30th Division in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

30th Division

   The 30th Division was formed as one of six new Divisions authorised by War Office in December 1914 comprised of units of Kitchener's 5th New Army, they were initially numbered 37 to 42. But renumbered with 37 becoming 30th Division. As the Earl of Derby (Lord Stanley) was a driving force behind the raising of many of the units in this Division, when asked he gave permission for a variation of his family crest to be used as the Divisional symbol. After training near home, the units were moved to concentrate near Grantham in April 1915. There were severe shortages of arms, ammunition and much equipment - for example there was only one gun carriage available even by mid July and even that was for funerals! It was not until October that the artillery was in a position to commence firing practice, a few weeks after the Division had moved to the area of Larkhill on Salisbury Plain. On 4th of November the Division was inspected by Lord Derby, and entrainment began two days later. The Division sailed to le Havre and Boulogne and all units concentrated near Ailly le Haut Clocher (near Amiens) by 12 November 1915. The 30th Division subsequently remained in France and Flanders and took part in these actions:
1916

The Battle of Albert - Somme
The Battle of the Transloy Ridges - Somme

1917

The pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line
The First Battle of the Scarpe - Arras Offensive
The Second Battle of the Scarpe - Arras Offensive
The Battle of Pilkem Ridge - Ypres

1918

The Battle of St Quentin - Somme
The actions at the Somme Crossings - Somme
The Battle of Rosieres - Somme
The First Battle of Kemmel Ridge - Battles of the Lys
The Second Battle of Kemmel Ridge - Battles of the Lys
The Battle of the Scherpenberg - Battles of the Lys

The army reorganisation in February 1918 and following the Battles of the Somme and Lys completely changed 30th Division, with the Pals battalions of Liverpool and Manchester being mostly replaced by the London Regiment.

The capture of Neuve Eglise - Advance in Flanders
The capture of Wulverghem - Advance in Flanders
The Battle of Ypres - Final Advance in Flanders
The Battle of Courtrai - Final Advance in Flanders

The Division's advance across Flanders continued after the fighting at Courtrai on 14th to 19th of October. On 9th of November, 89th Brigade forced a crossing of the River Scheldt and by that night elements of the Division were at Renaix. At the time when the Armistice came into effect, 1100 on 11 November, the advanced units had reached the line Ghoy - la Livarde, north west of Lessines. Relieved by 29th Division, the 30th began a series of westwards moves and by 4 December was in billets at Renescure. In early January, units of the Division moved for duty at the Base Ports of Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne and Etaples. Here, men began to be demobilised. The first unit to have been demobilised down to a cadre left for England in May 1919; others were disbanded in France. The Division ceased to exist on 1 september 1919.
The Great War had cost 30th Division a total of 35182 men killed, wounded or missing.
Order of Battle of the 30th Division
89th Brigade

17th Btn, King's (Liverpool Regiment) left June 1918
18th Btn, King's (Liverpool Regiment) left December 1915, rejoined February 1918, left June 1918
19th Btn, King's (Liverpool Regiment)
20th Btn, King's (Liverpool Regiment) disbanded February 1918
2nd Btn, Bedfordshire Regiment joined December 1915, left February 1918
89th Machine Gun Company joined 13 March 1916, moved to 30th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
89th Trench Mortar Battery joined by 16 June 1916
7th Btn, Bedfordshire Regiment cadre joined May 1918, left June 1918
2nd Btn,South Lancashire Regiment joined June 1918
7/8th Btn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers joined July 1918
2/17th Btn, London Regiment joined July 1918

90th Brigade

16th Btn, Manchester Regiment left as cadre June 1918
17th Btn, Manchester Regiment left February 1918
18th Btn, Manchester Regiment disbanded February 1918
19th Btn, Manchester Regiment left December 1915
2nd Btn, Royal Scots Fusiliers joined December 1915
90th Machine Gun Company joined 13 March 1916, moved to 30th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
90th Trench Mortar Battery formed by 16 June 1916
2nd Btn, Bedfordshire Regiment joined February 1918, left May 1918
14th Btn, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders joined April 1918, left June 1918
2/14th Btn, London Regiment joined July 1918
2/15th Btn, London Regiment joined July 1918
2/16th Btn, London Regiment joined July 1918

91st Brigade
91st Brigade transferred to 7th Division on 20th of December 1915 in exchange for 21st Brigade

20th Btn, Manchester Regiment
21st Btn, Manchester Regiment
22nd Btn, Manchester Regiment
24th Btn, Manchester Regiment

