10th (Irish) Division


The 10th Division, was one of the first of Kitchener's New Army K1 Army Group divisions, authorized on 21 August 1914, after the outbreak of the Great War. It included battalions from the various provinces of Ireland. It was initially led by the Irish Lieutenant General Sir Bryan Mahon and fought at Gallipoli in 1915, Salonika, from 1915–1917, and Palestine from 1917–1918. It was the first of the Irish divisions to take to the field and was the most travelled of the Irish formations. The division served as a formation of the United Kingdom's British Army during World War I.

History

Formed in Ireland on 21 August 1914, the 10th Division was sent to Gallipoli where, as part of Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford's IX Corps, at Suvla Bay on 7 August it participated in the Landing at Suvla Bay and the August offensive. Some battalions of the division were landed at Anzac and fought at Chunuk Bair.
In September 1915, when the Suvla front became a stalemate, the division was moved to Salonika where it remained for almost two years and fought the Battle of Kosturino.
The division moved to Egypt in September 1917 where it joined Lieutenant General Sir Philip Chetwode's XX Corps. It fought in the Third Battle of Gaza which succeeded in breaking the resistance of the Turkish defenders in southern Palestine.
Heavy losses on the Western Front following Operation Michael, the great German spring offensive in 1918, resulted in the transfer of ten of the division's battalions from Palestine to France, their place being taken by Indian Army units. This left only one British battalion per brigade. The remainder of the division remained in Palestine until the end of the war with Turkey on 31 October 1918.
On 12 November 1918 the division concentrated at Sarafand, ready for moving back to Egypt. By 1 December it had returned to Cairo.

Order of battle

The division comprised the following brigades:
; 29th Brigade:
The brigade was reorganised with Indian Army units from April to June 1918
; 30th Brigade :
The brigade was reorganised with Indian Army units from April to June 1918
; 31st Brigade :
  • 5th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers '
  • 6th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers '
  • 5th Battalion, Princess Victoria's '
  • 6th Battalion, Princess Victoria's '
  • 2nd Battalion, Princess Victoria's '
  • 31st Machine Gun Company '
  • 31st Trench Mortar Battery '
The brigade was reorganised with Indian Army units from April to June 1918
Divisional Troops
Royal Artillery
  • LIV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
  • LV Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • LVI Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • LVII Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • 10th Divisional Ammunition Column R.F.A. '
  • LXVII Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • LXVIII Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • 10th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery '
  • 15th Heavy Battery R.G.A. '
  • IV Highland Brigade, R.G.A. '
  • 2nd Mountain Battery R.G.A. '
  • CXXXII Brigade, R.F.A. '
  • Hong Kong & Singapore Mountain Battery R.G.A. '
Royal Engineers
  • 65th Field Company '
  • 66th Field Company
  • 85th Field Company '
  • 10th Divisional Signals Company
  • 18/3 Sappers & Miners '
Royal Army Medical Corps
  • 30th, 31st and 32nd Field Ambulances '
  • 154th, 165th and 166th Camel Field Ambulances '
  • 21st Sanitary Section ''
  • 18th Sanitary Section ''''

    Battles and engagements

  • The landing at Suvla.
  • Battle of Sari Bair.
  • Capture of Chocolate Hill.
  • Hill 60.
Salonika front
  • Battle of Kosturino.
  • Retreat from Serbia.
  • Capture of the Karajokois.
  • Capture of Yenikoi.
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Commanders included: