This 2nd-Line Territorial Division was formed in January 1915, although men were enlisted for the reserve units of the 1st-Line from September 1914 onwards. Men of the 1st-Line who did not undertake the imperial service obligation were transferred to these reserves. Early clothing and equipment for these units was haphazard; many had to train in civilian clothes, and it was only between November 1915 and March 1916 that proper equipment was received. Initially the Division had no currently-serving officers of the Regular Army, and only 12 former officers. From June 1915, the units of the Division supplied replacement drafts for the 1st-Line 46th Division. At the same time the 'home service only' men transferred to the provisional battalions.

April 1916 : moved to Ireland, the first TF Division to serve there; involved in actions against the Republican Uprising of Easter 1916.

January 1917 : returned to England.

February 1917 : landed in France and spent remainder of war on the Western Front.

The German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line

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 Battle of Cambrai

The Battle of St Quentin (first phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918)

The First Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Battle of Bailleul (fourth phase of the Battles of the Lys)

The First Battle of Kemmel (fifth phase of the Battles of the Lys)

In early May 1918 after considerable losses had been incurred, the infantry and pioneer battalions, brigade trench mortar batteries and machine-gun battalion were reduced to training cadre establishment. All surplus men were sent to the Base or drafted to other units. The Division was reconstituted as a 2nd-Line unit and made up to strength with Garrison Guard battalions. The Division was placed on rear defence construction during June 1918. The 59th was then again reconstituted as a Garrison Division and underwent training to enable it to hold a sector of front line again. The Division took over a sector on 25 July 1918 and came under the command of Third Army .

The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918)

The Division took part in an attack near Ablainzeville as the Allies began a series of powerful blows that eventually defeated the German Army, on 21st August 1918. This was a puny affair in comparison with the Somme fighting in 1916, for the 59th Division captured a number of enemy positions with very little loss and the enemy did not counter-attack. Two days later, it held the British front line as three Divisions from the same Corps launched the next blow, across the valley of the River Scarpe near Arras. As the Armies advanced, the 59th was  - because it was seen as a second-grade formation – used to follow up the attacking units, to consolidate positions held, and to provide endless working parties.

The Advance in Flanders

In early October, the Division operated in the area of the River Lys. At this time it had transferred to the command of Fifth Army (Lieut-Gen. Sir William Birdwood). On 16 October, it was fighting to recapture Lille and after initial fighting made a significant unopposed advance to the Basse Deule canal. Arthur Blake may have been one of the troops that enjoyed a certain amount of rest in the newly liberated Lille at this time. By 23 October, the position had advanced to near Valenciennes on the Belgian border. When the fighting ended on 11th November 1918, the forward units halted north-east of Tournai, in Belgium.

After the Armistice, the Division supplied units for various demobilisation duties in France, and for other duties in Egypt and the Black Sea. Divisional HQ was closed on 1st September 1919.

176th Brigade (2nd Staffordshire)

25th TF Bn, the King's (Liverpool) (joined June 1918

4th Provisional Garrison Bn , the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined May 1918, left as 23rd Garrison Bn, June 1918 )

4th Garrison Guard Bn, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers (joined May 1918, became 26th Bn July 1918)

17th (Garrison) Bn, the Royal Sussex (joined May 1918, became 17th (Service) Bn July 1918)

2/5th Bn, the South Staffordshire (joined January 1915, disbanded January 1918)

2/6th Bn, the South Staffordshire (joined January 1915, left as a cadre May 1918)

1/5th Bn, the North Staffords(joined January 1918, left as a cadre May 1918)

2/5th Bn, the North Staffords(joined January 1915, absorbed by 1/5th February 1918)

2/6th Bn, the North Staffords(joined January 1915, left as a cadre May 1918)

174th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 6 Mar 1917 after brief period with 178th Brigade, moved into 59 MG Bn 7 March 1918)

176th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 20 Jan 1917, disbanded 8 May 1918, reformed 11 July 1918)

177th Brigade (2nd Lincoln and Leicester)

1/4th Bn, the Lincolns (joined January 1918, left June 1918)

2/4th Bn, the Lincolns (joined July 1915, absorbed by 1/4th January 1918)

