75th Division was an infantry division 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 ...

World War I 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 ...

. It was raised in the field by the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning ...

(EEF) in 1917 and it included British, Indian and South African troops. It served in the Middle East during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign being involved in the Battles of Megiddo.

Formation

On 16 March 1917 the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

gave the EEF permission to raise a new British division from infantry battalions of the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

arriving in Egypt as reinforcements from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. These were primarily from the 43rd (Wessex) and 45th (2nd Wessex) divisions, which had sailed to India in 1914 to relieve Regular troops. The division was assigned the number 75, and its three infantry brigades the numbers 232, 233 and 234.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 123–30. Brigadier-General Philip Palin of 29th Indian Brigade was promoted to command the new division.'Major-Gen Sir Philip Palin', Times (London), 23 January 1937. 232nd Brigade began to form at Moascar on 14 April 1917, but on 24 May the

ordered that some

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

battalions should also be included in order to speed up the formation of the division. The first of these came from Palin's 29th Indian Brigade. The War Office then decided on 11 June that the division should be 'Indianised', with an establishment of one British and three Indian battalions to each brigade. However, this conversion was not completed until the summer of 1918. The process of assembling the division was drawn out: 233rd Brigade began to assemble at Zeitun on 25 May 1917, but then took over the Rafa defences in Sinai and only joined 75th Division on 18 August. The division officially came into existence on 25 June when 234th Brigade started to assemble at el'Arish. Finding the necessary artillery for the division was a real difficulty. A new CLXXII Field Brigade reached

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

from the United Kingdom on 23 July, and was immediately broken up to form the nucleus of two second-line Territorial brigades, CLXXII and XXXVII, taking the numbers of units that had been disbanded in France. The third field brigade came from South Africa in July, and joined 75th Division on 12 September after it had been reorganised and re-equipped with 18-pounder guns. However, due to the shortage of 4.5-inch howitzers it was not until October that the British brigades received their howitzer batteries, and the South African brigade's did not arrive until the following April.

Order of battle

75th Division was constituted as follows: Staff * General Officer Commanding: Maj-Gen Sir Philip Palin * General Staff Officer Grade 1: Lt-Col J. Spencer ::Lt-Col S.H. Kershaw (from 6 December 1917) ::Lt-Col G.B. Rowan-Hamilton (from 30 August 1918) ::Lt-Col D. Ovey (from 29 October 1918) * Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General: Lt-Col R.L. Macalpine-Leny 232nd Brigade ::''See main article 232nd Brigade'' 233rd Brigade ::''See main article 233rd Brigade'' 234th Brigade ::''See main article 234th Brigade'' Artillery Brigadier-General, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen H.A. Boyce * XXXVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery **389 Battery, RFA **390 Battery, RFA **405 (Howitzer) Battery, RFA * CLXXII Brigade, RFA **391 Battery, RFA **392 Battery, RFA **406 (Howitzer) Battery, RFA * I South African Field Brigade ** A Battery ** B Battery ** C (Howitzer) Battery (from April 1918) * VIII Mountain Brigade,

Royal Garrison Artillery The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) ...

(25 March–15 September 1918) ** 11th Mountain Battery, RGA ( 3.7-inch mountain howitzers) ** 13th Mountain Battery, RGA (3.7-inch mountain howitzers) ** 17th Mountain Battery, RGA ( 2.75-inch mountain guns) * X.75, Y.75 and Z.75 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries (joined 3 October 1917; disbanded 22 February 1918) * 75th Divisional Ammunition Column (formed 29 August 1917 from brigade ammunition columns) Machine guns * 75th Battalion,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in the First World War. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks ...

(formed 3 May 1918) ** 229th, 230th and 231st MG Companies (from 232, 233 and 234 Brigades respectively) Engineers Commanding Royal Engineers: Lt-Col G.S.C. Cooke
Lt-Col A.G. Turner (from 1 September 1918) * 495th (1st Kent) Field Company, Royal Engineers (from

54th (East Anglian) Division The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation of the Territorial Force (TF) as the East Anglian Division. During the First World War the division fo ...

26 August 1917; returned to 54th 26 May 1918) * 496th (2nd Kent) Field Company, RE (from 53rd (Welsh) Division 4 July 1917) * 10th Company, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners (from Palestine Lines of Communication 7 December 1917) * 16th Company, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners (joined from India 23 May 1918) * 75th Divisional Signal Company, RE Pioneers * 2nd Battalion, 32nd Sikh Pioneers (10 May–24 July 1918) Medical * 145th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (joined 14 August 1917; handed over personnel, equipment and transport to 123rd CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918) * 146th Field Ambulance, RAMC (joined 14 August 1917; handed over to 127th CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918) * 147th Field Ambulance, RAMC (joined 14 August 1917; handed over to 163rd CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918) * 123rd Indian Field Ambulance (joined 30 June 1917; became 123rd Combined Field Ambulance 21 May 1918) * 127th Combined Field Ambulance (originally from 7th (Meerut) Division, joined 14 May 1918) * 163rd Combined Field Ambulance (joined from India 14 May 1918) * 107th Sanitary Section (joined from France 14 July 1917) Veterinary * 60th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 3 July 1917) Transport * 75th Divisional Train (originally formed as 'X' Divisional Train; joined 3 July 1918) ** 925, 926, 927 and 928 Horse Transport Companies, Army Service Corps

Service

75th Division joined XXI Corps and took part in the invasion of Palestine, beginning with the

Third Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought on the night of 1–2 November 1917 between British and Ottoman forces during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I and came after the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the ...

on 27 October 1917, leading to the capture of Gaza (6–7 November) and Junction Station (13–14 November), and the

Battle of Nebi Samwil The Battle of Nebi Samwil, (17–24 November 1917), was fought during the decisive British Empire victory at the Battle of Jerusalem between the forces of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Ottoman Empire's Yildirim Army Group during the S ...

