6th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

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6th Division
6th Infantry Division
British 6th Infantry Division.svg
Most recent insignia of the 6th Division. A white circle on a black background.
Active1812
1914–1919
1939–1940
1941
2008–2011
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Type Infantry
Part of Land Forces
Garrison/HQ York
EngagementsPeninsular War
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
Battle of Salamanca
Battle of the Pyrenees
Battle of Orthez
First World War
First Battle of Ypres
Battle of the Somme (1916)
Battle of Cambrai (1917)
Battle of Épehy
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Richard O'Connor WN Congreve VC, May – Nov 1915

The 6th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was first established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsular War as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army and was active for most of the period since, including the First World War and the Second World War. The modern division was reformed on 1 February 2008, as a deployable two star Headquarters for service in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick. The division was officially reformed with a parade and flag presentation at York on Tuesday 5 August 2008 and then closed in April 2011.

Infantry military service branch that specializes in combat by individuals on foot

Infantry is the branch of an army that engages in military combat on foot, distinguished from cavalry, artillery, and tank forces. Also known as foot soldiers, infantry traditionally relies on moving by foot between combats as well, but may also use mounts, military vehicles, or other transport. Infantry make up a large portion of all armed forces in most nations, and typically bear the largest brunt in warfare, as measured by casualties, deprivation, or physical and psychological stress.

Division (military) large military unit or formation

A division is a large military unit or formation, usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. Infantry divisions during the World Wars ranged between 8,000 and 30,000 in nominal strength.

British Army land warfare branch of the British Armed Forces of the United Kingdom

The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of British Armed Forces. As of 2018, the British Army comprises just over 81,500 trained regular (full-time) personnel and just over 27,000 trained reserve (part-time) personnel.

Contents

Peninsular War

The 6th Division was formed for service in the Peninsular War by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, it was present at the Battles of Fuentes de Onoro, Salamanca, Pyrenees and the Battle of Orthez.

Peninsular War War by Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom against the French Empire (1807–1814)

The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was a military conflict between Napoleon's empire and Bourbon Spain, for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when the French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807, and escalated in 1808 when France turned on Spain, previously its ally. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare.

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 18th and 19th-century British soldier and statesman

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, was a British soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as Prime Minister. His victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 puts him in the first rank of Britain's military heroes.

Battle of Salamanca battle

In Battle of Salamanca an Anglo-Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington defeated Marshal Auguste Marmont's French forces among the hills around Arapiles, south of Salamanca, Spain on 22 July 1812 during the Peninsular War. A Spanish division was also present but took no part in the battle.

Formation during the Peninsular War

Devonshire Regiment

The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army which served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 the regiment was amalgamated with the Dorset Regiment to form the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment which, in 2007, was amalgamated with the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, the Royal Green Jackets and The Light Infantry to form a new large regiment, The Rifles.

53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot

The 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot was a British Army regiment, raised in 1755. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 85th Regiment of Foot to form the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in 1881.

The 61st Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1756. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 28th Regiment of Foot to form the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1881.

First World War

The 6th Division was a Regular Army division that was sent to France on 9 September 1914. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War, first seeing action in the First Battle of Ypres as part of III Corps.

In 1915 the division moved into the Ypres Salient to relieve troops that had fought in the Second Battle of Ypres. The Salient was relatively quiet for the rest of the year, except for an attack on the chateau at Hooge on 9 August.

At the end of July 1916 the division was withdrawn, having suffered 11,000 casualties, and in September it was attached to XIV Corps where it joined in the Battle of the Somme by attacking the German fortification known as the Quadrilateral. It captured this area on 18 September. They then participated in the attacks on Morval and Le Transloy before being withdrawn on 20 October and moved into Corps Reserve. Total casualties on the Somme were 277 officers and 6,640 other ranks. In November the division moved to the relatively quiet La Bassée sector, and in March 1917 it went to the Loos sector where it conducted operations and trench raids around Hill 70.

Men of the 11th (Service) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, the divisional pioneers, with German prisoners in Ribecourt, France, less than two hours after the village was captured, 20 November 1917. The Battle of Cambrai, November-december 1917 Q6273.jpg
Men of the 11th (Service) Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment, the divisional pioneers, with German prisoners in Ribecourt, France, less than two hours after the village was captured, 20 November 1917.

It was withdrawn on 25 July, shortly before the final assault on the hill. From reserve, it then went to take part in the Battle of Cambrai as part of III Corps. Four days after the battle ended, the division was withdrawn to rest at Basseux. By February 1918 the division was manning the Lagnicourt Sector and was there on 22 March when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which drove the division back and caused 3,900 casualties out of its 5,000 infantry. On 25 March the division was withdrawn to the Ypres Salient again as part of the Second Army.

By September the division was part of IX Corps and took part in the Battle of Épehy, participating in the general attack on St Quentin and The Quadrilateral (not the same as the position of the same name attacked at the Somme (see above)) that began on 18 September and ended with the Quadrilateral's capture on the 25th.

The division's last two major assaults of the war were in October. On the 8th they captured Bohain and on the 18th they took the high ground overlooking the Sambre–Oise Canal that prepared the way for the Battle of the Sambre. [1]

First World War formation

9 September 1914

The 6th Division embarked for France on 8 and 9 September. It was commanded by Major-General J. L. Keir, with Colonel W. T. Furse as GSO 1. Brigadier-General W. L. H. Paget commanded the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel G. C. Kemp commanded the Royal Engineers. [2]

Later in the War

16th Infantry Brigade  
17th Infantry Brigade (until 14 October 1915) 

The brigade transferred to the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 71st Brigade.

