The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918Stirling, John
History
The Territorial Divisions, 1914-1918
Stirling, John
World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 23rd December, 1916, paragraph 8
(Dent’s edition), shows that the 56th along with the 46th Division
made the subsidiary attack at Gommecourt, north of the Somme, on
1st July. They were then in the Third Army, VII. Corps. (See 46th
Division.)
The 56th was afterwards sent to the XIV. Corps, Fourth Army, and
took part in the successful attack of 9th September, now officially
the “Battle of Ginchy.” Paragraph 23: “At Ginchy and to the north of
Leuze Wood it met with almost immediate success. On the right (56th
Division) the enemy’s line was seized over a front of more than 1000
yards.” Paragraphs 27 and 28 deal with another successful attack
on 15th September and following days, officially the “Battle of
Flers-Courcelette,” when the Division was again employed.
While the French worked up the south side of Combles, the 56th
encompassed it from the north and, on 26th September, met their
Allies in the town. Down to the close of the Somme battles, the
Division, “hard-worked and splendid,” Sir A. Conan Doyle describes
them, “were doing fine work always on the extreme right.”
The fighting between 25th and 28th September has been designated
the “Battle of Morval,” and that between 1st and 18th October, the
“Battle of the Transloy Ridges.”
The despatch of 25th December, 1917, paragraph 13 (Dent’s edition),
shows that the 56th, again in the VII. Corps, Third Army, took part
in the Battle of Arras which opened on 9th April, 1917. Paragraph
14: “By 12 noon the 12th Division had captured Observation Ridge
and, with the exception of Railway Triangle, the whole of our second
objectives were in our possession from south of Neuville Vitasse,
stormed by London Territorials (56th Division), to north of La Folie
Farm.” A large number of prisoners were taken. The 56th had an
extremely difficult task and met with stubborn resistance. As was to
be expected, their losses were considerable.
Paragraph 17: “On 12th April our attacks on Héninel and Wancourt
were renewed, and our troops (21st and 56th Divisions) succeeded in
carrying both villages, as well as in completing the capture of the
Hindenburg line for some 2000 yards south of the Cojeul river.”
Paragraph 27: On 11th May “London troops (56th Division) captured
Cavalry Farm.”
In addition to the actions mentioned in these extracts, the Division
was engaged throughout the Arras operations on many other occasions,
notably on 13th and 14th April and on 3rd May, when one brigade made
an excellent advance. Throughout the battles of Arras the work of the
56th was of outstanding merit.
The fighting between 9th and 14th April is now the “First Battle of
the Scarpe, 1917,” and that on 3rd and 4th May the “Third Battle of
the Scarpe, 1917.”
The Division was employed on 16th August, 1917, in the second big
attack in the Third Battle of Ypres, now “The Battles of Ypres,
1917.” The action of 16th August is now designated the “Battle of
Langemarck.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account