Country United Kingdom Type Infantry | Branch British Army | |
Active November 1916 - April 1918 Role Home Defence and training Notable
commanders Major-General Hon H.A. Lawrence
Major-General C.J. Blomfield | ||
71st Division was a short-lived infantry division of the British Army during the First World War. It served in the Home Defence forces and never went overseas.
Contents
Home Defence
On the outbreak of the First World War, the Territorial Force (TF) immediately mobilised for home defence, but shortly afterwards (31 August 1914), its units were authorised to raise 2nd battalions formed from those men who had not volunteered for, or were not fit for, overseas service, together with new volunteers, while the 1st Line went overseas to supplement the Regulars. Early in 1915 the 2nd Line TF battalions were also raised to full strength to form new divisions, and began to form Reserve (3rd Line) units to supply drafts. The remaining Home Service men were separated out in May 1915 to form brigades of Coast Defence Battalions (termed Provisional Battalions from June 1915).
6th Provisional Brigade
6th Provisional Brigade was formed mainly from details of regiments from London and East Anglia, with the following composition:
By July 1916 the brigade was under the control of Northern Army of Home Forces, with its battalions billeted across Suffolk as follows:
66th Provisional Battalion at Darsham, attached to 3rd Provisional Bde, later transferred into 6th Provisional Bde.
71st Division formed
Late in 1916 the War Office decided to form three new home-service divisions and 71st was the first of these, assembling in Hampshire and Surrey in November. The division was based on 6th Provisional Bde, which moved from Suffolk and provided four infantry battalions and many of the support units. (On 1 January 1917 these all received new designations and numbers.) In addition, 190th (2nd Durham Light Infantry) Brigade, left over after the earlier disbandment of 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division, was brought from Catterick and renumbered. 64th (2nd Highland) Division at Catterick also provided a number of artillery batteries. The division had the following composition:
Staff
Maj-Gen C.J. Blomfield (12 February–17 July 1917)
Maj-Gen A.G. Dallas (17 July 1917 – 1 March 1918)
Lt-Col R.M. Johnson (31 March–10 October 1917)
Lt-Col W.S. Whetherly (10 October 1917 – 6 March 1918)
212th Brigade
212 Brigade was drawn from 6th Provisional Bde:
Brigadier-General H.W. Cobham (24 November 1917 – 12 February 1918)
213th Brigade
213 Brigade was newly formed:
214th Brigade
214 Brigade was formed by renumbering 190th (2/1st Durham Light Infantry) Bde:
Brigadier-General C.H.T. Lucas (11 December 1916 – 14 April 1917)
Brigadier-General F.J. Duncan (14 April–8 November 1917)
Brigadier-General L.A.E. Price-Davies, VC (8 November 1917
Divisional mounted troops
Royal Artillery
W.B. Browell (28 November 1917 – 25 February 1918)
Royal Engineers
Medical services
Transport
Home defence
In the first week of March 1917, the division moved back to the East Coast and concentrated at Colchester. It now formed part of Southern Army of Home Forces and was responsible for defence of the Essex coast from Mersea Island to Walton-on-the-Naze. In April, 226th Mixed Brigade (formerly 7th Provisional Brigade) at Clacton-on-Sea was attached to the Division.
The Military Service Act 1916 swept away the Home/Foreign service distinction, and all TF soldiers became liable for overseas service, if medically fit. Henceforth part of the role of the Home Service divisions was physical conditioning to render men fit for drafting overseas, alongside units of the Training Reserve. 'Graduated Battalions' of the Training Reserve were organised in four companies according to age, from 18 to 19 years. Recruits pprogressed from one to another company every three months, so that every three months there was a company of trained 19-year-old men available for drafting overseas. In July 1917 it was decided that the Graduated Battalions could serve in a Home Defence role while completing their training. Between July and September 1917, six Graduated Battalions replaced other units in 71st Division, and in October these were affiliated to line regiments and adopted territorial designations.
In October 1917, 214 Bde was formed into a Special Brigade for service at Murmansk, for which it was filled up with men of A1 medical category, and had a field artillery brigade, cyclist battalions and machine-gun companies added to its strength. However, it never went to Russia, and was still in 71st Division in early 1918.
Disbandment
Towards the end of December 1917 the War Office decided to break up the three home service divisions. A number of battalions of 71st Division were disbanded that month, and on 12 January 1918 the War Office ordered the Commander-in-Chief, Home Forces, to break up the remainder of the division without delay. During February, 214th Special Brigade and 226th Mixed Brigade, with their attached troops, were transferred to 67th (2nd Home Counties) Division, and the six Graduated Battalions were transferred to 64th (2nd Highland) Division. CCCL Field Bde RFA moved to the School of Artillery at Larkhill Garrison and the Field Companies RE went overseas on active service. Disbandment of the remainder of the brigade headquarters and supporting units was complete by 8 April 1918.
The 71st Division title has never been reactivated.