43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
Wessex Division 43rd (1st Wessex) Division 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 43rd (Wessex) Division/District | |
---|---|
Territorial Army | |
Type | Infantry |
Size | Division |
Peacetime HQ | Exeter |
Nickname(s) | 'Fighting Wessex Wyverns' 'Yellow Devils' 'The Wicked Wyvern' |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Arthur Percival Sir Ivor Thomas Sir George Erskine |
The 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division was an
Formation
The
The Wessex Division was formed in Southern Command from TF units in the south-western counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.[a] In peacetime, the divisional headquarters was at 19 Cathedral Close in Exeter.[2][3]
- Divisional HQ at Exeter
- Hampshire Brigade at Southampton
- 4th Battalion, )
- 5th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment at Southampton (served in Third Afghan War)
- 6th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment at 15th Indian Divisionand served in Mesopotamia)
- 7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment at Bournemouth (served in Aden)
- South-Western Brigade at Taunton
- 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry at Bath (joined 37th Indian Brigade and served in Mesopotamia)
- 5th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry at Taunton (joined 75th Division and served in Palestine)
- 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment at Dorchester (joined 42nd Indian Brigadeand served in Mesopotamia)
- 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment at Trowbridge (joined 75th Division and served in Palestine)
- Devon & Cornwall Brigade at Exeter
- 4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment at Exeter (joined 41st Indian Brigadeand served in Mesopotamia)
- 5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment at Plymouth (joined 75th Division and served in Palestine)
- 6th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment at Barnstaple (joined 36th Indian Brigade and served in Mesopotamia)
- 4th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Truro (served in Aden, later with 75th Division in Palestine)
- Divisional Royal Artillery[8]
- I Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery at Portsmouth (joined 3rd (Lahore) Division and served in Mesopotamia)
- 1st Hampshire Battery
- 2nd Hampshire Battery
- 3rd Hampshire Battery
- 1st Wessex Ammunition Column
- II Wessex (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery at Ryde, Isle of Wight
- 4th Hampshire (Howitzer) Battery (served in Aden)
- 5th Hampshire (Howitzer) Battery (joined 6th (Poona) Division and served in Mesopotamia; captured at Kut)]
- 2nd Wessex Ammunition Column
- III Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery at Swindon (served in Third Afghan War)
- 6th Hampshire Battery
- Dorsetshire Battery
- Wiltshire Battery
- 3rd Wessex Ammunition Column
- IV Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery at Exeter
- 1st Devonshire Battery
- 2nd Devonshire Battery
- 3rd Devonshire Battery (served in Third Afghan War)
- 4th Wessex Ammunition Column
- Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery and Ammunition Column at Cosham (served on the Western Front)
- Wessex Divisional Engineers[9] (joined 27th Division and served at Salonika)
- 1st Wessex Field Company at Bath (became 500th Field Company)
- 2nd Wessex Field Company at Weston-super-Mare (became 501st Field Company)
- Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps (joined 8th Division and served on the Western Front)
- 1st Wessex Field Ambulance at Exeter (became 24th Field Ambulance)
- 2nd Wessex Field Ambulance at Plymouth (became 25th Field Ambulance)
- 3rd Wessex Field Ambulance at Portsmouth (became 26th Field Ambulance)
- Wessex Clearing Hospital at Exeter
- Wessex Divisional Transport & Supply Column, Army Service Corps, at Exeter[12] (joined 29th Division and served at Gallipoli)
- Divisional Company at Andover (became 246 Company)
- Devonshire and Cornwall Company at Plymouth (became 247 Company)
- South Western Brigade Company at Bridgwater (became 248 Company)
- Hampshire Brigade Company at Aldershot (became 249 Company)
First World War
On 29 July 1914, the Wessex Division was on Salisbury Plain carrying out its annual training camp when 'precautionary orders' were received, and next day the division took up emergency war stations in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The order to mobilise arrived on the evening of 4 August. Between 10 and 13 August the division concentrated on Salisbury Plain and began war training.[4][13]
On 24 September, at the special request of the
