British 54th (East Anglian) Division
Encyclopedia
The British 54th Division was a Territorial Army division
. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East
. During the Second World War it was a home service division and did not see any combat.
on 10 August in the Gallipoli Campaign, as a part of IX Corps under Lieutenant-General Stopford
. It was moved to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
under General Murray
in late 1916 and garrisoned the southern part of the Suez Canal
.
Then in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
, during the First Battle of Gaza
, on 26 March 1917, the 161st Brigade and divisional artillery were in reserve while the 53rd Division carried out the main attack. These reserves were committed as the battle progressed resulting in the British gaining a foothold in the Turkish
defences but the British commander called off the attack as night fell. In the Second Battle of Gaza
, the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Norfolk Regiment sustained 75% casualties (about 1,200 men). It took part in the successful Third Battle of Gaza
as part of XXI Corps
led by General Bulfin
, and by the end of 1917 General Allenby
's forces had taken Jerusalem.
In September 1918 the division took part in the Battle of Megiddo
.
as a local defence formation until it was disbanded and broken up on 14 December 1943 . Its component units would take part in the Normandy campaign as support units.
brigade
s:
161st (Essex
) Brigade :
162nd (East Midland) Brigade :
163rd (Norfolk
and Suffolk
) 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...
. 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...
. During the Second World War it was a home service division and did not see any combat.
First World War
The division landed at SuvlaLanding at Suvla Bay
The landing at Suvla Bay was an amphibious landing made at Suvla on the Aegean coast of Gallipoli peninsula in the Ottoman Empire as part of the August Offensive, the final British attempt to break the deadlock of the Battle of Gallipoli...
on 10 August in the Gallipoli Campaign, as a part of IX Corps under Lieutenant-General Stopford
Frederick Stopford
Lieutenant General Sir Frederick William Stopford, KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a British Army officer.-Military career:...
. It was moved to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force
Egyptian Expeditionary Force
The Egyptian Expeditionary Force was formed in March 1916 to command the British and British Empire military forces in Egypt during World War I. Originally known as the 'Force in Egypt' it had been commanded by General Maxwell who was recalled to England...
under General Murray
Archibald Murray
General Sir Archibald James Murray, GCMG, KCB, CVO, DSO was a British Army officer during World War I, most famous for his commanding the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 1916 to 1917.-Army career:...
in late 1916 and garrisoned the southern part of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
.
Then in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
, during 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...
, on 26 March 1917, the 161st Brigade and divisional artillery were in reserve while the 53rd Division carried out the main attack. These reserves were committed as the battle progressed resulting in the British gaining a foothold in 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...
defences but the British commander called off the attack as night fell. In the Second Battle of Gaza
Second Battle of Gaza
The Second Battle of Gaza, fought in southern Palestine during the First World War, was another attempt mounted by British Empire forces to break Ottoman defences along the Gaza-Beersheba line...
, the 4th and 5th Battalions of the Norfolk Regiment sustained 75% casualties (about 1,200 men). It took part in the successful Third Battle of Gaza
Third Battle of Gaza
The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during the First World War. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Ottoman defensive Gaza-Beersheba line...
as part of XXI Corps
XXI Corps (United Kingdom)
The XXI Corps was a Army Corps of the British Army during World War I.-First World War:The Corps was formed in Egypt in June 1917 under the command of Lieutenant General Edward Bulfin...
led by General Bulfin
Edward Bulfin
Lieutenant General Sir Edward Stanislaus Bulfin KCB CVO was a British general during World War I, where he established a reputation as an excellent commander at the brigade, divisional and corps levels...
, and by the end of 1917 General Allenby
Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby
Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby GCB, GCMG, GCVO was a British soldier and administrator most famous for his role during the First World War, in which he led the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the conquest of Palestine and Syria in 1917 and 1918.Allenby, nicknamed...
's forces had taken Jerusalem.
In September 1918 the division took part in the Battle of Megiddo
Battle of Megiddo (1918)
The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
.
Second World War
During the Second World War the 54th (East Anglian) Division remained in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as a local defence formation until it was disbanded and broken up on 14 December 1943 . Its component units would take part in the Normandy campaign as support units.
Formation
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:
161st (Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
) Brigade :
- 1/4th Battalion, The Essex Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, The Essex Regiment
- 1/6th Battalion, The Essex Regiment
- 1/7th Battalion, The Essex Regiment
162nd (East Midland) Brigade :
- 1/5th Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment
- 1/4th Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment
- 1/10th (County of LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) Battalion, The London Regiment - 1/11th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment
163rd (Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
) Brigade :
- 1/4th Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment
- 1/8th (Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles) Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment
Battles
- Battle of GallipoliBattle of GallipoliThe Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
- Battle of Sari BairBattle of Sari BairThe Battle of Sari Bair , also known as the August Offensive, was the final attempt made by the British in August 1915 to seize control of the Gallipoli peninsula from the Ottoman Empire during First World War.The Battle of Gallipoli had raged on two fronts, Anzac and Helles, for three months since...
- Battle of Sari Bair
- First Battle of GazaFirst Battle of GazaThe 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...
- 161st Brigade and artillery
See also
- List of British divisions in WWI
- British Divisions in World War IIBritish Divisions in World War IIThis page is a list of British Army divisions that fought in World War II.-Armoured:*Guards Armoured Division*1st Armoured Division*2nd Armoured Division - Formed 15 December 1939 in the UK. Served in Egypt from January 1941 until March 1941 and from April 1941 until May 1941, and in Libya from...
- British Army Order of Battle - September 1939