58th (2/1st London) Division in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project -

58th (2/1st London) Division

   The 58th (2/1st London) Division was formed as the 2/1st London Division, a second line Territorial Division. On 31st of August 1914 the War Office issued instructions for all units of the Territorial Force to form a reserve unit. The men who had agreed to serve overseas were separated from the rest. Those left as 'home service only' were formed into 'second line' units, which would be this reserve. When many of the 'first line' units of the senior 56th (1st London) Division were sent overseas, that Division was temporarily disbanded and the rest of its units joined the 'second line' in the 2/1st London Division. The number 57 was not issued until August 1915.
The 2/1st London Infantry Brigade was sent for garrison duty at Malta in early 1915, being replaced in the Division by the 'third line' 3/1st London Infantry Brigade. The 'second line' Divisions suffered greatly from lack of equipment of all sorts, and training was inevitably affected. The passing of the Military Service Act in early 1916 deemed all men to have agreed to serve overseas and thus the Division was available to be sent, once it was trained. After being based in the Ipswich area, the Division took over the East Coast defences in spring 1916. It moved again, to Sutton Veny, in July 1916.
1917
The Division received a warning order on 1st of January 1917 that it would soon depart for France. The units crossed the Channel from Southampton and Boulogne from 20th January and completed concentration at Lucheux on 8th of February. The Division then remained in France and Flanders and took part in the following engagements:

The pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line
The Battle of Bullecourt
The actions of the Hindenburg Line
The Battle of the Menin Road Ridge - Third Battles of Ypres
The Battle of Polygon Wood - Third Battles of Ypres
The Second Battle of Passchendaele - Third Battles of Ypres

1918

The Battle of St Quentin
The Battle of the Avre
The Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
The Battle of Amiens
The Battle of Albert - Somme
The Second Battle of Bapaume - Somme
The Battle of Epehy - Hindenburg Line
The general final advance in Artois

The Division had crossed the River Scheldt and the forward units were south of Ath on 11 November 1918. The Division remained in the Peruwelz area after the Armistice. Here the units began to demobilise and by early March 1919 the Division was down to a small set of cadres which were moved to Leuze. The last units sailed for home at the end of June 1919, bringing the history of the Division to an end.
Order of Battle of the 58th (London) Division
2/1st London Brigade Brigade left the Division for Malta in early 1915

2/1st Battalion, London Regiment arrived Malta 11 February 1915
2/2nd Battalion, London Regiment arrived Malta 31 December 1914
2/3rd Battalion, London Regiment arrived 31 December 1914
2/4th Battalion, London Regiment arrived 31 December 1914

174th (2/2nd London) Brigade

2/5th Battalion, London Regiment disbanded 31 January 1918
2/6th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 6th Battalion 31 January 1918
2/7th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 7th Battalion 2 February 1918
2/8th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 8th Battalion 2 February 1918
198th Machine Gun Company joined 21 February 1917, moved to 58th Battalion, MGC 2 Mar 1918
174th Trench Mortar Battery

175th (2/3rd London) Brigade

2/9th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 9th Battalion on 1st February 1918
2/10th Battalion, London Regiment
2/11th Battalion, London Regiment disbanded 31 January 1918
2/12th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 12th Battalion 31 January 1918
44th Machine Gun Company attached 23 February 1917 to 22 March 1917
215th Machine Gun Company joined 21 March 1917, moved to 58th Battalion, MGC 2 Mar 1918
175th Trench Mortar Battery

173rd (3/1st London) Brigade formed April 1915, replaced 2/1st London Brigade in this Division in August 1915

3/1st Battalion, London Regiment renamed 2/1st Battalion, June 1916, disbanded 31 January 1918
3/2nd Battalion, London Regiment renamed 2/2nd Battalion, June 1916, left 12 September 1918
3/3rd Battalion, London Regiment renamed 2/3rd Battalion, June 1916, became 3rd Bn 31 January 1918
3/4th Battalion, London Regiment renamed 2/4th Battalion, June 1916, aborbed into 2/2nd Battalion, 12 September 1918
197th Machine Gun Company attached 22 February 1917 to 26 March 1917
214th Machine Gun Company joined 25 March 1917, moved to 58th Battalion, MGC 2 Mar 1918
173rd Trench Mortar Battery
2/24th Battalion, London Regiment joined at Guyencourt 11 September 1918

Divisional Troops

4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment joined as Divisional Pioneer Battalion, 15 February 1918
206th Machine Gun Company joined 24 March 1917, moved to 58th Battalion, MGC 2 Mar 1918
58th Battalion MGC formed 2 March 1918
100th Machine Gun Company attached 7-25 September 1918

Divisional Mounted Troops

1/1st Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry broken up early 1915
A Sqn, Hampshire Carabiniers joined 21 March 1916 (A Sqn moved independently to France 17 January 1917, rejoined 25 January 1917)
1/1st Kent Cyclist Battalion joined October 1915, left 2 December 1915
2/1st Wessex Divisional Cyclist Company left before Division sailed

Divisional Artillery note: the artillery of 1st London Division came under command of this Division August 1915 - 23 September 1915 when transferred to the 36th (Ulster) Division

