The 46th (North Midland) Division was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

division of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, part 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 in ...

, that saw service in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. At the outbreak of the war in 1914, the 46th Division was commanded by Major-General Hon. Hon. E. J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley. Originally called the North Midland Division, it was redesignated as the 46th Division in May 1915.Becke, pp. 61–7.

Formation

The

(TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 ( 7 Edw. 7. c. 9) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territor ...

(7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old

Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a Social movement, popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increa ...

, the Honourable Artillery Company and the

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units and sub-units in the British Army Reserve which are descended from volunteer cavalry regiments that now serve in a variety of different roles. History Origins In the 1790s, following the ...

. On formation, the TF contained 14

divisions Division 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 10,000 t ...

and 14 mounted yeomanry

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

s. One of the divisions was the North Midland Division. The North Midland Division was created by combining two existing Volunteer Infantry brigades, the Staffordshire Brigade and the North Midland Brigade. The Staffordshire Brigade was composed of battalions of the South Staffordshire Regiment and the Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment). The North Midland Brigade was split into two, one, the Lincoln and Leicester Brigade, composed of battalions of the

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

and Leicestershire Regiments, the other, the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Brigade, comprising the four TF battalions of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment (later the Sherwood Foresters). In peacetime, the divisional

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

was in

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

History

The North Midland Division was sent to France in February 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the

. On 12 May 1915 the division was numbered 46th (North Midland) Division and the brigades were also numbered. During the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used Chemical weapons in World War I, ...

the 46th Division was decimated in an attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October 1915. It was later involved in the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...

in July 1916, where in the opening phase as part of VII Corps, the southernmost corps of the British Third Army, the Division took part in the diversionary attack at Gommecourt on the first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, which was a catastrophic failure resulting in heavy losses. The event dogged the division afterwards with a poor reputation until 29 September 1918, during the Hundred Days Offensive, when it re-established its name at the Battle of St. Quentin Canal where, utilising life-belts and collapsible boats, it crossed the formidable obstacle of the canal and used scaling ladders to surmount the steep gradient of the opposite bank and captured multiple fortified machine-gun posts. British 137th Brigade

The total losses for the Division between February 1915 and 11 November 1918 were: Officers, 275 killed, 1,104 wounded and 123 missing; Other Ranks, 3,475 killed, 21,285 wounded and 3,307 missing. During the war, it served in the First, Second, Third and Fifth Armies, and in the I, II, III, V, VII, XI, XIII, XIV, XVII and XVIII Corps.

Order of battle

During the war, the composition of the division was as follows:46th Div at Long, Long Trail.
/ref>MacDonald, Appendix 3.Priestley, Appendices IV & V. ; 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade * 1/5th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment * 1/6th Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment * 1/5th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) (''disbanded January 1918'') * 1/6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) * 4th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) ''(from November to December 1915)'' * 1/4th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 1/4th (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 137th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 7 March 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 February 1918)'' * 137th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 2 March 1916)'' ; 138th (Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade * 1/4th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment (''left January 1918'') * 1/5th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment * 1/4th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment * 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment * 138th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 22 February 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 28 February 1918)'' * 138th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 2 March 1916)'' ; 139th (Sherwood Foresters) Brigade * 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 1/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 1/7th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (''disbanded January 1918'') * 1/8th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * 1/4th Battalion, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 1/3rd (City of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) ''(joined and left November 1915)'' * 139th Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed 16 February 1916, moved to 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 26 February 1918)'' * 139th Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 9 March 1916)'' ;Mounted Troops * B Squadron, 1/1st Yorkshire Hussars ''(joined at Luton, left 5 May 1916)'' * North Midland Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps ''(formed 11 November 1914, left 9 May 1916)'' ; Artillery : * I North Midland Brigade, RFA (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Lincolnshire Batteries, and I North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXX Bde on 13 May 1916)'' * II North Midland Brigade, RFA (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Staffordshire Batteries, and II North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXI Bde on 13 May 1916)'' * III North Midland Brigade, RFA (4th, 5th, and 6th Staffordshire Batteries, and III North Midland Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXII Bde on 13 May 1916; left 3 January 1917)'' * IV North Midland (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA (1st and 2nd Derbyshire Batteries, and IV North Midland (H) Brigade Ammunition Column) ''(numbered CCXXXIII Bde on 13 May 1916; broken up 29 August 1916)'' * North Midland (Staffordshire) Heavy Battery,

