43rd (Wessex) Division in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

43rd (Wessex) Division

   43rd (Wessex) Division was a formation of the Territorial Force formed as the Wessex Division as a result of the reforms of the army carried out in 1908 under the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane and was one of 14 Divisions of the peacetime TF.
The units of the Division had moved to their annual summer camp on Salisbury Plain in late July 1914 when War Office instructions arrived for precautionary measures to be taken. On 3 August the brigades moved to defended ports while Divisional HQ was established at Exeter. All units were mobilised for full time war service on 5 August 1914. Five days later the Division reconcentrated at Salisbury Plain and HQ moved to Tidworth. On 22nd of September 1914 the Government of India agreed to send 32 British and 20 Indian regular army battalions to Europe in exchange for 43 TF battalions. Lord Kitchener proposed instead to send the Wessex Division. The entire Division was to go, with the exception of the staffs of the infantry brigades, the ammunition columns of the artillery brigades, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Hampshire Heavy Battery, RGA. All units assembled at Southampton on 9th of October. Sailing via Malta and Suez, the main body of the Division went to Bombay, landing on 9th of November, with three units (4th, 5th and 6th Devons) landing at Karachi two days later.
On arrival, the units reverted to peacetime service conditions but remained embodied for full time duty.
1915
In March 1915, the 4th Hampshire Regiment and 5th Hampshire Howitzer Battery RFA left for service in Mesopotamia.
4th Hampshire Howitzer Battery RFA went to Aden in September 1915.
1916
Large numbers of units were sent to Mesopotamia; they were replaced by Second Line TF and Garrison units coming out from England. These units, while taking over the roles, were not placed under Divisional command.
1917
Three units left for Palestine and others went to Mesopotamia and Aden.
In 1919, some men being sent home from Mesopotamia were retained in India and formed into provisional battalions on account of local civil disorders. They were retained in India for the Third Afghan War. This aside, units were gradually reduced to cadres and sailed for England. The Wessex Division was reformed in England in 1920.
Order of Battle of the 43rd (Wessex)Division
128th (Hampshire) Brigade

1/4th Btn, Hampshire Regiment left March 1915 (Mesopotamia)
1/5th Btn, Hampshire Regiment
1/6th Btn, Hampshire Regiment left September 1917 (Mesopotamia)
1/7th Btn, Hampshire Regiment physically left January 1918 (Aden) but remained under Divisional command

129th (South Western) Brigade

1/4th Btn, Somerset Light Infantry left February 1916 (Mesopotamia)
1/5th Btn, Somerset Light Infantry left May 1917 (Palestine)
1/4th Btn, Dorsetshire Regiment left February 1916 (Mesopotamia)
1/4th Btn, Wiltshire Regiment left September 1917 (Palestine)

130th (Devon & Cornwall) Brigade

1/4th Btn, Devonshire Regiment left February 1916 (Mesopotamia)
1/5th Btn, Devonshire Regiment left April 1917 (Palestine)
1/6th Btn, Devonshire Regiment left January 1916 (Mesopotamia)
1/4th Btn, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry left January 1916 (Aden) then went to Palestine in February 1917

Divisional Troops under direct command of Divisional HQ
Wessex Divisional Transport and Supply Column ASC did not go to India (instead formed 29th Division Train and 27th Divisional Reserve Park in England)
Divisional Artillery

CCXV (I Wessex) Brigade, RFA left October 1916 (Mesopotamia)
CCXVI (Howitzer) (II Wessex) Brigade, RFA
CCXVII (III Wessex) Brigade, RFA
CCXVIII (IV Wessex) Brigade, RFA
Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, RGA did not go to India

Royal Engineers

I Wessex Field Company did not go to India (joined 27th Division in England)
II Wessex Field Company same
Wessex Divisional Signals Company same

Royal Army Medical Corps

1st Wessex Field Ambulance did not go to India (joined 8th Division in England)
2nd Wessex Field Ambulance
3rd Wessex Field Ambulance

20th November 1914 Reorganisation

19th of June 1915

13th Oct 1915 Artillery In Action

11th of April 1917 Reliefs

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1918 Course

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

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Want to know more about 43rd (Wessex) Division?

There are:9 items tagged 43rd (Wessex) 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
43rd (Wessex) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Hughes George Brookes. Pte. 14th Btn.
Nunn Joseph. Pte. 1/7th Btn.

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19th Nov 2024
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243090

Pte. George Brookes Hughes 14th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers

In November 1914 George Hughes joined 14th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers at Llandudno, part of Kitchener's new army. At time of enlistment, George lived at 11 Kings Road, Llandudno. In August 1915 the Battalion moved to Winchester for final training. On the 1st December 1915 they marched from Winchester to Southampton, the majority of officers and men embarking on the SS Empress Queen for "an extremely rough passage during the night, of 6 hours duration" to Le Havre, Normandy. In July 1916 they were in action at Mametz Wood on the Somme and the Battalion suffered heavy casualties.
Allan Stevenson

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220247

Pte. Joseph Nunn 1/7th Btn. Hampshire Regiment

Private Joseph Nunn. 39908 1/7th Hants Reg. was one of those men. We are doing a project to commemorate WW1 in our village, Whittlesford in Cambridgeshire. We aim to find out about the men who went from the village, thought to be about 118 in a village of approx. 720 people. We are working on finding out more about him.
39908 Private Joseph Nunn served with the 1st/7th Battalion Hampshire Regiment during WW1. There follows a record of the Battalions movements as part of 128th (Hampshire) Brigade in the 43rd (Wessex) Division. The Division was sent to India under peacetime conditions but remained ready for active service. His battalion moved to Aden in January 1918. His medal card merely records the award of the British War and Victory Medals with no details of any unusual events.
Karen Wright

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43rd (Wessex) Division

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The Wartime Memories Project - 43rd (Wessex) Division during the Great War -

43rd (Wessex) Division

Want to know more about 43rd (Wessex) Division?

Those known to have served with43rd (Wessex) Divisionduring the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- 43rd (Wessex) Division during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
43rd (Wessex) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.