The British Army's Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles, including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light. In a time of war, the division would be reinforced to a wartime strength of 14,000 men. Loyd updated that design for his new command, by adding a second key. It arrived at Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on 1 July. Historian Clive Ponting described him as "the only British commander with even the remotest experience of European war", for his service in the Peninsular War and Spanish Carlist Wars of the 1830s. Airspeed Horsa. British Troops in Egypt (B.T.E.) French troops, who had made use of the terrain, advanced undetected towards the division, attacked, and overran five light infantry companies. Second Army spent most of the war positioned around the Ypres salient, but was redeployed to Italy between November 1917 and March 1918. [179] The same year, a memorial to the division's Second World War casualties was installed at the Royal Garrison Church in Aldershot. This resulted in a mobilisation scheme in 1875 that called for 24 divisions spread across eight army corps. When the division was relieved on 4 April, it had suffered 4,000 casualties and been reduced to a fighting strength of around 6,000. Well, below are 40 of the forces favourite phrases. In December 1818, the division was disbanded once again. The troops marched to Bordeaux, where they either returned to the United Kingdom or were transported to North America to take part in the ongoing War of 1812. The second was raised in 1899 for the Second Boer War. [175] The division was assigned next to Operation Zipper, a planned amphibious landing in Malaya that aimed to liberate Singapore. This resulted in the division's first casualties and first Victoria Cross of the war. In cooperation with Richard Anderson and Alan Philson. [121], During the opening months of 1917, the division conducted trench raids and minor attacks in the Ancre Valley. On 4 August, Germany invaded Belgium, and the United Kingdom entered the war against the German Empire. To help you search for a particular diary there’s a list of war theatres in TNA’s online research guide entitled ‘Second World War: British Army Operations 1939-1945’ here. The expeditionary force remained in the Crimea until the war ended in 1856, after which the army demobilised. This began the Siege of Sevastopol. Clinton remained in command of the division until it and the Army of Occupation were disbanded in December 1818, when they left France for the United Kingdom. British Army, Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment 1901-1918: 1914-1918 National Roll of the Great War 1914-1918: 1914-1918 New Zealand WWI Soldiers 1914-1919: 1914-1918 British Army, British Red Cross Society Volunteers 1914-1918: 1914-1918 London County Council Record Of War Service 1914-1918: 1914-1919 Naval Casualties 1914-1919: 1914-1919 [125] After a period of rest and training, the division returned to the frontline and re-engaged in trench warfare. The division retreated 40 miles (64 km) within 27 hours. was a pre-war Command. This was done by the military establishment, who turned the letters into regular intelligence reports. [170], In March 1944, Japan invaded India, and then besieged Imphal and Kohima. The main British objective during the early stages of the campaign was to capture the French city of Caen, the so-called Battle of Caen. This, in conjunction with the British foot guards, halted the French attack and caused the Middle Guard to retreat. Miles Christopher Dempsey, (born Dec. 15, 1896, New Brighton, Cheshire, Eng.—died June 5, 1969, Yattendon, Berkshire), British army officer who commanded the Second Army, the main British force in the Allied drive across western Europe (1944–45) during World War II. The First Anglo-Afghan War ended disastrously with an entire British army making a horrendous winter retreat from Kabul in 1842. These groups were to be formed for a specific task and allocated the required forces needed. Its captures included the capital Brussels and the port city of Antwerp. The design the 2nd Division chose, represented "The Second Division of the First Corps". [210], Following the end of the Cold War, the division was disbanded in early 1992 as part of the British Government's Options for Change plan. The modern British Army traces back to 1707, with an antecedent in the English Army that was created during the Restoration in 1660. At the end of 1944, the division had reached Shwebo, north of Mandalay. Shortly thereafter, the Second World War in Europe came to an end with the surrender of the government of Karl Dönitz, who had succeeded Adolf Hitler after his suicide. Air Chief Marshal. During the Second World War, the division again went to France in the opening stages of the war. Through April 1942, the division was assigned to the defence of