56th (London) Infantry Division

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 56th (London) Infantry Division


caption=
dates= World War I
1908 - May 1919;
World War II
June 1940 - April 1945
1947 - 1968
1987 - 1993
country= United Kingdom
allegiance=
branch= Territorial Army
type=Infantry
role=
size=
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=
ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
colors=
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders= Gerald Templer
Montagu Stopford
Claude Liardet
anniversaries=

The British 56th (London) Infantry Division was a Territorial Army division of the First and Second World War. The division's insignia was the sword from the coat of arms of the City of London.

History

World War I

During the First World War, the battalions of the division were initially used for garrison duty overseas (including Malta) or as reinforcements for other divisions. In January 1916 the division was deployed as a unit to France where it served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war. It was demobilised in May 1919.

World War II

At the outbreak of war in September 1939, the division was mobilised as motorised infantry under the title of the 1st London Division. It was reorganised as an infantry division in June 1940 and redesignated as the 56th (London) Infantry Division on 18 November 1940.

The division remained in the United Kingdom during the Battle of France, moving to the Middle East in November 1942 where it served in Iraq and Palestine until moving to Egypt in March 1943 and thence forward to Libya, and the front, in April. The division sat out the Allied invasion of Sicily (except for the 168th Brigade, which was attached to the understrength 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and moved to Italy in September 1943 and saw service in the Battle of Monte Cassino, in January , serving there until March 1944 and participated in the Anzio Campaign. After being withdrawn to Egypt at the end of March, the division returned to Italy in July 1944 taking part in the Battles along the Gothic Line and remained there until after VE Day.

After the war, it was reformed as the 56th (London) Armoured Division from 1947 until the Territorial Army was reorganised as the TAVR in 1967-8. The Division included 22nd Armoured Brigade and 168th Lorried Infantry Brigade, and the Inns of Court Yeomanry as the divisional reconnaissance regiment.

An echo of the division rose again for a time when the Public duties battalions within London District were grouped as 56th (London) Brigade from 1987 to 1993.

Order of Battle

World War I

August 1914

*1st London Infantry Brigade
**1st London Regiment
**2nd London Regiment
**3rd London Regiment
**4th London Regiment
*2nd London Infantry Brigade
**5th London Regiment (London Rifle Brigade)
**6th London Regiment
**7th London Regiment
**8th London Regiment (Post Office Rifles)
*3rd London Infantry Brigade
**9th London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
**10th London Regiment
**11th London Regiment
**12th London Regiment (The Rangers)
*2nd County of London Yeomanry
*1st City of London Brigade RFA
*2nd London Brigade RFA
*3rd London Brigade RFA
*4th London Brigade RFA
*1st London Field Company Royal Engineers
*2nd London Field Company RE

World War II

The division comprised four infantry brigades:

*167th (London) Infantry Brigade
**8th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
**9th Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
**7th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
*168th (London) Brigade
**1st London Scottish Regiment
**1st London Irish Rifles
**10th Royal Berkshire Regiment
**1st Welch Regiment
*169th (London) Infantry Brigade
**2nd/5th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
**2nd/6th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
**2nd/7th Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
*201st Guards Motor Brigade
**3rd Coldstream Guards
**6th Grenadier Guards

Battles

World War I

*Battle of the Somme - 1 July 1916-18 November 1916
**First day on the Somme - 1 July, 1916

World War II

*Enfidaville — 19 April, 1943 - 29 April, 1943
*Tunis — 5 May, 1943 - 12 May, 1943
*Salerno — 9 September, 1943 - 18 September, 1943
*Capture of Naples — 22 September, 1943 - 1 October, 1943
*Volturno Crossing — 12 October, 1943 - 15 October, 1943
*Monte Camino — 5 November, 1943 - 9 December, 1943
*Garigliano Crossing — 17 January, 1944 - 31 January, 1944
*Anzio — 22 January, 1944 - 22 May, 1944
*Gothic Line — 25 August, 1944 - 22 September, 1944
*Coriano — 3 September, 1944 - 15 September, 1944
*Rimini Line — 14 September, 1944 - 21 September, 1944
*Lamone Crossing — 2 December, 1944 - 13 December, 1944
*Argenta Gap — 12 April, 1945 - 21 April, 1945

Trivia

*After crossing the Volturno in October 1943, the 56th entered the town of Calvi Vecchia. Their attempts to radio the United States Fifth Army to cancel a planned bombing on the town failed. As a last resort, the 56th released an American homing pigeon named G.I. Joe who carried a message that reached the allies just as the planes were being warmed up. The attack was called off and the division was saved.

External links

* [http://ww1cemeteries.com] WWI Cemeteries.com, a comprehensive guide to the military cemeteries and memorials of France and Belgium
* [http://www.1914-1918.net/56div.htm The British Army in the Great War: The 56th (1/1st London) Division]