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 (East Lancashire Division, eventually redesignated the 42nd) from September 1914 onwards. Men of the 1st-Line 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 East Lancashire, 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. In particular, training of this Division was slowed by a continual drain of men for drafts to replace casualties incurred by the 1st-Line Division on Gallipoli. However, the Division concentrated on the Western Front by 16th March 1917. Thereafter it fought with distinction in that theatre until the Armistice, playing a part in most of the major actions, as follows:

Operations on the Flanders Coast, 26 June - 25 September 1917

The Battle of Poelcapelle (sixth 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)

After suffering very heavy casualties during the Battles of the Somme (1918), the Division was first reduced to a training cadre (9 April to 18 September 1918) then reformed and reconstituted. During this period, many different units were attached for short periods. During this time, the Divisional artillery remained in action, and it did not rejoin the Division until 8 November 1918.

The Battle of Cambrai 1918 (sixth phase of the Battles of the Hindenburg Line)

The Pursuit to the Selle

The Battle of the Selle

On 14 November 1918, the Division was warned that it had been selected to move forward into Germany as part of the Rhine bridgehead force. However, although it did move through Belgium between 18 November and 14 December, it did not join the force that crossed the border. Demobilisation took place speedily, and the Division ceased to exist on 24 March 1919.

197th Brigade (2nd Lancashire Fusiliers)

Transferred as a Brigade to Lines of Communication, 20 September 1918

18th (Service) Bn , the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August 1918)

23rd (Service) Bn , the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August1918)

25th (Service) Bn , the Northumberland Fusiliers (joined August1918)

10th (Service) Bn, the Lincolns (joined August 1918)

8th (Service) Bn, the Suffolks (joined August 1918)

7th (Service) Bn, the Bedfords (joined June 1918, left July 1918)

1/6th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined February 1918, left as a cadre July 1918)

2/5th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined September 1914, left April 1915)

2/6th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined October 1914, left January 1918)

2/7th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined October 1914, left June 1918)

2/8th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined October 1914, disbanded July 1918)

3/5h Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined October 1914, disbanded February 1918)

13th (Service) Bn (Forest of Dean) (Pioneers), the Gloucesters (joined as a cadre June 1918)

10th (Service) Bn, the Black Watch (joined July 1918, disbanded October 1918)

16th (Service) Bn (Chatsworth Rifles), the Sherwood Foresters (joined as a cadre August 1918)

17th (Service) Bn (British Empire League), the King's Royal Rifle Corps (joined as a cadre August 1918)

14th (Service) Bn, the Highland Light Infantry(joined as a cadre August 1918)

5th (Service) Bn, the Connaught Rangers (joined July 1918, left August 1918)

6th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (joined May 1918, left September 1918)

202nd Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined March 1917, moved into 66 MG Bn 11 March 1918)

197th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1917)

198th Brigade (2nd East Lancashire)

1/6th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined September 1918)

5th (Service) Bn, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (joined July 1918)

9th (Service) Bn, the Gloucesters (joined July 1918, left September 1918)

4th Bn, the East Lancashire (joined February 1918, left as a cadre April 1918)

2/4th Bn, the East Lancashire (joined November 1914, absorbed into 4th Bn February 1918)

2/5th Bn, the East Lancashire (joined November 1914, disbanded July 1918)

9th Bn, the Manchesters (joined February 1918, left as a cadre July 1918)

2/9th Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, absorbed into 9th Bn February 1918)

2/10th Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, disbanded February 1918)

6th (Service) Bn, the Leinster (joined July 1918, disbanded September 1918)

6th (Service) Bn, the Royal Dublin Fusiliers (joined September 1918)

2/20th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment(joined July 1918, left August 1918)

2/24th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment(joined July 1918, left September 1918)

203rd Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 12 March 1917, moved into 66 MG Bn 11 March 1918)

198th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1917)

199th Brigade (2nd Manchester)

1/6th Bn, the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined as a cadre July 1918, left September 1918)

11th (Service) Bn , the Lancashire Fusiliers (joined June 1918, absorbed August 1918)

9th Bn, the Manchesters (joined as a cadre July 1918)