the county. It first saw action at the Battle of Talavera (27–28 July 1809), and suffered 888 casualties over two days of fighting. While French forces skirmished with the division's pickets, the main position was not engaged. The British Army has kept pace with rising battlefield requirements, fielding a broad collection of modern systems. In December 1982, the division ceased to exist and its assets were dispersed to other BAOR formations. However, developments around the theater resulted in continued postponements of this operation. [180], At the end of the Second World War, the United Kingdom was allocated an occupation zone in northwest Germany and formed a new British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) to administer its occupation forces. [84], The division rested in Natal until May, then spearheaded Buller's Corps advance to the South African Republic capital of Pretoria. Field-Marshal. The division marched into France becoming part of the Army of Occupation and was the only British force allowed to march through the French capital of Paris. Tigers drop … The latter stayed with the division later in the month for two days and reviewed troops in the trenches. After the process was completed, it was 8,600 men strong, and equipped with 132 Chieftain tanks (with 12 additional tanks in reserve). The lancers charged into the British flank, inflicting 1,248 casualties, or 75 percent of the brigade's strength. 113 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. [184] While the BAOR fluctuated in size, including the number of divisions, the 2nd Infantry Division remained part of the army through to the 1980s. However, in May, the convoy was ordered to sail for British India because of increasing civil tension there. Three days later, the majority of the division embarked ships at Southampton and began landing at Le Havre the following day. [73] In the fighting, Clery's command suffered 1,127–1,138 casualties. It is normally held for 1 to 2 years. [197][209] The reformed division was assigned the territorial 15th Brigade at Alanbrooke Barracks, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire; the territorial 49th Brigade, based in Nottingham; the regular army 24th Brigade, at Catterick Garrison; and the 29th Engineer Brigade, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The division rebuilt its strength, trained, and tutored newly arrived American troops. Fed up and unable to understand your military partner? However, due to light wind, the gas clouds hung along the division's line. They halted at dusk and the close of the battle in which the division had suffered 1,563 casualties. [219][220][221] It has also been highlighted that the insignia resembles the coat of arms of the Archbishop of York, and could reference troop recruitment in that area.[167]. At the end of 1900, when conventional warfare ended, the division was broken-up so its forces could be reassigned to mobile columns or garrison towns in an effort to combat the Boer guerrilla tactics. The US Ninth Army on its right turned south-east towards Lippstadt to trap the German Army Group B, under General Walther Model, in an enormous pocket in the Ruhr. Following the end of the Cold War and the decrease in the size of the British Army, the division was again disbanded; only to be re-raised in the mid-1990s. However, only two such formations were considered part of the division's lineage by Everard Wyrall, the compiler of the division's First World War history. The majority of the infantry in the British Army is divided for administrative purposes into five divisions. The division reached the River Dyle without issue and fought its first action on 15 May. Some troops from Malaya, who had been part of the prior 2nd Division, were shipped to Germany to bring the new division up to strength. [123] In April, the division took part in the Battle of Arras, the British part of the Nivelle Offensive. The design included the First World War insignia, with the memorial resting on a central red star flanked by two white stars. These consisted of two or more battalions grouped together and were commanded by a major-general. He had previously commanded the 1st (Guards) Brigade prior to his appointment to the division, and they had used a single key as a brigade insignia. This included the 2nd Division formed on 1 April 1902. The division headquarters was then moved to Craigiehall, near Edinburgh. [218] In 1940, during the Second World War, a new insignia was adopted. [54][55][56] After the city had been subjected to several major cannonades, the division launched several failed attacks on Russian defensive positions, leading up to, and including the Battle of the Great Redan in 1855. Allied Order of Battle. The division landed at Cherbourg on 21 September 1939 and arrived on the Franco-Belgian border on 3 October. [10] On 19 May 1812, at the Battle of Almaraz, 900 men of the division entered Fort Napoleon by surprise. [141] Over the course of the rest of the month, the division took part in preliminary operations for the Battle of Havrincourt and then the Battle of the Canal du Nord. [203] The exercise demonstrated the improvement of the new organisation, but highlighted that the divisional headquarters would become inefficient as combat fatigue took over if there was prolonged combat. [189] This change would maintain the BAOR's ability to wage "a mobile and intense armoured battle" against invading Soviet forces. 