As soon as the Wessex Division had left for India, the home depots began raising 2nd Line units, distinguished from the 1st Line by a '2/' prefix. Recruitment and training of the 2nd Wessex Division proceeded so well that it was also sent to India in December 1914, and later received the notional title of 45th (2nd Wessex) Division.[14][15]
By early 1915 the need was growing for troops to be sent to various theatres of war, and the first drafts and formed units from the 1st Wessex Division began to go on active service, particularly to the Mesopotamian Front. By the end of the war only one battalion and five batteries remained in India, and most of these then participated in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.[4][13]
Second World War
Mobilisation and training
43rd (Wessex) Division was reformed in 1920 and became part of the
The TA was mobilised on the outbreak of war in September 1939 and the division began training in its home area. In May 1940 it was preparing to go overseas to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France, but the German invasion of the Low Countries on 10 May ended the 'Phoney War' before the division was ready.[17][19][20][21] When the Battle of France was lost and the BEF was being evacuated from Dunkirk, 43rd (W) Division was one of the few reasonably well-equipped formations left in Home Forces to counter a German invasion of the United Kingdom. It formed part of the mobile GHQ Reserve disposed on the line from Northampton through North London to Aldershot, from which brigade groups could be despatched to any threatened area. During the period when invasion was most threatened, the division was stationed just north of London.[21][22][23][24]
By the end of 1940 the division was stationed under XII Corps in East Kent, where it remained for the next four years, first in defensive mode, later training intensively. It was later noted that its habitual training area round Stone Street, outside Folkestone, bore a marked resemblance to the Bocage countryside in Normandy where it would later fight.[17][25][26][27]
In 1942, however, after the German invasion of the Soviet Union and the entrance of the United States into the war, the situation changed and the 43rd Division started training for offensive operations to return to mainland Europe. Throughout most of 1942, the division was part of XII Corps, serving alongside the 46th Infantry Division and 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division. XII Corps was, at the time, commanded by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery.[21]
In March 1942, the division also gained a new General Officer Commanding (GOC) in the form of Major-General Ivor Thomas. Thomas was a decorated officer who had served as a young battery commander in the Royal Artillery on the Western Front during the First World War where he was twice wounded and awarded the Military Cross and the Distinguished Service Order. He would command the 43rd Division until September 1945.[17][21][28] Thomas was an effective but hard-driving commander, humourless and not universally liked, sometimes known as 'Butcher', or more jocularly by Lt-Gen Brian Horrocks and others as 'Von Thoma', after the German Lt-Gen Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma captured after the Battle of Alamein. (Horrocks also jokingly referred to Thomas's command as the 'Wicked Wyvern'). Critics of his training methods regarded 43rd (Wessex) Division as 'the most over-exercised in the Army'.[29][30][31][32]
In June 1942, the
Operation Overlord
XII Corps and 43rd (Wessex) Division were assigned to
HQ, A and C Squadrons of 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment were aboard the troopship Derrycunihy, which arrived off Sword Beach on the evening of 20 June. High seas and enemy shelling prevented unloading for three days and it was decided to move to Juno Beach for disembarkation. As the ship started engines it detonated an acoustic mine, splitting the ship in two, and the after part, packed with sleeping men of 43rd Recce Regiment, sank rapidly. Worse still, an ammunition lorry caught fire, and oil floating on the water was set alight. Landing craft and gunboats came alongside and picked up survivors, but the regiment lost 183 men, with another 120 evacuated wounded. Most of 43rd Recce Rgts's vehicles were landed from the beached fore part of the "Derrycunihy", and reinforcements were sent from England, but the regiment was not fully up to strength until the end of July 1944.[39][40][41][42][43]
Operation Epsom
The division's first action,
Hill 112
The division's first major offensive action of its own was
The massive barrage stunned but failed to suppress the defenders from
Overall, 43rd (Wessex) Division performed well in Normandy and was considered by many senior British officers to be one of the best divisions of the
