The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry 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 ...

. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation 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 ...

(TF) as the East Anglian Division. During 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 ...

the division fought at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

and in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. The division was disbanded after the war but reformed in the Territorial Army in 1920. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

it was a

home service Home Service is a British folk rock group, formed in late 1980 from a nucleus of musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band. Their career is generally agreed to have peaked with the album ''Alright Jack'', and has had a ...

division and did not see any combat service abroad and was disbanded in late 1943 but many of its component units went to see service in the

Normandy Campaign Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the N ...

and North-western Europe from June 1944 to May 1945.

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 The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

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 East Anglian Division. The infantry of the division was composed of the

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, East Midland, and

Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade The 163rd Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the British Army that saw active service during the First World War in Gallipoli and the Middle Eastern Theatre as part of the 54th (East Anglian) Division. In the Second World War the brigade ...

s. Divisional headquarters was based at Claremont House in Warley, while the infantry brigades were headquartered at Brentwood,

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

, and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

. Its subunits were spread across

East Anglia East Anglia is an area of the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, with parts of Essex sometimes also included. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, ...

and the

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire (except for North Lincolnshire and North East ...

First World War

Norfolk Regiment marching in England 1915

While on annual training, the division was ordered to mobilize on 4 August 1914, concentrating in the vicinity of Brentwood by 10 August. After moving to

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as ''Bury,'' is a cathedral as well as market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk District, West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St. Edmunds an ...

, and

on 20 August, the division served on coast defence duty. Three battalions – the 4th

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment Line infantry, 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 World War I, First and ...

, 1st

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, and 1st

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

– were sent to France between November 1914 and February 1915. They were replaced in April by the 8th Hampshires, 10th Londons, and 11th London. The battalions of the division were reorganized to include four companies (instead of eight) in January 1915, and in May it concentrated near

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, preparing to be sent overseas. Its destination was revealed to be

on 8 July. Leaving behind the divisional artillery and most of the train, the division departed St. Albans for Devonport and

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

between 20 and 30 July, boarding transports for

Mudros Moudros () is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula o ...

, where it began arriving on 6 August. The 54th (East Anglian) Division landed at Suvla on 10 August in the Gallipoli campaign, as a part of

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

under Lieutenant-General Stopford. By the end of 11 August, ten battalions and the divisional headquarters had landed. As part of the evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsula the division was ordered to re-embark from Gallipoli on 26 November, and returned to Mudros between 3 and 8 December. On 9 December, it included 240 officers and 4,480 other ranks, including reinforcements to bring the division up to strength. It began embarking for Egypt on 13 December, and arrived in Alexandria on 18 December. On the next day, it was concentrated at

Sidi Bishr Sidi Bishr () is a neighborhood in the Montaza District of Alexandria, Egypt. Established as a summering site by the Egyptian middle class before the Revolution of 1952, it has since become one of the largest neighborhoods of the city. Overvie ...

before moving to Mena Camp near

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

. As a result of the Senussi uprising, the 161st Brigade was sent into the

Western Desert In Egypt, the Western Desert is an area of the Sahara that lies west of the river Nile, up to the Libyan border, and south from the Mediterranean Sea to the border with Sudan. It is named in contrast to the Eastern Desert which extends east fro ...

on 28 December 1915. Between 11 and 15 February 1916, the divisional artillery, which had been sent to France in November 1915 and attached to the 33rd Division, rejoined the division at Mena. The 161st Brigade returned to the division on 5 March, without the 4th Essex, which returned on 23 March. The division took over the southern section of the Suez Canal defences on 2 April, as part of the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a military formation of the British Empire, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–1915), at the ...

, commanded by General Sir Archibald Murray. Then in the

Sinai and Palestine campaign The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...

, during the

First Battle of Gaza The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26 March 1917 during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), which was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from th ...

, on 26 March 1917, the 161st Brigade and divisional artillery were in reserve while the

53rd (Welsh) Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service ...

carried out the main attack. These reserves were committed as the battle progressed resulting in the British gaining a foothold in the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

defences but the British commander called off the attack as night fell. In the

Second Battle of Gaza The Second Battle of Gaza was fought on 17–19 April 1917, following the defeat of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) at the First Battle of Gaza in March, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Gaza was defended b ...

, the 1/4th and 1/5th battalions of the

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 ...

sustained 75 per cent casualties (about 1,200 men). It took part in the successful

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 Ba ...

as part of XXI Corps led by Lieutenant General Sir Edward Bulfin, and by the end of 1917 General

Sir Edmund Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and imperial governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in World War I, in which he led the Britis ...