21st Brigade
21st Brigade joined from 7th Division on 20 December 1915 in exchange for 91st Brigade

2nd Btn, Bedfordshire Regiment moved to 89th Brigade soon after joining Division
2nd Btn, Yorkshire Regiment left May 1918
2nd Btn, Royal Scots Fusiliers moved to 90th Brigade soon after joining Division
2nd Btn, Wiltshire Regiment left May 1918
18th Btn,, King's (Liverpool Regiment) joined from 89th Brigade in exchange for 2nd Bedfords
19th Btn, Manchester Regiment joined from 90th Brigade in exchange for 2nd RSF
21st Machine Gun Company joined 8 March 1916, moved to 30th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
21st Trench Mortar Battery formed by 5 July 1916
17th Btn, Manchester Regiment joined February 1918, left as cadre June 1918
2/5th Btn,Lincolnshire Regiment joined May 1918, left June 1918
7th Btn, Royal Irish Regiment joined July 1918
1/6th Btn, Cheshire Regiment joined July 1918
2/23rd Btn, London Regiment joined July 1918

Divisional Troops

11th Btn, South Lancashire Regiment joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion May 1915, left as cadre June 1918
7th Btn, Sherwood Foresters joined as cadre May 1918, left June 1918
13th Btn, Yorkshire Regiment joined and left as cadre, June 1918 6th Bn, the South Wales Borderers joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion July 1918
226th Machine Gun Company joined 19 July 1917, moved to 30th Bn MGC 1 March 1918
30th Battalion MGC formed 1 March 1918, reduced to cadre 13 May 1918 (540 men moved to 31st Bn), being replaced on 29 June 1918 by A Bn, MGC which was then redesignated as 30th Bn
19th Motor Machine Gun Battery joined 10 February 1916, left 6 June 1916

Divisional Mounted Troops

D Sqn, Lancashire Hussars left 10 May 1916
30th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps left 21 May 1916

Divisional Artillery

CXLVIII Brigade, RFA
CXLIX Brigade, RFA
CL Brigade, RFA left 2 January 1917
CLI (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA broken up 26 August 1916
30th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA
11 (Hull) Heavy Battery, RGA joined June 1915, left March 1916
125 Heavy Battery, RGA raised with the Division but moved independently to France on 29 April 1916
V.30 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA joined by 7 October 1916, left by 11 February 1918
X.30, Y.30 and Z.30 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA by 11 February 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

200th (County Palatine) Field Company
201st (County Palatine) Field Company
202nd (County Palatine) Field Company
30th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

111th Field Ambulance left September 1915
112th Field Ambulance left September 1915
113th Field Ambulance left September 1915
70th Sanitary Section left 2 April 1917
96th Field Ambulance joined November 1915
97th Field Ambulance joined November 1915
98th Field Ambulance joined November 1915

Other Divisional Troops

30th Divisional Train ASC 186, 187, 188 and 189 Companies ASC joined from 22nd Division in France in November 1915
40th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC
227th Divisional Employment Company joined 24 May 1917
30th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop merged into Divisional workshops 7 April 1916

Jul 1915 Training Instruction

Jul 1915 Billets

5th Nov 1915 Message

6th Nov 1915 On the Move

7th Nov 1915 On the Move

8th Nov 1915 On the Move

9th Nov 1915 In Billets

10th Nov 1915 In Billets

17th Nov 1915 On the March

18th Nov 1915 On the March

1st of January 1916 Move

1st of January 1916 Night-time Shelling

2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits

4th of January 1916 Retaliatory Fire

8th January 1916 Defences

12th of January 1916 Attack Repulsed

13th of January 1916 5th Division in Reserve

26th January 1916 Went back to billets in Bray.

29th of January 1916

2nd Feb 1916 Enemy Trench Raid

10th of February 1916 MG Coys Join

1st April 1916 Inspection

7th April 1916 Conference

8th April 1916 Weather Fine

9th April 1916 Shelling

15th April 1916 Aircraft Down

21st May 1916 Orders

24th Jun 1916 U Day  On the Somme the count down to the Big Push begins. Allied artillery bombard the enemy trenches and the infantry undertake final preparations.

