75th Division (United Kingdom)
75th Division | |
---|---|
Active | 25 June 1917 – 1 April 1920 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Major General Philip Palin |
75th Division was an infantry division of the
Formation
On 16 March 1917 the
Finding the necessary artillery for the division was a real difficulty. A new CLXXII Field Brigade reached
Order of battle
75th Division was constituted as follows:[2][3][7]
Staff
- General Officer Commanding: Maj-Gen Sir Philip Palin[5][8]
- General Staff OfficerGrade 1: Lt-Col J. Spencer
- Lt-Col S.H. Kershaw (from 6 December 1917)
- Lt-Col G.B. Rowan-Hamilton (from 30 August 1918)
- Lt-Col D. Ovey (from 29 October 1918)
- Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General: Lt-Col R.L. Macalpine-Leny
232nd Brigade
- See main article 232nd Brigade
- See main article
233rd Brigade
- See main article 233rd Brigade
234th Brigade
- See main article 234th Brigade
Artillery Brigadier-General, Royal Artillery: Brig-Gen H.A. Boyce
- XXXVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
- 389 Battery, RFA
- 390 Battery, RFA
- 405 (Howitzer) Battery, RFA
- CLXXII Brigade, RFA
- 391 Battery, RFA
- 392 Battery, RFA
- 406 (Howitzer) Battery, RFA
- I South African Field Brigade
- A Battery
- B Battery
- C (Howitzer) Battery (from April 1918)
- VIII Mountain Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery (25 March–15 September 1918)
- 11th Mountain Battery, RGA (3.7-inch mountain howitzers)
- 13th Mountain Battery, RGA (3.7-inch mountain howitzers)
- 17th Mountain Battery, RGA (2.75-inch mountain guns)
- X.75, Y.75 and Z.75 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries (joined 3 October 1917; disbanded 22 February 1918)
- 75th Divisional Ammunition Column (formed 29 August 1917 from brigade ammunition columns)
Machine guns
- 75th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (formed 3 May 1918)
- 229th, 230th and 231st MG Companies (from 232, 233 and 234 Brigades respectively)
Engineers
Commanding Royal Engineers: Lt-Col G.S.C. Cooke
Lt-Col A.G. Turner (from 1 September 1918)
- 54th (East Anglian) Division26 August 1917; returned to 54th 26 May 1918)
- 53rd (Welsh) Division4 July 1917)
- 10th Company, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners (from Palestine Lines of Communication 7 December 1917)
- 16th Company, 2nd Queen Victoria's Own Sappers and Miners (joined from India 23 May 1918)
- 75th Divisional Signal Company, RE
Pioneers
- 2nd Battalion, 32nd Sikh Pioneers (10 May–24 July 1918)
Medical
- 145th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps (joined 14 August 1917; handed over personnel, equipment and transport to 123rd CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918)
- 146th Field Ambulance, RAMC (joined 14 August 1917; handed over to 127th CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918)
- 147th Field Ambulance, RAMC (joined 14 August 1917; handed over to 163rd CFA and disbanded 19 May 1918)
- 123rd Indian Field Ambulance (joined 30 June 1917; became 123rd Combined Field Ambulance 21 May 1918)
- 127th Combined Field Ambulance (originally from 7th (Meerut) Division, joined 14 May 1918)
- 163rd Combined Field Ambulance (joined from India 14 May 1918)
- 107th Sanitary Section (joined from France 14 July 1917)
Veterinary
- 60th Mobile Veterinary Section (joined 3 July 1917)
Transport
- 75th Divisional Train (originally formed as 'X' Divisional Train; joined 3 July 1918)
- 925, 926, 927 and 928 Horse Transport Companies, Army Service Corps[9]
Service
75th Division joined
Battle of Sharon
- See main Article Battle of Tabsor
Following its reorganisation in the summer of 1918, 75th Division joined General Allenby's final offensive (the Battles of Megiddo).[2] At the Battle of Sharon (19 September), 75th Division was given the task of taking Miske and the trench system around the village of Et Tire, held by the Turkish 49th Division. Palin had under his command 'A' Squadron (Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry) of the Composite Corps Cavalry Regiment[10] and 2nd Light Armoured Motor Battery, Machine Gun Corps.