2nd Lieutenant: £33,426 per annum; Lieutenant: £34,610 per annum; Captain: £42,849 per annum; Major: £53,975 per annum Army officer pay is in line with other graduate jobs. [104] With the exception of skirmishing, the division saw little fighting. [115] The next major action came during the summer of 1916, when the division fought in the Battle of the Somme, in particular the Battles of Delville Wood, Guillemont and Ancre. [33] In October, the Army of Occupation was formed and included the 2nd Division. [186] In 1974, following the general election, Roy Mason became Secretary of State for Defence. The fighting had cost 1,320 casualties and included Stewart, who was wounded. [112] The bloody fighting of the former saw minor advances made, heavy casualties inflicted on the Germans, and a further 5,446 divisional casualties. [200] The 2nd Armoured Division's task forces were Task Force Charlie and Task Force Delta. The division suffered around 2,000 casualties during the day, with a notable example of the entire D Company of the 13th Battalion, Essex Regiment being killed or taken prisoner. [161] Lionel Ellis, the author of the British official history of the BEF in France, wrote the division "had indeed sacrificed itself to keep open the line of retirement", delayed the Germans, and ensured French formations were not trapped. The position was held, under artillery fire, until 7 February when the division was withdrawn after suffering 290 casualties. The most notable was the Battle of Maya. Second Army's highest profile operation in 1944, apart from Operation Overlord, was providing the main force for Operation Market Garden. [89] The division moved back to guard the lines of communication, and was then spread out between Ladysmith and Heidelberg, near Johannesburg, during September. The division fought two subsequent actions: one the next day, the other on 22 January. [207] Nott's paper called for the BAOR to be restructured from four armoured divisions of two brigades, into a force of three divisions of three brigades. Historian Charles Oman wrote that under cover of a blinding hailstorm, 800 Polish lancers had approached. The Soviet forces would then be lured into a killing zone where they would suffer disproportionate losses at the hands of British anti-tank guided missile equipped infantry and tanks in hull-down defensive positions. European Theater of Operations. In Europe, these battalions formed part of the 1st Airborne Division, the 6th Airborne Division and the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group.Another three battalions served with the British Indian Army in India and Burma.The regiment took part … The division then conducted several piecemeal counterattacks. Its last week in the line, which ended 20 March, saw the division suffer 3,000 casualties from the German use of gas. Air Observation Post Squadron RAF. [13] In July, the division briefly took part in the Siege of Pamplona, before it fought numerous engagements during the Battle of the Pyrenees. [97], The next day, the BEF advanced into Belgium with the French Fifth Army. Marshal of the Royal Air Force. Julian Perreira 2nd December 2019 at 12:09pm. [202], In November 1976, the BAOR held Exercise Spearpoint 76. The Royal Navy during the Second World War HMS Bachaquero at Bone IWM A 15709.jpg 800 × 606; 78 KB. [63] In response, and to reinforce the outnumbered British military presence in southern Africa, the British Government mobilised the Natal Field Force in the United Kingdom. By 7 May the Soviet Army had met up with the British forces. The division continued to fight throughout the day following subsequent Russian attacks and suffered heavy casualties. [7] Detached from Wellesley's main force, the division missed most of the major battles during the 1811-12 period and acquired the nickname: the "Observing Division". [38] In 1879, Major-General Edward Newdegate commanded a 2,400-man strong 2nd Division during the Anglo-Zulu War. [59][60], Following the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), the British Army reviewed and attempted to implement a similar organisation of corps and divisions as used by the Prussian Army. The intent was to save manpower and money, with the loss of one division. The first British Troops came to Egypt in 1882 to suppress a nationalist military