20th (Light) Division

Formed at Aldershot 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

Action of Pietre. 25 Sep 1915.

 

  

Battle of Mount Sorrel. 2-13 Jun 1916.
Battle of Delville Wood. 15 Jul-3 Sep 1916.
Battle of Guillemont. 3-6 Sep 1916.
Battle of Flers-Courcelette. 15-22 Sep 1916, including the capture of Martinpuich.
Battle of Morval. 25-28 Sep 1916, including the capture of Combles, Lesboeufs and Gueudecourt.
Battle of Le Transloy. 1-18 Oct 1916, including the capture of Eaucourt l’Abbaye, Le Sars and the attacks on Butte de Warlencourt.

 

German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. 14 Mar-5 Apr 1917.
Actions on the Hindenburg line. 20 May-16 Jun 1917.
Battle of Langemarck. 16-18 Aug 1917.
Battle of the Menin Road. 20-25 Sep 1917.
Battle of Polygon Wood. 26 Sep-3 Oct 1917.
The tank attack. 20-21 Nov 1917.
Capture of Bourlon Wood. 23-28 Nov 1917.
German counter attacks. 30 Nov-3 Dec 1917.

 

  

Battle of St. Quentin. 21-23 Mar 1918.
Actions of the Somme crossings. 24-25 Mar 1918.
First Battle of Bapaume. 24-25 Mar 1918.

 

 

Infantry Units

 

59th Brigade.

2nd Bn Cameronians. 03 Feb 1918 - 11 Nov 1918.
10th Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps. 14 Sep 1914 - 05 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel (36 officers and 743 men) to the 1st, 11th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th Bns.
11th King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
10th Bn Rifle Brigade. Sep 1914 - 05 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel (36 officers and 744 men) to the 3rd, 11th, 12th and 13th Bns.
11th Bn Rifle Brigade. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

  

60th Brigade.

6th Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Sep 1914 - 15 Feb 1918. Disbanded, personnel (36 officers and 700 men) to the 2nd, 2/4th and 5th Bns.
6th Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
12th Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps. 21 Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
12th Bn Rifle Brigade. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.

61st Brigade.

12th Bn King’s. Jan 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Somerset Light Infantry. 13 Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. Sep 1914 - 11 Nov 1918.
7th Bn King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. 12 Sep 1914 - 20 Feb 1918. Disbanded, became the 14th Entrenching Bn.
11th Bn Durham Light Infantry. Sep 1914 - 06 Jan 1915. Became the Pioneer Bn.

 

  

Pioneers.

11th Bn Durham Light Infantry. 06 an 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

Attached Troops.

12th Bn King’s. Sep 1914 - Jan 1915. To the 61st Brigade.
9th Bn Devonshire Regt. Sep 1914 - Apr 1915. To the 7th Division.

 

    

 

Artillery Units

 

XC Brigade.

280th Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became A Bty.
281st Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became B Bty.
282nd Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became C Bty.

 

  

XC Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed. Broken up 30 Aug 1916.

A Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 30 Aug 1916. Went to XCII Bde where it became C Bty.
B Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 30 Aug 1916. Broken up and divided between A and C Btys.
C Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 30 Aug 1916. Went to XCI Bde where it became B Bty.
D Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 May 1916. Went to XCII Bde where it became A Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 11 May 1916 - 30 Aug 1916. Went to XCII Bde where it became D (Howitzer) Bty.

 

XCI Brigade.

283rd Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became A Bty.
284th Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became B Bty.
285th Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became C Bty.

 

  

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

A Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
B Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 31 Aug 1916. Broken up and divided between A and C Btys.
B Bty. 31 Aug 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.
C Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 Nov 1918.
D Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 12 May 1916. Went to XCII Bde where it became B Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 12 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

XCII (Howitzer) Brigade.

286th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became A (Howitzer) Bty.
287th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became B (Howitzer) Bty.
288th (Howitzer) Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became C(Howitzer) Bty.

 

  

XCII (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. 15 Jan 1915 - 09 Aug 1915. To the 27th Division where it became B (Howitzer) Bty, CXXIX (Howitzer) Bde.
B (Howitzer) Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 May 1916. Went to XC Bde where it became D (Howitzer) Bty.
C (Howitzer) Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 12 May 1916. Went to XCI Bde where it became D (Howitzer) Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 May 1916. Went to XCIII Bde where it became D (Howitzer) Bty.

 

XCII Brigade.

A Bty. 11 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.
B Bty. 12 May 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.
C Bty. 11 May 1916 - 31 Aug 1916. Broken up and divded between A and B Btys.
C Bty. 30 Aug 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 30 Aug 1916 - 11 Nov 1918.

 

  

XCIII Brigade.

289th Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became A Bty.
290th Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became B Bty.
291st Bty. Sep 1914 - 15 Jan 1915. Became C Bty.

 

XCIII Brigade. When the Brigade was reorganised a fourth Battery was formed. On 08 Jan 1917 the Brigade left the Division and became an Army Field Artillery Brigade.

A Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 31 Aug 1916. Broken up and divided between B and C Btys.
B Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 08 Jan 1917. With the Brigade to the Army Field Artillery.
C Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 08 Jan 1917. With the Brigade to the Army Field Artillery.
D Bty. 15 Jan 1915 - 11 May 1916. Went to XCII Bde where it became C Bty.
D (Howitzer) Bty. 11 May 1916 - 08 Jan 1917. Broken up and divided between D (Howitzer) Bty,XCI Bde and D (Howitzer) Bty, XCII Bde.

 

   

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