25th Jun 1916 V Day  Allied Artillery are active, firing shells to cut the belts of wire protecting the enemy trenches and damage the defences. RFC pilots report large explosions at enemy dumps at Longueval, Montauban, Mametz Wood and Pozieres. As the German artillery responds to the bombardment, the positions of 102 hostile batteries are identified. Three enemy observation balloons on Fourth Army front are shot shown by aircraft of the RFC.
As darkness falls, the infantry holding the allied front line sent out raiding parties to judge the situation. Reports bring mixed news, in some areas, such as at Montauban, the enemy are lightly manning badly damaged trenches, but in other areas such as La Boisselle and Ovillers, the enemy remains at full strength.

27th Jun 1916 Heavy Shelling

28th Jun 1916 Bombardment

29th Jun 1916 Bombardment

30th Jun 1916 Heavy Bombardment

1st Jul 1916 Thrilling Advance

1st Jul 1916 Montauban Captured

1st Jul 1916 Assault Made

2nd Jul 1916 Attack and Counter Attack

3rd Jul 1916 Attack Made

4th Jul 1916 Reliefs

5th Jul 1916 Reliefs Complete

6th Jul 1916 At Rest

9th Jul 1916 On the March

10th Jul 1916 In Action

11th Jul 1916 In Action

12th Jul 1916 In Action

13th Jul 1916 Attack Made

13th Jul 1916 Reliefs

14th Jul 1916 On the Move

23rd July 1916 Orders received

30th Jul 1916 Attack Made

4th Dec 1916 Reliefs

5th Dec 1916 Return

10th Dec 1916 Reliefs

11th Dec 1916 Training

9th of April 1917

9th Apr 1917 In Action

10th Apr 1917 Unditching

10th Apr 1917 In Action

19th of April 1917

20th of April 1917

21st of April 1917

23rd of April 1917

23rd of April 1917

24th of April 1917

24th of April 1917

25th of April 1917

29th May 1917 Orders

31st May 1917 On the Move

1st Jul 1917 Working Parties

4th Jul 1917 Working Parties

5th Jul 1917 Working Parties

6th Jul 1917 On the March

10th Jul 1917 Training

15th Jul 1917 Horse Show

16th Jul 1917 Practice attack

17th Jul 1917 On the Move

19th Jul 1917 Training

23rd Jul 1917 On the Move

23rd Jul 1917 Orders Received

26th Jul 1917 Trench Raid

26th Jul 1917 Trench Raid

28th Jul 1917 Reliefs Complete

29th Jul 1917 Holding the Line

30th Jul 1917 In the Line

31st Jul 1917 In Action

31st Jul 1917 In Action

31st Jul 1917 In Action

31st Jul 1917 Attack Made

2nd Aug 1917 Message of Congratulation

11th Aug 1917 Training

20th September 1917 Operational Order 131

1st Oct 1917 Reliefs

11th Oct 1917 Moves

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1918 Course

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

20th of February 1918 Line Movements

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

23rd of March 1918 A Serious Gap

27th of March 1918 Heavy Fighting

31st of March 1918 Account of Operations

4th Apr 1918 Orders

4th of April 1918 An Appreciation

7th Apr 1918 Reorganisation

12th of April 1918 Heavy Fighting

14th of April 1918 A Withdrawal

16th Apr 1918 Enemy Attack

17th Apr 1918 Enemy Attack

18th Apr 1918 Plans

19th Apr 1918 Reliefs

20th Apr 1918 Reorganisation

21st Apr 1918 Defensive Plans

28th of April 1918 Admirable Behaviour

30th of April 1918 Reports

22nd May 1918 On the Move

26th May 1918 Training Cadre

27th July 1918 Inspection

20th of August 1918 Operatonal Support Given

21st of August 1918 A Chinese Attack

21st of August 1918 A Chinese Attack

1st Sep 1918 Advance Made

1st of September 1918 Operations Begin

2nd Sep 1918 Attack Made

2nd of September 1918 Operation Continues

4th September 1918 Daily Activity  9th Btn. (North Irish Horse) the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Wulverghem.
At 0800 Battle Headquarters was formed at T.10.d.05.80 and under an artillery barrage the Battalion, in conjunction with other Battalions on flanks, attacked. Good progress was made. D Company lost direction and got as far as Stinking Farm (U.7.a). Not being protected on flanks the enemy attempted to cut them off and the Company had to retire. Our line was established from road (T.6.d.35.80) where touch was made with the 30th Division, along hedge running south through T.6.d.4.0 to rise in T.12.b then along breastwork trench from T.12.c.50.35, T.18.a.80.90. With the gap between B and A Companies, D Company was put in support along road running south through T.6.c and T.12.a.
The enemy were not very numerous but their machine gun fire was heavy. The shelling was fairly heavy but was confined to vicinity of St Quentin Cabaret. During the operation Battle Headquarters was moved to T.5.d.80.40.
Six prisoners were taken, four of whom were sent through 29th Division on the right. Some of our men on the right were cut off and are thought to be made prisoners. The 29th Division took Hill 63 but did not come up far enough to cover our right flank. During the day there was an amount of sniping and machine gun fire and the enemy shelled St Quentin Cabaret and T.12.a with 5.9. In the afternoon he attempted a counter-attack by coming up along railway between B and A Companies, but was driven back by machine gun and rifle fire. At dusk our patrols were pushed forward to get the line behind Bristol Castle but were unable to do so owing to machine gun fire.
War Diaries

