25th
DIVISION
Formed at Codford
St. Peter and Fisherton de la Mere near Salisbury in September 1914
as part of the Third New Army. Arrived in France in September 1915.
Served in France and Flanders until June 1918 when the Division was
reduced to Cadre and returned to England. The Battalions were reconstituted
with drafts in July 1918. In August 1918 the Division formed a full
strength Brigade for service in North Russia (236th Brigade), the rest
of the Battalions were broken up. In September 1918 the Headquarters
of both the Division and the Brigades went back to France and the Division
was reconstituted with nine Battalions from British Divisions serving
in Italy. The Division remained in France and Flanders until the Armistice.
Battles
and Engagements.
France
and Flanders.
German
attacks on Vimy Ridge. 21 May 1916.
Battle of Albert. 1-13 Jul 1916, including
the capture of Montauban, Mametz, Fricourt, Contalmaison and La Boisselle.
Battle of Bazentin. 14-17 Jul 1916, including
the capture of Longueval, Trones Wood and Ovillers.
Battle of Pozieres. 23 Jul 1916, including
the fighting for Mouquet Farm.
Battle of the Ancre Heights. 1-11 Oct 1916,
including the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt, Stuff Redoubt and the
Regina Trench.
Battle
of Messines. 7-14 Jun 1917, including the capture of Wytschaete.
Battle of Pilkem. 31 Jul-2 Aug 1917.
Captured of Westhoek. 10 Aug 1917.
Battle
of St. Quentin. 21-23 Mar 1918.
First Battle of Bapaume. 24-25 Mar 1918.
Battle of Estaires. 9-11 Apr 1918, including
the first defence of Givenchy.
Battle of Messines. 10-11 Apr 1918.
Battle of Bailleul. 13-15 Apr 1918, including
the defence of Neuve Eglise.
First Battle of Kemmel. 17-19 Apr 1918.
Second Battle of Kemmel. 25-26 Apr 1918.
Battle of the Scherpenberg. 29 Apr 1918.
Battle of the Aisne. 27 May-7 Jun 1918, including
the attack on Bligny and Bois des Buttes.
Battle of Beaurevoir. 3-5 Oct 1918.
Battle of Cambrai. 8-9 Oct 1918, including
the capture of Villers Outreaux and Cambrai.
The pursuit to the Selle. 9-12 Oct 1918.
Battle of the Selle. 17-25 Oct 1918.
Battle of the Sambre. 4 Nov 1918, including
the passage of the Sambre-Oise canal and the capture of Le Quesnoy.
Infantry
Units
7th
Brigade. (Exchanged with the 76th Brigade in Oct 1915.)
Prior to being
reduced to Cadre.
10th
Bn Cheshire Regt. 26 Oct 1915 - 10 Jul 1918. Reduced to Cadre
on 21 Jun 1918. Surplus personnel (10 officers and 358 men) to the 9th
Bn, Cadre remained with the Division and was absorbed by the 15th
Bn South Wales Borderers.
3rd Bn Worcestershire Regt. 18 Oct 1915 -
10 Nov 1917. To the 74th Brigade.
4th Bn South Staffordshire Regt. 13 Oct 1917
- 22 Jun 1918. With No 1 Bn Composite Brigade to the 50th
Division.
2nd Bn South Lancashire Regt. 18 Oct 1915
- 26 Oct 1915. To the 75th Brigade.
8th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt. 26 Oct
1915 - 16 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel (21 officers and 480 men) to
the 1/5th and 2/4th
Bns.
1st Bn Wiltshire Regt. 18 Oct 1915 - 21 Jun
1918. To the 21st Division.
2nd Bn Royal Irish Rifles. 18 Oct 1915 - 26
Oct 1915. To the 74th Brigade.
Attached
to the Brigade after it had been reduced to Cadre.
Cadre
13th Bn East Surrey Regt. 30 Jun 1918 - Aug 1918. Reconstituted
by absorbing the 15th Bn. The Battalion left the Division in Aug 1918
and was disbanded on 03 Nov 1918.
After
being reformed.
9th
Bn Devonshire Regt. 16 Sep 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.
20th Bn Manchester Regt. 16 Sep 1918 - 11
Nov 1918.
21st Bn Manchester Regt. 16 Sep 1918 - 11
Nov 1918.
74th
Brigade.
Prior to being reduced
to Cadre.
11th
Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. Sep 1914 - 22 Jun 1918. With No 1 Bn
Composite Brigade to the 50th
Division.
13th Bn Cheshire Regt. Oct 1914 - 16 Feb 1918.
Disbanded, personnel to the 5th Entrenching Bn.
3rd Bn Worcestershire Regt. 10 Nov 1917 -
22 Jun 1918. To the 19th Division.
8th Bn East Lancashire Regt. Sep 1914 - Mar
1915. To the 37th Division.
8th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt. Sep 1914
- 26 Oct 1915. To the 7th Brigade.
