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British 53rd (Welsh) Division
Encyclopedia
The British 53rd Infantry Division was a Territorial Army division
that fought in both World Wars. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East
. Remaining active during the interwar years as a peace-time formation, the division again saw action in the Second World War, fighting in North-West Europe. It was temporarily disbanded at the end of the war, but reactivated in 1947. In 1968 the division was finally deactivated, but its 160th Infantry Brigade remains in service today.
Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 9 August.
On 26 March 1917, the 53rd Division bore the brunt of the First Battle of Gaza
where the three brigades, along with the 161st Brigade of the 54th Division, had to advance across exposed ground, withstanding shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire, to capture the Turkish
fortifications. Despite gaining the advantage towards the end of the day, the British commander called off the attack so that the division's casualties, close to 3,500, were suffered in vain.
brigade
s. Some original battalions were detached early in the First World War to reinforce other divisions.
158th (North Wales
) Brigade
159th (Cheshire
) Brigade
160th (Welsh Border) Brigade
Remaining active throughout the interwar years, the division served as part of the Home Defence Forces of the United Kingdom between 1939–1940, fittingly based to defend Wales and the borders. In April 1940 the Division transferred to Northern Ireland, where it remained until November 1941. It returned to the mainland again to defend Kent and the South Coast between 1941–1943, when it was earmarked to form part of the British Second Army
. In October 1943 the division was reorganised, its 159th Infantry Brigade detaching to form part of 11th Armoured Division, with the 71st Infantry Brigade
taking its place. The division spent the remaining period in the build-up to the Invasion of Normandy in intensive training.
53rd Welsh Division landed in Normandy on 28 June 1944 and was placed under command of XII Corps, now defending the Odon Valley position. The division was involved in heavy fighting in this area days leading up to Operation Goodwood
. In August it began to push out of the Odon region and crossed the river Orne, helping to close the Falaise Pocket
. It was during this fighting that Captain Tasker Watkins
of 158th Brigade won his Victoria Cross
. Due to the casualties suffered by the division in Normandy and the acute lack of infantry reinforcements, some of its battalions were replaced.
Advancing into the Netherlands, 53rd Division liberated the city of 's-Hertogenbosch in four days of heavy fighting from 24 October. In December 1944, attached now to XXX Corps, it was one of the British divisions that took part in the Battle of the Bulge
, helping to cut off the northern tip of the German salient. It was later sent north to take part in Operation Veritable
.
158th Infantry Brigade
160th Infantry Brigade
Divisional Troops
, it sustained 9,849 battle casualties killed, missing and wounded since landing in Normandy. It served later as a peacekeeping force in the Rhineland
, then disbanded to reform the 2nd Infantry Division
in Germany in early 1947. It was reactivated later that year, serving as part of the peacetime Territorial Army. The 53rd (Welsh) Division was finally disbanded in 1968.
There remain a few remnants of the division in the Territorial Army. 160 Brigade is the regional brigade responsible for the administration of TA
units in Wales, while 53 (Welsh) Signal Squadron
are the descendant formation of 53rd (Welsh) Divisional Signal Regiment, and continues to serve in a very similar capacity, providing communications support to 160 Brigade.
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...
that fought in both World Wars. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Remaining active during the interwar years as a peace-time formation, the division again saw action in the Second World War, fighting in North-West Europe. It was temporarily disbanded at the end of the war, but reactivated in 1947. In 1968 the division was finally deactivated, but its 160th Infantry Brigade remains in service today.
First World War
The division landed at SuvlaSuvla
Suvla is a bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula in European Turkey, south of the Gulf of Saros.On 6 August 1915 it was the site for the Landing at Suvla Bay by the British IX Corps as part of the August Offensive during the Battle of Gallipoli...
Bay on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 9 August.
On 26 March 1917, the 53rd Division bore the brunt of the First Battle of Gaza
First Battle of Gaza
The First Battle of Gaza was fought in and around the town of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast in the southern region of Ottoman Palestine on 26 March 1917, during World War I...
where the three brigades, along with the 161st Brigade of the 54th Division, had to advance across exposed ground, withstanding shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire, to capture the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
fortifications. Despite gaining the advantage towards the end of the day, the British commander called off the attack so that the division's casualties, close to 3,500, were suffered in vain.