uprising against the Turkish Sultan. A 1,250 strong 2nd Division was organised in 1851 under Colonel George Mackinnon, during the Eighth Xhosa War. Warrant Officer. His troops, particularly the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot, fired volleys into the French in a fierce firefight, and then charged. To consolidate manpower and to increase the ratio of machine guns and artillery support available to the infantry, the number of battalions in a division was reduced from twelve to nine; with each brigade being reduced from four to three battalions. [35] Outside of this lineage, other 2nd Divisions were raised during the 19th Century, each on an ad hoc basis. [147] On 28 June 1919, the division was reformed in Aldershot, with the same brigades as before the First World War. This allowed French forces to cross the Tagus faster than anticipated. Total divisional losses in the battle amounted to 2,868. There are a total of [ 22 ] Active British Army Vehicles and Artillery (2021) entries in the Military Factory. The Highland Brigade was assigned to the Kimberley relief column, while the 4th Brigade was dispatched to Natal to relieve Ladysmith. Despite a tactical success, strategic developments forced the BEF to withdraw the next day. Explore. Meanwhile, the Emperor of the French Napoleon had abdicated following the capture of Paris on 31 March. The 5th Infantry Brigade left the division and was dispatched to Japan as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. Adam responded by wheeling his brigade left into a line to face the French flank. Scotland, Ireland and Wales, Militia Attestation Papers, 1800-1915, index - at Ancestry.com ($) [29][30][31], Following the battle, the division marched into France with the rest of the coalition force. US ARMY. In 1958, the "infantry" designation was dropped from the division's title. [111] Trench raids followed, until the 2nd Division took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March, and suffered over 600 casualties. [136] Wyrall wrote, "fighting divisions with such fine records as that held by the 2nd Division were not allowed long out of the line", consequently the division returned to the frontline by 15 April, and was soon engaged in more back and forth fighting. Around 400 French casualties were inflicted, with 189 British casualties including 37 killed. [173] The division suffered 2,125 casualties. This was how the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Division had been formed in 1871. [101] Forced to abandon large quantities of supplies, the division withdrew and fought several rearguard actions, most notably at Landrecies, France, on 25 August; the Rearguard Affair of Le Grand Fayt the following day;[102] and the Rearguard Actions of Villers-Cotterêts on 1 September. [109] For the rest of the year, the division rested, refitted, undertook training, manned and repaired trenches, and engaged in mutual artillery bombardments. It fended off several German counterattacks over the following days. [17] The division played no further major role in the campaign, which came to a conclusion after the capture of Toulouse on 12 April 1814. The first was formed in 1854 to take part in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire. During the morning of 25 July 1813, French forces attacked to the south of the division's position. As a Captain, you'll normally be made second in command of a sub-unit of between 50 - 120 soldiers. [74][75] In January 1900, the force was reorganised so that the 2nd Division comprised just the 2nd and 5th Brigades. During the Second World War the army was the core element in the British contribution in the Normandy landings and subsequent advance across Europe. [129], By 1918, the number of front line infantry within the British Army in France had decreased because of casualties and a lack of eligible replacements, leading to a manpower crisis. [132] For the 2nd division, this change took place in February when three battalions were disbanded. [15][b] The division next defended the Pyrenees passes at Roncesvalles over the following months, before it fought in several engagements during the advance into France. British military and naval records (RG 8, C Series) - Introduction and index [114], In early 1916, the division played a minor defensive role during the German attack on Vimy Ridge. Welcome to British Military Surplus. In the opening three months of 1945, the division took part in the Battle of Meiktila and Mandalay. The fort's guns were used to subdue the garrison of the nearby Fort Ragusa, which was occupied and secured an important river crossing over the Tagus. Major-General Cecil Pereira, the division's commander during this period, stated, "The old soldiers who have survived many a fight are very hard hit by this. [8] However, the division was involved in several notable battles during that period. [137] By 6 June, the German offensive had ended. After that war came to an end in 1814, it was disbanded, only to be re-raised the following year when the War of the Seventh Coalition broke out. Second Lieutenant. 