9th Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt. Sep 1914
- 22 Jun 1918. With No 2 Bn Composite Brigade to the 50th
Division.
2nd Bn Royal Irish Rifles. 26 Oct 1915 - 13
Nov 1917. To the 36th Division.
Attached
to the Brigade after it had been reduced to Cadre.
Cadre
2/7th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. 30 Jun 1918 - 09 Jul 1918. Disbanded,
personnel to the 24th
Bn.
Cadre 10th Bn Worcestershire Regt. 22 Jun
1918 - 28 Jun 1918. To the 40th
Division.
Cadre 21st Bn Middlesex Regt. 30 Jun 1918
- Aug/Sep 1918. Remained in The UK.
After
being reformed.
9th
Bn Yorkshire Regt. 17 Sep 1918 - 11 Nov 1918,
11th Bn Sherwood Foresters. 18 Sep 1918 -
11 Nov 1918.
13th Bn Durham Light Infantry. 19 Sep 1918
- 11 Nov 1918.
75th
Brigade.
Prior to being
reduced to Cadre.
1/6th
Bn Cheshire Regt. 28 May 1918 - 22 Jun 918. With No 3 Bn Composite
Brigade to the 50th Division.
10th Bn Cheshire Regt. 10 Sep 1914 - 26 Oct
1915. To the 7th Brigade.
11th Bn Cheshire Regt. 17 Sep 1914 - 23 Jun
1918. Reduced to Cadre on 17 Jun 1918. Surplus personnel (16 officers
and 492 men) to the 1/6th Bn. Cadre to the
39th Division.
8th Bn Border Regt. Sep 1914 - 22 Jun 918.
With No 2 Bn Composite Brigade to the 50th
Division.
2nd Bn South Lancashire Regt. 26 Oct 1915
- 20 Jun 1918. To the 21st Division.
8th Bn South Lancashire Regt. Sep 1914 - 06
Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel to the 5th Entrenching Bn.
Attached
to the Brigade after it had been reduced to Cadre.
Cadre
17th Bn King’s. 30 Jun 1918 - 09 Sep 1918. Reconstituted and
joined the 236th
Brigade.
Cadre 6th Bn Yorkshire Regt. 29 Jun 1918 -
09 Sep 1918. Reconstituted by absorbing the 19th Bn, then joined the
236th
Brigade.
Cadre 13th Bn Yorkshire Regt. 30 Jun 1918
- 09 Sep 918. Reconstituted by absorbing the 23rd Bn West Yorkshire
Regt, then joined the 236th
Brigade.
Cadre 11th Bn Royal Sussex Regt. 30 Jun 1918
- 09 Sep 1918. Reconstituted by absorbing the 13th Bn Queen’s Own then
joined the 236th
Brigade.
After
being reformed.
1/8th
Bn Royal Warwickshire Regt. 19 Sep 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.
1/5th Bn Gloucestershire Regt. 17 Sep 1918
- 11 Nov 1918.
1/8th Bn Worcestershire Regt. 17 Sep 1918
- 11 Nov 1918.
76th
Brigade. (Exchanged with the 7th Brigade, 3rd
Division in Oct 1915.)
8th
Bn King’s Own. Oct 1914 - 15 Oct 1915. To the 3rd
Division.
13th Bn King’s. Feb 1915 - 15 Oct 1915. To
the 3rd Division.
10th Bn Royal Welsh Fusiliers. 16 Sep 1914
- 15 Oct 1915. To the 3rd Division.
6th Bn South Wales Borderers. 12 Sep 1914
- Feb 1915. Became the Pioneer Bn.
10th Bn Welsh Regt. Sep 1914 - 30 Sep 1914.
To the 38th Division.
7th Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Sep
1914 - 15 Oct 1915. To the 3rd Division.
Pioneers.
6th
Bn South Wales Borderers. Feb 1915 - 20 Jun 1918. To the 50th
Division.
11th Bn South Lancashire Regt. 13 Oct 1918
- 11 Nov 1918.
Attached
Troops.
13th
Bn King’s. Oct 1914 - Feb 1915. To the 76th
Brigade.
Cadre 8th Bn Leicestershire Regt. 29 Jun 1918
- 07 Jul 1918. Absorbed by the 14th
Bn Duke of Wellington’s Regt.
11th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers. Sep 1914 - Sep
1914. To the 74th Brigade.
Cadre 11th Bn South Lancashire Regt. 30 Jun
1918 - 13 Oct 1918. Reconstituted on 03 Jul 1918 by absorbing the 18th
Bn, then became the Pioneer Bn.
13th Bn Manchester Regt. Sep 1914 - Oct 1914.
To the 22nd Division.
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