The 62nd (2nd West Riding) 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 Gurk ...

that saw active service on the Western Front during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

History

During the

the division fought on the Western Front at Bullecourt in the Battle of Arras and Havrincourt in the Battle of Cambrai. During

Operation Michael Operation Michael was a major German military offensive during the First World War that began the German Spring Offensive on 21 March 1918. It was launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was t ...

, in 1918, they were in the line near Arras and in the

Second Battle of the Marne The Second Battle of the Marne (french: Seconde Bataille de la Marne) (15 July – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War. The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, supported by s ...

, in the Ardre Valley. At the opening of

Second Battle of the Somme (1918) The Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought during the First World War on the Western Front from late August to early September, in the basin of the River Somme. It was part of a series of successful counter-offensives in response to the ...

, they fought the

Battle of Havrincourt The Battle of Havrincourt was a World War I battle fought on 12 September 1918, involving the British Third Army (under the command of General Sir Julian Byng) against German troops, including those of the 3rd and 10th Corps, in the town of Havrin ...

and continued across the Saint Quentin Canal at Marcoing, before beginning the fighting advance to Maubeuge on the Sambre.

Order of Battle

The order of battle was as follows: Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 41–7.
;

185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade The 185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army. It was assigned to the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War. Formation The infantry battali ...

* 2/5th Battalion,

Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ) , march = ''Ça Ira'' , battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine , anniversaries = Imphal (22 June) The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was ...

''(joined March 1915, left August 1918)'' * 2/6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, left January 1918)'' * 2/7th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, left June 1918)'' * 2/8th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, left February 1918)'' * 1/8th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) ''(joined January 1918)'' * 1/5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment ''(joined June 1918)'' * 2/20th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment ''(joined August 1918)'' ;

186th (2/2nd West Riding) Brigade The 186th (2/2nd West Riding) Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army. It was assigned to the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War. Formation The infantry battalio ...

* 2/4th Battalion,

Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

''(joined March 1915)'' * 2/5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, left January 1918)'' * 2/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, disbanded January 1918)'' * 2/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) ''(joined March 1915, left as a cadre June 1918)'' * 5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) ''(joined January 1918)'' * 2/4th Battalion,

Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regim ...

''(joined June 1918)'' ;

187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade The 187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army. It was assigned to the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War. Formation * 2/4th Battalion, K ...

* 2/4th Battalion,

King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall ...

''(joined March 1915)'' * 2/5th Battalion, King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) ''(joined March 1915, absorbed 1/5th Bn and became simply 5th Bn February 1918)'' * 2/4th

Hallamshire Battalion The Hallamshire Battalion was an infantry battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, part of the British Army in existence from 1859. History Formation and early history Formed in 1859 as The Hallamshire Volunteer Rifle Corps with its headquart ...

York and Lancaster Regiment The York and Lancaster Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was created in the Childers Reforms of 1881 by the amalgamation of the 65th (2nd Yorkshire, North Riding) Regiment ...

''(joined March 1915)'' * 2/5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment ''(joined March 1915, disbanded February 1918)'' ; 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisional Artillery * 2/I West Riding Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA) ''(became CCCX Brigade May 1916)'' * 2/II West Riding Brigade, RFA ''(became CCCXI Brigade May 1916; left as independent Army Field Artillery Brigade January 1917)'' * 2/III West Riding Brigade, RFA ''(became CCCXII Brigade May 1916)'' * 2/IV West Riding (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA ''(broken up May 1916)''

General Officer Commanding

* Major General Sir James Trotter February 1915 – December 1915 * Major-General

Walter Braithwaite General Sir Walter Pipon Braithwaite, (11 November 1865 – 7 September 1945) was a British Army officer who held senior commands during the First World War. After being dismissed from his position as Chief of Staff for the Mediterranean Expedi ...

December 1915 – August 1918 * Major-General Robert Whigham August 1918 – 1919

References

Bibliography

* * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions,'' London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8. * Laurie Magnus, ''The West Riding Territorials in the Great War'', London: Keegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, 1920//Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2004, ISBN 1-845740-77-7. * *

External links