British 8th Infantry Division
Encyclopedia
The British Army
's 8th Infantry Division was active in both the First World War and the Second World War.
that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire
at the outbreak of the First World War. Major-General Francis Davies
took command on 19 September 1914. The division moved to France
in November, 1914, following the First Battle of Ypres
. The division fought on the Western Front
for the duration of the war, taking part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
, the Battle of Aubers Ridge
, the Battle of the Somme (1916)
and the Third Battle of Ypres.
Brigadier-General R. Oxley took acting command of the Division on 27 July 1915, being succeeded by Major-General Havelock Hudson on 1 August 1915. Major-General W. Heneker took over on 10 December 1916.
Major-General Sir Bernard Montgomery
commanded the 8th Infantry Division from 1938 to July 1939, followed by Major-General Reade Godwin-Austen
.
The 8th Infantry Division was never a complete formation during the Second World War. In 1939 it was based in Palestine
and consisted of two infantry brigades (14th and 16th Brigades). Due to the needs of defence against German
and Italian
forces these units were sent to places of need and reformed as different formations. Although it had infantry it had no divisional troops due to the shortage of artillery and engineers in the Middle-East.
24th Brigade
:
Between October 1915 and July 1916, the brigade swapped with the 70th Brigade from the 23rd Division
.
25th Brigade :
70th Brigade :
The brigade was from the 23rd Division
and was attached to the 7th Division between October 18, 1915 and July 15, 1916, swapping with the 24th Brigade.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's 8th Infantry Division was active in both the First World War and the Second World War.
History
The British 8th Division was a Regular Army divisionDivision (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 was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at the outbreak of the First World War. Major-General Francis Davies
Francis Davies (British Army officer)
General Sir Francis John Davies KCB KCMG KCVO was a British Army General during World War I.-Military career:Davies was commissioned into the Worcestershire Militia in 1881. He transferred to the Grenadier Guards in 1884 becoming Adjutant to the 2 Bn Grenadier Guards in 1893...
took command on 19 September 1914. The division moved to 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...
in November, 1914, following the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
. The division fought 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...
for the duration of the war, taking part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle
Battle of Neuve Chapelle
The Battles of Neuve Chapelle and Artois was a battle in the First World War. It was a British offensive in the Artois region and broke through at Neuve-Chapelle but they were unable to exploit the advantage.The battle began on 10 March 1915...
, the Battle of Aubers Ridge
Battle of Aubers Ridge
The Battle of Aubers Ridge was a British offensive mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I.- Background :The battle was the initial British component of the combined Anglo-French offensive known as the Second Battle of Artois...
, 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 Third Battle of Ypres.
Brigadier-General R. Oxley took acting command of the Division on 27 July 1915, being succeeded by Major-General Havelock Hudson on 1 August 1915. Major-General W. Heneker took over on 10 December 1916.
Major-General Sir Bernard Montgomery
Bernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
commanded the 8th Infantry Division from 1938 to July 1939, followed by Major-General Reade Godwin-Austen
Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen
General Sir Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen KCSI, CB, OBE, MC was a British Army officer. He served during the First and Second World Wars.-Early life:The second son of Lieutenant-Colonel A. G...
.
The 8th Infantry Division was never a complete formation during the Second World War. In 1939 it was based in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
and consisted of two infantry brigades (14th and 16th Brigades). Due to the needs of defence against German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
forces these units were sent to places of need and reformed as different formations. Although it had infantry it had no divisional troops due to the shortage of artillery and engineers in the Middle-East.
First World War Composition
23rd Brigade :- 2nd Battalion, The Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire RegimentThe Devonshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which served under various titles from 1685 to 1958. Its lineage is continued today by The Rifles.-Origin and titles:...
- 1st Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment)
- 2nd Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (until February 1918)
- 1/6th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (from March 1915 until June 1915)
- 2nd Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment
- 1/7th Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment (from March 1915 until February 1916)
24th Brigade
British 24th Infantry Brigade (Guards)
The 24th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation from the First World War to the late 1990s.- 1914 - 1918 :The Brigade was first formed as part of the 8th Infantry Division by battalions returning from overseas stations to reinforce British forces on the Western Front in France...
:
- 1st Battalion, The Worcestershire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters
- 2nd Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment
- 1/5th Battalion, the Black WatchBlack WatchThe Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II....
