2nd east lancashire division infantry division british_army saw service trenches western later years great war disbanded war reformed disbanded seeing active service second world war division created shortly outbreak world war end august 2nd second line formation composed primarily soldiers eastern lancashire industrial towns manchester training home service deployed western early major combat came october year battle march suffered extremely heavy losses operation michael german spring offensive withdrawn line reduced rebuilt returned time days offensive battle following armistice november stationed belgium march division reformed war regional title duplicate expansion early active slightly year disbanded june having seen home service component units transferred divisions world war formation home service division created end august 2nd second line formation territorial force soldiers deployed overseas consent territorial units accordingly split line men volunteered overseas service second line intended home service percent refused volunteer august second line units served absorb large number recruits joined following outbreak war commander brigadier general year old retired officer commanded brigade years earlier original 2nd organised infantry brigades battalions later numbered lancashire brigade composed 5th 6th 7th 8th east lancashire brigade composed 4th 5th 9th 10th manchester regiment composed 5th 6th 7th 8th manchester regiment drew men bury manchester division raised second line territorial artillery units lancashire manchester recruiting area attached squadron years 2nd numbered division august provided trained replacements parent unit carried home defence duties england elements division assembled near late moved south kent sussex area essex early early 5th second line battalion detached overseas service joined 51st battalion replaced duplicate battalion 5th line territorial battalions active service companies sent france join 48th south midland division heavy artillery batteries withdrawn broken following military service act january territorial soldiers deemed liable overseas service february division instructed prepare continental europe received new experienced commander flanders division arrived france early batch second line territorial divisions sent britain attached army april brigadier general officer commanding wounded died day june division transferred relatively quiet coastal sector flanders summer held ready operation amphibious landing coastal offensive rest planned support advance east operation postponed times cancelled october end september division relieved parent unit 42nd east lancashire division days overlap men able meet friends relations seen division moved south area division assigned predominantly australian formation moved line replace october relief badly leaving australian staff officers doubtful efficiency division october division debut night october brigades begun cover miles line usually took hours despite starting hours attack late zero hour attacked left flank divisional defences little damaged artillery bombardment advancing barrage held yards short objective arrived late right flank exhausted hour march mud attacked soon arrived brigade rapidly advanced drier sandy ground reached final objective yards short village officer patrol entered village found midday battalions near village withdrew flanks gain touch units objective troops centre withdrew distance german counter attack repulsed nightfall divisional commander ordered short withdrawal link left avoid fire brigade ended day yards start line loss casualties division relieved night october second senior officer killed action brigadier general commanding divisional artillery killed near november late december new commanding officer appointed division decorated veteran colonial wars served staff posts wounded second boer war recently served chief staff division reorganised winter brigade machine gun companies consolidated battalion pioneer battalion 5th border regiment joining division substantial change loss battalions 5th 8th 10th manchester regiment brigade change british divisions bring remaining battalions france strength increase ratio artillery infantry point general exchange men 42nd divisions core 6th lancashire 4th 9th transferred division amalgamated second line counterparts 42nd division received men disbanded battalions division division remained area february march division assigned holding area north bordering 24th right 16th irish division vii corps left corps sector north south new defence depth scheme small forward zone delay disrupt attack machine gun fire main body division remained battle zone local counter attacks forward zone reserve rear zone british deliberate attacks trench warfare conditions rapid counter attacks defensive german army perfected early felt vulnerable saw exposed positions combat units kept close line percent battalions forward zones leaving vulnerable attack lack manpower meant defensive positions necessary scheme work prepared rear zone morning march german spring offensive began battle elements attacked thick fog dawn battalions 4th 8th held positions forward zone reached battle zone fighting intensified right flank near boundary 24th division reserve company 7th held defensive position surrendered having lost percent casualties run ammunition left 6th held early afternoon survivors forced retreat battle zone northern element division defensive plan fortified quarry outside village held 7th lancashire 5th border regiment quickly surrounded bypassed attackers later day men escaping village defended 6th artillery battery course day battery destroyed pushed edge village positions night fell day men division killed detailed figures available suggest men wounded captured british casualties day killed wounded captured division known lost men killed morning march german attacks continued push remaining units division supported handful tanks composite force managed fighting retreat units avoiding shortly noon remnants division ordered retreat 50th division preparing fresh defences original edge rear zone division retreated new defensive line aid 5th temporarily transferred support 50th division took line following days divisions fell line division plus 5th took positions west bank river west march german army crossed 8th counter attacked success continued hold