British 5th Infantry Division
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| 5th Infantry Division | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1906 - 1960, 1995 - 1939 - 1945 World War II |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Nickname | The Globe Trotters The Gypsies The Fighting Fifth |
| Battles/wars | World War I Battle of Mons Battle of Le Cateau First Battle of Ypres Second Battle of Ypres (13th Brigade) Battle of the Somme Third Battle of Ypres Battle of Vimy Ridge Battle of Epehy World War II Operation Husky Italian Campaign |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Maj. General A.P.Farquhar C.B.E |
| Notable commanders |
Maj. Gen. Herbert Plumer Maj. Gen. Gerard Bucknall |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
 Current Insignia |
| Identification symbol |
 1914 - 1918 |
The British 5th Infantry Division was established in 1906 and has been active for most of the period since, including World War I and World War II.
Contents |
[edit] World War I
The 5th Division was a permanently established Regular Army division that was amongst the first to be sent to France at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war except for a brief period in Italy.
The 5th Division, as a regular army formation (one of the Old Contemptibles) fought in many of the major battles of the Western Front from The Battle of Mons in 1914 , the later stages of the Somme offensive , including the first battle using tanks, up to the Battle of the Selle in 1918. They were in almost continuous action throughout the war and suffered a tremendous amount of casualties as can be seen from the way the battalions that made up the division changed during the war. By 1918 the 5th Division, like most other regular divisions, contained very few of those regulars who went to France in 1914.
[edit] Commanders during World War I
- Maj. Gen. Sir Charles Ferguson
- Maj. Gen. T.Morland
- Maj. Gen. C.Kavanagh
- Maj. Gen. R.Stephens
- Maj. Gen. John Ponsonby
[edit] Structure during World War I
13th Brigade This Brigade was temporarily under the command of 28th Division between 23 February and 7 April 1915, when it was replaced by 84th Brigade from that Division.
- 2nd Bn, The King's Own Scottish Borderers
- 2nd Bn, The Duke of Wellington's left January 1916
- 1st Bn, The Royal West Kent Regiment
- 2nd Bn, The KOYLI left December 1915
- 1/9th (City of London) Bn, The London Regiment joined November 1914, left February 1915
- 14th (Service) Bn, The Royal Warwicks joined December 1915, became Divisional Pioneers October 1918
- 15th (Service) Bn, The Royal Warwicks joined January 1916, disbanded October 1918
- 16th (Service) Bn, The Royal Warwicks joined October 1918
14th Brigade Brigade transferred to 32nd Division on 30 December 1915
- 1st Bn, The Devons
- 2nd Bn, The Suffolk Regiment left September 1914
- 1st Bn, The East Surrey Regiment
- 1st Bn, The DCLI
- 2nd Bn, The Manchesters
- 1/5th Bn, The Cheshires joined February 1915, left November 1915
- 1/9th (Highlanders) Bn, The Royal Scots joined November 1915
- 2nd Bn, The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers joined November 1915
15th Brigade This Brigade was temporarily under the command of 28th Division between 3 March and 7 April 1915, when it was replaced by 83rd Brigade from that Division.
- 1st Bn, The Norfolk Regiment
- 1st Bn, The Bedfordshire Regiment
- 1st Bn, The Cheshires
- 1st Bn, The Dorsets left December 1915
- 1/6th Bn, The Cheshires joined December 1914, left March 1915
- 1/6th Bn, The King's (Liverpool) Regimentjoined February 1915, left November 1915
- 16th (Service) Bn, the Royal Warwicks joined December 1915, left October 1918
95th Brigade Brigade transferred from 32nd Division on 26 December 1915
- 12th (Service) Bn (Bristol), The Gloucesters joined December 1915, disbanded October 1918
- 1st Bn, The Devonshire Regiment joined January 1916
- 1st Bn, The East Surrey Regiment joined January 1916
- 1st Bn, The DCLI joined January 1916
[edit] Insignia
The division was unusual among other British divisions in that no battle patches were worn on their tunics or helmets, aside from those briefly worn by New Army battalions bringing them from their former division.[1]
[edit] World War II
In September 1939 the Division was a regular formation in the UK. Both it's infantry brigades went to France by early October as independent infantry brigades, but Divisional Headquarters crossed to France on 19 December and by the new year the Division was reformed.