's forces had taken

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. The division fought in the Battle of Jaffa on 21 and 22 December. The 162nd Brigade participated in the Fight at Ras el'Ain during the

Battle of Tell 'Asur The Battle of Tell 'Asur, also known as the actions of Tel Asur or the Battle of Turmus 'Aya, took place 8–12 March 1918, after the decisive victory at the Battle of Jerusalem and the Capture of Jericho during the Sinai and Palestine Campa ...

on 12 March 1918. The division fought in the attack at Berukin on 9 and 10 April/ In September 1918 the division took part in 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 ...

between 19 and 23 September. After the end of the battle, the division concentrated at

Hableh Hableh (, also transliterated Hable, Habla, Hablah, Hibla, Hiblah) is a Palestinian village located in the Qalqilya Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northwestern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (P ...

on 24 September and was ordered to move to

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

three days later. It began advancing to Haifa on 28 September through

Atlit Atlit or Athlit may refer to: Places * Atlit, an historical fortified town in Israel, also known as Château Pèlerin * Atlit (modern town), a nearby town in Israel Media *Athlit (album), ''Athlit'' (album), an ambient music album by Oöphoi *Atli ...

, and finished concentrating there on 4 October, where it improved communications. The division was ordered to begin the advance to

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

on 20 October, which was conducted by brigade group in daylong intervals. The advance began three days later, through

Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...

Naqoura An-Naqoura (, ''Enn Nâqoura, Naqoura, An Nāqūrah'') is a municipality in southern Lebanon. Since March 23, 1978, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been headquartered in An-Naqoura. Etymology According to E. H. Palmer ( ...

, Tyre, and

Sidon Sidon ( ) or better known as Saida ( ; ) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, Lebanon, South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre, t ...

. The division reached Beirut between 31 October and 5 November, as the war with the Ottoman Empire ended on 31 October. The division moved back by sea to

El Qantara El Qantara () is a northeastern Egyptian city on both sides of the Suez Canal, in the Egyptian governorate of Ismailia, northeast of Cairo and south of Port Said. The two parts of the city are connected by a high-level fixed road bridge, the ...

from 28 November, beginning with the 163rd Brigade, and then moved to Helmie, where it concentrated on 7 December without its artillery and train. The divisional artillery and train arrived via El Qantara by 14 December, except for the CCLXXII Brigade, which marched from Beirut to

Tulkarm Tulkarm or Tulkarem (, ''Ṭūlkarm'') is a Palestinians, Palestinian city in the West Bank, the capital of the Tulkarm Governorate of the State of Palestine. The Israeli city of Netanya is to the west, and the Palestinian territories, Palestinia ...

before entraining for Helmie on 9 December. The demobilization of the division began on 6 January 1919 with the disbandment of the three brigade trench mortar brigades. The division personnel filled the time with educational courses in January as they were gradually demobilized. By 22 May only six battalions remained, and on 29 May the 77th Brigade joined the division and was renumbered as the 161st Brigade. The CII Brigade joined and temporarily became the division artillery on 1 June. The Territorial units were reduced to cadre strength and the war-time units were disbanded, with the division ceasing to exist in Egypt on 30 September 1919.

Between the wars

The division was disbanded after the Great War when the whole of the Territorial Force was disbanded. However, it was reformed in 1920 as the Territorial Army (TA) and the division was reconstituted with Eastern Command, initially with a similar composition to before the First World War but, over the next few years, with a much different composition.

Buildup to the Second World War

Throughout the 1930s, tensions built between

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and the United Kingdom as well as its

allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

. During late 1937 and throughout 1938, German demands for the annexation of Czechoslovakia's

Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and ) is a German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the border districts of Bohe ...

led to an

international crisis The term international crisis is a widespread term without a single common definition. To some, it involves "a sequence of interactions between the governments of two or more sovereign states in severe conflict, short of actual war, but involving ...

. In an attempt to avoid war, British

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from ...

met the German

Chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

in September and brokered the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...

. The agreement averted immediate war and allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. Chamberlain had intended the agreement to lead to further peaceful resolution of issues, but relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached the terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state. In response, on 29 March, the British

Secretary of State for War The secretary of state for war, commonly called the war secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The secretary of state for war headed the War Offic ...