(until October 1915) - 2nd Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment (to 25th Bde. February 1918)
- 1/4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from February 1915 until April 1915)
Between October 1915 and July 1916, the brigade swapped with the 70th Brigade from the 23rd Division
British 23rd Division
The British 23rd Division was a New Army division that was sent to France in August, 1915, under the command of Major-General Sir James Melville Babington...
.
25th Brigade :
- 2nd Battalion, The Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
- 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
- 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles (until February 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, The Lincolnshire Regiment (until February 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, the East Lancashire Regiment (from 24th Bde. February 1918)
- 1/8th Battalion, the Middlesex Regiment (from August 1915 until October 1915)
- 13th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (until May 1915)
- 1/1st (City of London) Battalion, the London Regiment (from May 1915 until February 1916)
70th Brigade :
The brigade was from the 23rd Division
British 23rd Division
The British 23rd Division was a New Army division that was sent to France in August, 1915, under the command of Major-General Sir James Melville Babington...
and was attached to the 7th Division between October 18, 1915 and July 15, 1916, swapping with the 24th Brigade.
Structure in 1939
Order of battle in 1939:- 14th Infantry BrigadeBritish 14th Infantry BrigadeThe British 14th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation during both the First World War and the Second World War.- World War I :In 1914 this brigade was part of the 5th Division and moved over to France...
- Brigadier G. Dawes
- 2nd Battalion, Queen's Own Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland HighlandersArgyll and Sutherland HighlandersThe Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland....
- 2nd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
- 16th Infantry BrigadeBritish 16th Infantry BrigadeThe British 16th Infantry Brigade was a British Army formation based in Palestine at the beginning of the Second World War as part of the British 8th Infantry Division. It was later part of the British 6th Infantry Division which was redesignated as the British 70th Infantry Division on 10 October...
- Brigadier C.E.N. Lomax
- 2nd Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, The Welch Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Sherwood ForestersSherwood ForestersThe Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
- 12 Field Company RE
- a divisional reconnaissance regiment of the Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
General Officers Commanding
Commanders included:- 1902-1903 Major-General Sir Hugh McCalmontHugh McCalmontMajor-General Sir Hugh McCalmont KCB CVO was a British politician. He was elected as an Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for North Antrim in 1895, resigning in 1899 by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead.-Career:...
- 1903-1905 Major-General Sir Reginald Pole-CarewReginald Pole-Carew (British Army officer)Lieutenant-General Sir Reginald Pole-Carew KCB CVO was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding 8th Division.-Military career:Pole-Carew was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1869...
- 1905-1906 Major-General Sir William KnoxWilliam Knox (British Army officer)Lieutenant-General Sir William George Knox KCB was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding 8th Division.-Military career:...
- 1906-1907 Major-General Lawrence ParsonsLawrence Parsons (British Army officer)Lieutenant General Sir Lawrence Worthington Parsons KCB was a British Army officer who became General Officer Commanding 6th Division.-Military career:...
- 1914-1915 Major-General Francis DaviesFrancis Davies (British Army officer)General Sir Francis John Davies KCB KCMG KCVO was a British Army General during World War I.-Military career:Davies was commissioned into the Worcestershire Militia in 1881. He transferred to the Grenadier Guards in 1884 becoming Adjutant to the 2 Bn Grenadier Guards in 1893...
- 1915-1916 Major-General Havelock HudsonHavelock HudsonGeneral Sir Havelock Hudson GCB KCIE was a British Army officer who was General Officer Commanding 8th Division during World War I.-Military career:...
- 1916-1919 Major-General William HenekerWilliam HenekerGeneral Sir William Charles Giffard Heneker KCB KCMG DSO was a Canadian born and educated soldier who served with the British Army in West Africa, India, and then later on the western front during the First World War...
- 1938-1939 Major-General Bernard MontgomeryBernard Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of AlameinField Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC , nicknamed "Monty" and the "Spartan General" was a British Army officer. He saw action in the First World War, when he was seriously wounded, and during the Second World War he commanded the 8th Army from...
- 1939-1940 Major-General Reade Godwin-AustenAlfred Reade Godwin-AustenGeneral Sir Alfred Reade Godwin-Austen KCSI, CB, OBE, MC was a British Army officer. He served during the First and Second World Wars.-Early life:The second son of Lieutenant-Colonel A. G...
See also
- 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