Mont Pinçon
After a short rest 43rd (Wessex) Division moved to
The division fought its way forward during 1 August, then at 02.00 on 2 August 129th Brigade began its advance on Ondefontaine. It was a day of slow but steady progress against rifle and machine gun fire from commanding positions on the ridge in front, followed by another pre-dawn attack towards Ondefontaine, while 214th Brigade began working its way towards Mont Pinçon. 5th DCLI and B Squadron 4th/7th DG, supported by the divisional artillery and mortars, reached the top of the ridge and engaged enemy infantry and armour, while 1st Worcesters worked round the flank and took the crest. 43rd Recce Regiment (reformed after the Derrycunihy disaster) then went through to unhinge the Ondefontaine defences. The division was now facing east, with Mont Pinçon only 4 miles (6.4 km) away.[61][62]
At 08.00 on 5 August, 4th Wiltshires moved out with B Squadron 13th/18th Royal Hussars, picking their way through the narrow lanes, while A Sqn took a parallel route carrying 5th Wiltshires. 4th Wiltshires found a bridge blown and went ahead without their tanks towards the strongly-held village of St Jean-le-Blanc, breaking up a counter-attack by calling down artillery fire. About 16.00 the battalion pioneers managed to bridge the stream and a Troop of B Sqn crossed, but withdrew to 'harbour' at dusk. Meanwhile, 5th Wiltshires got to the bridge over the Druance at the foot of Mont Pinçon but failed to capture it by the end of the day.[63][64] Generals Ivor Thomas and Brian Horrocks (who had just taken command of XXX Corps) were anxious to push on, and had already cancelled Operation Blackwater, designed to reach the River Noireau, because it was too risky with Mont Pinçon still in enemy hands.[65][66][67][68][69][70]
A new attack was planned for 6 August, with 130th Brigade making a feint to the north, while 129th Brigade continued from the west. In the end, the dominating position fell to a surprise attack. 4th Somerset Light Infantry and the reduced 5th Wiltshires fought their way forward through sweltering weather all day. 5th Wiltshires secured the crossroads at La Variniere and 4th Wiltshires was due to pass through them, when at about 18.00 A Sqn 13th/18th Hussars managed to get two Troops up a steep track to the top of the hill. By 18.30, seven Shermans were on the summit, attempting to mount an all-round defence and calling for infantry support. A staff officer ran up to Lt-Gen Horrocks at XXX Corps HQ, shouting 'We've got it, sir!' As fog descended on the hill, the 4th Wiltshires and the rest of A and B Sqns of the Hussars picked their way up the almost undefended track, followed by 4th Somerset LI. By daybreak the summit was firmly held, despite heavy German bombardment, and 5th Wiltshires and C Sqn still held the crossroads below. 214th Brigade relieved the exhausted troops that morning.[71][72][73][74][75][76]
Having taken and then defended Mont Pinçon, 43rd (Wessex) Division participated in XXX Corps' advance. It crossed the Noireau on 15 August by a broken railway bridge and by wading, whereupon 204 Field Company RE set to work with a waterproofed bulldozer to build a tank ford and a trestle bridge named 'Genesis'. 553 Field Company and 207 Field Park Company then built the division's first Bailey bridge across the site of the railway bridge. The main opposition came from mortars and booby-trapped mines. Next morning 43rd Recce and the Sherwood Foresters were ready to continue the pursuit of the broken enemy, who were soon caught in the Falaise pocket.[77][78][79]
Vernon Bridge
The breakout achieved, XXX Corps drove flat out for the
15th (Kent) GHQTRE was tasked with manning the DUKWs during the initial assault and then operating rafts until the first bridge could be laid. They also had storm boats in reserve but these had to be used in the first wave because launching points for DUKWs were hard to find. A 15-minute bombardment by the guns of
The Wessex field companies now began work under fire on a Class 9 (9 tonne maximum load) Folding Boat Equipment (FBE) bridge while the infantry fought to expand the bridgehead and clear Vernonnet. The Worcesters got over the broken bridge, and light rafts began to get 6-pounder anti-tank guns and armoured cars of the recce regiment across, but work on the bridge was halted by heavy fire until 5th DCLI and 7th Somerset LI from newly-arrived 214th Brigade struggled across the broken road bridge into Vernonnet. By nightfall the bridgehead was reasonably secure, the FBE bridge named 'David' was complete and 15th (Kent) GHQTRE's rafting troops were arriving to get a tank ferry into operation before morning. 7th Army Troops Royal Engineers had also arrived to begin a Class 40 Bailey Bridge.[88][89][93][94][95]