(20–24 November). In the Spring of 1918 the division was involved in the actions at Tell 'Asur (11–12 March) and Berukin (9–11 April).

Battle of Sharon

::''See main Article

Battle of Tabsor The Battle of Tabsor was fought on 19–20 September 1918 beginning the Battle of Sharon, which along with the Battle of Nablus (1918), Battle of Nablus formed the set piece Battle of Megiddo (1918), Battle of Megiddo fought between 19 and 25 S ...

'' Following its reorganisation in the summer of 1918, 75th Division joined General Allenby's final offensive (the Battles of Megiddo). At the

Battle of Sharon The Battle of Sharon fought between 19 and 25 September 1918, began the set piece Battle of Megiddo (1918), Battle of Megiddo half a day before the Battle of Nablus (1918), Battle of Nablus, in which large formations engaged and responded to mov ...

(19 September), 75th Division was given the task of taking Miske and the trench system around the village of Et Tire, held by the Turkish 49th Division. Palin had under his command 'A' Squadron (

Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (DLOY) was a yeomanry unit of the British Army from 1798 to 1992. Originally raised as part-time cavalry for home defence and internal security, the regiment sent mounted infantry to serve in the Second Boer ...

) of the Composite Corps Cavalry Regiment and 2nd Light Armoured Motor Battery,

. There was no preliminary bombardment: the advance began at 04:30 in moonlight behind a barrage fired by the field artillery, trench mortars and machine guns onto the enemy front line, while the howitzers and heavy artillery fired on specific targets behind. Once the attackers reached the front line, the 18-pounders laid a creeping barrage in front of them onto the subsequent objectives. 75th Division had 232nd Bde on the right, while 234th Bde was on the left with two companies of the 5/

Somerset Light Infantry The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army, which served under various titles from 1685 to 1959. In 1959, the regiment was amalgamated with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry to form the Som ...

from 233rd Bde. The Somerset LI companies were to advance between 234th's left and right battalions to capture an isolated work while the others moved straight ahead. The rest of 233rd Bde was in reserve.Falls, pp. 479–80. 232nd Brigade swept through the enemy's front line, meeting little opposition. The pack mules carrying the brigade signal equipment were stampeded by the bombardment, so no news got back, but the brigade captured Miske with the aid of the South African Field Artillery, which had moved forward quickly after completing its bombardment programme. Et Tire, surrounded by trenches and cactus edges, was more formidable, and the leading troops were exhausted. The Imperial Service Troops of the 3rd Kashmir Rifles had moved up to Brigade HQ on the initiative of their British liaison officer, and were sent in to reinforce the attack. Simultaneously the divisional GSO1 (Lt-Col Rowan-Hamilton) had been sent up by Palin with the cavalry squadron and armoured cars. With the renewed attack and with armoured cars outflanking the village, the Turks evacuated their positions, leaving behind all the papers of their XXII Corps HQ. 234th Brigade had an easier task. The creeping barrage was so accurate that the leading battalions and the Somerset LI companies were able to follow close behind it and gain their objectives with little opposition. In fact the barrage was too slow, and the enemy was able to get away, the only hard fighting being on the Turkish gun lines, which were taken at bayonet point by the 1/

152nd Punjabis The 152nd Punjabis was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed in Mesopotamia and Palestine in May 1918, saw service in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in the First World War, and was disbanded in September 1921. Hist ...

. By 17:00, XXI Corps' attack had rolled up the whole Turkish right and allowed the

Desert Mounted Corps The Desert Mounted Corps was an army corps of the British Army during the First World War, of three mounted divisions renamed in August 1917 by General Edmund Allenby, from Desert Column. These divisions which served in the Sinai and Pales ...

to sweep forward to complete the envelopment of the Turkish army and begin the pursuit.Becke Pt 4, p. 255.

Postwar

After the end of the fighting on 19 September, 75th Division and the rest of XXI Corps were left on salvage work and road repair until the Armistice with the Turks was signed on 31 October. Demobilisation began early in 1919, but 75th Division was selected for the Army of Occupation of Palestine. In March 1919 it returned to garrison duty in Egypt, becoming responsible for the Eastern Delta, which was renamed 75th Division Area. Many other units were attached for this work. After July 1919 the disturbances in Egypt began to die down, and units began to disperse to their home countries. On 1 April 1920 the Division Area and remaining troops were handed over to

10th (Irish) Division The 10th (Irish) Division, was one of the first of Kitchener's New Army K1 Army Group divisions (formed from Kitchener's 'first hundred thousand' new volunteers), authorized on 21 August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. It included ...

and 75th Division ceased to exist. The divisional number has never been reactivated.

Commanders

The following officers commanded the 75th Division:Becke, Pt 2b, p. 123. *Major-General P. C. Palin (25 June – 10 December 1917) **''Acting'': Brigadier-General E. M. Colston (10 December – 29 December 1917) *Major-General P. C. Palin (29 December 1917 – 1 April 1920)

References

Bibliography

* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: the Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territoral Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * 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, . * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 4: the Army Council, G.H.Q.s, Armies, and Corps, 1914–1918'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1944/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * Capt Cyril Falls, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations Egypt and Palestine, Part II: from June 1917 to the End of the War'', London: Imperial War Museum/Battery Press, 1992,

External links

*
The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:75 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations established in 1917 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920