53rd (Welsh) Division, 1914-1918
The division comprised three infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s. Some original battalions were detached early in the First World War to reinforce other divisions.
158th (North Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) Brigade
- 1/5th (FlintshireFlintshire (historic)Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers - 1/6th (CaernarvonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
shire and AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers - 1/7th (Merioneth and MontgomeryMontgomeryshireMontgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers - 1/1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment
- 3rd/153rd Indian Infantry
- 3rd/154th Indian Infantry
- 4th/11th Gurkha Rifles
159th (Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
) Brigade
- 1/4th Battalion, Cheshire RegimentCheshire RegimentThe Cheshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division.The regiment was created in 1881 as part of the Childers reforms by the linking of the 22nd Regiment of Foot and the militia and rifle volunteers of Cheshire...
- 1/5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (until February 1915)
- 1/7th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
- 2/5th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (until April 1915)
- 2/6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (until April 1915)
- 1/4th Battalion, Welsh Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, Welsh Regiment
- 3rd/152nd Indian Infantry (from 1918)
- 1st153rd Indian Infantry (from 1918)
- 2nd/153 Indian Infantry (from 1918)
160th (Welsh Border) Brigade
- 2/4th Battalion, Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment
- 1/4th Battalion, Royal Sussex RegimentRoyal Sussex RegimentThe Royal Sussex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1966. The regiment was formed as part of the Childers reforms by the amalgamation of the 35th Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot...
- 2/4th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment
- 2/10th Battalion, Middlesex RegimentMiddlesex RegimentThe Middlesex Regiment was a regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1881 as part of the Childers Reforms when the 57th and 77th Regiments of Foot were amalgamated with the county's militia and rifle volunteer units.On 31 December 1966 The Middlesex Regiment was amalgamated with three...
- 1/1st Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment (until February 1915)
- 1/3rd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment (until February 1915)
- 1st/17th Infantry17th InfantryThe 17th Infantry was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. It was formed at Phillour in 1858 by Major J. C...
(from 1918) - 1st/21st Punjabis21st PunjabisThe 21st Punjabis were an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was raised in 1857, as the 11th Regiment of Punjab Infantry. It was designated as the 21st Punjabis in 1903 and became 10th Battalion of 14th Punjab Regiment in 1922. In 1943, it was converted into the 14th Punjab...
(from 1918) - 1st Cape Corps South Africa (from 1918)
Second World War
British Second Army
The British Second Army was active during both the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War the army was active on the Western Front and in Italy...
. In October 1943 the division was reorganised, its 159th Infantry Brigade detaching to form part of 11th Armoured Division, with the 71st Infantry Brigade
British 71st Infantry Brigade
The 71st Infantry Brigade formed part of the 53rd Infantry Division during World War II. It fought with the division throughout the North-West Europe campaign, before finally being disbanded in March 1946.-Order of battle:...
taking its place. The division spent the remaining period in the build-up to the Invasion of Normandy in intensive training.
53rd Welsh Division landed in Normandy on 28 June 1944 and was placed under command of XII Corps, now defending the Odon Valley position. The division was involved in heavy fighting in this area days leading up to Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was an attack launched on 18 July 1944, during the Second World War, by the British army to the east of the city of Caen...
. In August it began to push out of the Odon region and crossed the river Orne, helping to close the Falaise Pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
. It was during this fighting that Captain Tasker Watkins
Tasker Watkins
The Rt Hon Sir Tasker Watkins VC GBE PC was a Lord Justice of Appeal and deputy Lord Chief Justice...
of 158th Brigade won his Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. Due to the casualties suffered by the division in Normandy and the acute lack of infantry reinforcements, some of its battalions were replaced.
Advancing into the Netherlands, 53rd Division liberated the city of 's-Hertogenbosch in four days of heavy fighting from 24 October. In December 1944, attached now to XXX Corps, it was one of the British divisions that took part in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, helping to cut off the northern tip of the German salient. It was later sent north to take part in Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable
Operation Veritable was a Second World War pincer movement conducted by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group to clear and occupy the land between the Rhine and Maas rivers. It took place between 8 February and 11 March 1945. It was a part of General Dwight Eisenhower's "broad front"...