Next morning (27 August) a squadron each of 15th/19th Hussars' Cromwells and 4th/7th DGs' Shermans were rafted across and held off an armoured counter-attack, the infantry and 43rd Recce cleared the banks and pushed through the forest until they were firmly established on the heights. By 28 August, 7th ATRE working under shellfire had built their Class 40 bridge, codenamed 'Goliath', and 11th Armoured was beginning to pour across to spearhead XXX Corps' advance. A second Class 40 named 'Saul' was built by 15th (Kent) GHQRE.[88][89][96][97][98] After the Seine crossing, 43rd (Wessex) Division was 'grounded' while the rest of XXX Corps raced across northern France and Belgium. The division rested and received reinforcements (many of them experienced men drafted from the disbanded 59th (Staffordshire) Division).[99][100]
Market Garden
When 43rd (Wessex) Division next moved, the war was now 250 miles (400 km) away. The first elements moved up to Brussels to protect headquarters and carry out engineering works, then the division concentrated at Diest to take part in Operation Market Garden, beginning on 17 September. In 'Garden', the ground part of the operation, XXX Corps was to link river crossings up to the Nederrijn at Arnhem via a 'carpet' of airborne troops. 43rd (Wessex) Division accompanied by 8th Armoured Bde was to follow Guards Armoured Division, carrying out assault crossings if any of the bridges were found to be destroyed, and guarding the 'corridor' to Arnhem. The advance up the only road ('Club Route') was slow but on 21 September 43rd (Wessex) Division caught up with the Guards at Nijmegen. Further progress was blocked by strong German forces, and 1st Airborne Division holding out at Arnhem was in a desperate plight. 43rd (Wessex) Division was ordered to pass through the Guards the following morning and make an all-out effort to reach the Nederrijn by a side road. The Germans were found to be dug in at Oosterhout and the countryside was so boggy that it was impossible to move vehicles off the road, making outflanking moves too slow. Despite the shortage of artillery ammunition coming up the precarious line of communication, the whole of the divisional artillery and heavy mortars were used, but it was evening before the division got through. 5th DCLI, supported by a squadron of 4th/7th DG, was ordered to make a dash over the last 10 miles (16 km) to get in touch with the Polish Parachute Brigade at Driel on the south bank of the Nederrijn. The journey took only 30 minutes, but the road behind the column was cut by German tanks that had to be hunted down and destroyed before support could be brought up. Attempts to launch DUKWs with supplies for 1st Airborne were unsuccessful.[101][102][103][104][105]
The whole of 23 September was taken up with getting support through to 5th DCLI and the Poles and in clearing the main road, though 43rd Recce Rgt was able to exploit westwards. During the night 5th Dorsets and the divisional engineers ferried a few hundred Poles across the Nederrijn in assault boats to reinforce 1st Airborne Division's shrinking perimeter. 4th Dorsets and the engineers made another assault crossing on the night of 24/25 September, suffering heavy casualties and getting few supplies across. By now 1st Airborne had been effectively destroyed, and the only course now was to evacuate the survivors. Their radios had been inoperable, and the only communication link had been through
The division was blamed by many airborne soldiers for its dilatory advance to the river,[110] though the Corps commander, Lt-Gen Horrocks, defended the division, pointing out that it could not deploy any armoured vehicles (either 8th Armoured Bde or 43rd Recce Rgt's armoured cars and half-tracks) off the single road, nicknamed 'Hell's Highway', which was cut behind them on several occasions, and praising the division's hard fighting.[111] Nevertheless, Maj-Gen Thomas replaced the commanding officer of 43rd Recce immediately after the battle.[112]
In the aftermath of Market Garden, 43rd (Wessex) Division was stationed on 'the Island' (between the Rivers Waal and Nederrijn). 43rd Recce Rgt, with 12th Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps from 8th Armoured Bde under command, protected the division's open western flank. The concealed squadrons sent back reports, but were forbidden to engage the enemy in order to hide the extent of the position. However, on the night of 26/27 September a furious firefight broke out when the Germans crossed the river in strength and attempted to emplace anti-tank guns in 43rd Recce's hidden positions.[113]
The Germans launched a serious counter-attack from the east on 1 October, attacking 129th Bde strung out guarding the road from Nijmegen to the Nederrijn. 4th Somerset LI and 5th Wiltshires fought them off at
