| The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division |  |
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| A New Army Division | ||||||||||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||||||||||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||||||||||
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At the outbreak of the War, there was a surplus of some 20-30,000 men on the Reserves of the Royal Navy who would not find jobs on any ship of war. It was recognised that this was sufficient to form two Naval Brigades, and a Brigade of Marines. The Royal Marine Brigade was formed at once, and was moved to Ostende on 27th August 1914, although it returned 4 days later. On 20th September it arrived at Dunkirk with orders to assist in the defence of Antwerp. The two other Brigades moved to Dunkirk for the same purpose on 5th October 1914. In the haste to organise and move the units to Belgium, 80% went to war without even basic equipment such as packs, mess tins or water bottles. No khaki uniform was issued. The two Naval Brigades were armed with ancient charger-loading rifles, only 3 days before embarking. The Division was orginally titled the Royal Naval Division, and was formed in England in September 1914. At this stage, it had no Artillery, Field Ambulances etc. RND units that withdrew from Antwerp returned to England, arriving 11th October 1914. Approximately 1,500 troops of the 1st Royal Naval Brigade crossed the Dutch frontier and were interned in the Netherlands. After a lengthy period of refit and training (scattered in various locations, and still short of many of the units that ordinarily made up the establishment of a Division), the Division moved to Egypt preparatory to the Gallipoli campaign. By the end of the Division's part in the Gallipoli campaign, very few men with sea service remained. The Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office on 29th April 1916, and was redesignated the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on 19th July 1916. The Division moved to France, arriving Marseilles 12-23rd May 1916, after which it remained on the Western Front. The Battle of the Ancre (tenth phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The Second Battle of the Scarpe (second phase of the Arras Offensive) In the above action, the Division captured Gavrelle. The Battle of Arleux (third 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 First Battle of Bapaume (second phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Second Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of Drocourt-Queant (second phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918) The Battle of the Canal du Nord (third phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line) The Passage of the Grand Honelle This unique Division was demobilised in France by April 1919. It had suffered over 47,900 casualties.
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| Order of Battle | ||||||||||||||||
| 1st Royal Naval Brigade By April 1915, this was redesignated 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the Brigade was redesignated 1st Brigade. The Brigade was broken up on 2 July 1916, the staff joining the 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. 1st (Drake) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916) 2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined August 1914, left May 1916) 3rd (Benbow) Bn (joined August 1914, disbanded 9 June 1915) 4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 30 May 1915) 5th (Nelson) Bn (joined by April 1915, left May 1916) 7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1915. Split into 1/Hood and 2/Hood Bns during the period 1 June - 5 July 1916. Left July 1916) 12th (Deal) Bn (joined 12 March 1915, left 30 May 1915) 2nd Royal Naval Brigade By April 1915, this was redesignated 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade. In July 1915, the Brigade was broken up. It reformed on 2 August 1915, and was redesignated 2nd Brigade. It was further redesignated the 2nd (Royal Naval) Brigade, on 7 July 1916, and on 19 July 1916, 189th Brigade. 1st (Drake) Bn (joined by 5 July1916) 2nd (Hawke) Bn (joined May 1916) 4th (Collingwood) Bn (joined 30 May 1915, disbanded 9 June 1915) 5th (Nelson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by April 1915, rejoined May 1916) 6th (Howe) Bn (joined August 1914, left July 1916) 7th (Hood) Bn (joined August 1914, left 2 August 1915 and rejoined July 1916) 8th (Anson) Bn (joined August 1914, left by May 1916) Chatham & Deal Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 1st Bn , Royal Marines ten days later; left May 1916) Portsmouth & Plymouth Bn (amalgamated and joined 2 August 1915; renamed 2nd Bn , Royal Marines ten days later, left May 1916) The battalions of both above Brigades were redesignated by April 1915. e.g. 6th (Howe) Bn became Howe Bn. 189th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 188th Brigade 8 May 1917 originally as 224th Brigade MG Company to but transferred to 189th on 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 