| 25th Division | |
|---|---|
 Formation sign of the 25th Division. [1] | |
| Active | September 1914–1919 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Engagements | First World War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Sir Ronald Charles |
The 25th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised as part of Lord Kitchener's Third New Army (K3) in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the Great War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war.
The component units of the division were assembled around Salisbury and moved to Aldershot in May 1915 to complete their training. The division was formed by Major-General Francis Ventris and crossed to France from 25 to 30 September 1915 under the command of Major-General Beauchamp Doran. [2] The division comprised the 74th, 75th and 76th Infantry Brigades but the 76th Brigade was posted away on 15 October 1915 and replaced by the 7th Infantry Brigade. [2] In June 1916 Major-General Guy Bainbridge took command and the division went on to fight at the Battle of the Somme, at the Battle of Messines, at the Battle of Passchendaele, in the German spring offensive of March–April 1918 and at the Third Battle of the Aisne. [3]
The 25th Division was unlucky during the 1918 German Spring Offensives, being attacked three times (sharing its misfortune with the 19th (Western) Division, the 21st Division and the 50th Northumbrian Division). It was on the northern flank defences during Operation Michael in March 1918 and was moved north to refit. There it lost more men in the Battle of the Lys in April. Moved south to another quiet area, it was attacked for a third time in the Third Battle of the Aisne. [4]
After suffering severe casualties in June 1918, the division underwent a refit and reorganisation, receiving infantry from divisions then serving in Italy. The reformed division moving back to France in September 1918. The division played a major role in the final few weeks of the war its most noted success was the capture of the village of Beaurevoir on 5–6 October 1918. [4] The war came to an end over a month later with the signing of the armistice of 11 November 1918. The division was demobilised by the end of March 1919, having suffered 48,300 casualties during the war. [4]
| Rank | Name | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Major-General | Francis Ventris | 18 September 1914 – 27 May 1915 |
| Major-General | Beauchamp Doran | 27 May 1915 – 4 June 1916 |
| Major-General | Guy Bainbridge | 4 June 1916 – 4 August 1918 |
| Major-General | Ronald Charles | 4 August 1918 – March 1919 |
The following units served in the division. [4]
During reconstruction in mid 1918
(the last three battalions joined from the brigades of 23rd Division serving in Italy) [7]
During reconstruction in mid 1918
(On 9 September 1918, the Brigade was renumbered as 236th Brigade and was placed under orders for service in North Russia. It left the 25th Division at this point.)
A new 75th Brigade was formed in September 1918
(these battalions joined from the brigades of 48th (South Midland) Division serving in Italy) [9]
(left to join 3rd Division on 15 October 1915)
(joined from 3rd Division in exchange for the 76th Brigade on 18 October 1915)
During reconstruction in mid 1918
(except for the 13th East Surreys, which joined from the 39th Division, these battalions joined from the brigades of 7th Division serving in Italy) [11]
The divisional artillery remained in France when the rest of the division returned to England to re-fit in June 1918. It took part in the Second Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Epehy and the Battle of the Saint-Quentin Canal, then rejoined the 25th Division on 4 October 1918.
The 9th (Scottish) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener to serve on the Western Front during the First World War.
The 10th (Irish) Division, was one of the first of Kitchener's New Army K1 Army Group divisions, authorized on 21 August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. It included battalions from the various provinces of Ireland. It was led by Irish General Bryan Mahon and fought at Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine. It was the first of the Irish Divisions to take to the field and was the most travelled of the Irish formations. The division served as a formation of the United Kingdom's British Army during World War I.
The 11th (Northern) Division, was an infantry division of the British Army during the First World War, raised from men who had volunteered for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and on the Western Front. The division's insignia was an ankh or ankhus.
The 12th (Eastern) Division was an infantry division raised by the British Army during the First World War from men volunteering for Kitchener's New Armies. The division saw service in the trenches of the Western Front from June 1915 to the end of the war.
The 14th (Light) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, one of the Kitchener's Army divisions raised from volunteers by Lord Kitchener during the First World War. All of its infantry regiments were originally of the fast marching rifle or light infantry regiments, hence the title "Light". It fought on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War.
The division was disbanded by March 1919, and was not reformed in the Second World War.
The 24th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised in September 1914 from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies during the First World War. After almost a year spent training in England the division was sent to the Western Front between August and September 1915. It served in Belgium and France in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war.
The 60th Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised during the First World War. It was the second line-formation of the 47th Division, and was the second of two such Territorial Force divisions formed from the surplus of London recruits in 1914.
The 18th (Eastern) Division was an infantry division of the British Army formed in September 1914 during the First World War as part of the K2 Army Group, part of Lord Kitchener's New Armies. From its creation the division trained in England until 25 May 1915 when it landed in France and spent the duration of the First World War in action on the Western Front, becoming one of the elite divisions of the British Army. During the Battle of the Somme in the latter half of 1916, the 18th Division was commanded by Major General Ivor Maxse.
The 34th Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, that was originally made up of infantry battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war.
The 21st Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I, raised in September 1914 by men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division moved to France in September 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. The divisional insignia was the "triple-seven".
The British 30th Division was a New Army division that was originally made up of battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the British War Office in August 1915 and moved to France in December. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War.
The 32nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, made up of infantry 'Pals battalions' and artillery brigades raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war. It saw action at the Battle of the Somme, the Pursuit to the Hindenburg Line, the Defence of Nieuport, the German spring offensive, and the Allied Hundred Days Offensive beginning at the Battle of Amiens. After the Armistice it marched into Germany as part of the Army of Occupation.
The 22nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I, raised in September 1914, from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division moved to France in September 1915, but it was transferred to Greece only one month later. It served in the Balkans Campaign for the duration of the First World War.
The 28th Division was an infantry division of the British Army raised for service in World War I.
The 26th Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I. The division was created in September 1914 from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies and was the last division to be raised under the K3 enlistment scheme. Although the 26th Division began to assemble in September 1914, it was not fully deployed on the Western Front until the following year. In November 1915, the division was redeployed to the Macedonian Front, where it remained until the end of the war.
The 37th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised during the First World War. The divisional symbol was a gold horseshoe, open end up.
The 57th Division was an infantry formation of the Territorial Force created in 1914 as part of the massive expansion of the British Army during the First World War. It served on the Western Front during 1917 and 1918. The divisional number was reactivated for deception purposes during the Second World War.
The 59th Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I. It was formed in late 1914/early 1915 as a 2nd Line Territorial Force formation raised as a duplicate of the 46th Division. After training in the United Kingdom and saw service in the Easter Rising in April 1916, the division joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front in early 1917. It saw action at Ypres and Cambrai, and was almost destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive in March 1918. The reconstituted division took part in the final advances of the war.
The 74th Brigade was a formation of the British Army. It was raised as part of the new army also known as Kitchener's Army and assigned to the 25th Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War. After suffering heavy losses in the German spring offensive in 1918 the brigade was reformed with new units. It fought on the Hindenburg Line in October and in Picardy in November.
The brigade was not reformed for the Second World War.
The 75th Brigade was a formation of the British Army raised as part of the New Army also known as Kitchener's Army and served on the Western Front during the First World War.
