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British 7th Division (World War I)

7th Division Army Regular Army Formed September 1914 Demobilised British First World War divisions Previous Next 6th 8th

The British 7th Division was a Regular Army division that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire at the outbreak of the First World War. The division began moving to France on 6 October, 1914. The division fought in most of the major battles on the Western Front through to 1917 before being sent to Italy for the remainder of the war.

Unit history

Formation

20th Brigade 

• 2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders
• 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
• 2nd Battalion, the Scots Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
• 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders (until January 1916)
• 8th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from May 1915)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from August 1915)

The Guards battalions departed in August 1915 when the British Guards Division was formed.

21st Brigade 

• 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
• 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)
• 1/4th Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders (from April 1915, to 91st Bde. December 1915)

The brigade transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers

• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
• 1/8th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (until August 1915)
• 1/7th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) (from November 1915 until January 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
• 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
• 20th (Service) Battalion (5th City), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915)
• 24th (Service) Battalion (Oldham), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915 until May 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from May 1916 until October 1916)
• 2/1st Battalion, the Honourable Artillery Company (from October 1916)

91st Brigade 

• 2nd Battalion, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
• 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
• 21st (Service) Battalion (6th City), The Manchester Regiment
• 22nd (Service) Battalion (7th City), The Manchester Regiment
• 1/4th Battalion, the Cameron Highlanders (from 21st Bde. December 1915 until January 1916)

The brigade joined from the 30th Division in December 1915, swapping with the 21st Brigade. A number of battalions swapped to the brigade from other 7th Division brigades during the transition.

Battles

• First Battle of Ypres
• Battle of Neuve Chapelle
• Battle of Aubers Ridge
• Battle of Festubert
• Battle of Loos
• Battle of the Somme (1916)
• Third Battle of Ypres