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40th Division    40th Division was formed between September and December 1915, composed of some bantam units and others which had a mixture of regulation-height and shorter men. Weeding out of very under-sized or unfit men delayed the training programme and it was not until late spring 1916 that the Division was ready to proceed on active service. The Divisional staff assembled at Stanhope Lines, Aldershot, early in September 1915 and by December the various units had concentrated at nearby Blackdown, Pirbright and Woking. The Division moved to France between 2 and 6 June 1916 and by 9 June had concentrated near Lillers. It then served between June and late October 1916 on the front near Loos. The 40th Division remained on the Western Front throughout the rest of the war and took part in the following engagements: 1916 The Battle of the Ancre - Somme 1917 The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line The capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plouich, Beaucamp and La Vacquerie The Cambrai Operations, in which the Division participated in the capture of Bourlon Wood 1918 The Battle of St Quentin - Somme The Battle of Bapaume - Somme The Battle of Estaires - Battles of the Lys The Battle of Hazebrouck - Battles of the Lys After suffering heavy losses during the Battles of the Lys a decision was taken to reduce the Division down to a cadre. This took place from 2 May. Divisional HQ moved to St Omer to 4 June, then went to Lederzeele and Renescure (from 23 June). By the middle of the month all training cadres had left. A number of Garrison Guard Battalions joined during June and were converted to fighting units. Orders were received to reorganise the Division and this was completed by mid July 1918. From 18 July the Division once again took part in active operations. 1918 The Final Advance in Flanders, including the Battle of Ypres On the night 10th/11th of November the Division was relieved and Divisional HQ moved to Lannoy. The Division moved to Roubaix on 25 November. Demobilisation proceeded and by mid May 1919 the Division ceased to exist. The Great War cost 40th Division 19179 men killed, wounded or missing. Order of Battle of the 40th Division 119th Brigade This brigade was often known as the Welsh Bantam Brigade, until February 1918. 19th Btn, Royal Welsh Fusiliers disbanded February 1918 12th Btn, South Wales Borderers disbanded February 1918 17th Btn, Welsh Regiment disbanded February 1918 18th Btn, Welsh Regiment disbanded February 1918 119th Machine Gun Company joined 19 June 1916, moved to 40th Bn MGC March 1918 119th Trench Mortar Battery formed 25 June 1916 13th Btn, East Surrey Regiment joined from 120th Brigade February 1918, left as cadre June 1918 21st Btn, Middlesex Regiment joined February 1918, left as cadre May 1918 10/11th Btn, Highland Light Infantry joined and left February 1918 13th Btn, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers joined as 13th Garrison Bn in June 1918 13th Btn, East Lancashire Regiment joined as 8th Garrison Guard Bn in June 1918 12th Btn, North Staffordshire Regiment joined as 12th Garrison Bn in June 1918 120th Brigade 11th Btn, King's Own disbanded February 1918 13th Btn, Cameronians left February 1916 14th Btn, Highland Light Infantry left as a cadre June 1918 13th Btn, East Surrey Regiment joined February 1916, left for 119th Brigade February 1918 14th Btn, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders left April 1918 12th Btn, South Lancashire Regiment joined January 1916, absorbed into 11th King's Own March 1916 120th Machine Gun Company joined 19 June 1916, moved to 40th Bn MGC March 1918 120th Trench Mortar Battery joined 8 June 1916 10/11th Btn, Highland Light Infantry joined February 1918, left as cadre June 1918 2nd Btn, Royal Scots Fusiliers joined and left April 1918 10th Btn, King's Own Scottish Borderers joined June 1918 15th Btn, Yorkshire Light Infantry joined June 1918 11th Btn, Cameron Highlanders joined as 6th Garrison Guard Bn June 1918 121st Brigade 12th Btn, Suffolk Regiment left May 1918 13th Btn, Yorkshire Regiment left June 1918 18th Btn, Sherwood Foresters merged with 13th Yorkshire R in April 1916 22nd Btn, Middlesex Regiment disbanded April 1916 20th Btn, Middlesex Regiment joined 23 February 1916, left as cadre May 1918 21st Btn, Middlesex Regiment joined 