18th (Eastern) Division

Formed at Colchester in September 1914 as part of the Second New Army. Arrived in France in July 1915. Served in France and Flanders until the Armistice.

Battles and Engagements

France and Flanders

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 Delville Wood. 15 Jul-3 Sep 1916.
Battle of Thiepval. 26-28 Sep 1916.
Battle of the Ancre Heights. 1-11 Oct 1916, including the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt, Stuff Redoubt and the Regina Trench.
Battle of the Ancre. 13-18 Nov 1916, including the capture of Beaumont Hamel.

 

 

Actions of Miraumont. 17-18 Feb 1917.
Capture of Irles. 10 Mar 1917.
German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. 14 Mar-5 Apr 1917.
Third Battle of the Scarpe. 3-4 May 1917, including the capture of Fresnoy.
Battle of Pilkem. 31 Jul-2 Aug 1917.
Captured of Westhoek. 10 Aug 1917.
Battle of Langemarck. 16-18 Aug 1917.
First Battle of Passchendaele. 12 Oct 1917.
Second Battle of Passchendaele. 26 Oct-10 Nov 1917.

 

Battle of St. Quentin. 21-23 Mar 1918.
Battle of the Avre. 4 Apr 1918.
Action of Villers Bretonneux. 24-25 Apr 1918.
Battle of Amiens. 8-11 Aug 1918.
Battle of Albert. 21-23 Aug 1918, including the capture of Chuignes.
Second Battle of Bapaume. 31 Aug-3 Sep 1918.
Battle of Epehy. 18 Sep 1918.
Battle of the St. Quentin Canal. 29 Sep-2 Oct 1918, including the passage at Bellenglise and the capture of the Bellicourt tunnel defences.
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

 

53rd Brigade.

8th Bn Norfolk Regt. Sep 1914 - 06 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel to the 7th and 9th Bns.
8th Bn Suffolk Regt. 09 Sep 1914 - 07 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel to the 2nd, 1/4th and 7th Bns.
10th Bn Essex Regt. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
6th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt. Sep 1914 - 06 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel to the 1st, 2nd and 5th Bns.
8th Bn Royal Berkshire Regt. 02 Feb 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Queen’s Own. 09 Feb 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

 

54th Brigade.

10th Bn Royal Fusiliers. Sep 1914 - Oct 1914. Left the Brigade but remained attached to the Division.
11th Bn Royal Fusiliers. 06 Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
2nd Bn Bedfordshire Regt. 22 May 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Bedfordshire Regt. 25 Feb 1915 - 26 May 1918. Reduced to Cadre on 25 May 1918. Surplus personnel to the 2nd Bn. Cadre to the 30th Division.
8th Bn Royal Sussex Regt. Sep 1914 - 04 Feb 1915. Became the Pioneer Bn.
6th Bn Northamptonshire Regt. Nov 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
12th Bn Middlesex Regt. Aug 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

55th Brigade.

7th Bn Queen’s. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Buffs. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
8th Bn East Surrey Regt. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Queen’s Own. Sep 1914 - 09 Feb 1918. To the 53rd Brigade.

 

 

Pioneers.

8th Bn Royal Sussex Regt. 04 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

 

Attached Troops.

10th Bn Royal Fusiliers. Oct 1914 - 24 Feb 1915. To the 37th Division.
6th Bn Northamptonshire Regt. Sep 1914 - Nov 1914. To the 54th Brigade.

 

   

 

Artillery Units

 

LXXXII Brigade.

256th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became A Bty.
257th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became B Bty.
258th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became c Bty.

 

 

LXXXII Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed.

A Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
B Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
C Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
D Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to LXXXV Bde where it became A Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 24 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

LXXXIII Brigade.

259th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became A Bty.
260th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became B Bty.
261st Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became C Bty.

 

 

LXXXIII Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed.

A Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
B Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
C Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
D Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to LXXXV Bde where it became B Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 24 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

LXXXIV Brigade.

262nd Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became A Bty.
263rd Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became B Bty.
264th Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became C Bty.

 

 

LXXXIV Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed. On 25 Jan 1917 the Brigade left the Division and became an Army Field Artillery Brigade.

A Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 25 Jan 1917. With the Brigade to the Army Field Artillery.
B Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 25 Jan 1917. With the Brigade to the Army Field Artillery.
C Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 03 Dec 1916. Broken up and divided between A and B Btys.
D Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to LXXXV Bde where it became C Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 24 May 1916 - 25 Jan 1917. Broken up and divided between D (Howitzer) Bty, LXXXII Bde and D (Howitzer) Bty, LXXXIII Bde.

 

LXXXV (Howitzer) Brigade.

265th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became A (Howitzer) Bty.
266th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became B (Howitzer) Bty.
267th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 26 Feb 1915. Became C (Howitzer) Bty.

 

 

LXXXV (Howitzer) Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed. Further reorganisation took place in May 1916 when the Brigade lost its Howitzer designation.

A (Howitzer) Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to LXXXIV Bde where it became D (Howitzer) Bty.
B (Howitzer) Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 08 Feb 1916. Left the brigade and joined the 4th West Lancashire (Howitzer) Brigade, 55th Division.
C (Howitzer) Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to the LXXXII Bde where it became D(Howitzer) Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 26 Feb 1915 - 24 May 1916. Went to LXXXIII Bde wher it became D(Howitzer) Bty.

 

LXXXV Brigade. Broken up 03 Dec 1916.

A Bty. 24 May 1916 - 03 Dec 1916. Broken up and divided between A and C Btys LXXXII Bde.
B Bty. 24 May 1916 - 03 Dec 1916. Broken up and divided between B and C Btys LXXXIII Bde.
C Bty. 24 May 1916 - 03 Dec 1916. Broken up and divided between B Bty, LXXXII Bde and A Bty, LXXXIII Bde.

 

   

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