2nd Division (British)
List of military divisions — List of British divisions in WWI — List of British divisions in WWII
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| 2nd Division |
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| Army | Regular Army |
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| Formed | 1809 |
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| Demobilised | Permanent |
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The British 2nd Division was originally formed in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington for service in the Peninsula War. In World War I it was a permanently established Regular Army division that was amongst the first to be sent to France at the outbreak of World War I. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the war After the war the division was part of the occupation force stationed at Cologne.
During World War II the division fought in Burma against the Japanese.
The current role of the division is the defence of the north of Great Britain.
The division's insignia is a pair of crossed keys.
Unit History
Formation
World War I
; 4th (Guards) Brigade :
The brigade left the division on August 20 1915 to join the
Guards Division and was renamed the 1st Guards Brigade.
; 5th Brigade :
The following battalions were part of the brigade during 1915.
- 1/7th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment (September 1915 to November 1915)
- 2nd Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (January 1915 to July 1915)
- 2nd Battalion, the Worcestershire Regiment (August 1914 to December 1915)
- 1/9th Battalion (Glasgow Highlanders), the Highland Light Infantry (November 1914 to January 1916)
- 1st Battalion, the Queen's Regiment (July 1915 to December 1915)
; 6th Brigade :
The following battalions were part of the brigade during 1915.
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment (August 1914 to December 1915)
- 1/5th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment (February 1915 to December 1915)
- 1/7th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) (March 1915 to September 1915)
- 1/1st Battalion, the Hertfordshire Regiment (August 1915 to June 1916)
The 17th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers joined the brigade from
the 5th Brigade in February 1918.
; 19th Brigade (August 19 1915 to November 25 1915) :
The brigade joined the division in August 1915 from the 27th Division and left in November for the 33rd Division,
where it swapped with the 99th Brigade.
; 99th Brigade :
- 22nd (Service) Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers
- 23rd (Service) Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers
- 1st Battalion, the Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 6th Bde. December 1915)
- 1st Battalion, the King's Royal Rifle Corps (from 6th Bde. December 1915)
The brigade joined the division from the 33rd Division in November 1915.
The following battalions left the brigade shortly afterwards:
- 17th (Service) Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers (to 5th Bde. December 1915)
- 24th (Service) Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers (to 5th Bde. December 1915)
- 1/5th Battalion, the King's (Liverpool) Regiment (from 6th Bde. December 1915)
World War II
Current
The division is currently headquartered at Edinburgh, Scotland.
; 15th (North East) Brigade :
; 42nd (North West) Brigade :
; 51st (Scottish) Brigade :
; 52nd (Infantry) Brigade :
Battles
World War I
World War II
External Links
Referenced By
27th Division (British) | British 27th Division
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