[edit] Globe Trotting
The 5th Infantry Division saw action in France and Belgium in 1940 including at the Ypres-Comines Canal from 26th to 28th May 1940, and then was withdrawn, along with the rest of the British Expeditionary Force, from Dunkirk. After this it served and travelled in so many regions of the world that they became known as the Globe Trotters. In April 1942 13th and 17th Infantry Brigades and a portion of the Divisional Troops were detached to 'Force 121' for Operation Ironclad, the invasion of Vichy French held Madagascar. The Division was not complete again until August 1942. It was sent from the UK to India to Iraq, and Persia to join Tenth Army, where it spent time under the command of III Corps and XXI Indian Corps. It then went to Syria and Egypt before being withdrawn in preparation for the Sicily landings.
[edit] Sicily and Italy
The 5th Division saw action in the Sicily Landings from 9th to 12th July 1943, and then was part of the British Eighth Army in Italy. Under XIII Corps, it was in the Messina area in September 1943, involved in the Sangro battles from 19th Nov. to 3rd Dec. 1943, engagements at Garigliano Crossing from 17th to 31st January1944.
After the British 1st Infantry Division and other British forces, as part of the U.S. VI Corps under Major General John P. Lucas, landed at Anzio in January 1944, the 5th Division was part of later reinforcements sent there, along with the 56th (London) Infantry Division .
It was part of the drive on Rome from 22nd May to 4th June 1944. From there they were sent to Palestine, back to Italy and finally to North West Europe for the final months of the war.
During World War II, unlike during World War I, the Division used a 'Y' on a black square background as its insignia.
[edit] Commanders
During World War II:
- Maj. Gen.H.E.Fanklyn
- Maj. Gen.H.P.M.Berney-Ficklin
- Maj. Gen. G.C.Bucknall
- Maj. Gen. P.G.S. Gregson-Ellis
- Maj. Gen. R.A. Hull
[edit] Structure during World War II
13th Infantry Brigade (26th April - 2nd August 1942 detached to Force 121 in Madagascar)
- 2nd Battalion, The Cameronians
- 2nd Battalion, Inniskilling Fusiliers (30 Nov.1939-14 Aug.1944)
- 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment
- 5th Battalion, The Essex Regiment (From 14 Aug.1944)
- 1st Battalion, Green Howards
- 1st Battalion, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
17th Infantry Brigade (15th March 1942 - 30th June 1942 Detached to Force 121 in Madagascar)
- 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers
- 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
- 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders
Division Troops
- 7th Bn. The Cheshire Regiment (Machine Gun Battalion)
- 5th Reconnaissance Regt. Royal Armoured Corps
[edit] Post War
It was reformed briefly from the 7th Armoured Division in Germany on April 16, 1958, with the 7th and 20th Armoured Brigades but was then redesignated the 1st Division on June 30, 1960. It was again reformed in the UK on April 1, 1968, under Army Strategic Command, incorporating the 2nd, 8th, and 39th Brigades, but disbanded in February 1971.
Today the 5th Division is an administrative division - effectively a military district, having been reformed from North West, Wales, and Western Districts on April 1, 1995. It has administrative control over a wide range of regiments, training establishments and cadet corps.
Current Insignia
The division is currently in charge of the majority of army units in Wales, the West Midlands and South West England, with approximately 20,000 regular personnel, 9,000 TA personnel and around 5,000 civilians. It has its permanent headquarters at the Copthorne Barracks in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, which is also the headquarters of the 143rd Brigade.
The 5th Division took command of Headquarters Salisbury Plain Area and 43rd (Wessex) Brigade from 3rd Division on April 1, 1999, and 107 (Ulster) Brigade also fell under its responsibility.[2] However 107 Brigade was shifted back under Headquarters, Northern Ireland, at a later date. HQ 43rd Brigade moved to Bulford by September 1, 1999, and HQ Salisbury Plain Area disbanded by that date. This process freed Headquarters 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division from its administrative and regional responsibilities and it become a deployable or "fly-away" division.
The Divisional Commander, Major General A P Farquhar CBE, reports to the Commander Regional Forces within Land Command, Lieutenant General J C McColl CBE DSO.
[edit] Current Structure
- 43rd (Wessex) Brigade (South West England)
- 143rd (West Midlands) Brigade (West Midlands)
- 160th (Wales) Brigade (Wales)
[edit] External Links and Sources
- ^ Osprey Publishing MAA 182, p.9
- ^ Soldier Magazine, December 1998, p.13
- A Guide to Appointments and Invitations for High Commissions & Embassies in London, UK Ministry of Defence, June 2006 Edition
- * Readers' Digest, The World At Arms, 1989
- Gregory Blaxland, The Regiments Depart: A History of the British Army 1945-70, William Kimber, London, 1971.
- [1]
- Battle field site
- British Army Regiments and Formations
- [2] - 5th Division official website]
- The British Army in the Great War: The 5th Division
