36th (Ulster) Division
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| 36th (Ulster) Division | |
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| Active | World War I September 1914 - January 1919 |
| Branch | New Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Cambrai Battle of Messines Battle of the Somme (1916) |
The British 36th (Ulster) Division was a New Army division formed in September 1914. Originally called the Ulster Division, it was made up of members of the Ulster Volunteer Force who formed 13 additional battalions for three existing Irish regiments; the Royal Irish Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rifles and the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The division served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War.
The division's insignia was the Red Hand of Ulster.
Contents |
[edit] Unit history
The 36th were one of the few divisions to make significant gains on the first day on the Somme. They attacked between the Ancre and Thiepval against a position known as the Schwaben Redoubt. According to military historian Martin Middlebrook:
- The leading battalions (of the 36th (Ulster) Division) had been ordered out from the wood just before 7.30am and laid down near the German trenches ... At zero hour the British barrage lifted. Bugles blew the "Advance". Up sprang the Ulstermen and, without forming up in the waves adopted by other divisions, they rushed the German front line ..... By a combination of sensible tactics and Ulster dash, the prize that eluded so many, the capture of a long section of the German front line, had been accomplished.
This came at a heavy price, with the division suffering 5,104 casualties on the 1st of July alone.
[edit] Formation
- 107th Brigade
- 15th (Service) Battalion (North Belfast), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 8th (Service) Battalion (East Belfast), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 9th (Service) Battalion (West Belfast), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 10th (Service) Battalion (South Belfast), the Royal Irish Rifles (until February 1918)
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Irish Fusiliers (from August 1917 until February 1918)
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Irish Rifles (from February 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Irish Rifles (from February 1918)
- 107th Brigade Machine Gun Company (from 18 December 1915, moved into 36 MG Bn 1 March 1918)
- 107th Trench Mortar Battery (from 1 April 1916)
In August 1917 the 8th and 9th battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles amalgamated to form the 8/9th Battalion which disbanded in February 1918.
Between November 1915 and February 1916 the brigade swapped with the 12th Brigade from the 4th Division.
- 108th Brigade
- 9th (Service) Battalion, the Royal Irish Fusiliers
- 12th (Service) Battalion (Central Antrim), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Irish Rifles (from November 1917 to 107th Bde. February 1918)
- 11th (Service) Battalion (South Antrim), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 13th (Service) Battalion (County Down), the Royal Irish Rifles
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Irish Fusiliers (from 107th Bde. February 1918)
- 108th Brigade Machine Gun Company (from 26 January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1 March 1918)
- 108th Trench Mortar Battery (from 1 April 1916)
In August 1917 the 11th and 13th battalions of the Royal Irish Rifles amalgamated to form the 11/13th Battalion which disbanded in February 1918.
- 109th Brigade
- 9th (Service) Battalion (County Tyrone), the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
- 10th (Service) Battalion (Derry), the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (disbanded January 1918)
- 11th (Service) Battalion (Donegal and Fermanagh), the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (disbanded February 1918)
- 14th (Service) Battalion (Young Citizens), the Royal Irish Rifles (disbanded February 1918)
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (from February 1918)
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (from February 1918)ll
- 109th Brigade Machine Gun Company (from 23 January 1916, moved into 36 MG Bn 1 March 1918)
- 109th Trench Mortar Battery (from 1 April 1916)
[edit] Battles
[edit] See also
- Ulster Tower Thiepval
- Island of Ireland Peace Park
- List of British divisions in WWI
- Cyril Falls History of the 36th (Ulster) Division (1998)
Constable and Robinso, ISBN 0-09-476630-4 - Steven Moore The Irish on the Somme (2005)
Local Press Belfast, ISBN 0-9549715-1-5 - Peter Hart The Somme (2005), Weidenfeld and Nicolson, ISBN 0-297-84705-8