18th Infantry Brigade  
19th Infantry Brigade (until 31 May 1915) 

Originally an independent brigade before being attached to the division, the 19th Brigade moved to the 27th Division in May, 1915 and was not replaced, reducing the division to the standard three infantry brigades.

71st Infantry Brigade (from 11 October 1915) 
  • 9th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
  • 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (disbanded February 1918)
  • 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (to 16th Bde. November 1915)
  • 11th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment (to 18th Bde. October 1915)
  • 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (from 16th Bde. November 1915)
  • 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (from 18th Bde. October 1915)

The brigade joined from the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 17th Brigade.

Royal Field Artillery
Royal Engineers

Second World War

Insignia of the 6th Infantry Division during the Second World War. A red four pointed star on white background. British WWII 6th Infantry Division.svg
Insignia of the 6th Infantry Division during the Second World War. A red four pointed star on white background.

During the Second World War the division did not fight as a complete formation. On 3 November 1939 it was formed in Egypt by the redesignation of the British 7th Infantry Division, under the command of Major-General R.N.O'Connor. On 17 June 1940 Divisional H.Q. became H.Q. Western Desert Force. [3] The Division effectively ceased to exist. The Division reformed in Egypt on 17 February 1941, under the command of Major-General John Evetts. From 7 to 19 April it was temporarily under command of Brigadier C.E.N. Lomax.

On 18 June, when command of the allied forces fighting in the Syria-Lebanon Campaign on the southern front were reorganised, the divisional HQ was placed under Australian I Corps to command the remnants of Gentforce (5th Indian Infantry Brigade and 1st Free French Light Division). Two days later the division was joined from Egypt by 16th Infantry Brigade and on 29 June by 23rd Infantry Brigade. Gentforce force captured Damascus on 21 June. For the rest of the campaign, which ended with the Vichy French surrender on 11 July, the division was engaged with the support of Australian units [4] in attempts to force the Damascus to Beirut road through the Anti-Lebanon mountains the entrance to which was dominated by the 5,000 feet (1,500 m) high Jebel Mazar. Despite intense efforts Vichy forces maintained control of the position and the main allied effort was switched to the advance on the coast.

On 29 September 1941 Major-General Evetts left and Brigadier G.N.C. Martin took acting command. Eleven days later on 10 October that year it was redesignated the 70th Infantry Division, and Major-General Ronald Scobie assumed command.

Order of battle Second World War

Artillery

Engineers

22nd Infantry Brigade

6 Division 3 Nov 39 – 11 Mar 40 & 10 – 17 Jun 40

22nd Guards Brigade

6 Division 17 Feb – 6 Apr 41

14th Infantry Brigade

6 Division 29 Mar – 30 May 40 & 10 Jul – 9 Oct 41

16th Infantry Brigade

6 Division 23 Mar – 7 Jun 40

23rd Infantry Brigade

6 Division 29 Jun – 9 Oct 41

Twenty-First Century

On 26 July 2007 the Secretary of State for Defence announced that a new 'HQ 6 Division' would reform to direct the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command South in Afghanistan. [5] Des Browne said 'In order to meet these temporary demands we have decided to augment the forces’ command structure, and will temporarily establish an additional 2-Star deployable HQ. It will be based in York and will be known as HQ 6 Division, with a core of 55 Service personnel, drawn from existing structures. We will keep our planning assumption under review but currently we assess this HQ will be established until 2011.' [6] Major General J D Page OBE took command of the new HQ with effect from 1 February 2008.

The new divisional headquarters, Headquarters 6th (United Kingdom) Division, marked its formation with a parade and flag presentation in York 5 August 2008. [7] It had a clear focus on preparing brigades for Afghanistan and was based at Imphal Barracks, Fulford, York.During summer 2009, the divisional headquarters was significantly reinforced and transformed into Combined Joint Task Force 6 before deploying to Afghanistan as Regional Command South in November 2009. [8] The division headquarters closed in April 2011. [9]

Afghanistan War Formation

(November 2009)

Regional Command South [10] – Kandahar Airfield

Task Force Helmand – British 11th Light Brigade

Task Force Kandahar – Canadian 1st Mechanized Brigade Group

Task Force Leatherneck – US 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade

Task Force Uruzgan – Dutch 11th Airmobile Brigade

Task Force Zabul – Romanian 2nd Mountain Brigade

Task Force Stryker - US 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division [11]

General Officers Commanding

Commanders have included: [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ Marden, Thomas Owen, ed. (15 December 2006). "A Short History of the 6th Division: Aug. 1914-March 1919" – via Project Gutenberg.
  2. ↑ Appendix 1: Order of battle of the British Expeditionary Force, August 1914. In: History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1914, by J. E. Edmonds. Macmillan & Co., London, 1922. – for all details on Expeditionary Force units
  3. ↑ Playfair, Vol. I, page 97.
  4. ↑ Long 1953, p. 535.
  5. ↑ Press release from MoD quoting Browne Archived 18 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Westminster, Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons,. "House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 26 July 2007 (pt 0002)". publications.parliament.uk.
  7. ↑ "mod.uk". Archived from the original on 31 March 2012.
  8. ↑ 6th Division at Ministry of Defence website Archived 15 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ Military headquarters dissolved at Imphal Barracks York Press, 4 April 2011
  10. ↑ Institute for the Study of War Archived 2 February 2012 at the Library of Congress Web Archives November 2009 Page
  11. ↑ Tunnel, Colonel Harry. "Task Force Stryker Network-Centric Operations in Afghanistan" (PDF).
  12. ↑ Army Commands Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "ISAF Who's Who".

Bibliography

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