1942. The overall aim was to have "fewer formation headquarters overall, and fewer but larger units". Instead, the division formed part of the British strategic reserve in Asia. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). [159] The author Hugh Sebag-Montefiore wrote this was "the most difficult assignment handed to any unit in the BEF" and that the difficulty of this task "can be gauged by the small number of soldiers who returned home". [159] The fighting on that day provided the division with the dubious honour of having the highest casualties in a single battalion within the BEF. [135] As a result, the greatly weakened division reentered the line on 21 March and engaged in heavy fighting through April. The task forces would allow the GOC to tailor their forces to meet unforeseen events and execute the killing area doctrine. It then served in Burma, where it ended the war. It was based in Aldershot, with Major-General Charles Douglas in command. Results of the fighting were mixed: some units held their positions, and others were forced back up to 300 yards (270 m). At nightfall, following a strategic reverse, the division and the BEF were ordered to retreat; a move known as the Great Retreat. Its commander was General George Giffard, who had formerly been Commander-in-Chief West Africa Command and Commander of Eastern Army (part of India Command). [124] This included significant fighting between 27–29 April, in the Battle of Arleux, and between 3–4 May in the Battle of the Scarpe. At that point, it was renumbered to the 2nd Infantry Division. Oman wrote he was a "splendid fighting man if a careless and tiresome subordinate". [179][196] The 2nd Armoured Division maintained the 2nd Division's insignia, originally designed during the Second World War, and used throughout the Cold War. The KGL brigade also fended off several direct cavalry attacks. The division moved to Scotland at the turn of the millennium and was finally disbanded in 2012. [85] The division moved east and fought an action on 8 August and then occupied Amersfoort. After five days of fighting, by 31 July, the division had suffered over 3,000 casualties and reported that only one battalion was ready for further offensive operations. [130][131] This reduced the establishment of a division from 18,825 men to 16,035. With the conclusion of the Somme battle, the division was withdrawn from the line for rest and to train. Notably, George V and the future Edward VIII, reviewed the division on 3 December. [5] By October, it had manned redoubts in the Torres Vedra defensive line, near Alhandra. The formation was commanded by Lieutenant-General Miles Dempsey and served under the 21st Army Group. [1], In 1919 it was reconstituted as the British Army of the Rhine.[2]. BRITISH ARMY. [211] In 1994, the division was re-established in York as a training formation and replaced the existing Eastern District. [93][94] In 1907, the Haldane Reforms further restructured the regular army into six infantry divisions, which would form the basis of any British Expeditionary Force (BEF) that would be dispatched to Europe in the case of war. Although the campaign was eventually brought to a successful conclusion, the British suffered several setbacks in their struggle to control the volatile country. We are The Official Ministry of Defence Contractors for the Disposal of Clothing. Because of the logistical issues at the time, the division could not be employed in Burma. [217], In 1916, during the First World War, British Army divisions adopted formation signs. In 1922, Egypt gained independence, but British Forces remained to defend the Suez Canal. [143] The Battle of the Selle followed, between 17–25 October, and the division reached the outskirts of Forêt de Mormal. [66][70] Clery intended to use this force to push across the Tugela River, punch through the entrenched Boer positions on the opposite bank, and relieve Ladysmith. The division was re-designated as the Light Division, and the 2nd Division ceased to exist. [45][50][51] The advance resumed on 23 September, and the expeditionary force surrounded the Russian port in October. [100] While II Corps saw the brunt of the fighting during the Battle of Mons, the division entrenched around 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the city and contended with shellfire and false reports of German movements. However, the single road XXX Corps had to traverse caused enormous logistical difficulties and, combined with German counterattacks, the operation failed resulting in the loss of much of the British 1st Airborne Division during the Battle of Arnhem. With the Japanese positions cleared, the division was transported