189th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916) Royal Marine Brigade By April 1915, this was redesignated 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade. On 2 August 1915, the 4 Battalions of the Brigade were reorganised into 2; these units were then transferred to the 2nd Brigade. The Royal Marine Brigade ceased to exist. Royal Marine A. Bn (joined August 1914, left 31st August 1914) 9th (Chatham) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 10th (Portsmouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 11th (Plymouth) Bn (joined August 1914, left August 1915) 12th (Deal) Bn (joined 31st August 1914, left 12 March 1915, rejoined 30 May 1915) 3rd (Royal Marine) Brigade On arrival in France, 22 May 1916, the Royal Marine Brigade was reformed as this unit. On 7 July 1916, with the staff of the 1st Brigade, it was redesignated the 1st (Royal Naval) Brigade. This was itself redesignated 188th Brigade on 19 July 1916. 6th (Howe) Bn (joined July 1916) 8th (Anson) Bn (joined May 1916) 1st Royal Marines (joined May 1916) 2nd Royal Marines (joined May 1916) 2nd Bn, the Royal Irish (joined April 1918) 2/4th (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined August 1915, left January 1916) 188th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 4 August 1916, transferred to Base Depot 17 May 1917. 223rd MG Company arrived 8 May 1917 initially with 189th Brigade, but transferred 12 June 1917, and moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 188th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 21 July 1916) 190th Brigade The Brigade was formed in July 1916. 7th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Royal Fusiliers (joined July 1916) 4th (Extra Reserve) Bn, the Bedfords (joined July 1916) 1/4th Bn, the KSLI (joined August 1917, left February 1918) 10th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (joined August 1916, left June 1917) 1/1st Bn, the Honourable Artillery Company (joined July 1916, left June 1917) 1/28th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined June 1917) 2/2nd (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined October 1915, left January 1916) 190th Brigade Machine Gun Company (moved into 63 MG Bn 1 March 1918) 190th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 25 July 1916) Divisional Troops 14th (Service) Bn (Severn Valley Pioneers), the Worcesters (joined June 1916) Armoured Motor Machine-Gun Squadron (joined 17 March 1915, left late May 1915) 223rd Machine Gun Company (joined 7 September 1917, joined Divisional MG Battalion 1 March 1918) No 63 Machine Gun Battalion (formed 1 March 1918) Divisional Mounted Troops Royal Naval Divisional Cyclist Company (broken up June 1916) Divisional Artillery CCXXIII (H) (1/IV Home Counties) Brigade, RFA (joined 9 June 1916, broken up 26 July 1916) Divisional artillery joined in July 1916, having been transferred from the 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division, TF. CCCXV (2/I Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, left 11 February 1917) CCCXVI (2/II Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916, broken up 31 August 1916) CCCXVII (2/III Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined 5 July 1916) CCCXVIII (2/IV Northumbrian) Brigade, RFA (joined July 1916) 63rd Divisional Ammunition Column V.63 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (joined from 29 July 1916, when a single weapon arrived; broken up 2 February 1918) X.63, Y.63 and Z.63 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (joined 5 July 1916; on 2 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each) Engineer Units, RE RE Detachment of 2 officers and 32 other ranks arrived France with the Royal Marine Brigade on 20 September 1914. 247th Field Company (Originally No 1 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 248th Field Company (Originally No 2 Company, joined before embarkation for Gallipoli; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 249th Field Company (Originally No 3 Company, joined on Gallipoli in July 1915; On 1 February 1917, it transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers, and was redesignated) 63rd Divisional Signal Company Field Ambulances No 1 Field Ambulance No 2 Field Ambulance No 3 Field Ambulance These units were redesignated , e.g, 1st (R.N) Field Ambulance, on arrival in France RND Divisional Train ASC (joined in Egypt 26 March 1915, the two original Companies left 15 March 1916; replaced by complete Divisional Train in France 14 June 1916. Train renumbered 63rd on 19 July 1916, composed of 761, 762, 763 and 764 Companies ASC.) 19th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 31 March 1915, left 18 February 1916) 53rd Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 18 June 1916) Royal Naval Sanitary Section ( joined in Egypt 30 March 1915; remained in Egypt when Division moved to France) 63rd Sanitary Section ( formed 31 May 1916, left for First Army area 8 April 1917) |
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| Divisional command | ||||||||||||||||
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