8th of September 1918 Heavy Shelling

26th September 1918 Diary

25th November 1918 Inspection

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Want to know more about 30th Division?

There are:129 items tagged 30th Division available in our Library

These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Those known to have served with
30th Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Green George Alfred. Pte. 30th Division MT Coy.
Pearce Alfred George. L/Cpl. 11th Btn. B Coy.
Robson Thomas Anthony. Pte. 2nd Btn. (d.5th May 1917)

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1206628

L/Cpl. Alfred George Pearce 11th Btn. B Coy. South Lancashire Regiment

One day in September 1914, three young men went to enlist in the British Army caught up in the fever of war. One of these men was Alfred George Pearce. He, with his wife, managed a public house in Liverpool and had four small children. When he returned home and told his wife, she was furious and said "What did you do a stupid thing like that for!"
In his going away photograph his cap badge is from the Cheshire's but he is recorded as being transferred to 11th Battalion in December 1916. During his training he had to go down the mines to be toughened up. His time in the mines was cut short as an accident resulted in him having a couple of broken ribs. His daughter Ruby told us how she enjoyed peeling his skin from his back after he had a cast removed.
Because he was a countryman from Hampshire originally, he was assigned to the section that looked after the regiments horses. They had at one stage a horse shoe on the back of their jacket. The losses were so heavy they turned the horse shoe round in case it improved their luck. In the end the horse shoe was abandoned. On the march to the front line, they saw some awful sights. Bodies lining the sides of the roads and families trying to escape the ravages of war. During the march forward, they stopped overnight at a French village were they were billeted in a barn full of hay and straw. They all settled down for the night. The hay providing a little comfort as they thought. Next morning they were all coming out in scabies. The Germans had sprayed the hay and straw with the infection before they left the area. Consequently all the regiment had to strip off in the village square, their uniforms burnt, and they were painted with Gentian violets. Not a very pleasant experience, but great amusement to the ladies of the village. He told of their instructions not to attempt to pick up anything like pens from the ground, or kick dead rats, as they could all be booby trapped.
Alfred George Pearce survived the war unscathed and lived to a ripe old age of 98. He always said never go to war even if it means running away to Ireland. Alfred's father, Joshua, was from Ecchingswell in Hampshire. [1901 Census].
Suzanne Dalewicz-Kitto

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258886

Pte. George Alfred Green 30th Division MT Coy. Royal Army Service Corps

George Green enlisted on 24th of June 1916 and was called up for service on 17th of May 1917 aged 40 years. He served with the 30th Division MT Coy., Royal Army Service Corps and on the 12th of July 1917 he embarked at Southampton and arrived at Rouen 14th of July 1917. On 20th of September 1918, George forfeited 3 days pay for driving at excessive speeds. It appears that he served in a variety of Motor Corps until he was transferred to 98th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps on 20th of May 1919 and was discharged June 1919.

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215668

Pte. Thomas Anthony Robson 2nd Btn. Yorkshire Regiment (d.5th May 1917)

Thomas Anthony Robson, enlisted at South Shields and served in the 2nd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment. He died on the 5th May 1917 and is remembered at Jarrow Library and is buried in St Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen. His medal card shows the award of the War and Victory Medals.
Thomas was born in Sunderland 1897 son of Sarah Jane Robson nee Roseberry of 28 William Black Street, Jarrow and the late William Robson. In the 1911 census William(46)is a forge labourer and Sarah Jane(41) has been married for 21 years with 8 children born one of whom died. Joseph(20)single, is a minder of blacksmiths forge and William(16) is a general labourer in a colliery yard. Four of the other children are of school age, Thomas(13), Ellen Jane(11), Sarah Jane(9)and Jane Ann(5). The youngest daughter is Mary who is 3 years old.
Vin Mullen

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- 30th Division during the Great War -

30th Division

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30th Division

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Those known to have served with
30th Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.