CCXC (2/I London) Brigade, RFA joined 25 September 1915
CCXCI (2/II London) Brigade, RFA joined 27 September 1915
CCXCIII (2/III London) Brigade, RFA joined 25 September 1915, became Army Brigade January 1917 (note: Brigade included 1st Glamorgan RHA and 1st Shropshire RHA)
2/IV London (How) Bde, RFA joined 21 September 1915, broken up July 1916 (ie before brigades were numbered)
1st London Heavy Battery, RGA a battery of four 4.7-inch guns which joined from 1st London Division in early 1915, left 11 February and moved independently to France, arriving on 3 March 1916 and coming initially under orders of XXVII Heavy Artillery Group
2/1st London Heavy Battery, RGA joined 24 September 1915, did not sail and remained in England
58th Divisional Ammunition Column RFA
V.58 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, RFA most personnel to X.58 and Y.58 on 8 February 1918, rest left for V/III Corps 18 February 1918
X.58, Y.58 and Z.58 Medium Mortar Batteries, RFA joined 1 March 1917, on 7-8 February 1918 Z broken up and batteries reorganised to have six 6-inch weapons each

Royal Engineers

2/1st London Field Company left for 1st London Division 21 February 1916
2/2nd London Field Company left for 1st London Division 21 February 1916
511th (1/5th London) Field Company joined 16 November 1915
503rd (2/1st Wessex) Field Company joined 22 February 1916
504th (2/2nd Wessex) Field Company joined 23 February 1916
58th Divisional Signals Company

Royal Army Medical Corps

2/1st London Field Ambulance left for 1st London Division 21 February 1916
2/2nd London Field Ambulance left for 1st London Division 21 February 1916
2/3rd London Field Ambulance left for 1st London Division 21 February 1916
2/1st Home Counties Field Ambulance joined 22 February 1916
2/2nd Home Counties Ambulance joined 22 February 1916
2/3rd Home Counties Field Ambulance joined 22 February 1916
58th Sanitary Section left for VIII Corps 30 March1917

Other Divisional Troops

58th Divisional Train ASC 509, 510, 511 and 512 Companies ASC
58th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC joined 21 November 1915
249th Divisional Employment Company formed by 23 June 1917, broken up 22 April 1919

Jul 1915 Training Instruction

Jul 1915 Billets

7th Sep 1915 Enemy Aircraft

8th Sep 1915 Enemy Aircraft

10th Sep 1915 Inspection

12th Sep 1915 Enemy Aircraft

13th Sep 1915 Enemy Aircraft

15th Sep 1915 Inspection

17th Sep 1915 Inspection

30th Sep 1915 Inspection

4th Oct 1915 Notification

22nd of March 1916 Local Relief

May 1916 On the Move

July 1916 On the Move

1st Jan 1917 Instructions

2nd Jan 1917 Orders

7th Jan 1917 Orders

8th Jan 1917 Officers

9th Jan 1917 Transfers

11th Jan 1917 Postings

17th Jan 1917 Instructions

20th Jan 1917 Advance Party

27th Jan 1917 Orders

30th Jan 1917 On the Move

31st Jan 1917 Orders

1st Feb 1917 In Camp

2nd Feb 1917 In Camp

13th Mar 1917 On the March

14th Mar 1917 Orders

15th Mar 1917 Recce

17th Mar 1917 Enemy Positions Empty

28th May 1917 Inspections and movements

20th of August 1917

25th of November 1917

26th of November 1917

24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1918 Course

27th January 1918 Brigade Church parade and Medal presentations

2nd February 1918 Reorganisation

5th Feb 1918 Course Ends

13th Feb 1918 Personnel

21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation

24th Feb 1918 Reliefs

1st Mar 1918 Zones

19th Mar 1918 Information

21st Mar 1918 Enemy Attacks

21st Mar 1918 Dispositions

21st Mar 1918 Attack Made

21st Mar 1918 Hard Fighting

21st Mar 1918 Critical Situation

21st Mar 1918 Counter Attack

21st Mar 1918 Withdrawal

21st Mar 1918 Gallant Actions

22nd Mar 1918 Enemy Attacks

22nd Mar 1918 Bridges not Blown

23rd Mar 1918 Enemy Advance

23rd Mar 1918 Orders Received

26th Mar 1918 Reorganisation

8th Aug 1918 Captured Weapons

© IWM (Q 6918) © IWM (Q 6919)
Officers of the 8th and 10th Battalions, London Regiment, 58th Division conferring by a captured German mortar near Malard Wood during the Battle of Amiens.

6th Sep 1918 Ground Gained

6th of October 1918 Orders

19th October 1918 Met with opposition at Rupilly Etieu

10th November 1918 156th Inf. Bde. Order No.70

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58th (2/1st London) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Marsden Morris James. 2Lt. 214th Coy. (d.20th September 1917)

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262040

2Lt. Morris James Marsden 214th Coy. Machine Gun Corps (d.20th September 1917)

Morris Marsden was born on 16 June 1895, the son of John and Mary Anne Marsden, of Maes-y-Clere, Cribyn. Morris is my great great great uncle.
He had served with the Glamorgan Yeomanry, on home service, before being commissioned into the Machine Gun Corps on 26 January 1917, and embarked for France on 8 March 1917, joining the 214th Company, Machine Gun Corps, which was attached to the 58th (London) Division. Morris joined up with the battalion in time to take part in the pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line. During May 1917 the Division fought at the Battle of Bullecourt, and later that year moved to Ypres, where it took part in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge.
Morris was killed in action during the Battle of the Menin Road, on 20th of September 1917. He was 22 years old, and is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium.
Alis Davies

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58th (2/1st London) Division

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The Wartime Memories Project - 58th (2/1st London) Division during the Great War -

58th (2/1st London) Division

Want to know more about 58th (2/1st London) Division?

Those known to have served with58th (2/1st London) Divisionduring the Great War 1914-1918.

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If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

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Recomended Reading.

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The Wartime Memories Project
- 58th (2/1st London) Division during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
58th (2/1st London) Division
during the Great War 1914-1918.