22nd Division (United Kingdom)

The 22nd Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I, raised in September 1914, from men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division moved to France in September 1915, but it was transferred to Greece only one month later. It served in the Balkans Campaign for the duration of the First World War.

22nd Division
Division formation sign, a strip of black cloth on the shoulder strap.[1]
ActiveSeptember 1914–1919
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeInfantry
SizeDivision
EngagementsWorld War I
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Sir John Duncan

The 22nd Division's insignia was a solid black bar.

Unit history

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The Division was one of the six created for the Third New Army on 13 September 1914. It moved to France in early September 1915 and then to Salonika in October 1915 seeing action in the Retreat from Serbia in December 1915, the Battle of Horseshoe Hill in August 1916, the Battle of Machukovo in September 1916 and the Battle of Doiran in April / May 1917. The Division was disbanded by 31 March 1919.[2]

Order of Battle

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The following units served with the division:[2]
65th Brigade

66th Brigade

67th Brigade

  • 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers
  • 7th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers
  • 8th (Service) Battalion, South Wales Borderers (left 30 June 1918)
  • 11th (Service) Battalion, Welsh Regiment
  • 67th Machine Gun Company (joined 14 July 1916)
  • 67th Trench Mortar Battery (joined 4 November 1916)

Divisional Troops

Royal Artillery

  • XCVIII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (R.F.A.)
  • XCIX Brigade, RFA
  • C Brigade, R.F.A.
  • CI Brigade, R.F.A.
  • 22nd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA (transferred to XII Corps January 1915)
  • 22nd Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (R.G.A.) (joined XXIII Heavy Artillery Brigade on 31 August 1915)

Royal Engineers

  • 87th Field Company (left February 1915)
  • 88th Field Company (left February 1915)
  • 99th Field Company (joined February 1915)
  • 100th Field Company (joined February 1915)
  • 127th Field Company (joined by June 1915)
  • 22nd Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

  • 66th Field Ambulance
  • 67th Field Ambulance
  • 68th Field Ambulance
  • 39th Sanitary Section

General officers commanding

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General Officers commanding were as follows:

Rank Name Dates Notes Ref.
Major-General R. A. Montgomery 17 September 1914 – 17 June 1915 [3]
Major-General Hon. F. Gordon 17 June 1915 – 7 May 1917 Sick 7/5/17
Brigadier-General J. Duncan 7 May 1917 – 24 June 1917 Temporary
Major-General J. Duncan 24 June 1917 – March 1919

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Chappell p. 14
  2. ^ a b Baker, Chris. "22nd Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  3. ^ Becke (1938), p. 111.

Bibliography

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  • Becke, A. F. (1938). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 3A. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office.
  • Chappel M 1986 British Battle Insignia (1). 1914-18 Osprey Publishing ISBN 9780850457278
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