Operation Clipper
43rd (Wessex) Division was then shifted east with XXX Corps to cooperate with the
Operation Blackcock
The division then later played a comparatively small part in the mainly American Battle of the Bulge, where it was placed on the
Operation Veritable
The 43rd later played a large part in Operation Veritable attached to First Canadian Army, through the month-long fighting in the Reichswald to capture Kleve, roll up the Siegfried Line defences, cross the Goch escarpment and seize Xanten on the Rhine.[21][122][123][124][125]
Across the Rhine
43rd (Wessex) Division was given a follow-up task in the assault crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder). Its leading brigade crossed the river on 25 March behind 51st (Highland) Division, which had carried the assault on the night of 23/24 March. It found itself in immediate combat, but had broken through by 29 March.[21][126][127][128] During the subsequent pursuit, 43rd (Wessex) Division was given the task of opening 'Club Route' for XXX Corps. The division was divided into five battle groups for the first 25 miles (40 km) drive, incorporating units of 8th Armoured Brigade. The advance began on 30 March: German rearguards were either overcome or bypassed, and the Twente Canal was crossed, with troops of 129th Infantry Bde and 8th Armoured Bde liberating Lochem on 1–2 April. The pursuit continued through April and ended with the capture of Bremen and XXX Corps' drive into the Cuxhaven peninsula. Hostilities ended on 5 May after the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath.[129][130][131]
After a period as occupation forces in XXX Corps' district, 43rd (Wessex) Division's HQ and TA units were demobilised at the war's end.
- 128th Infantry Brigade (left 6 June 1942)[34]
- 1/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
- 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
- 5th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
- 128th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 19 June 1940, disbanded 20 December 1941)
- 1/4th Battalion,
- 129th Infantry Brigade[135]
- 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
- 5th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
- 129th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 14 May 1940, disbanded 20 December 1941)
- 130th Infantry Brigade[136]
- 7th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment
- 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
- 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment
- 130th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 17 May 1940, disbanded 20 December 1941)
- 25th Tank Brigade (from 1 June 1942, left 2 September 1942)[35]
- 34th Tank Brigade (from 3 September 1942, left 10 September 1943)[36]
- North Irish Horse (left 3 September 1942)
- 147th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
- 153rd Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
- 151st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (from 3 September 1942)
- 214th Infantry Brigade (from 5 September 1943)[137]
- 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry
- 5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
- 9th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry (left 30 September 1943)
- 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment (from 30 September 1943)
- Divisional Troops
- 1/8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment (joined as Machine Gun Battalion from 18 November 1941, redesignated 8th Battalion May 1942, left 1 October 1942, rejoined as Support Battalion 1 October 1943, again as MG Battalion 28 February 1944)
- 48th Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps (converted from 5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment 20 November 1941, redesignated 43rd Battalion 1 January 1942, later 43rd Regiment 6 June 1942, finally 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment (The Gloucestershire Regiment), Royal Armoured Corps 1 January 1944)
- Royal Artillery
- 94th (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 141st (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (left 8 June 1942)
- 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (from 9 June 1942)
- 59th (Duke of Connaught's Own) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (converted from 7th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, joined 23 March 1941)
- 43rd (Wessex) Divisional Engineers[138] Royal Engineers
- 204th (Wessex) Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 260th Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 553rd Field Company, Royal Engineers (from 13 January 1940)