23 February 1916, left February 1918 121st Machine Gun Company joined 19 June 1916, moved to 40th Bn MGC March 1918 121st Trench Mortar Battery joined 25 June 1916 8th Btn, Royal Irish Regiment joined as 8th Garrison Bn June 1918 23rd Btn, Lancashire Fusiliers joined as 23rd Garrison Bn June 1918 23rd Btn, Cheshire Regiment joined June 1918 9th Btn, Worcestershire Regiment joined as cadre June 1918, absorbed July 1918 Divisional Troops 12th Btn, Yorkshire Regiment Divisional Pioneers left June 1918 244th Machine Gun Company joined July 1917, moved to 40th Bn MGC March 1918 40th Battalion MGC formed March 1918, disbanded May 1918 17th Btn, Worcestershire Regiment Divisional Pioneers joined June 1918 104th Battalion MGC formed 24 August 1918, left 16 September 1918 39th Battalion MGC joined 11 September 1918 Divisional Mounted Troops A Sqn, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry left 20 June 1916 40th Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps left 11 June 1916 Divisional Artillery CLXXVIII (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA CLXXXI Brigade, RFA CLXXXV Brigade, RFA broken up 31 August 1916 CLXXXVIII Brigade, RFA broken up 1 September 1916 40th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA (Hammersmith) V.40 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA formed 4 July 1916; broken up 7 March 1918 X.40, Y.40 and Z.40 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA formed 25 June 1916; on 7 March 1918, Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have 6 x 6-inch weapons each Royal Engineers 224th Field Company 229th Field Company 231st Company 40th Divisional Signals Company Royal Army Medical Corps 135th Field Ambulance 136th Field Ambulance 137th Field Ambulance 83rd Sanitary Section left April 1917 Other Divisional Troops 40th Divisional Train ASC 225, 226, 227, 228 Companies joined November 1915 but were replaced by 292, 293, 294 and 295 Companies by April 1916 51st Mobile Veterinary Section AVC 237th Divisional Employment Company joined April 1917 40th Divisional Motor Ambulance Workshop left after June 1918 13th Apr 1918 Withdrawal 14th Apr 1918 On the March 15th Apr 1918 At Rest 16th Apr 1918 Inspection 19th of June 1915    Jul 1915 Training Instruction Jul 1915 Billets 3rd April 1916 Join the 121st Brigade 1st May 1916 On the Move 5th May 1916 On the Move 27th May 1916 40th Division was mobilised 27th May 1916 40th Division Mobilised 4th June 1916 On the Move 5th June 1916 On the Move 6th June 1916 In Billets 7th June 1916 Orders 9th Jun 1916 Orders   9th June 1916 Orders Received   9th June 1916 On the March   10th June 1916 Instruction 11th June 1916 Instruction 12th June 1916 Instruction 13th June 1916 Instruction 14th June 1916 Instruction   15th June 1916 In Billets 17th Jun 1916 Orders 17th June 1916 Training 18th June 1916 Church Parade 18th June 1916 Instruction   20th Jun 1916 Orders 21 Jun 1916 Orders 21st June 1916 Instruction   22nd June 1916 On the March   20th Jul 1916 Orders   10th Aug 1916 Relef   23rd August 1916 Operational Orders from Brigade 26th August 1916 Reliefs 25th Sep 1916 Trench Raid   25th Sep 1916 Trench Raid 15th October 1916 Visit   19th Oct 1916 Orders 20th Oct 1916 Reliefs Completed   3rd November 1916 Lorries 3rd November 1916 Instructions 4th November 1916 121st Infantry Brigade Order No. 38.   1st Nov 1917 Baths Open 14th Nov 1917 Orders 17th Nov 1917 Orders 18th Nov 1917 On the March 19th Nov 1917 On the March   20th Nov 1917 Ready   22nd Nov 1917 Orders   23rd Nov 1917 Attack Made   24th Nov 1917 In Action   24th Nov 1917 In Action 25th Nov 1917 In Action   25th Nov 1917 Orders 27th Nov 1917 Congratulations   30th Nov 1917 Congratulations 24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 21st of January 1918 A Surrender   21st Jan 1918 Course 25th of January 1918 Enemy Raids Listening Post 1st of February 1918 Defence Line Work   5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 13th Feb 1918 Personnel 21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation 26th of February 1918 Corps Commander Visits   27th of February 1918 On the March   4th of March 1918 Showery 11th of March 1918 Hostile Shelling Increases   31st of March 1918 Relief Completed   1st Apr 1918 Reliefs Complete 2nd Apr 1918 Moves   3rd Apr 1918 Quiet   4th Apr 1918 Quiet 5th Apr 1918 Clothing 5th Apr 1918 Orders   6th Apr 1918 Reliefs