2/5th Bn, the Lincolns (joined July 1915, left May 1918)

11th Bn, the Somerset Light Infantry (joined May 1918)

2/4th Bn, the Leicesters (joined September 1915, left May 1918)

2/5th Bn, the Leicesters (joined September 1915, disbanded February 1918)

13th (Garrison) Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined May 1918, left June 1918)

15th TF Bn, the Essex (joined May 1918)

2/6th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined as Garrison Guard Bn May 1918)

177th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 19 Feb 1917, moved into 59 MG Bn 7 March 1918)

177th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 20 Jan 1917, disbanded 8 May 1918, reformed 17 August 1918)

178th Brigade (2nd Notts & Derby)

35th TF Bn , the Northumberland Fusiliers, (joined May 1918)

8th Garrison Bn, the Royal Irish (joined as 2nd (Home Service) Garrison Bn, April 1918, left June1918)

11th TF Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (joined May 1918)

23rd TF (Garrison Guard) Bn, the Cheshires (joined May 1918, left June 1918)

13th (Service) Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined June 1918 as 13th (Garrison) Bn)

1/7th (Robin Hood) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined January 1918, left as a cadre May 1918)

2/5th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined October 1914, left as a cadre June 1918)

2/6th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined September 1914, left as a cadre May 1918)

2/7th (Robin Hood) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined September 1914, absorbed by 1/7th Bn February 1918)

2/8th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined September 1914, disbanded February 1918)

175th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 17 Feb 1917, moved into 59 MG Bn 7 March 1918)

178th Trench Mortar Battery (formed 20 Jan 1917, disbanded 7 May 1918, reformed 24 June1918)

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Divisional Troops

6/7th (Service) Bn, the Royal Scots Fusiliers (joined February 1918, left as a cadre June 1918)

25th (Service) Bn (Pioneers), the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined May 1918)

B Squadron , the North Irish Horse (joined Augsut 1915, left April 1916)

200th Machine Gun Company (joined 18 April1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 1 March 1918

No 59 Machine Gun Battalion (created 7 March 1918, reduced to cadre and eventually disbanded May 1918)

No 25 Machine Gun Battalion (joined 23 July 1918, left 19 Oct 1918)

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Divisional Mounted Troops

2/1st Northants Yeomanry (joined February 1915, left January 1916)

59th (2/1st North Midland) Divisional Cyclist Company (formed March 1915, did not proceed to France)

C Squadron 2/1st Northumberland Hussars (joined 28 March 1916, left 22 January 1917)

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Divisional Artillery

CCXCV Brigade, RFA

CCXCVI Brigade, RFA

CCXCVII Brigade, RFA (broken up January 1917)

CCXCVIII (H) Brigade, RFA (left 4 April 1917)

1/1st Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, RGA (served with Division 13 Mar to 7 Apr 1915)

2/1st Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, RGA (served with Division 20 Feb to Apr 1916)

2/1st North Midland Heavy Battery, RGA (served with Division 5 Feb to Apr 1916, when it moved to France and joined VI Corps HA Group near Arras)

59th Divisional Ammunition Column

V.59 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (formed 20 January 1917, left March 1918)

X.59, Y.59 and Z.59 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (formed 20 January 1917; in March 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each)

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Engineer Units, RE

467th Field Company (joined early 16, renamed from 1/3rd (North Midland) Field Coy)

469th Field Company (joined Feb 15, renamed from 2/2nd (North Midland) Field Coy)

470th Field Company (formed Feb 15, renamed from 3/1st (North Midland) Field Coy)

59th Divisional Signal Company (formed Feb 15, renamed from 2/1st (North Midland) Field Coy)

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Field Ambulances, RAMC

2/1st North Midland Field Ambulance (joined 3 Feb 1915)

2/2nd North Midland Field Ambulance (joined 3 Feb 1915)

2/3rd North Midland Field Ambulance (joined 3 Feb 1915)

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59th Divisional Train ASC (513, 514, 515 and 616 Companies)

250th Divisional Employment Company (joined 16 June 1917)

59th Mobile Veterinary Section

59th (North Midland) Sanitary Section ( left 18 May 1917, for C Area, Cavalry Corps, Third Army)