6th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 6th Division


caption=Insignia of the 6th (United Kingdom) Division. A white circle on a black background.
dates= 1914 to 1941
As 70th Infantry Division: 1941-1945
2008 -
country= United Kingdom
allegiance=
garrison=York
branch= Regular Army
type= Infantry
battles= Peninsula War
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
Battle of Salamanca
Battle of the Pyrenees
Battle of Orthez
World War I
First Battle of Ypres
Battle of the Somme (1916)
Battle of Cambrai (1917)
Battle of Epehy|current_commander= Major General J D Page OBE (from February 2008)
notable_commanders= Richard O'Connor
anniversaries=The 6th Infantry Division was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War and was active for most of the period since, including World War I and World War II. The modern division was reformed on 1 February 2008, as a deployable two star Headquarters for service in Afghanistan during Operation Herrick.It was officially reformed with a parade and flag presentation at York on Tuesday 5 August 2008.

History

Peninsula War

The 6th Division was formed for service in the Peninsula War by the Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington it was present at the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro the Battle of Salamanca the Battle of the Pyrenees the Battle of Orthez.

Formation during the Peninsula War

* Commanding General Major General Clinton.
* 1st Brigade: commanded by Major General Hulse
** 1/11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
** 2/53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot
** 1/61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
** 1 Coy 60th Foot (King's Royal Rifle Corps)

* 2nd Brigade: commanded by Colonel Hinde
** 1/32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot
** 2/32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot
** 1/36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot

* Portuguese Brigade: commanded by Brigadier General de Rezende
** 1/8th Portuguese Line
** 2/8th Portuguese Line
** 1/12th Portuguese Line
** 2/12th Portuguese Line
** 9th Caçadores.

First World War

First World War

The British 6th Division was a Regular Army division that was sent to France on 9 September, 1914. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War, first seeing action in the First Battle of Ypres.In 1915 the division moved into the Ypres Salient to relieve troops that had fought in the Second Battle of Ypres. The Salient was relatively quiet for the rest of the year, except for an attack on the chateau at Hooge on 9 August.At the end of July 1916 the division was withdrawn, having suffered 11,000 casualties, and in September it was attached to XIV Corp where it joined in the Battle of the Somme by attacking the German fortification known as the Quadrilateral. It captured this area on 18 September. They then participated in the attacks on Morval and Le Transloy before being withdrawn on 20 October and moved into Corps Reserve. Total casualties on the Somme were 277 officers and 6,640 other ranks. In November the division moved to the relatively quiet La Bassée sector, and in March 1917 it went to the Loos sector where it conducted operations and trench raids around Hill 70. It was withdrawn on 25 July, shortly before the final assault on the hill. From reserve, it then went to take part in the Battle of Cambrai as part of III Corp. Four days after the battle ended, the division was withdrawn to rest at Basseux. By February 1918 the division was manning the Lagnicourt Sector and was there on 22 March when the Germans launched their Spring Offensive which drove the division back and caused 3,900 casualties out of its 5000 infantry. On 25 March the division was withdrawn to the Ypres Salient again as part of Second Army.By September the division was part of IX Corp and took part in the Battle of Epehy, participating in the general attack on St Quentin and The Quadrilateral that began on 18th September and ended with the Quadrilateral's capture on the 25th.The division's last two major assaults of the war were in October. On the 8th they captured Bohain and on the 18th they took the high ground overlooking the Sambre-Oise Canal that prepared the way for the Battle of the Sambre. [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20115 A Short History of the 6th Division]

World War I formation

; 16th Brigade :

* 1st Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent) Regiment
* 1st Battalion, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry
* 2nd Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment
* 8th (Service) Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment ("from 71st Bde. November 1915, disbanded February 1918")
* 1st Battalion, The Leicestershire Regiment ("to 71st Bde. November 1915")
* 1/5th Battalion, The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment ("from February 1915 to June 1915")

; 17th Brigade (until October 14, 1915) :

* 1st Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers
* 1st Battalion, The Prince of Wales's (North Staffordshire Regiment)
* 2nd Battalion, The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
* 3rd Battalion, The Rifle Brigade
* 1/2nd (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment ("from February 1915")

The brigade transferred to the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 71st Brigade.