- 207th (Wessex) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
- 13th Bridging Platoon, Royal Engineers (from 1 October 1943)
- Royal Army Service Corps
- 54, 504, 505, 506 Companies
- 536 DUKW Company attached 16th September 1944
- Royal Army Medical Corps
- 129, 130, 213 Field Ambulances
- 14, 15, 38 Field Dressing Stations
- 38 Field Hygiene Section
- Royal Army Ordnance Corps
- 43 Ordnance Field Park
- 306 Mobile Laundry and Bath Unit
- Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 129, 130, 214 Infantry Brigade Workshops
- 43 Wessex Division Provost Company, Royal Military Police
- 57 Field Security Section
- Postal Unit
Postwar
The TA was reconstituted from 1 January 1947 and its units and formations including 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division were reformed.
- 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division Order of Battle 1947[139]
- 128 Infantry Brigade
- 4th Battalion, Royal Hampshire Regiment at Winchester
- 4th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry at Oxford
- 4th/6th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment at Reading
- 129 Infantry Brigade
- 4th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry at Bath
- 5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment at Gloucester
- 4th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment at Trowbridge
- 130 (West Country) Infantry Brigade
- 4th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment at Exeter
- 5th (Prince of Wales's) Battalion, Devonshire Regiment at Plymouth
- 4th/5th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Truro
- 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regimentat Dorchester
- Royal Armoured Corps
- Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry at Swindon
- Royal Artillery[146][147][148]
- 296 (Royal Devon Yeomanry) Field Regiment at Exeter[150]
- 387 (Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars) Field Regiment at Oxford[151]
- 383 (Duke of Connaught's Royal Hampshire) Anti-Tank Regiment at Portsmouth[152]
- 396 (Devon) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment at Devonport[153]
- 883 Locating Battery at Bristol[154]
- 110 Field Engineer Regiment[143][155] Royal Engineers
- 204 Field Squadron
- 226 Field Squadron
- 260 Field Squadron
- 207 Field Park Squadron
-
- 1 Squadron at Exeter
- 2 Squadron at Taunton
- 3 Squadron at Torquay, later Bristol
- 43 (Wessex) Infantry Divisional Column at Bristol[156] Royal Army Service Corps
- 504 Company at Swindon
- 505 Company at Didcot
- 506 Company at Plymouth
- 1567 Company at Plymouth
- 43 Ordnance Field Park, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
- 43 Divisional Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 43 Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps
Commanders
The following officers commanded the division at various times:[4][6][17][157]
Appointed | General officer commanding |
---|---|
April 1908 | Brigadier-General William J. Kirkpatrick |
January 1909 | Major-General Charles J. Blomfield |
February 1911 | Major-General Colin G. Donald |
June 1919 | Major-General Sir Charles P. A. Hull |
September 1920 | Major-General Sir Louis J. Bols |
September 1924 | Major-General Sir Edward Northey |
October 1926 | Major-General Sir George D. Jeffreys |
October 1930 | Lieutenant-General Reginald J. T. Hildyard |
October 1934 | Major-General Baptist B. Crozier |
December 1938 | Major-General Arthur Floyer-Acland |
February 1940 | Major-General Arthur Percival |
April 1940 | Major-General Robert Pollok |
February 1941 | Major-General Charles Allfrey |
March 1942 | Major-General Ivor Thomas |
September 1945 | Major-General George W.E.J. Erskine |
March 1946 | Major-General John B. Churcher |
1 January 1947 | Major-General George W. Symes[158] |
January 1949 | Major-General C.F. Charles Coleman |
September 1951 | Major-General Cecil L. Firbank |
September 1954 | Major-General Eric K.G. Sixsmith |
October 1957 | Major-General Hugh A. Borradaile |
February 1960 | Major-General John H. Cubbon |
February 1963 | Major-General John R. Holden |
December 1964 | Major-General Michael C.K. Halford |
Insignia
The banner of the kings of Wessex bore a golden Wyvern, a dragon with two eagle-like legs and the barbed tail of a snake. The 43rd (Wessex) Division adopted the golden wyvern on a blue square as its formation sign in 1935.[159]
Memorials
The Hill 112 memorial was erected by the divisional engineers and later taken over by the
A memorial stone stands at the end of a lane named 'Somerset' in Lochem, Netherlands, showing the Wessex Wyvern and listing 4th Bn Somerset Light Infantry, 4th Bn Wiltshire Regiment and units of 8th Armoured Bde who liberated Lochem on 1–2 April 1945. The horizontal inscription reads 'All the way from Normandy'.
