The 24th Division was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, raised in September 1914 from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. After almost a year spent training in England the division was sent to the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers * Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a maj ...

between August and September 1915. It served in Belgium and France in the

trenches A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit). In geology, trenches result from erosi ...

of the Western Front for the duration of the war.

Unit History

The Division was one of the six created for the Third New Army on 13 September 1914. It moved to France in August 1915 and it saw action at the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place be ...

in 1916, the

Battle of Passchendaele The Third Battle of Ypres (german: link=no, Dritte Flandernschlacht; french: link=no, Troisième Bataille des Flandres; nl, Derde Slag om Ieper), also known as the Battle of Passchendaele (), was a campaign of the First World War, fought by t ...

in 1917 and the Final Advance in Picardy in 1918. From its arrival in France to May 1917, it was commanded by

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

John Capper Major-General Sir John Edward Capper (7 December 1861 − 24 May 1955) was a senior officer of the British Army during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century who served on the North-West Frontier of British India, in South Africa and ...

. It was disbanded by March 1919.

Order of Battle

The 24th Division was constituted as follows during the war: War Memorial, Battersea Park 03

71st Brigade * 9th (Service) Battalion,

Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

* 9th (Service) Battalion,

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before b ...

* 8th (Service) Battalion,

Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World Wa ...

* 11th (Service) Battalion,

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

The brigade moved to the 6th Division in 11 October 1915, swapping with the 17th Brigade. 72nd Brigade * 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) ''(left February 1918)'' * 8th (Service) Battalion,

Buffs (East Kent Regiment) The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

''(left October 1915)'' * 9th (Service) Battalion,

East Surrey Regiment The East Surrey Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 31st (Huntingdonshire) Regiment of Foot, the 70th ...

* 8th (Service) Battalion,

Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army based in the county of Kent in existence from 1881 to 1961. The regiment was created on 1 July 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms, originally as the Queen' ...

* 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) ''(from October 1915)'' * 72nd Machine Gun Company M.G.C. ''(joined 14 March 1916, transferred into Divisional MG Battalion 5 March 1918)'' * 72nd Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 19 July 1916)'' 73rd Brigade * 12th (Service) Battalion,

Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. It was known as the 7th Regiment of Foot until the Childers Reforms of 1881. The regiment served in many wars ...

''(left October 1915)'' * 9th (Service) Battalion,

Royal Sussex Regiment The Royal Sussex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot a ...

* 7th (Service) Battalion,

Northamptonshire Regiment The Northamptonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1960. In 1960, it was amalgamated with the Royal Lincolnshire Regiment to form the 2nd East Anglian Regiment (Duchess of Gloucester's O ...

* 13th (Service) Battalion,

Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment) The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1966. The regiment was formed, as the Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment), in 1881 as part of the Childers Re ...

* 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) ''(from October 1915, left February 1918)'' * 73rd Machine Gun Company M.G.C. ''(joined 14 March 1916, transferred into Divisional MG Battalion 5 March 1918)'' * 73rd Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 15 July 1916)'' 17th Brigade * 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) * 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) ''(left October 1915)'' * 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) ''(left October 1915)'' * 3rd Battalion,

Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own) was an infantry rifle regiment of the British Army formed in January 1800 as the "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" to provide sharpshooters, scouts, and skirmishers. They were soon renamed the "Ri ...

* 12th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) ''(from October 1915, disbanded February 1918)'' * 8th (Service) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) ''(from October 1915, disbanded February 1918)'' * 8th (Service) Battalion, Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) ''(from February 1918)'' * 1/2nd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment ''(left February 1916)'' * 17th Machine Gun Company ''(formed 17 January 1916, transferred into Divisional MG Battalion 5 March 1918)'' * 17th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed by 26 July 1916)'' The brigade transferred from the division from the 6th Division on 18 October 1915, swapping with the 71st Brigade. Divisional Troops * 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment ''(joined before March 1915, left 9 April 1915)'' * 13th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers ''(joined before March 1915, left 9 April 1915)'' * 12th (Service) Battalion,

Sherwood Foresters The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...

''(joined before March 1915, converted to Divisional Pioneer Battalion in April 1915)'' * No 3 Motor Machine Gun Battery ''(joined 30 October left 23 November 1915)'' * 191st Machine Gun Company ''(joined 15 December 1916, moved into Divisional MG Battalion 5 March 1918)'' * 24th Machine Gun Battalion ''(formed 5 March 1918)'' * Divisional Mounted Troops ** A Sqn, 1st Royal Glasgow Yeomanry ''(joined 30 June 1915, left 29 April 1916)'' ** 24th Divisional Cyclist Company,

Army Cyclist Corps The Army Cyclist Corps was a corps of the British Army active during the First World War, and controlling the Army's bicycle infantry. History Formation Volunteer cyclist units had been formed as early as the 1880s, with the first complete bicy ...

''(joined by 15 February 1915, left 29 April 1916)'' * 24th Divisional Train

A.S.C. The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of ci ...

** 194th, 195th, 196th and 197th Companies A.S.C. * 36th Mobile Veterinary Section A.V.C. ''(joined 25 June 1915)'' * 223rd Divisional Employment Company ''(formed by 30 June 1917)''

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

* CVI Brigade, R.F.A. * CVII Brigade, R.F.A. * CVIII Brigade, R.F.A. ''(left 27 January 1917)'' * CIX (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. (''broken up 3 October 1916'') * 24th Heavy Battery, R.G.A. (''raised in August 1914 left August 1915'') * 24th Divisional Ammunition Column * 13th Divisional Ammunition Column (''attached 3 July to 6 August 1915'') * V.24 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery R.F.A. (''joined 30 July 1916, left February 1918'') * X.24, Y.24 and Z,24 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries R.F.A. (4 x 6-inch mortars) (''joined by 30 April 1916, Z.24 broken up in February 1918 and X and Y expanded to 6 x 6-inch mortars each'')

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

* 91st Field Company (''left January 1915'') * 92nd Field Company (''left January 1915'') * 103rd Field Company (''joined February 1915'') * 104th Field Company (''joined January 1915'') * 129th Field Company (''joined March 1915'') * 24th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

* 72nd Field Ambulance * 73rd Field Ambulance * 74th Field Ambulance * 41st Sanitary Section (''left 5 April 1917 for First Army'')

General Officer Commanding

The following commanded the division: * Maj-Gen. Sir J. G. Ramsay: 19 September 1914 – 3 October 1915 * Maj-Gen. J. E. Capper: 3 October 1915 – 12 May 1917 * Brig-Gen. H. C. Sheppard: 12 May 1917 – 18 May 1917 (Temporary) * Maj-Gen. L. J. Bols: 18 May 1917 – 12 September 1917 * Brig-Gen. E. S. Hoare Nairne: 12 September 1917 – 15 September 1917 (Temporary) * Maj-Gen. A. C. Daly: 15 September 1917 – 31 December 1918

References

External links

The British Army in the Great War: The 24th Division
{{DEFAULTSORT:24 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Kitchener's Army divisions Military units and formations established in 1914 1914 establishments in the United Kingdom

Unit History

Order of Battle

General Officer Commanding

See also

References

External links