| The 8th Division |  |
|||||||||
| A Regular Army Division | ||||||||||
| History | Units | Commanders | ||||||||||
| Summary history of the division | ||||||||||
The 8th Division was formed during October 1914, by the bringing together of regular army units from various points around the British Empire. The Division moved to the Western Front in November 1914, a badly-needed reinforecment to the BEF which had been all but wiped out at Ypres. They remained on the Western Front throughout the war, taking part in the following actions: The Battle of Albert (first phase of the Battle of the Somme 1916) The German Retreat to the Hindenburg Line The Battle of Pilckem (first phase of Third Battle of Ypres) The Battle of Langemarck (second phase of 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 Actions of Villers-Bretonneux (sixth phase of the First Battles of the Somme 1918) The Battle of the Scarpe (first phase of the Second Battles of Arras 1918) (25th Brigade)
|
||||||||||
| Order of Battle | ||||||||||
23rd Brigade 2nd Bn, the Devons (joined October 1914) 2nd Bn, the West Yorkshires (joined September 1914) 2nd Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined September 1914, left February 1918) 1/6th Bn, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (joined March 1915, left June 1915) 2nd Bn, the Middlesex (joined September 1914) 1/7th Bn, the Middlesex (joined March 1915, left February 1916) 24th Brigade 18 October 1915 : Brigade transferred to 23rd Division, returning 15 July 1916. 1st Bn, the Worcesters (joined October 1914) 2nd Bn, the East Lancashire (joined October 1914, left February 1918) 1/5th Bn, the Black Watch (joined November 1914, left October 1915) 1st Bn, the Sherwood Foresters (joined October 1914) 2nd Bn, the Northamptonshire (joined October 1914) 1/4th Bn, the Cameron Highlanders (joined February 1915, left April 1915) 25th Brigade 2nd Bn, the Lincolns (joined October 1914, left February 1918) 2nd Bn, the East Lancashire (joined February 1918) 2nd Bn, the Royal Berkshire (joined October 1914) 1/8th Bn, the Middlesex (joined August 1915, left October 1915) 1st Bn, the Royal Irish Rifles (joined October 1914, left February 1918) 2nd Bn, the Rifle Brigade (joined October 1914) 1/1st (City of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined May 1915, left February 1916) 13th (County of London) Bn, the London Regiment (joined November 1914, left May 1915) 70th Brigade 18 October 1915 : Brigade transferred from 23rd Division, returning 17 July 1916. 11th (Service) Bn, the Sherwood Foresters 8th (Service) Bn, the KOYLI 1/8th Bn, the Middlesex (left February 1916) 8th (Service) Bn, the York and Lancaster 9th (Service) Bn, the York and Lancaster Divisional Troops C Squadron, the 1/1st Northumberland Hussars (joined April 1915, left May 1916) 1/1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry (joined October 1914, left April 1915) Divisional Troops 1/5th Bn, the Black Watch (joined as Pioneers October 1915, left January 1916) 1/7th Bn, the Durham Light Infantry(joined as Pioneers June 1918) 22nd (Service) Bn (3rd County Pioneers), the Durham Light Infantry(joined July 1916, absorbed by 1/7th Bn July 1918) Divisional Artillery CXXVIII (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA (joined August 1915, left May 1916) V Brigade, RHA (joined October 1914, left January 1917) XXXIII Brigade, RFA (joined October 1914) XLV Brigade, RFA (joined October 1914) VIII Heavy Brigade, RFA (joined October 1914, left March 1915) Engineer Units 2nd Field Company (joined Oct 1914) 15th Field Company (joined Oct 1914) 1/1st (Home Counties) Field Company (joined Feb 15, renamed 490th Field Coy) Field Ambulances 24th (1st Wessex) (joined Oct 14) 25th (2nd Wessex) (joined Oct 14) 26th (3rd Wessex) (joined Oct 14) Other Divisional Troops 8th Divisional Train ASC (42, 84, 85, 87 Companies) |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
| Divisional command | ||||||||||
|
||||||||||