to Calcutta, so it could be used in Operation Dracula—an amphibious assault on Rangoon. In five weeks of battle, the division suffered 5,769 casualties and was reduced to 11,500 men. This effort, with the 55th (West Lancashire) Division, lasted through 9 August and failed. [92] In 1902, three corps were formed that would allow up to nine divisions to be created. Pennefather ordered the division to counterattack, and they inflicted heavy losses on the Russians that saw close range bayonet fighting. [181][182] The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was part of this army until February 1947. By 21 August, the division had fully arrived in France and had assembled on the Belgian border along with the rest of the BEF. [57][58] This marked the division's final effort of the campaign. In 1856, after the conclusion of hostilities, it was stood down. It took part in all the notable battles that made up the Relief of Ladysmith, before advancing into Boer territory. [20], At the Battle of Waterloo, on 18 June 1815, the division formed part of Rowland Hill's 2nd Corps. At the Battle of Albuera, Stewart received criticism for his handling of the division and ignoring orders. Further actions were fought on 24 and 26–27 February. [179][178][183] Following the creation of West Germany in 1949, the BAOR ceased being an occupation force and became part of the British contribution to the defence of Western Europe from the Soviet Union. For example, the 2nd Armoured Division Engineer Regiment was deployed to Northern Ireland in December 1979. The aim was to inflict such a defeat upon the British that the country would abandon the war, which in turn would force the French to sue for peace. The 2nd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which was formed numerous times over a 203-year period. [198] Elements of the division could also be rotated elsewhere from Germany, while remaining part of the division. [205][197], On 1 January 1983, the 2nd Infantry Division was reformed, based at Imphal Barracks, in York, England. By the end of the battle, the division had lost 3,400 men with the majority inflicted on the first day. The 1st Armoured Division pioneered the change in the early 1970s, which sought to fight a mobile defensive battle by defending key attack routes that Soviet armoured forces would more than likely take. The unit and its successors defended Plymouth Dockyard and the Devon coast (and, briefly, Iceland) from 1861 to 1961. Whilst it pinned down the German forces facing it, the Canadian First Army and US Ninth Army made a pincer movement from north and south (Operations Veritable and Grenade) which pierced the Siegfried Line in that area and cleared the remaining German forces west of the Rhine in conjunction with further American offensives in the south of the Rhineland. Wyrall noted some of the division's old hands had last marched through this forest in 1914. After a fierce, closely fought battle, they forced the garrison to retreat. 2nd Field Ambulance RAMC (British Expeditionary Force) 11.01.1940-10.02.1940: 2nd Casualty Clearing Station RAMC (British Expeditionary Force) 04.03.1940 : 2nd Field Ambulance RAMC (British Expeditionary Force) 09.04.1940 : 1st Divisional Supply Column RASC (British Expeditionary Force; evacuated from Dunkirk 04.06.1940) 06.1940 Vehicles and Equipment. [106] The division then fought in the First Battle of the Aisne, which saw the first trench networks begun. 925 of these censorship summaries, based on 17 million letters sent between the battle and home fronts during the war, still survive today. On 18 January, the division crossed the river near Springfield and outflanked Colenso to the west. [67][68], The 2nd Division swelled to include four brigades, seven mounted infantry companies, engineers and artillery. [52] On 26 October, the division fended off a Russian attack, and inflicted around 270 casualties for 100 of their own. They advanced after the retreating Germans, who had been defeated largely by the French. [154][155] As the strategic situation grew worse, several divisions were ordered to form a cordon around the BEF's line of retreat. [152][168], The division arrived in July 1942, and was based initially at Poona before it established itself at Ahmednagar. [138] On 8 August, the Allied armies launched the Battle of Amiens that led to the start of the Hundred Days Offensive, the culminating offensive of the war. On 20 June, the division linked up with British Indian forces who had advanced from Imphal, which ended that siege. In November 1944, 11th Army Group was redesignated Allied Land Forces South East Asia, under command of Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese. [91] He intended to create six army corps, with three composed of permanent standing formations that consisted of the army's regulars.
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