Completed 7th Apr 1918 Reorganisation 8th Apr 1918 Moves 9th Apr 1918 In Action   9th of April 1918 A Busy Day   9th Apr 1918 In Action   9th Apr 1918 In Action   9th Apr 1918 Attacks   9th Apr 1918 Enemy Breaks Through 9th Apr 1918 Bridges   9th of April 1918 Message   10th of April 1918 Under Attack   10th Apr 1918 Attacks   10th Apr 1918 Heavy Shelling 11th of April 1918 Quiet...and then...   11th Apr 1918 Reliefs Complete   11th Apr 1918 Great Pressure 11th of April 1918 Steenwerck Captured   12th of April 1918 Enemy Advances   12th Apr 1918 Withdrawal 12th of April 1918 Orders 13th of April 1918 Report   24th of April 1918 Rest and Reorganisation   30th of April 1918 Reliefs and Attacks   30th of April 1918 Reports   22nd of May 1918 Cross Country 14th Oct 1918 British advance towards Lys.  On the 14th of October 1918, the 29th Division including the 1st Dublins & 2nd Leinsters, 40th division & 36th, began an advance towards Lys. They achieved considerable success on the first day. There was little resistance and it is said that the Germans were standing with their kit, ready to march away as prisoners. However their resistance increased in the afternoon. If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 40th Division? There are:105 items tagged 40th 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 40th Division during the Great War 1914-1918. Sutch Frederick George. Pte. 20th Bn (d.13th April 1917) Twigg Sidney. Sgt. 136th Field Ambulance All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Announcements 19th Nov 2024     Please note we currently have a massive backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 264989 your submission is still in the queue, please do not resubmit. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to the Great War. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great battalion regiment artillery Did you know? We also have a section on World War Two. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. 247474 Sgt. Sidney Twigg 136th Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps My paternal grandfather Sidney Twigg was born in 1886. He was 28 at the start of the war,and already the headmaster of Doveridge village school since 1906. He served with the RAMC as a Sergeant with 136th Field Ambulance, attached to the 40th Division of the British Army, which saw action in the Somme, Cambrai, Flanders, Ypres, and other battles. His medals from WW1 are the "Mutt and Jeff" pair. After 1918 he returned to his headmaster job, staying in that post until he retired in 1951, and is well remembered on the Doveridge village website. During WW2 he was in the Home Guard, and also a Special Constable. His medals include the Defence Medal, and the Special Constabulary Long Service Medal with 3 bars from the WW2 period. He died in 1961. Add to this record. 213272 Pte. Frederick George Sutch 20th Bn Middlesex Regiment (d.13th April 1917) Frederick George Sutch was the youngest son of John and Hester Sutch. John and Hester are my three times great uncle and aunt. The family was unknown to me until I started my family tree. Update: 20th (Reserve) Battalion (Shoreditch) 18th May 1915 Formed in Shoreditch, London by the Mayor and the Borough. July 1915 Transferred to 118th Brigade of the 39th Division. 15th August 1915 War Office takes over Command of Battalion. Oct 1915 Moved to Aldershot. Feb 1916 Moved to Witley and Transferred to the 121st Brigade of the 40th Division. June 1916 Mobilised for war and landed in France. Where they engaged in action on the Western Front including; The Battle of the Ancre in 1916, The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, (March 1917) The capture of Fifteen Ravine, Villers Plouich, (April 1917) Beaucamp and La Vacquerie, (May - June 1917) The Cambrai Operations. (June to November 1917) The above period covers the duration of his military service until his death on the 13th April 1917. His Battalion was part of 121 Infantry Brigade which in turn was in the 40th Division and overall the 4th Army under General Rawlinson. His death must have occurred during operation at Fifteen Ravine and Villers Plouich in what was generally termed the Battle of Arras. He is buried at Gouzeaucourt British Cemetery, Nord, France. Updated by John Doran (1st December 2013) Michael Leach Add to this record.

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