British 34th Division
Encyclopedia
The British 34th Division was a New Army division
formed in April 1915 as part of the K4 Army Group. The division landed in France
on January 1916 and spent the duration of the First World War
in action on the Western Front
.
The division was originally made up of Pals battalion
s, notably the 10th Lincolns, known as the Grimsby Chums
, and two brigades of Northumberland Fusiliers; the Tyneside Scottish
and Tyneside Irish. The division's first major action was the attack at La Boisselle
on the first day
of the Battle of the Somme during which the division suffered heavy casualties and many of the original Pals were killed.
102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade
:
The original Tyneside Scottish battalions were:
In February 1918 the 20th and 21st Battalions were disbanded and in June the 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) joined the 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division
while the 23rd Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish) joined the 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade
:
The original Tyneside Irish battalions were:
In February 1918, the 24th, 26th and 27th Battalions were disbanded and the 25th Battalion (2nd Tyneside Irish) transferred to the 116th Brigade, 39th Division. For the remainder of the war, the brigade structure was:
Between 6 July and 22 August 1916, the 102nd and 103rd Brigades, which had been effectively wiped out during the first day on the Somme
, were transferred to the 37th Division, being replaced by the 111th and 112th Brigades. In this period the 37th Division was holding the line on a quiet sector at Vimy Ridge.
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
formed in April 1915 as part of the K4 Army Group. The division landed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on January 1916 and spent the duration of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in action on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
.
The division was originally made up of Pals battalion
Pals battalion
The Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted units of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues , rather than being arbitrarily...
s, notably the 10th Lincolns, known as the Grimsby Chums
Grimsby Chums
The Grimsby Chums was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment...
, and two brigades of Northumberland Fusiliers; the Tyneside Scottish
Tyneside Scottish
Tyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery....
and Tyneside Irish. The division's first major action was the attack at La Boisselle
Ovillers-la-Boisselle
Ovillers-la-Boisselle is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D929 road, some northeast of Amiens.-Population:-History:...
on the first day
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
of the Battle of the Somme during which the division suffered heavy casualties and many of the original Pals were killed.
Formation
101st Brigade :- 10th (Service) Battalion (Grimsby ChumsGrimsby ChumsThe Grimsby Chums was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment...
), The Lincolnshire Regiment (to 103rd Bde February 1918) - 11th (Service) Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment (until May 1918)
- 15th (Service) Battalion (1st Edinburgh), The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (until May 1918)
- 16th (Service) Battalion (2nd Edinburgh), The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (until May 1918)
- 2/4th Battalion (TF), The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (from June 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment (from June 1918)
102nd (Tyneside Scottish) Brigade
Tyneside Scottish Brigade
The Tyneside Scottish Brigade was raised in 1914 as part of Kitchener's Army. Officially numbered the 102nd Brigade, it contained four Pals battalions from Newcastle-on-Tyne.-Origins:...
:
The original Tyneside Scottish battalions were:
- 20th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 21st (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 22nd (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 23rd (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
In February 1918 the 20th and 21st Battalions were disbanded and in June the 22nd (3rd Tyneside Scottish) joined the 48th Brigade, 16th (Irish) Division
British 16th (Irish) Division
The 16th Division was a voluntary 'Service' division of Kitchener's New Army raised in Ireland from the 'National Volunteers', initially in September 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War...
while the 23rd Battalion (4th Tyneside Scottish) joined the 116th Brigade, 39th Division.
- 25th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers (from February 1918 until June 1918)
- 1/4th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (from July 1918)
- 1/7th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (from July 1918)
- 1/1st Battalion, The Herefordshire Regiment (from June 1918)
103rd (Tyneside Irish) Brigade
Tyneside Irish Brigade
The Tyneside Irish Brigade was a British First World War infantry brigade of Kitchener's Army, raised in 1914. Officially numbered the 103rd Brigade, it contained four Pals battalions from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, largely made up of men of Irish extraction...
:
The original Tyneside Irish battalions were:
- 24th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 25th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 26th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 27th (Service) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
In February 1918, the 24th, 26th and 27th Battalions were disbanded and the 25th Battalion (2nd Tyneside Irish) transferred to the 116th Brigade, 39th Division. For the remainder of the war, the brigade structure was:
- 1st Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment (from February 1918 until May 1918)
- 10th (Service) Battalion (Grimsby ChumsGrimsby ChumsThe Grimsby Chums was a British First World War Pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Grimsby in Lincolnshire. When the battalion was taken over by the British Army it was officially named the 10th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment...
), The Lincolnshire Regiment (from 101st Bde February 1918 until June 1918) - 1/5th (Dumfries and Galloway) Battalion, The King's Own Scottish Borderers (from June 1918)
- 1/8th Battalion, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)The Cameronians was an infantry regiment of the British Army, the only regiment of rifles amongst the Scottish regiments of infantry...
(from June 1918) - 1/5th (Renfrewshire) Battalion, The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (from June 1918)
Between 6 July and 22 August 1916, the 102nd and 103rd Brigades, which had been effectively wiped out during the first day on the Somme
First day on the Somme
The first day on the Somme, 1 July 1916, was the opening day of the Battle of Albert, which was the first phase of the British and French offensive that became known as the Battle of the Somme...
, were transferred to the 37th Division, being replaced by the 111th and 112th Brigades. In this period the 37th Division was holding the line on a quiet sector at Vimy Ridge.