British 46th (North Midland) Division
Encyclopedia
World War I
The British 46th (North Midland) Division was a 1st Line Territorial ForceTerritorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
division
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...
. At the outbreak of the war, the 46th Division was commanded by Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Hon. E.J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley
Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley
Major General Edward James Montagu-Stuart-Wortley CB, CMG, DSO, MVO was a British general during the First World War who is best remembered as the first British general to be dismissed during the Battle of the Somme...
. Originally called the 'North Midland Division', it was redesignated as the 46th Division in 1915. The division was sent to France in February 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. During the Battle of Loos
Battle of Loos
The Battle of Loos was one of the major British offensives mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I. It marked the first time the British used poison gas during the war, and is also famous for the fact that it witnessed the first large-scale use of 'new' or Kitchener's Army...
the Division was decimated in an attack on the Hohenzollern Redoubt
Hohenzollern Redoubt
The Hohenzollern Redoubt, near to Auchy-les-Mines in France, was a German fortification on the Western Front in World War I.-Introduction:The British first attacked the Redoubt on September 25, 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos...
on 13 October 1915. It was later involved in the Battle of the Somme (1916)
Battle of the Somme (1916)
The Battle of the Somme , also known as the Somme Offensive, took place during the First World War between 1 July and 14 November 1916 in the Somme department of France, on both banks of the river of the same name...
and the Battle of Albert
Battle of Albert (1916)
The Battle of Albert, 1 July – 13 July 1916, was the opening phase of the British and French offensive that became the Battle of the Somme.-Haig's desire to break through versus Rawlinson's "bite and hold":...
.
As part of VII Corps, the southern-most corps of the Third Army
British Third Army
-First World War :The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 July 1915. The battles it took part in on the Western Front included:*Battle of the Somme*Battle of Cambrai*Second Battle of Arras...
, the 46th Division was involved in the diversion at Gommecourt
Gommecourt, Pas-de-Calais
Gommecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming village situated south of Arras, on the D6 road.-Population:-World War I:...
on 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...
, 1 July 1916.
On 29 September 1918 the 46th Division crossed the St. Quentin Canal with the help of life-belts and collapsible boats, and used scaling ladders to seize the fortified machine gun positions on the far bank.
World War I Order of Battle
137th Brigade (Staffordshire) :- 1/5th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment
- 1/6th Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment) (until January 1918)
- 1/6th Battalion, The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
138th Brigade (Lincoln and Leicester) :
- 1/4th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment (until January 1918)
- 1/5th Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment
- 1/4th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
139th Brigade (Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire) :
- 1/5th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
- 1/6th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
- 1/7th (Robin Hood) Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters (until January 1918)
- 1/8th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
R.F.A Bdes. :
- I N. Midlands (1, 2 ,3 Lincs. Btys.)
- II N. Midlands (1, 2 ,3 Staffs. Btys.)
- III N. Midlands (4, 5, 6 Staffs. Btys.)
- IV N. Midlands (How.) 1 & 2 Derbyshire Btys.
Pioneers :
- 1/1st Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment
After WWI
The division was disbanded in 1936 but the 46th Infantry Division46th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 46th Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army formation during the Second World War, that was a duplicate of the 49th Infantry Division. The 46th Infantry Division was part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France in 1940 as a labour and training unit but ended up fighting in...
was formed in 1939.
See also
- List of British divisions in WWI
- 46th Infantry Division46th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)The 46th Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army formation during the Second World War, that was a duplicate of the 49th Infantry Division. The 46th Infantry Division was part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to France in 1940 as a labour and training unit but ended up fighting in...
; a British Army Second World War division