-
43rd (Wessex) Division memorial on Hill 112
-
43rd (Wessex) Division memorial at Castle Hill, Mere
-
43rd Division memorial at the summit of Rough Tor, Bodmin Moor
-
Liberation memorial at Lochem, Netherlands
See also
- List of British divisions in World War I
- List of British divisions in World War II
- British Army Order of Battle (September 1939)
Notes
- ^ Roughly the central and western parts of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom and earldom of Wessex.
- ^ Beckett claims that Territorial Army units that were in suspended animation were formally reactivated on 1 January 1947, though no personnel were assigned until commanding officers and permanent staff had been appointed in March and April 1947.[140][141]
- ^ For example, the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers absorbed 43rd (Wessex) Division/District RE.[143][144]
References
- ^ Westlake 1992, p. 3
- ^ a b Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914". Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ISBN 978-1848843608.
- ^ a b c d e Becke, pp. 43–48.
- ^ Conrad, 1914.
- ^ a b Monthly Army List, August 1914.
- ^ 43rd (Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 42-3, 89–93, 244.
- ^ Watson & Rinaldi, pp. 11, 61.
- ^ a b c Lord & Watson, pp. 151–2.
- ^ a b c Nalder, p. 597.
- ^ Young, p. 215.
- ^ a b c 43rd (1st Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Becke, pp. 55–60.
- ^ 45th (2nd Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Army List, various dates.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Joslen, pp. 69–70.
- ^ Joslen, pp. 73–4.
- ^ a b Southern Command 3 September 1939 at Patriot Files.
- ^ Collier, Map 5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "badge, formation, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ Collier, Chapter VII.
- ^ Collier, Map 6.
- ^ Collier, Map 17.
- ^ Collier, Map 20.
- ^ Collier, Map 27.
- ^ Essame, 2–3.
- ^ Essame, pp. 1–2.
- ^ a b c Buckley, p. 92.
- ^ Christopherson, p. 484.
- ^ Essame, pp. 8, 116.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112, pp. 44–6.
- ^ Essame, p. 4.
- ^ a b Joslen, p. 313.
- ^ a b Joslen, p. 203.
- ^ a b Joslen, p. 207.
- ^ Joslen, p. 377.
- ^ Essame, pp. 15–7.
- ^ 43 Recce War Diary June–August 1944, The National Archives, Kew, file WO 171/491.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, p. 275.
- ^ Essame, pp. 16–17, 63.
- ^ McKee, pp. 149–152.
- ^ 'Loss of the Derrycunihy,' Burntisland Heritage Trust.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 279–86.
- ^ Essame, pp. 20–34.
- ^ Saunders, Epsom, pp. 87–9, 100–6, 143–9.
- ^ a b Ellis, Normandy, pp. 317–8.
- ^ Essame, pp. 37–8.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112, pp. 46–50.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112, p. 124.
- ^ Essame, pp. 38–50.
- ^ McKee, pp. 240–64.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112, pp. 51–160, 165–76.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 142–3.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 187–8.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 153–7.