2/5th Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, disbanded July 1918)

2/6th Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, disbanded July 1918)

2/7th Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, disbanded July 1918)

2/8th (Ardwick) Bn, the Manchesters (joined November 1914, disbanded February 1918)

5th (Service) Bn, the Connaught Rangers (joined August 1918)

204th Brigade Machine Gun Company (joined 12 March 1917, moved into 66 MG Bn 11 March 1918)

199th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1917)

South African Brigade

The Brigade reported to Division from 23 September 1918

1st Bn, South African Infantry

2nd Bn, South African Infantry

4th Bn, South African Infantry

South African Trench Mortar Battery

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Divisional troops

17th (Service) Bn, the King's (Liverpool) (joined and left as a cadre, June 1918)

18th (Service) Bn, the King's (Liverpool) (joined as a cadre June 1918, reformed and absorbed 14th Bn)

2/5th Bn, the Lincolns (joined June 1918, absorbed by 1/5th Bn July 1918)

6th (Service) Bn, the Yorkshire (joined and left as a cadre, June 1918)

11th (Service) Bn (Lonsdale), the Border (joined as a cadre May 1918, left July 1918)

2/6th Bn, the South Staffordshire (joined as a cadre May 1918, disbanded July 1918)

11th (Service) Bn (St.Helens Pioneers), the South Lancashire (joined as a cadre June 1918, left same month)

7th (Robin Hood) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined as a cadre June 1918, left August 1918)

13th (Service) Bn, the Manchesters (joined July 1918, absorbed by 9th Bn in 198th Brigade, August 1918)

17th (Service) Bn (2nd City), the Manchesters (joined as a cadre June 1918, left July 1918)

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

5th (Service) Bn, the Royal Irish Fusiliers (joined July 1918, left August 1918)

Divisional Pioneers

10th (Service) Bn (Cornwall Pioneers), the DCLI (joined July 1917,left November 1917)

1/5th (Cumberland) Bn, the Border (joined as Pioneers February 1918, left May 1918)

9th (Service) Bn, the Gloucesters (joined as Pioneers September 1918)

 

No 66 Machine Gun Battalion (formed 11 March 1918, broken up 15 April 1918)

No 100 (Warwicks and South Notts Yeomanry) Machine Gun Battalion (joined 19 October 1918)

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Divisional Artillery

CCCXXX (2/I East Lancs) Brigade, RFA

CCCXXXI (2/II East Lancs) Brigade, RFA

CCCXXXII (2/III East Lancs) Brigade, RFA (broken up April 1917)

2/IV East Lancs (H) Brigade, RFA (broken up May 1916)

1/2nd Lancashire Heavy Battery, RGA (left 5 January 1916)

2/1st Lancashire Heavy Battery, RGA (a Battery of 4 4.7-inch guns which joined briefly from 57th Division. It eventually moved independently and joined II ANZAC in July 1916.)

2/2nd Lancashire Heavy Battery, RGA (remained in England when Division moved to France)

66th (2/1st East Lancs.) Divisional Ammunition Column

V.66 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery RFA (formed February 1917, left 3 February 1918)

X.66, Y.66 and Z.66 Medium Mortar Batteries RFA (formed February 1917, on 6 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each)

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Engineer Units, RE

Field Companies were redesignated from original titles in February 1917

430th Field Company (were 2/1st East Lancs.)

431st Field Company (were 2/2nd East Lancs.)

432nd Field Company (were 2/3rd East Lancs.)

66th (2/1st East Lancs.) Divisional Signal Company

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Field Ambulances, RAMC

2/1st East Lancs. Field Ambulance (left 22 June 1918)

2/2nd East Lancs. Field Ambulance

2/3rd East Lancs. Field Ambulance

South African Field Ambulance (joined 23 September 1918)

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66th (2/1st East Lancs.) Divisional Train ASC (541, 542, 543 and 544 Companies)

254th Divisional Employment Company (formed by 14 July 1917)

1/1st East Lancs. Mobile Veterinary Section

3/1st London Sanitary Section ( left before embarkation of the Division in 1917)

66th Sanitary Section ( joined near St. Venant on 5 March 1917, left for XI Corps on 9 April 1917)