21st Division (United Kingdom)
The 21st Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I, raised in September 1914 by men volunteering for Lord Kitchener's New Armies. The division moved to France in September 1915 and served on the Western Front for the duration of the First World War. The divisional insignia was the "triple-seven".
History
The Division was the first of the six created for the Third New Army on 13 September 1914. It moved to France in September 1915. It took part in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, the Battle of the Somme in autumn 1916, the Battle of Arras in April 1917, the Battle of Passchendaele in autumn 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. The division suffered 55,581 killed, wounded and missing, being the highest number of casualties suffered by any New Army division. The Division ceased to exist on 19 May 1919.Order of battle
The following units served with the division:62nd Brigade
- 12th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 13th Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers
- 8th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
- 10th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own
- 3/4th Battalion, Queen's
- 2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
- 62nd Machine Gun Company
- 62nd Trench Mortar Battery
In July 1916 the brigade moved to the 37th Division, swapping with the 110th Brigade.
- 8th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment
- 8th Battalion, Prince Albert's
- 12th Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own
- 4th Battalion, Duke of Cambridge's Own
- 10th Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment
- 63rd Machine Gun Company
- 63rd Trench Mortar Battery
- 9th Battalion, King's Own
- 10th Battalion, King's Own
- 14th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
- 15th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry
- 1st Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment
- 64th Machine Gun Company
- 64th Trench Mortar Battery
In July 1916 the brigade joined from the 37th Division, swapping with the 63rd Brigade. Brigadier-General Edward Loch took command on 22 July 1917.
- 6th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
- 7th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
- 8th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
- 9th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Duke of Edinburgh's
- 110th Machine Gun Company
- 110th Trench Mortar Battery
- 14th Battalion, the Northumberland Fusiliers became Divisional Pioneer Battalion in February 1915
- 13th Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps
- 13th Battalion, Rifle Brigade
- 237th Machine Gun Company
- 21st Battalion Machine Gun Corps
- Divisional Mounted Troops
- * A Sqn, South Irish Horse
- 21st Divisional Cyclist Company, Army Cyclist Corps
- 21st Divisional Train Army Service Corps
- * 182nd, 183rd, 184th and 185th Companies
- 33rd Mobile Veterinary Section Army Veterinary Corps
- 222nd Divisional Employment Company
- XCIV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
- XCV Brigade, R.F.A.
- XCVI Brigade, R.F.A.
- XCVII Brigade, R.F.A
- 21st Divisional Ammunition Column R.F.A.
- 21st Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
- V.21 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery R.F.A.
- W.21 Medium Mortar Battery R.F.A.
- X.21, Y.21 and Z.21 Medium Mortar Batteries R.F.A. 4 x 6-inch mortars each
- 85th Field Company
- 86th Field Company
- 97th Field Company
- 98th Field Company
- 126th Field Company
- 21st Divisional Signals Company
- 63rd Field Ambulance
- 64th Field Ambulance
- 65th Field Ambulance
- 38th Sanitary Section
Commanders
- 16 September 1914 Lt Gen Edward Hutton
- 11 April 1915 Major-General George Forestier-Walker
- 18 November 1915 Major-General Claud Jacob
- 4 March 1916 Brig.-General G.M. Gloster
- 1 April 1916 Major-General Claud Jacob
- 22 May 1916 Major-General David Campbell