35th Division (United Kingdom)
| 35th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
 35th Division sign, used on vehicles. The sign is made from seven '5's (=35). | |
| Active | April 1915 – June 1919 |
| Country |
 |
| Branch |
 |
| Type | Infantry |
| Engagements | World War I |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Reginald Pinney |
The 35th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised during the Great War.
History
Origins
Originally raised for the Fifth New Army (K5) as the 42nd Division, it was renumbered as the 35th when the Fifth New Army was redesignated as the Fourth New Army in April 1915. By June 1915, the division had begun to congregate at Masham and in August it was moved to Salisbury Plain.[1]
France
Initially ordered to Egypt at the end of the year, it was instead transferred to the Western Front in February 1916. It would remain there for the rest of the war.[2]
The first major engagement of the division was the Battle of Albert during the Somme offensive in the summer of 1916.[3] In 1917 the division participated in the Battle of Arras and the third Battle of Ypres.[4]
In 1918 the division participated in final allied offensive, reaching the River Dendre when the armistice ended the fighting in November 1918.[5]
In January 1919, the division was called on to quell riots in the camps at Calais and was finally demobilized, in April 1919.[6]
Order of battle
Details from Baker, C. The 35th Division in 1914–1918.[7]
- 17th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
- 18th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers
- 20th (Service) Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers (disbanded February 1918)
- 23rd (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment (disbanded February 1918)
- 19th (Service) (2nd County) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (joined February 1918 from 106th Brigade)
- 104th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined April 1916, left for division MG battalion February 1918)
- 104th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1916)
- 15th (Service) (1st Birkenhead) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
- 16th (Service) (2nd Birkenhead) Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (disbanded February 1918)
- 14th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (disbanded February 1918)
- 15th (Service) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment)
- 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (joined February 1918 from 106th Brigade)
- 105th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined April 1916, left for division MG battalion February 1918)
- 105th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1916)
- 17th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment)
- 17th (Service) (2nd Leeds) Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (left November 1917)
- 19th (Service) (2nd County) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry (left February 1918 for 104th Brigade)
- 18th (Service) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (disbanded February 1918)
- 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment (joined November 1917, left February 1918 for 105th Brigade)
- 12th (Service) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry (joined February 1918)
- 106th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (joined April 1916, left for division MG battalion February 1918)
- 106th Trench Mortar Battery (joined February 1916)
Division Troops
- 19th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (Pioneers)
- 241st Machine Gun Company (joined July 1917, moved to Division MG battalion February 1918)
- 35th Battalion Machine Gun Corps (formed March 1918)
- C Squadron, Lancashire Hussars (left May 1916)
- 35th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps (left May 1916)
- 35th Divisional Train Army Service Corps
- 233rd, 234th, 235th and 236th Companies A.S.C.
- Royal Artillery
- 157th (Aberdeen) Brigade, R.F.A.
- 158th (Accrington and Burnley) Brigade R.F.A. (broken up February 1917)
- 159th (Glasgow) Brigade R.F.A.
- 163rd (West Ham) (Howitzer) Brigade R.F.A. (broken up September 1916)
- 131st Heavy Battery R.G.A. (left in March 1916)
- 35th Divisional Ammunition Column (British Empire League) R.F.A.
- V.35 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery R.F.A. (formed August 1916; left March 1918)
- X.35, Y.35 and Z.35 Medium Mortar Batteries R.F.A. (formed June 1916, Z broken up in February 1918, distributed to X and Y batteries)
- Royal Engineers
- 203rd, 204th, 205th (Cambridge) Field Companies
- 35th Divisional Signals Company
- Royal Army Medical Corps
- 105th, 106th, 107th Field Ambulances
- 75th Sanitary Section (left April 1917)
Awards
Between 1916 and 1918 the officers and men of the division won the following (the list is incomplete).[8]
| British Awards | |
|---|---|
| Victoria Cross | 2 |
| Companion of the Order of the Bath | 7 |
| Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George | 3 |
| Distinguished Service Order | 36 (including 2 bars) |
| Military Cross | 150 (including 5 bars) |
| Distinguished Conduct Medal | 44 |
| Military Medal | 328 (including 8 bars) |
| Meritorious Service Medal | 20 |
| French Awards | |
| Legiond'Honneur | 2 |
| Médaille militaire | 2 |
| Croix de Guerre | 20 |
| Belgian Awards | |
| Officier de l'Ordre de la Couronne | 3 |
| Croix de Guerre | 11 |
Commanders
- Major General Herman Landon
- Major General Reginald John Pinney
- Major General George McKenzie Franks
See also
References
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 1–8.
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 8–26.
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 27–55.
- ↑ Davson2003, pp. 56–150, 150–192.
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 193–297.
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 295–296.
- ↑ Baker, Chris. "The 35th Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Archived from the original on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ↑ Davson 2003, pp. 298–304.
Bibliography
- Davson, H. M. (2003) [1926]. The History of the 35th Division in the Great War (Naval & Military Press ed.). London: Sifton Praed. ISBN 978-1-84342-643-1.