Leslie Hore-Belisha Isaac Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha, PC (; 7 September 1893 – 16 February 1957) was a British Liberal, then National Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and Cabinet Minister. He later joined the Conservative Party. He proved h ...

announced plans to increase the Territorial Army from 130,000 men to 340,000 and in so doing double the number of territorial divisions. The plan of action was for the existing units to recruit over their allowed establishments (aided by an increase in pay for territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion that had been a major hindrance to recruiting during the preceding years, the construction of better quality barracks, and an increase in supper-time rations) and then form Second Line divisions from small cadres that could be built upon. As a result, the 54th was to provide cadres to form a Second Line duplicate unit, which would become the 18th Infantry Division following the start of the war. In April, limited

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

was introduced. At that time 34,500 militiamen, all aged 20, were conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before being deployed to the forming second line units. Despite the intention for the army to grow in size, the programme was complicated by a lack of central guidance on the expansion and duplication process and issues regarding the lack of facilities, equipment and instructors.

Second World War

Upon the outbreak of the

in September 1939, the 54th Division, commanded by Major-General John Priestman, a Regular Army officer, and serving under Eastern Command, was mobilised for full-time war service. Comprising still the 161st, 162nd and 163rd Infantry Brigades and divisional troops, the division absorbed hundreds of conscripts and spent the first few months of the war, after guarding various designated 'vulnerable points', training for eventual overseas service. The division remained in the United Kingdom as a local defence formation, being downgraded to a Lower Establishment in January 1942. The division was disbanded and broken up on 14 December 1943. Its component units would take part in the

as support units, with the HQ

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 ...

becoming HQ 8th

Army Group Royal Artillery An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within t ...

and HQ

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 ...

becoming HQ Royal Engineers for the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne 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 m ...

. The divisional HQ was redesignated HQ Lines of Communication (54th Division) for the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established ...

. The division was not reformed in the post-war Territorial Army in 1947 but the 161st and 162nd Infantry Brigades both survived until disbandment in the 1960s.

Postwar

The formation became known as East Anglian District when the Territorial Army was reformed on 1 January 1947. In 1961 it became a district headquarters as 54th (East Anglian) Division/District, and it was disbanded on the reduction of the TA into the

Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army. It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. Descended from the Territorial Force ( ...

on 1 April 1967, when many individual TA units lost their identities. The district headquarters itself formed the core of the structure for the creation of Eastern District under HQ UK Land Forces in 1972.

General officers commanding

General Officers Commanding have included:

Orders of battle

1910

;East Anglian Division (1910) *Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade **4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment **5th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment **4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment **5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment *East Midland Brigade ** 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment ** 4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment ** 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment ** 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment *Essex Brigade ** 4th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 6th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 7th Battalion, Essex Regiment * Divisional Artillery ** 1st East Anglian Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...

(RFA) *** 1st Norfolk Battery *** 2nd Norfolk Battery *** 3rd Norfolk Battery *** 1st East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 2nd East Anglian Brigade, RFA *** 1st Essex Battery *** 2nd Essex Battery *** 3rd Essex Battery *** 2nd East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 3rd East Anglian (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA *** 1st Suffolk Battery *** 2nd Suffolk Battery *** 3rd East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 4th East Anglian Brigade, RFA *** 1st Hertfordshire Battery *** 2nd Hertfordshire Battery *** Northamptonshire Battery *** 4th East Anglian Ammunition Column ** East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery * Divisional Engineers ** 1st East Anglian Field Company,

(RE) ** 2nd East Anglian Field Company, RE ** East Anglian Divisional Telegraph Company, RE * Army Service Corps ** East Anglian Transport and Supply Column *

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) was a specialist corps in the British Army which provided medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. On 15 November 2024, the corps was amalgamated with the Royal Army De ...

** 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 2nd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance

First World War

;54th (East Anglian) Division (1914–1918) *161st (Essex) Brigade ** 1/4th 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. ...

** 1/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 1/6th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 1/7th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 161st Machine Gun Company,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a Regiment, 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 (World War I), Western Front in the World War I, First World War. Th ...

(formed 23 April 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 161st Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 17 May 1917) *162nd (East Midland) Brigade ** 1/5th Battalion,

Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, 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 World War ...

** 1/4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment ** 1/1st Battalion,

Cambridgeshire Regiment The Cambridgeshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, and was part of the Territorial Army. Originating in units of rifle volunteers formed in 1860, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Seco ...