There was no preliminary bombardment: the advance began at 04:30 in moonlight behind a barrage fired by the field artillery, trench mortars and machine guns onto the enemy front line, while the howitzers and heavy artillery fired on specific targets behind. Once the attackers reached the front line, the 18-pounders laid a creeping barrage in front of them onto the subsequent objectives.[11] 75th Division had 232nd Bde on the right, while 234th Bde was on the left with two companies of the 5/Somerset Light Infantry from 233rd Bde. The Somerset LI companies were to advance between 234th's left and right battalions to capture an isolated work while the others moved straight ahead. The rest of 233rd Bde was in reserve.[12]
232nd Brigade swept through the enemy's front line, meeting little opposition. The pack mules carrying the brigade signal equipment were stampeded by the bombardment, so no news got back, but the brigade captured Miske with the aid of the South African Field Artillery, which had moved forward quickly after completing its bombardment programme. Et Tire, surrounded by trenches and cactus edges, was more formidable, and the leading troops were exhausted. The Imperial Service Troops of the
234th Brigade had an easier task. The creeping barrage was so accurate that the leading battalions and the Somerset LI companies were able to follow close behind it and gain their objectives with little opposition. In fact the barrage was too slow, and the enemy was able to get away, the only hard fighting being on the Turkish gun lines, which were taken at bayonet point by the 1/152nd Punjabis.[12]
By 17:00, XXI Corps' attack had rolled up the whole Turkish right and allowed the Desert Mounted Corps to sweep forward to complete the envelopment of the Turkish army and begin the pursuit.[13]
Postwar
After the end of the fighting on 19 September, 75th Division and the rest of XXI Corps were left on salvage work and road repair until the Armistice with the Turks was signed on 31 October.[2][13] Demobilisation began early in 1919, but 75th Division was selected for the Army of Occupation of Palestine. In March 1919 it returned to garrison duty in Egypt, becoming responsible for the Eastern Delta, which was renamed 75th Division Area. Many other units were attached for this work. After July 1919 the disturbances in Egypt began to die down, and units began to disperse to their home countries. On 1 April 1920 the Division Area and remaining troops were handed over to 10th (Irish) Division and 75th Division ceased to exist.[2][3]
The divisional number has never been reactivated.
Commanders
The following officers commanded the 75th Division:[14]
- Major-General P. C. Palin (25 June – 10 December 1917)
- Acting: Brigadier-General E. M. Colston (10–29 December 1917)
- Major-General P. C. Palin (29 December 1917 – 1 April 1920)
See also
- List of British divisions in WWI
References
- ^ Becke, Pt 2a, pp 43–48, 55–60.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 123–30.
- ^ a b c Baker, Chris. "The 75th Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- ^ Army List
- ^ a b 'Major-Gen Sir Philip Palin', Times (London), 23 January 1937.
- ^ Chris Baker. "The Royal Field Artillery". 1914-1918.net. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ Chappell, P.B. "75th Division". The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ "King's Collections : Archive Catalogues : Military Archives". kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ Chris Baker. "The Army Service Corps of 1914–1918". 1914-1918.net. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ Becke Pt 4, p. 254.
- ^ Falls, pp. 470–71.
- ^ a b c Falls, pp. 479–80.
- ^ a b Becke Pt 4, p. 255.
- ^ Becke, Pt 2b, p. 123.
Bibliography
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: the Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,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, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-39-8.
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 4: the Army Council, G.H.Q.s, Armies, and Corps, 1914–1918, London: HM Stationery Office, 1944/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-847347-43-6.
- Capt Cyril Falls, History of the Great War: Military Operations Egypt and Palestine, Part II: from June 1917 to the End of the War, London: Imperial War Museum/Battery Press, 1992, ISBN 1-87042-361-5
External links
- Baker, Chris. "The 75th Division in 1914–1918". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918