.
Order of battle 1944-45
71st Infantry BrigadeBritish 71st Infantry Brigade
The 71st Infantry Brigade formed part of the 53rd Infantry Division during World War II. It fought with the division throughout the North-West Europe campaign, before finally being disbanded in March 1946.-Order of battle:...
- 1st Battalion, East Lancashire RegimentEast Lancashire RegimentThe East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
(until 26 August 1944) - 1st Battalion, Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light InfantryOxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light InfantryThe Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
- 1st Battalion, Highland Light InfantryHighland Light InfantryThe Highland Light Infantry was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1959. In 1923 the regimental title was expanded to the Highland Light Infantry ...
- 4th Battalion, Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch FusiliersThe Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
(from 26 August 1944)
158th Infantry Brigade
British 158th Infantry Brigade
The 158th Infantry Brigade formed part of the 53rd Infantry Division during World War II. It fought with the division throughout the North-West Europe campaign, before finally being disbanded in March 1947.-The Brigade's Victoria Cross:...
- 4th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (until 26 August 1944)
- 6th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (until 26 August 1944)
- 7th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
- 1/5th Battalion, Welch RegimentWelch RegimentThe Welch Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1969.-History:It was formed as the Welsh Regiment during the Childers Reforms of 1881, by the amalgamation of the 41st Regiment of Foot and the 69th Regiment of Foot...
(from 26 August 1944) - 1st Battalion, East Lancashire RegimentEast Lancashire RegimentThe East Lancashire Regiment was, from 1881 to 1958, an infantry regiment of the British Army. The regiment was formed under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of two 30th and 59th Regiments of Foot with the militia and rifle volunteer units of eastern Lancashire...
(from 26 August 1944)
160th Infantry Brigade
- 2nd Battalion, Monmouthshire Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Welch Regiment (until 26 August 1944)
- 1/5th Battalion, Welch Regiment
- 6th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (from 26 August 1944)
Divisional Troops
- 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment (Machine-Gun Regiment)
- 53rd Regiment, Reconnaissance CorpsReconnaissance CorpsThe Reconnaissance Corps or simply Recce Corps was a short-lived elite corps of the British Army whose units provided the mobile spearhead of infantry divisions from the Far East to Europe during the Second World War. It was formed from Infantry Brigade Reconnaissance Groups on 14 January 1941...
- 81st Field Regiment, Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 83rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 133rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 71st Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 244th Field Company, Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 282nd Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 555th Field Company, Royal Engineers
Post-war
The division ended the war in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, it sustained 9,849 battle casualties killed, missing and wounded since landing in Normandy. It served later as a peacekeeping force in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, then disbanded to reform the 2nd Infantry Division
British 2nd Infantry Division
The 2nd Division is a regular division of the British army, with a long history. It dates its existence as a permanently embodied formation from 1809, when it was established by Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Wellesley , as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War...
in Germany in early 1947. It was reactivated later that year, serving as part of the peacetime Territorial Army. The 53rd (Welsh) Division was finally disbanded in 1968.
There remain a few remnants of the division in the Territorial Army. 160 Brigade is the regional brigade responsible for the administration of TA
TA
TA may be an abbreviation for:* EMC TA, an American diesel-powered locomotive* T.A. , 2002 album by the post-rock band Trans Am* T.A...
units in Wales, while 53 (Welsh) Signal Squadron
53 (Welsh) Signal Squadron
53 Signal Squadron is Territorial Army squadron in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 37 Signal Regiment, itself part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations.- External links :* - official...
are the descendant formation of 53rd (Welsh) Divisional Signal Regiment, and continues to serve in a very similar capacity, providing communications support to 160 Brigade.
Second World War
- Battle of NormandyOperation OverlordOperation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
- Battle of Falaise
- Battle of the BulgeBattle of the BulgeThe Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
- Crossing of the RhineCrossing of the Rhine31 December 406, is the often-repeated date of the crossing of the Rhine by a mixed group of barbarians that included Vandals, Alans and Suebi...
See also
- List of British divisions in WWI
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939