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72nd Division  Divisional History  The 72nd Division in 1914-1918 The history of 72nd Division This formation was created during the war. Late in 1916 orders were given for the formation of three additional home-service Divisions; they would have the dual role of carrying out training of men for overseas drafts, plus providing forces for home defence. 72nd was one of the three Divisions formed, and was initially established in Somerset. Division HQ was set up at Weston but soon moved to Bath. It moved between 5-18 January 1917 to Bedford, Wellingborough and Northampton (taking the place of 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division, recently departed for France). The Division came under command of Southern Army, Home Forces, and was responsible for East Coast defences from the River Deben to Orfordness. On 21 December 1917 orders were received that the Division should be broken up. Disbandment began in January 1918 and the final elements disappeared on 8 April 1918. On 1 January 1917 the Provisional units were all retitled, as shown in the Order of Battle below. A number of non-regimentally-affiliated Graduated Battalions joined in July 1917. They were affiliated and retitled on 27 October 1917. The order of battle of the 72nd Division 215th Brigade The three battalions comprising this Brigade had previously been with 8th Provisional Brigade, which was not under a Division 28th Provisional Battalion became 13th Lincolnshire Regiment, left by July 1917 70th Provisional Battalion became 15th Royal Sussex Regiment 81st Provisional Battalion became 18th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, left by 24 December 1917 258th Graduated Battalion joined by 23 July 1917; became 51st (Graduated) Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry on 27 October 1917 259th Graduated Battalion joined by 24 September 1917; became 51st (Graduated) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers on 27 October 1917 216th Brigade 10th Bn, the Somerset Light Infantry left by July 1917 14th Bn, the Yorkshire Light Infantry disbanded 8 April 1918 83rd Provisional Battalion from 8th Provisional Bde; became 10th Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry; left by July 1917 261st Graduated Battalion joined by 23 July 1917; became 52nd (Graduated) Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment on 27 October 1917 262nd Graduated Battalion joined by 9 July 1917; became 51st (Graduated) Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 27 October 1917 217th Brigade 2/4th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers disbanded by 8 April 1918 2/5th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers left by July 1917 2/6th Bn, the Northumberland Fusiliers left by 10 December 1917 264th Graduated Battalion joined by 9 July 1917; became 51st (Graduated) Battalion of the King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry) on 27 October 1917 265th Graduated Battalion joined by 24 September 1917; became 52nd (Graduated) Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers on 27 October 1917 Divisional Mounted Troops 72nd Divisional Cyclist Company, ACC broken up by 25 February 1918 Divisional Artillery broken up by 25 February 1918 CCCLII Brigade, RFA CCCLIII Brigade, RFA 72nd Divisional Ammunition Column RFA Royal Engineers all units joined by 20 November 1916 550th (3/1st Glamorgan) Field Company joined as a Fortress Company and redesignated; landed in France 23 June 1918 and went to Second Army 551st (2/2nd Glamorgan) Field Company broken up by 8 April 1918 647th (South Midland) Field Company broken up by 8 April 1918 72nd Divisional Signals Company joined as 8th Provisional Signals Section and redesignated; broken up 4 February 1918 Royal Army Medical Corps The 8th Provisional Field Ambulance joined 4 December 1916 and formed the three FAs for 72nd Division 304th (South Midland) Field Ambulance disbanded by 18 March 1918 305th (South Midland) Field Ambulance disbanded by 18 March 1918 306th (South Midland) Field Ambulance disbanded by 11 March 1918 105th Sanitary Section 72nd Divisional Train ASC 825, 826, 827 and 828 Companies ASC. 825 had previously been 8th Provisional Company ASC; the others were new and formed for the Division in November 1916; disbanded by 8 April 1918 57th Mobile Veterinary Section AVC joined January 1917, disbanded by 4 March 1918 There is no memorial or published history of 72nd Division. 1st May 1916 In Reserve   2nd May 1916 In Reserve   3rd May 1916 In Reserve   4th May 1916 In Reserve   4th May 1916 Reliefs   24th Dec 1917 Reorganisation 21st Jan 1918 Course 5th Feb 1918 Course Ends 13th Feb 1918 Personnel 21st Feb 1918 Reorganisation If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 72nd Division? There are:10 items tagged 72nd 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 72nd Division during the Great War 1914-1918. Gordon John Thompson. Dvr. 72nd Div. HQ (d.18th Nov 1918) 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. 1205808 Dvr. John Thompson Gordon 72nd Div. HQ Royal Field Artillery (d.18th Nov 1918) John Gordon died of Pneumonia on the 18th of November 1918, aged 24and is buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery in Egypt. He was the son of James Rae Gordon and Janet B. Gordon, of 109, High St., Kirkcudbright, Scotland s flynn Add to this record.

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