- ^ Christopherson, pp. 412–3.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 388–90.
- ^ Essame, pp. 53–7.
- ^ Hunt, pp 29–40, 57–9.
- ^ Essame, pp. 58–64.
- ^ Hunt, pp. 59–62, 77–82.
- ^ Essame, pp. 64–6.
- ^ Hunt, pp. 93–106.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 159–60.
- ^ Christopherson, p. 415.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, p. 402.
- ^ Essame, pp. 66–7.
- ^ Hunt, p. 107.
- ^ McKee, p. 344–6.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 167–8.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 409–10.
- ^ Essame, pp. 67–72.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 189–90.
- ^ Hunt, pp. 93–130, 139–44.
- ^ McKee, pp. 349–50.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 180–1.
- ^ Christopherson, pp. 420–4.
- ^ Essame, pp. 73–89.
- ^ Ford.
- ^ Forty, Annex B, p. 317.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 184–6.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 452–5.
- ^ Essame, pp. 90–5.
- ^ Ford, pp. 17–44, 49–57, Appendix I.
- ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 378–80.
- ^ National Archives WO 171 2493 536 Coy RASC War diary Jan-Dec 1944
- ^ a b c Buckley, pp. 186–7.
- ^ a b c Ellis, Normandy, pp. 465–6.
- ^ Essame, pp. 95–100.
- ^ Ford, pp. 57–87
- ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 380–81.
- ^ Essame, pp. 101–5.
- ^ Ford, pp. 87–129.
- ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, pp. 381–2.
- ^ Essame, pp. 107–10.
- ^ Ford, pp. 129–77.
- ^ Pakenham-Walsh, Vol IX, p. 383.
- ^ Buckley, p. 189.
- ^ Essame, pp. 111–113.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 228–9.
- ^ a b Ellis, Germany, pp. 42–3.
- ^ Essame, pp. 113–27.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 221–6.
- ^ Ryan, pp. 462–5, 477–8.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 229–30.
- ^ Essame, pp. 128–38.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 226–30.
- ^ Ryan, pp. 486, 489, 509–13, 515–31.
- ^ Ryan, pp. 462, 515.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 223–4, 230–1.
- ^ Essame, p. 156.
- ^ Essame, p. 140.
- ^ Essame, pp. 144–9.
- ^ Essame, pp. 155–6.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 161.
- ^ Essame, pp. 168–87.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 233–5.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 265–8.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 241–7.
- ^ Essame, pp. 195–200.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 274–7.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 261–76.
- ^ Essame, pp. 202–30.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 250–5.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 293–4.
- ^ Essame, pp. 233–40.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 261–2.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 311–6, 339–40.
- ^ Essame, pp. 241–70.
- ^ Horrocks, p. 266.
- ^ Essame, Appendix D.
- ^ Essame, Appendices A & B.
- ^ Colonial and Dominion Armies: Infantry Divisions on 3 September 1939 at World War II Armed Forces.
- ^ Joslen, p. 314.
- ^ Joslen, p. 315.
- ^ Joslen, p. 214.
- ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 139.
- ^ a b Watson, TA 1947.
- ^ Beckett 2008, pp. 169, 183, 185.
- ^ South Western District 1905-1972, regiments.org (archive)accessed September 2012.
- ^ Watson & Rinaldi, p. 289.
- ^ a b Watson & Rinaldi, p. 292.
- ^ "Corps of Royal Engineers, Volunteer Regiments". Archived from the original on 22 September 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-0-230-27101-2.
- ^ Litchfield, Appendix 5.
- ^ 389–322 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ 372–413 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 50–1.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 46–7.
- ^ Litchfield, p. 202.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 98–9.
- ^ Litchfield, p. 44.
- ^ Litchfield, p. 88.
- ^ 80–177 Rgts RE at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ 43 Divisional RASC Column at British Army 1945 on.
- ^ "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- .
- ^ Essame, p. 1.
- ^ Essame, Appendix E.
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