; 18th Brigade :

* 1st Battalion, The West Yorkshire Regiment
* 1st Battalion, The East Yorkshire Regiment ("until November 1915")
* 2nd Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry
* 11th (Service) Battalion, The Essex Regiment ("from 71st Bde. October 1915")
* 2nd Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters ("to 71st Bde. October 1915")
* 14th (Service) Battalion, the Durham Light Infantry ("from November 1915, disbanded February 1918")
* 1/16th (County of London) Battalion, the London Regiment ("until February 1916"

; 19th Brigade (until May 31, 1915) :

* 2nd Battalion, the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
* 1st Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
* 1/5th Battalion, the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
* 1st Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment
* 2nd Battalion, the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders

Originally an independent brigade before being attached to the division, the 19th Brigade moved to the 27th Division in May, 1915 and was not replaced, reducing the division to the standard three infantry brigades.

; 71st Brigade (from October 11, 1915) :

* 9th (Service) Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment
* 9th (Service) Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment ("disbanded February 1918")
* 8th (Service) Battalion, the Bedfordshire Regiment ("to 16th Bde. November 1915")
* 1st Battalion, the Leicestershire Regiment ("from 16th Bde. November 1915")
* 2nd Battalion, the Sherwood Foresters ("from 18th Bde. October 1915")

The brigade joined from the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 17th Brigade.

; Royal Field Artillery:

* II Brigade RFA
* XXIV Brigade RFA

; Royal Engineers:
* 12th Field Company RE
* 509th (1st London) Field Company RE
* 459th (2/2nd West Riding) Field Company RE

Second World War

During the Second World War the division did not fight as a complete formation. On 3 November 1939 it was formed in Egypt by the redesignation of the British 7th Infantry Division, under the command of Maj-Gen.R.N.O'Connor. On 17 June 1940 Divisional H.Q. became H.Q. Western Desert Force. The Division effectively ceased to exist. The Division reformed in Egypt on 17 February 1941, under the command of Maj-Gen. John Evetts. From 7 to 19 April it was temporarily under command of Brig.C.E.N.Lomax. On 29 September 1941 Major-General Evetts left and Brig.G.N.C.Martin took acting command. Eleven days later on 10 October that year it was redesignated the 70th Infantry Division, and Major-General Ronald Scobie assumed command.

econd World War formation

*6th Divisional Signals - 9th Oct.1941
*The Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) - 25 March 1940-30 May 1940 (Cavalry)
*45th Recce.Battalion - 21st Oct.1942-16th Sept.1943

Engineers
*2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers
*12th Field Company, Royal Engineers
*54th Field Company, Royal Engineers
*219th Field Company, Royal Engineers

Artillery
*8th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*51st Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*60th (North Midland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
*50th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
*69th Light Anti-Aircraft/ Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

British 22nd Infantry Brigade
*3 November 1939 - 11 March 1940 &
*10 June 1940 - 17 June 1940

British 14th Infantry Brigade
*29 March 1940 - 30 May 1940 &
*10 July 1941 - 11 May 1943 &

British 16th Infantry Brigade
*28 March 1940 - 27 June 1940 &
*19 February 1941 - 17 May 1941 &
*19 June 1941 - 19 September 1941 &
*22 October 1941 - 26 February 1942 &

British 23rd Infantry Brigade
*29 June 1941 - 22 April 1943

Twenty-First Century

On 26 July 2007 the Secretary of State for Defence announced that a new 'HQ 6 Division' would reform to direct the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command South in Afghanistan. [ [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/BrownePurchaseOfExtraC17WillsignificantlyBoostUkMilitaryOperations.htm Press release from MoD quoting Browne] ]

Des Browne said 'In order to meet these temporary demands we have decided to augment the forces’ command structure, and will temporarily establish an additional 2-Star deployable HQ. It will be based in York and will be known as HQ 6 Division, with a core of 55 Service personnel, drawn from existing structures. We will keep our planning assumption under review but currently we assess this HQ will be established until 2011.' [ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070726/wmstext/70726m0002.htm#column_95WS Hansard: Announcement in Parliament by Browne] ] See also Afghanistan War order of battle.

Current formation

The implementation team for the new HQ 6 Division is based in York. Major General J D Page OBE took command of the new HQ with effect from 1 February 2008.The new divisional headquarters, "Headquarters 6th (United Kingdom) Division", marked its formation with a parade and flag presentation in York 5 August 2008. [cite web|title=mod.uk|url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/DefencePolicyAndBusiness/NewBritishArmyDivisionOfficiallyForms.htm]

References

See also

* List of British divisions in WWI

External links

* [http://www.1914-1918.net/6div.htm The British Army in the Great War: The 6th Division]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/unitsandorgs/divisions_brigades/hq_6_div.htm Official website]
* [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20115 A Short History of the 6th Division in WW1]