(to France, February 1915) ** 1/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (to France, November 1914) ** 2/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment (joined February 1915 from 2nd East Anglian Division to replace 1/1st Cambridgeshires, returned to 2nd East Anglian Division in April of that year) ** 1/10th (County of London) Battalion,

London Regiment London Regiment may refer to two infantry regiments in the British Army: * London Regiment (1908–1938) The London Regiment was an infantry regiment in the British Army, part of the Territorial Force (renamed the Territorial Army in 1921). Th ...

(Hackney) (from April 1915) ** 1/11th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (

Finsbury Rifles The Finsbury Rifles was a unit of Britain's Volunteer Force (Great Britain), Volunteer Force and later Territorial Army (United Kingdom), Territorial Army from 1860 to 1961. It saw action at Gallipoli Campaign, Gallipoli, in Sinai and Palestine C ...

) (from April 1915) ** 162nd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Company (formed 26 April 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 162nd Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 5 May 1917) *163rd (Norfolk and Suffolk) Brigade ** 1/4th Battalion,

** 1/5th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment ** 1/4th Battalion,

(to France, November 1914) ** 1/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment ** 1/8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, Princess Beatrice's) 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 re ...

(from 19 April 1915) ** 163rd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 1 May 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 163rd Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 4 May 1917) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Artillery * 1/I East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXX Brigade on 26 May 1916 and CCLXXII Brigade on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Norfolk Battery (became A Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Norfolk Battery (became B Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/3rd Norfolk Battery (became C Battery on 26 May 1916, broken up between A and B Batteries on 21 December 1916) ** 1/I East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/II East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXXI Brigade on 26 May 1916) ** 1/1st Essex Battery (became A Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Essex Battery (became B Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/3rd Essex Battery (became C Battery on 26 May 1916, broken up between A and B Batteries on 20 December 1916) ** C (Howitzer) Battery (joined 20 December 1916 from CCLXXII (H) Brigade) ** 1/II East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/III East Anglian Brigade (Howitzers) (numbered CCLXXII (H) Brigade on 28 May 1916, broken up 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Suffolk Battery (Howitzers) (became A (Howitzer) Battery 28 May 1916, to CCLXXI Brigade 21 December 1916) ** 1/2nd Suffolk Battery (Howitzers) (became B (Howitzer) Battery 28 May 1916, to CCLXX Brigade 21 December 1916) ** 1/III East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/IV East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXXIII Brigade on 29 May 1916 and CCLXX Brigade on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Hertfordshire Battery (became A Battery on 29 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Hertfordshire Battery (became B Battery on 29 May 1916, broken up between A and C Batteries on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Northamptonshire Battery (became C Battery on 29 May 1916, became B Battery on 21 December 1916) ** C (Howitzer) Battery (joined 21 December 1916 from CCLXXII (H) Brigade) ** 1/IV East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/1st East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, RGA (left in England when division went to Gallipoli; later served in France) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Ammunition Column (detachment accompanied division to Gallipoli, while the remainder were sent to France in November 1915, where they became the 55th (West Lancashire) Divisional Ammunition Column January 1916) Divisional artillery after August 1916 reorganisation: * CCLXX Brigade, RFA ** A, B, C (H) Batteries * CCLXXI Brigade, RFA ** A, B, 440 (H) Batteries * CCLXXIII Brigade, RFA ** A, B, C (H) Batteries * Trench Mortars (joined on 3 October 1917, left 2 March 1918) ** X.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ** Y.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ** Z.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery * Divisional Engineers ** 1/1st East Anglian Field Company, RE (joined 2nd Division in France on 5 January 1915) ** /2nd East Anglian Field Company, RE (renumbered 484th Field Company on 1 February 1917) ** 2/1st East Anglian Field Company (formed after mobilisation; renumbered 485th Field Company on 1 February 1917), RE ** 1st Kent Fortress Field Company, RE (joined 1 July 1916; renumbered 495th (1st Kent) Field Company on 1 February 1917) ** 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Signal Company, RE *

** 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (joined 29th Division in January 1915) ** 2nd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 2/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (formed after mobilisation)

Second World War

;54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division (Second World War) * 161st Infantry Brigade (until 17 December 1940) ** 1/4th Battalion,

(left 20 July 1940) ** 1/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment (until 14 December 1940) ** 2/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (left 18 September 1939) ** 2/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (left 18 September 1939) ** 7th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (left 18 September 1939) ** 161st Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 10 July 1940) *

162nd Infantry Brigade The 162nd Infantry Brigade was an active duty Infantry training brigade of the United States Army based at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The brigade was responsible for training the Security Forces Assistance – Security Cooperation teams, also known as ...

