43rd Division 1/4th and 1/6th Devonshire 1/4th Somersetshire Light Infantry 1/4th and 1/6th Hampshire 1/4th Dorsetshire 44th Division 1/5th Royal West Surrey 1/5th East Kent 1/5th East Surrey 1/5th Royal West Kent 1/9th Middlesex 45th Division 2/7th Hampshire 2/6th Devonshire The 1/5th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, originally of the 43rd, were Pioneers to the 61st Division in France in March 1918, and a successful counter-attack by the battalion is referred to in paragraph 31 of Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 20th July, 1918. The 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex of the 44th served throughout most of the war with the 56th London Division in France. The 1/7th was selected for the Army of the Rhine. The 2/4th Royal West Surrey, the 2/10th Middlesex and the 2/4th Royal West Kent of the 67th, Second Line, Home Counties Division, served with the 53rd, Welsh, Division and saw much fighting at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, and in Palestine. Latterly the 2/4th West Surrey was in France, and was selected for the Army of the Rhine. Sir A. Wilson’s despatch of 1st March, 1916, deals with operations in Western Egypt at the close of 1915, and the beginning of 1916. He mentions the 2/7th and 2/8th Middlesex, of the 67th Division, as forming part of the force employed. When in April 1918 the 52nd Division and other troops were taken from Palestine to France certain units of these divisions were brought to Palestine and along with the Indian troops were engaged in the last victorious operations in that sphere. Among the mentions by Sir E. Allenby for good work in Palestine, March to September 1918, the following battalions are represented: 43rd Division 1/4th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1/5th Somersetshire Light Infantry 1/4th and 1/5th Devonshire Regiment 1/4th Wiltshire Regiment 45th Division 2/5th Hampshire Regiment 2/4th Dorset Regiment The 1/5th Devonshire of the 43rd and the 2/4th Hampshire of the 45th joined the 62nd Division in France in June 1918 and were with it until the Armistice. When the 62nd was with the French Army on the Ardre, upon the east side of the salient between the Aisne and the Marne, in July 1918, these two battalions did work which was highly spoken of and quite worthy of the famous division to which they were attached. They gained a large number of awards in the last five months’ fighting. This remark applies particularly to the 2/4th Hampshire, the number of whose awards for work in France was quite exceptional. As to the 62nd Division, see _The West Riding Territorials in the Great War_, Kegan Paul and Co. Both the above battalions were chosen for the Army of Occupation.