62nd (2nd West Riding) Division

2nd West Riding Division 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
Division insignia
Active	1914–1919
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War I * Battle of Arras (1917) * Battle of Cambrai (1917) * Operation Michael (Somme, 1918) * Second Battle of the Marne * Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
Commanders
Notable commanders	Walter Braithwaite

The 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division was an infantry division of the British Army that saw active service on the Western Front during the First World War.

History

During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullecourt ^[1] in the Battle of Arras and Havrincourt in the Battle of Cambrai. During Operation Michael, in 1918, they were in the line near Arras and in the Second Battle of the Marne, in the Ardre Valley. At the opening of Second Battle of the Somme (1918), they fought the Battle of Havrincourt and continued across the Saint Quentin Canal at Marcoing, before beginning the fighting advance to Maubeuge on the Sambre. ^[2]

Order of Battle

The order of battle was as follows: ^{[3] [4] [5]}

185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade

Main article: 185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade

• 2/5th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (joined March 1915, left August 1918)
• 2/6th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (joined March 1915, left January 1918)
• 2/7th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (joined March 1915, left June 1918)
• 2/8th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (joined March 1915, left February 1918)
• 1/8th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own (West Yorkshire Regiment) (joined January 1918)
• 1/5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment (joined June 1918)
• 2/20th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (joined August 1918)

186th (2/2nd West Riding) Brigade

Main article: 186th (2/2nd West Riding) Brigade

• 2/4th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (joined March 1915)
• 2/5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (joined March 1915, left January 1918)
• 2/6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (joined March 1915, disbanded January 1918)
• 2/7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (joined March 1915, left as a cadre June 1918)
• 5th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (joined January 1918)
• 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (joined June 1918)

187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade

Main article: 187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade

• 2/4th Battalion, King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) (joined March 1915)
• 2/5th Battalion, King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) (joined March 1915, absorbed 1/5th Bn and became simply 5th Bn February 1918)
• 2/4th Hallamshire Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (joined March 1915)
• 2/5th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment (joined March 1915, disbanded February 1918)

62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisional Artillery

Main article: 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisional Artillery

• 2/I West Riding Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA) (became CCCX Brigade May 1916)
• 2/II West Riding Brigade, RFA (became CCCXI Brigade May 1916; left as independent Army Field Artillery Brigade January 1917)
• 2/III West Riding Brigade, RFA (became CCCXII Brigade May 1916)
• 2/IV West Riding (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA (broken up May 1916)

General Officer Commanding

• Major General Sir James Trotter February 1915 – December 1915 ^[6]
• Major-General Walter Braithwaite December 1915 – August 1918
• Major-General Robert Whigham August 1918 – 1919

See also

• United Kingdom portal

• List of British divisions in World War I

References

1. Anderson 1920, p. 15.
2. Anderson 1920, p. 102.
3. Becke 2007, pp. 41–47.
4. Magnus 2004, pp. 78–81.
5. "62nd (2nd West Riding) Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
6. Wyrall 1924.

Bibliography

• Anderson, Austin Thomas (1920). War services of the 62nd West Riding Divisional Artillery. Cambridge: Heffer and Sons. OCLC   558510602.
• Becke, Maj A. F. (2007) [1937]. History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions (facs. repr. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). London: HMSO. ISBN   1-847347-39-8.
• Magnus, Laurie (2004) [1920]. The West Riding Territorials in the Great War (facs. repr. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). London: Keegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. ISBN   1-845740-77-7.
• Wyrall, E. (1924). The Story of the 62nd (West Riding) Division, 1914–1919. Vol. I. London: The Bodley Head. OCLC   6256569 . Retrieved 4 January 2015.

Further reading

• Mitchinson, K. W. (2021). Of No Earthly Use: The 2nd line Territorial Force divisions and the Western Front, 1914–18. Warwick: Helion. ISBN   978-1-91-405995-7.
• Wyrall, E. (2003) [1928]. The Story of the 62nd (West Riding) Division, 1914–1919. Vol. II (facs. repr. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). London: The Bodley Head. ISBN   1-84342-582-3.

External links

• Summary of 62nd Division history
• A more detailed history
• An operation which earned the 62nd Div much respect