Guards Division (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The British Guards Division was formed in France
in 1915 from battalions of the elite Guards regiment
s from the Regular Army. The division served on the Western Front
for the duration of the First World War. The division's insignia was the 'All Seeing Eye'.
There was also a Guards Division in the Second World War which was formed on 12 June 1945 from the Guards Armoured Division
which had undergone reorganisation.
comprised the following infantry
brigade
s:
1st Guards Brigade :
2nd Guards Brigade :
3rd Guards Brigade :
Each brigade had an attached machine gun
company; these were eventually regimented into the 4th Battalion, Machine Gun Guards.
The 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards acted as the Division's pioneer battalion.
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 1915 from battalions of the elite Guards regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s from the Regular Army. The division served 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 First World War. The division's insignia was the 'All Seeing Eye'.
There was also a Guards Division in the Second World War which was formed on 12 June 1945 from the Guards Armoured Division
British Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was a Second World War British Army formation.The Guards Armoured Division was formed on 17 June 1941. The division remained in the United Kingdom, training, until 26 June 1944, when it landed in Normandy as part of VIII Corps...
which had undergone reorganisation.
Formation
The 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...
comprised the following infantry
Infantry
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:
1st Guards Brigade :
- 2nd Battalion, the Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
- 3rd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards
- 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards
2nd Guards Brigade :
- 3rd Battalion, the Grenadier Guards
- 1st Battalion, the Coldstream Guards
- 1st Battalion, the Scots GuardsScots Guards (1914)The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army.-World War I:On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife the Countess Sophie were assassinated by a Serbian nationalist...
- 2nd Battalion, the Irish Guards
3rd Guards Brigade :
- 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards
- 4th Battalion, the Grenadier Guards
- 2nd Battalion, the Scots Guards
- 1st Battalion, the Welsh GuardsWelsh GuardsThe Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order...
Each brigade had an attached machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
company; these were eventually regimented into the 4th Battalion, Machine Gun Guards.
The 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards acted as the Division's pioneer battalion.