(until 10 November 1942 and from 5 September 1943) ** 6th Battalion,

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 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 W ...

** 1st Battalion,

Hertfordshire Regiment The Hertfordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originating in units of Rifle Volunteers formed in 1859, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Second World ...

(to September 1942) ** 2nd Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (to September 1942) ** 162nd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 1 February 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) * 163rd Infantry Brigade (redesignated 53rd Infantry Brigade 18 September 1939) ** 5th Battalion,

Royal 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 ...

(until 17 September 1939) ** 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment (until 17 September 1939) ** 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment (until 17 September 1939) ** 2/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (from 18 September 1939 until 11 April 1943) ** 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 18 September 1939 until 1 November 1943) ** 7th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 18 September 1939, disbanded 10 October 1942) ** 163rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 1 February 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) ** 6th Battalion,

King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the ...

(from 16 October until 11 December 1942) ** 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion,

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence of th ...

(from 12 December 1942 until 30 May 1943) **

5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) The 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) (5th King's) was a volunteer unit of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) of the British Army. It traced its heritage to the raising in 1859 of a number rifle volunteer corps in Liverpool, which were soon ...

(from 18 July 1943 until 1 November 1943) *

198th Infantry Brigade The 198th Infantry Brigade, was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 99th Division. It was active from 1967 through 1971 and has been active since 2007 as an Infantry Training Brigade as part of the US Army Infantry School at ...

(from 20 December 1940) ** 8th (Irish) Battalion,

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 when a single battalion was raised as The Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Foot. ...

** 6th Battalion,

Border Regiment The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. After service in ...

** 7th Battalion, Border Regiment (until 9 December 1942) ** 198th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 30 July 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) ** 2nd Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (from 9 December 1942) ;Divisional troops * HQ 54th Divisional Artillery,

(became

8th Army Group Royal Artillery 8th Army Group Royal Artillery (8 AGRA) was a brigade-sized formation organised by Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II to command medium and heavy guns. It served in the campaign in North West Europe, participating in the battles ...

1 May 1943) ** 85th (East Anglian) Field Regiment (to 24 August 1942) ** 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment (to 9 June 1942) ** 134th Field Regiment (to 10 February 1942) ** 168th Field Regiment (from 9 June 1942 to 9 June 1943) ** 55th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment (to 21 February 1943) ** 19th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (from 21 April 1942 to 9 September 1942) * HQ 54th Divisional Engineers,

(to

20 May 1943) ** 248th (East Anglian) Field Company (to 16 September 1939) ** 249th (East Anglian) Field Company (to 6th Airborne Division 20 May 1943) ** 286th Field Company (to 20 May 1943) ** 289th Field Park Company (to 2 March 1942) ** 250th Field Company (from September, to 42nd Divisional Engineers 20 October 1939) ** 556th Field Company (from 4 January 1940 to 29 December 1941) ** 591st (Antrim) Field Company (from 1 January 1942, to 6th Airborne Division 20 May 1943) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Signals,

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

54th Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps The 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment was a World War II unit of the British Army's Reconnaissance Corps, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. Formed from a variety of infantry units, it served with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in th ...

(formed 15 July 1941 from

21st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers The 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment was a World War II unit of the British Army's Reconnaissance Corps, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. Formed from a variety of infantry units, it served with 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division in th ...

; reduced to 54th Independent Reconnaissance Company 1 January 1942; 54th Independent Reconnaissance Squadron 6 June 1942; to

15th (Scottish) Infantry Division The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the British Army that served during the World War II, Second World War. It was raised on 2 September 1939, the day before war was declared, as part of the Ar ...

9 February 1943)Northcote Parkinson, p. 31.

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

* * * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * * J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol I, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3. * * * * * * Capt Walter Kemsley & Capt Michael R. Riesco, ''The Scottish Lion on Patrol: Being the History of the 15th Scottish Reconnaissance Regiment, 1943–46'', Bristol: White Swan Press, 1950/Revised edn (Tim Chamberlin, ed), Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2011, ISBN 978-1-39901-874-6. * Maj J. Macartney-Filgate, ''History of the 33rd Divisional Artillery in the War 1914–1918'', Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2005, . * * * *

External links

54th (East Anglian) Division

{{DEFAULTSORT:54 Infantry Division 1908 establishments in the United Kingdom Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1943 Military units and formations established in 1908

Formation

First World War

Between the wars

Buildup to the Second World War

Second World War

Postwar

General officers commanding

Orders of battle

1910

First World War

Second World War

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links