| The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division | ||||||||
| A 2nd-Line Territorial Force Division | ||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | Divisional Memorial | ||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||
This 2nd-Line Territorial Division was formed in war time, following the authorisation of the raising of 2nd-Line units on 31st August 1914. Men were enlisted for the reserve units of the 1st-Line from September 1914 onwards, and those who did not undertake the imperial service obligation were transferred to these reserves. The reserve units were formed up into a 2nd-Line Division, initially called the 2nd West Riding, from early 1915. Early clothing and equipment for these units was haphazard; many had to train in civilian clothes, and it was only from very late 1915 that proper equipment was received. The Division concentrated on the Western Front by 18th January 1917. Thereafter it fought with distinction in that theatre until the Armistice, playing a part in most of the major actions. The German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line Flanking Operations Round Bullecourt On 5th January 1918, the Division took over the front line in the Arras area, between Gavrelle and Oppy. The enemy launched a major offensive on 21st March 1918, and four days later the Division had been moved to Bucquoy (between Arras and Albert, north of the old Somme battlefield of 1916). Here it saw very heavy fighting for the next week, as the tired remnants of other Divisions withdrew through the Bucquoy line. On the afternoon on the 26th alone, five attacks by regiments of the Prussian Guard were repulsed here. The First Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The First Battle of Arras, 1918 (fourth phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) After this magnificent stand against overwhelming force, the Division was relived on 31st March and 1st April. The enemy launched another offensive in Flanders in May, but the 62nd was not involved. However, when a third huge enemy attack opened in the area held by the thinly-stretched French Army south west of Reims, Sir Douglas Haig agreed to send a British Corps, consisting of 15th (Scottish), 34th, 51st (Highland) and 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisions, to assist. The 51st and 62nd had several days of very heavy fighting, which is now officially known as the The Battle of the Tardenois. In the above action, the Division took part in the fighting for the Ardre Valley. The Corps was brought back into the British area in time to assist with the beginning of the series of blows that forced the enemy back over a long distance and was a primary cause of the enemy requesting an Armistice in November 1918. On 25th August, units of the 62nd Division captured Mory – not far from Arras. It was then involved in heavy fighting as the line was pressed forward, and it beat off several determined enemy counter attacks at Vraucourt and Vaulx-Vraucourt. The Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918) 62nd Division found itself back in the Cambrai area for a further advance, where on 12th September it captured – for the second time, the first being in November 1917 – the strongly fortified Havrincourt. The Battle of Havrincourt (first phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) Two weeks later, on 27th and 28th September it captured Marcoing and Masnieres, important crossings of the Saint-Quentin Canal. Further advances were made on 29th September and up to 1st October 1918. The Battle of the Canal du Nord (third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) On 20th October, the Division was in action once again, this time in the crossing of the River Selle, at Solesmes. By 4th November, the enemy by now being in full retreat, the Division attacked at Orsinval on the Sambre and five days later, the advanced units were entering Maubeuge. On Armistice day, the Division was warned that it had been selected to move forward into Germany as part of the Rhine bridgehead force. It crossed into enemy territory on 15th December 1918, the only Division of the Territorial Force to do so. When in Germany, the infantry battalions were replaced by Highland units, and the Division was renamed in March 1919 the Highland Division of the Army of Occupation.
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| Order of Battle | ||||||||
185th Brigade (2/1st West Riding) 1/5th Bn, the Devons (joined June 1918) 1/8th Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined January 1918) 2/5th Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined March 1915, left August 1918) 2/6th Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined March 1915, left January 1918) 2/7th Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined March 1915, left June1918) 2/8th Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined March 1915, left February1918) 2/20th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined August 1918) 212th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 9 March 1917, moved into 62 MG Bn 9 March 1918) 185th
Trench Mortar Battery 186th Brigade (2/2nd West Riding) 5th Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined January 1918) 2/4th Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined March 1915) 2/5th Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined March 1915, left January 1918) 2/6th Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined March 1915, disbanded January 1918) 2/7th Bn, the Duke of Wellington's (joined March 1915, left as a cadre June 1918) 2/4th Bn, the Hampshire (joined June 1918) 213th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 9 March 1917, moved into 62 MG Bn 9 March 1918) 186th
Trench Mortar Battery 187th Brigade (2/3rd West Riding) 5th Bn, the KOYLI (joined February 1918) 2/4th Bn, the KOYLI (joined March 1915) 2/5th Bn, the KOYLI (joined March 1915, absorbed February 1918) 2/4th (Hallamshire) Bn, the York and Lancaster (joined March 1915) 2/5th Bn, the York and Lancaster (joined March 1915, disbanded February 1918) 208th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 4 March 1917, moved into 62 MG Bn 9 March 1918) 185th
Trench Mortar Battery Divisional Troops 1/9th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry (joined as Pioneer Bn February 1918) 201st Machine Gun Company (joined 30 March 1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 9 March 1918) No 62 Machine Gun Battalion (formed 9 March 1918) Divisional Mounted Troops HQ and B Squadron, the 2/1st Northumberland Hussars (joined 18 April 1916, left 26 March 1917) 62nd (2/1st West Riding) Divisional Cyclist Company (formed 23 March 1915, left January 1917) CCCX (2/I West Riding) Brigade, RFA CCCXI (2/II West Riding) Brigade, RFA (left January 1917) CCCXII (2/III West Riding) Brigade, RFA CCCXIII (H) (2/IV West Riding) Brigade, RFA (broken up May 1916) 2/1st West Riding Heavy Battery, RGA (served with Division but did not move to France, remaining as part of Tyne Garrison until end of war) 62nd Divisional Ammunition Column V.62 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (broken up 11 February 1918) X.62, Y.62 and Z.62 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (on 11 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) Engineer Unit, RE 457th Field Company (joined June 15, renamed from 1/3rd (West Riding) Field Coy on 31 January 1917) 2/1st (West Riding) Field Company (formed Sep 14 but left June 1915, later 458th Field Coy) 2/2nd (West Riding) Field Company (formed Sep 14 but left October 1915, later 459th Field Coy) 460th Field Company (joined June 15, renamed from 2/3rd (West Riding) Field Coy on 1 February 1917) 461st Field Company (joined Mar 15, renamed from 3/1st (West Riding) Field Coy on 1 February 1917) 62nd (2/1st West Riding) Divisional Signal Company (joined Mar 15) 2/1st West Riding Field Ambulance 2/2nd West Riding Field Ambulance 2/3rd West Riding Field Ambulance 62nd (2/1st West Riding) Divisional Train ASC (525, 526, 527, 528 Companies) 252nd Divisional Employment Company (formed by 14 July 1917) 62nd (2/1st West Riding) Mobile Veterinary Section 62nd Sanitary Section ( left 8 April 1917, for First Army) |
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| Divisional command | ||||||||
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