7th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

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7th Division

Active	September 1914-1918/19, ?-1939
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Regular Army
Type	Infantry
Battles/wars	First Battle of Ypres Battle of Neuve Chapelle Battle of Aubers Ridge Battle of Festubert Battle of Loos Battle of the Somme (1916) Third Battle of Ypres Battle of Vittorio Veneto

1 History
2 Formation
3 Battles
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

The British 7th Division was a Regular Army division that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire at the outbreak of the First World War. The division began moving to France on 6 October, 1914. The division fought in most of the major battles on the Western Front through to 1917 before being sent to Italy for the remainder of the war.

The Division was also active during the interwar period, and the first two months of World War II in Egypt before being re-designated the 6th Infantry Division on 3 November 1939, in order to avoid confusion with the 7th Armoured Division.

[edit] Formation

20th Brigade

2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment
2nd Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders
1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
2nd Battalion, the Scots Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders (until January 1916)
8th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from May 1915)
9th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from August 1915)

The Guards battalions departed in August 1915 when the British Guards Division was formed.

21st Brigade

2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
2nd Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)
1/4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from April 1915, to 91st Bde. December 1915)

The brigade transferred to the 30th Division on December 19, 1915, swapping with the 91st Brigade.

22nd Brigade

1st Battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers
2nd Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
1/8th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (until August 1915)
1/7th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) (from November 1915 until January 1916)
2nd Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
20th (Service) Battalion (5th City), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915)
24th (Service) Battalion (Oldham), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915 until May 1916)
2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from May 1916 until October 1916)
2/1st Battalion, the Honourable Artillery Company (from October 1916)

91st Brigade

2nd Battalion, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
21st (Service) Battalion (6th City), The Manchester Regiment
22nd (Service) Battalion (7th City), The Manchester Regiment
1/4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from 21st Bde. December 1915 until January 1916)

The brigade joined from the 30th Division in December 1915, swapping with the 21st Brigade. A number of battalions swapped to the brigade from other 7th Division brigades during the transition.