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

(''until 18 April 1915'') * 46th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade, RFA ** V.46 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 20 June 1916; absorbed partly by X and Y and partly by I Corps HTM Bty on 3 February 1918)'' ** X.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(joined 9 March 1916)'' ** Y.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 17 March 1916)'' ** Z.46 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ''(formed 17 March 1916; absorbed by X and Y on 3 February 1918)'' * North Midland Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA ''(formed before embarkation, later numbered 46th; absorbed brigade ammunition columns 22 May 1916)'' ;Engineers * North Midland Divisional Engineers ''(later numbered 46th)'' ** 1/1st North Midland Field Company,

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

''(served with 28th Division from 26 December 1914 to 6 April 1915; later numbered 465th Field Company)'' ** 1/2nd North Midland Field Company, RE ''(later numbered 466th Field Company)'' ** 57th Field Company, RE ''(joined from 3rd Division 7 April, left 10 July 1915)'' ** 2/1st North Midland Field Company, RE ''(joined 10 July 1915, later numbered 468th Field Company)'' ** North Midland Signal Company, RE ''(later numbered 46th Signal Company)'' ; Pioneers : * 1/1st Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment ;Machine Guns * 46th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps ''(formed on 28 February 1918)'' ** 137th Company, MGC ''(moved from 137th Brigade)'' ** 138th Company, MGC ''(moved from 138th Brigade)'' ** 139th Company, MGC ''(moved from 139th Brigade)'' ** 178th Company, MGC ''(joined on 28 March 1917)'' ;Medical Services * 1st North Midland Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps * 2nd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC * 3rd North Midland Field Ambulance, RAMC * 17th Sanitary Section ''(joined 4 March 1915; left 21 March 1917)'' * North Midland Divisional Ambulance Workshop, Army Service Corps ''(joined 4 March 1915, later numbered 46th, moved to Divisional Train 6 April 1916)'' * 1st North Midland Mobile Veterinary Section, Army Veterinary Corps ;Transport * North Midland Divisional Train, ASC ''(later numbered 46th)'' ** 451st Horse Transport Company, ASC ** 452nd HT Company, ASC ** 453rd HT Company, ASC ** 454th HT Company, ASC ;Labour * 240th Divisional Employment Company, Labour Corps ''(formed 25 June 1917)''

Memorials

Image:46th Division Memorial.JPG, The 46th (North Midland) Division memorial on the road between Vermelles and Hulluch Image:46th Division Memorial Hohenzollern Redoubt.JPG, The memorial honouring the casualties of the 46th Division at the Hohenzollern Redoubt Image:46th division DSC03145.JPG, 46th Division Memorial near

Bellenglise Bellenglise () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The village lies close to the N44, in a loop of the St. Quentin Canal, nine kilometres north of Sa ...

(Hindenburg Line)

Postwar

The

was disbanded after the war. It was reformed as the Territorial Army in 1920 as was the 46th Division. However, the 46th Division was disbanded in 1936, the headquarters was converted into 2nd Anti-Aircraft Division and several of its infantry battalions into AA units. Most of the remainder of 46th Division's units were sent to other divisions, mainly the 49th (West Riding).

Commanders

The following officers commanded the division at various times:Becke, p. 61.

Victoria Cross recipients

Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many English-speaking armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal. Etymology The presumed origin of the rank of lance corp ...

William Coltman, 1/6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment *

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

John Barrett, 1/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author and YouTuber. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' (2012), which is one of the List of best-selling books#Bet ...

Royal Army Medical Corps, attached 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters *

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

William Johnson, 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * Lieutenant Colonel Bernard Vann, 1/6th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters * Captain Geoffrey Vickers, 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters

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 Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * * Alan MacDonald, ''A Lack of Offensive Spirit? The 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916'', West Wickham: Iona Books, 2008, . */Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2002, . *

External links

The British Army in the Great War (The Long, Long Trail)

British Military History
* {{DEFAULTSORT:46 Infantry Division Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Military units and formations established in 1908 1908 establishments in the United Kingdom