised 9 November 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Yorkshire (joined 16 August 1918, demobilised 9 November 1918) 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the South Staffordshire (joined 16 August 1918, demobilised 6 November 1918) 1/5th Bn, the North Staffords (joined 12 August 1918, disembodied 6 November 1918) 117th Brigade 16th (Service) Bn (Chatsworth Rifles), the Sherwood Foresters (joined September 1915, left as a cadre 16 August 1918) 17th (Service) Bn (Welbeck Rangers), the Sherwood Foresters (joined October 1915, disbanded 8 February 1918) 17th (Service) Bn (British Empire League), the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined July 1915, left as a cadre 16 August 1918) 16th (Service) Bn (St. Pancras), the Rifle Brigade (joined 16 August 1915, left as a cadre August 1918) 117th Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined 18 May 1916, merged into No 39 Battalion MGC by 14 March 1918) 117th Trench Mortar Battery (formed from two existing TM Sections that had existed since 15 April 1916, on 18 June 1916) The following units were attached to the Brigade as Training Cadres, after 21 May 1918: 2/10th Bn, the King's (Liverpool Regiment) (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Lincolns (joined 27 June 1918, left for 118th Brigade 27 July 1918) 11th (Service) Bn, the Cheshires (joined 23 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 2/5th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined 28 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 9th (Service) Bn, the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 1/5th Bn, the North Staffords (joined 27 June 1918, left for 116th Brigade 12 August 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined 16 August 1918, disembodied 9 November 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined 16 August 1918, disembodied 6 November 1918) 1/8th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined 16 August 1918, disembodied 6 November 1918) 6th (Service) Bn, the Connaught Rangers (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the Rifle Brigade (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 9th (Service) Bn, the Rifle Brigade (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 6th (Service) Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers (joined 27 June 1918, disbanded 3 August 1918) 118th Brigade Originally raised as 121st Brigade for 40th Division. It was reorganised in France, on 29 February 1916, the four original battalions going to 40th Division. 10th (Service) Bn (Kent County), the Royal West Kents (joined July 1915, left 16 October 1915) 11th (Service) Bn (Lewisham), the Royal West Kents (joined July 1915, left 16 October 1915) 13th (Service) Bn (Wandsworth), the East Surreys (joined October 1915, left 23 February 1916) 20th (Service) Bn (Shoreditch), the Middlesex (joined August 1915, left 23 February 1916) 21st (Service) Bn (Islington), the Middlesex (joined August 1915, left 23 February 1916) 14th (Service) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (joined September 1915, left 23 February 1916) After reorganisation on 29 February 1916: 1/6th Bn, the Cheshires (joined 29 February 1916, left 28 May 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Black Watch (joined 29 February 1916, amalgamated with 1/5th Bn March 1916, became 1/4th again 6 May 1918, left 14 May 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Black Watch (joined 29 February 1916, amalgamated into 4/5th Bn March 1916) 1/1st Bn, the Cambridgeshire (joined 29 February 1916, left 9 May 1918) 1/1st Bn, the Hertfordshire (joined 29 February 1916, left for 116th Brigade 8 February 1918) 118th Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 21 March 1916, merged into No 39 Battalion MGC by 14 March 1918) 118th Trench Mortar Battery (formed from two existing TM Sections that had existed since 7 April 1916, by 1 July 1916) The following units were attached to the Brigade as Training Cadres, after 21 May 1918: 1/4th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 16 August 1918,disembodied 10 November 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 16 August 1918,disembodied 10 November 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 16 August 1918,disembodied 10 November 1918) 18th (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 29 July 1918, left 15 August 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Lincolns (joined 27 July 1918, left for 116tyh Brigade 28 September 1918) 6th (Service) Bn, the Bedfords (joined 31 May 1918, disbanded 4 August 1918) 4th Bn, the East Lancashire (joined 16 August 1918, left for 116th Brigade 16 November 1918) 11th (Service) Bn (1st South Down), the Royal Sussex (joined 17 June 1918, left 30 June 1918) 13th (Service) Bn (3rd South Down), the Royal Sussex (joined 17 June 1918, disbanded 14 August 1918) 9th (Service) Bn, the Black Watch (joined 21 May 1918, left 17 June 1918) 8/10th (Service) Bn, the Gordon Highlanders (joined 9 June 1918, left 30 July 1918) 7th (Service) Bn, the Cameron Highlanders (joined 11 June 1918, left 30 July 1918) 11th (Service) Bn, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (joined 11 June 1918, left 30 July 1918) 39th Division Composite Brigade Formed on 10 April 1918 after the Division suffered heavy losses and plaved under command of Brig-Gen. A. Hubback. Fought in the battles of the Lys, attached to XXII Corps. returned to Division and men deployed to old units by 6 May 1918. 1st Battalion (formed from remnants of 11th Royal Sussex and 1/1st Hertfordshire) 2nd Battalion (formed from remnants of 13th Gloucestershire and 13th Royal Sussex) 3rd Battalion (formed from remnants of 117th Brigade) 4th Battalion (formed from remnants of 118th Brigade) 5th Battalion (formed from remnants of all three Brigades) 118th Trench Mortar Battery No 4 (287) Company, 39th Divisional Train ASC Divisional Pioneers 13th (Service) Bn (Forest of Dean) (Pioneers), the Gloucesters (joined 15 August 1915, left as a cadre by 6 May 1918) Divisional Troops The following units were attached to the Division as Training Cadres, after 21 May 1918: 25th (Service) Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined 17 June 1918, left 16 August 1918) 13th (Service) Bn, the Yorkshire (joined 17 June 1918, left 29 June 1918) 13th (Service) Bn (Wandsworth), the East Surreys (joined 17 June 1918, left 29 June 1918) 7th (Robin Hood) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined 15 August 1918, to 116th Brigade 16 November 1918) 21st (Service) Bn (Islington), the Middlesex (joined 17 June 1918, left 29 June 1918) 14th (Service) Bn, the Highland Light Infantry(joined 17 June 1918, left 16 August 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the Suffolks (joined May 1918 as a cadre, left August 1918) Divisional Mobile Troops E Squadron, the South Irish Horse (joined 17 March 1916, left for I Corps Cavalry Regiment 10 May 1916) 39th Divisional Cyclist Company, ACC (joined 14 November 1915, left for XV Corps Cyclist Battalion 10 May 1916) Divisional Artillery The field gun Brigades were raised by the Thames Ironworks Company in London. CLXXIV, CLXXIX, CLXXXIV and CLXXXVI (H) Brigades, RFA. CLXXIX was broken up on 18 January 1917. CLXXXIV broken up 30 November 1916. 39th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA V.39 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (formed 27 August 1916, broken up 7 February 1918) X.39, Y.39 and Z.39 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (formed by 17 June 1916; Z Bty broken up 7 February 1918) Field Ambulances, Royal Army Medical Corps 132nd Field Ambulance (joined Nov 1915) 133rd Field Ambulance (joined Nov 1915) 134th Field Ambulance (joined Nov 1915) Engineer Units, Royal Engineers 225th Field Company (Stockton-on-Tees) (joined 7 October 1915) 227th Field Company (Stockton-on-Tees) (joined 7 October 1915) 234th Field Company (Stockton-on-Tees) (joined 7 October 1915) 39th Divisional Signal Company (Empire) (joined 29 September 1915) Other Divisional Troops 39th Divisional Train (284, 285, 286, 287 Companies ASC. Raised in Pangbourne.) 82nd Sanitary Section (left for Second Army, 17 April 1917) 39th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop (absorbed by the Divisional Supply Column, 9 April 1916) 236th Divisional Employment Company (formed 30 June 1917) 50th Mobile Veterinary Section, AVC (formed 10 November 1915) 228th Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined 19 July 1917, merged into No 39 Battalion MGC by 14 March 1918. Left for 40th Division 11 September 1918)
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