| The 50th (Northumbrian) Division | ||||||||||||||||
| A Territorial Force Division | ||||||||||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||||||||||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||||||||||
The Division was a formation created by the establishment of the Territorial Force in 1908. It moved to France 16th April 1915, and served with distinction on the Western Front throughout the war. The Division took part in the following engagements: 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) The First Battle of the Scarpe (first phase of the Arras Offensive) In the above action, the Division captured the Wancourt Ridge. The Second Battle of the Scarpe (second phase of the Arras Offensive) 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 Battle of Estaires (first phase of the Battles of the Lys) The Battle of Hazebrouck (third phase of the Battles of the Lys) Following a most trying time on the Somme and Lys battlefields, the Division was withdrawn and sent to IX Corps, then on the Aisne, believed to be a much quieter area. This was unfortunately not the case, as the Division was hit hard by a surprise enemy attack. After suffering particularly heavy casualties while on the Aisne, the Division was substantially reorganised. The Battle of the St Quentin Canal (fourth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Battle of Beaurevoir (fifth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) |
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| Order of Battle | ||||||||||||||||
149th (Northumberland) Brigade 1/4th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August 1914, left July 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August 1914, left July 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August 1914, left July 1918) 1/7th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August 1914, left February 1918) 3rd Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined July 1918) 1/5th (Cumberland) Bn, the Border (joined May 1915, left December 1915) 13th (Scottish Horse Yeomanry) Bn, the Black Watch (joined July 1918) 149th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 6 February 1916, moved into 50 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 149th Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 18 June 1916) 150th (York and Durham) Brigade 1/4th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined July 1918) 1/4th Bn, the East Yorkshires(joined August 1914, left August 1918) 1/4th Bn, the Yorkshire (joined August 1914, left July 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Yorkshire (joined August 1914, left July 1918) 7th (Service) Bn, the Wiltshires (joined July 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry(joined August 1914, left February 1918) 2nd Bn, the Royal Munster Fusiliers (joined July 1918) 150th Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 1 February 1916, moved into 50 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 150th Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 18 June 1916) 151st (Durham Light Infantry) Brigade 6th (Service) Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (joined July 1918) 1/5th (Cumberland) Bn, the Border (joined December 1915, left February 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Loyal North Lancs (joined June 1915, left December 1915) 1st Bn, the KOYLI (joined July 1918) 4th Bn, the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined July 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined February 1918, left as cadre July 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined August 1914, left as a cadre February 1918) 1/7th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined August 1914, left November 1915) 1/8th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined August 1914, left as a cadre February 1918) 1/9th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined August 1914, left February 1918) 151st Brigade Machine Gun Company (formed 6 February 1916, moved into 50 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 150th Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 18 June 1916) Divisional Troops 5th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish (joined July 1918) 8th (Service) Bn, the Border (joined June 1918, disbanded July 1918) 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the South Staffordshire (joined June 1918, left as a cadre July 1918) 9th (Service) Bn, the Loyal North Lancs (joined June 1918, disbanded August 1918) 1/7th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined as Pioneers November 1915, left June 1918) 199th Machine Gun Company (joined 19 December 1916, left 29 October 1917) 245th Machine Gun Company (joined 30 July 1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 1 March 1918) No 50 Machine Gun Battalion (created 1 March 1918) Divisional Mounted Troops RHQ and A Squadron, the Yorkshire Hussars (left 10 May 1916) 1st Northumbrian Divisional Cyclist Company (left 20 May 1916) From 1 August 1918, the Divisional Artillery served variously under the command of 18th, 58th, 47th, 3 Australian and 11th Divisions, until the 50th Division was once again ready for action. CCL (I Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA CCLI (II Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA CCLII (III Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (broken up by 20 January 1917) CCLIII (IV Northumbrian) (H) Brigade, RFA (broken up 16 November 1916) Northumbrian (North Riding) Heavy Battery, RGA (a Battery of 4 4.7-inch guns which left the Division to join XIII Brigade, HA on 6 May 1915 50th (Northumbrian) Divisional Ammunition Column V.50 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (joined July 1916; transferred to V/VIII Corps on 11 February 1918) X.50, Y.50 and Z.50 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (formed by 5 March 1916 from former 31,29 and 23 TMB's; by 1 March 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) Engineer Units, RE 7th Field Company (joined June 1915) 446th Field Company (joined Aug 14, left Dec 14, rejoined Jun 15, renamed from 1st (Northumbrian) Field Coy) 447th Field Company (Joined Aug 14, renamed from 2nd (Northumbrian) Field Coy) 50th Divisional Signal Company (renamed from 1st Northumbrian Divisional Signal Company)
Field Ambulances, RAMC 1st (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914) 2nd (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914, left December 1914) 3rd (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance (joined August 1914) 2/2nd (Northumbrian) Field Ambulance (joined April 1915) 50th Divisional Train ASC (redesignated from the 1st Northumbrian Divisional Train - itself made from the Divisional Transport and Supply Column. Composed of 467, 468, 469 and 470 Companies ASC) 244th Divisional Employment Company (joined by 9 June 1917, adopting its number in July) 1st Northumbrian Mobile Veterinary Section 50th Sanitary Section ( left for Fourth Army area on 3 April 1917) 50th Divisional Ambulance Workshop ( joined 1914, left 3 April 1916, absorbed by Divisional Supply Column) |
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| Divisional command | ||||||||||||||||
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