line close river expecting follow attack day temporarily attached units slowly pushed banks withdrawing night fell march remnants division holding position south 50th division right troops army river left attack morning march opening pushed units north bank division retired losing contact fell avoid flanked remaining troops moved reserve defended village early afternoon retired filled yard gap 39th divisions battalion formed reinforcement drafts lieutenant colonel commander 5th borders leave german offensive began moved line march british troops north night line south held 16th 39th 50th divisions battle continued continued march division pushed night division took positions facing north line mile brigade headquarters moved forward reinforce line division reorganised later year casualties numerous brigade structure reformed took turns command infantry morning march german attack broke division retreated south left nightfall line pushed miles elements division remained fighting line late march fought counter attack near command division division relieved 18th division night march days fighting men remained division ceased function organised unit infantry brigades infantry battalions lost commanders line strength reduced fewer company battalion proposal division discussed week april quickly rejected march near badly wounded good leg lame following injury south_africa left division recover command taken temporarily brigadier general march commanded 25th division october promoted division youngest man command division war temporary held substantive rank captain driven figure inspired admiration contemporaries saw outstanding commander furious temper time relations staff diminished point refused meals believed units leaving repeatedly returned staff officers battalion commanders brigade later provide new divisional transferred intervention chief staff army headquarters simply taken hospital approach extended new command april sent divisional acquire guns order reform division machine gun division idea appears entirely raiding divisions training school reported field marshal division ready return combat surprised find friend disapproved methods rejected proposal informed division instead withdrawn training unit later offered new division chose remain division hoping return lines later date following losses division reduced early meant infantry battalions cut officers men surplus sent base depots artillery engineer machine gun units distributed formations divisional artillery attached april battle later month summer continued planning rebuilding division having recruited staff felt work expecting experienced men available drafts returned mediterranean overseas divisions suffered fewer casualties reduction battalions brigade meant large numbers men returning reinforcements assembled divisional 39th division train american divisions british zone training process complicated rigid schedule laid american high command strongly objected plans july american divisions moved british troops began arrive palestine assembly division delayed returning men given home leave having spend time division complicated history period large number units attached withdrawn short periods merged disbanded thirty infantry battalions attached short periods divisional artillery supply columns remained support line ambulance company later transferred serve future division doubt early september transferred training role division expected disbanded argued retaining division ordered prepare line service replaced bring division strength end september following reorganisation division left 1st 2nd 4th regiments 5th 6th 6th 9th manchester regiment 18th divisional pioneers 9th gloucestershire regiment year half arriving france division retained 6th lancashire 9th manchester original battalions amalgamated units days offensive division reached forward areas september command reserve corps moved line october relieving 25th division division attacked dawn october opening phase second battle captured village nightfall determined resistance breakthrough division moved forward miles days patrols entering outskirts october night october divisional pioneers engineers crossed thick fog capture costly attack river crossing opening stage battle october final advance germany division withdrawn short rest moving line november point onwards division moved continually close pursuit retreating german army supported 25th division battle november november past 25th division advance leading units supplies ran short supply services struggled bring sufficient food ammunition roads wrecked bridges main british advance forced halt november maintain pursuit improvised force consisting raf squadrons support units division began pushing forward november advanced miles broad second advance november stopped minute divisional staff received warning armistice begin armistice november reached area september november division incurred casualties days offensive allied divisions succeed attack ordered north secure eastern belgium november began north region stationed division remained disbanded march remained germany colonel commandant 2nd headquartered second world war background 1930s tensions built nazi germany united_kingdom allies late german demands annexation czechoslovakia led international crisis attempt avoid war british prime minister met german chancellor adolf_hitler september munich agreement agreement war allowed germany annex intended agreement reconcile differences future issues resolved peacefully relations countries soon deteriorated march germany breached terms agreement invading occupying remnants czech state response march british secretary state war announced plans increase men double number territorial divisions intended plan action existing units recruit allowed establishments aided increase pay removal restrictions promotion major recruiting preceding years construction better quality barracks increase supper time rations form second line divisions small built result created unit duplicate line 42nd east lancashire infantry division april limited conscription introduced time age regular army intent trained months deployed forming second line units despite intention army grow size programme complicated lack central guidance expansion process issues lack facilities equipment instructors history despite ongoing efforts regiments able recruit required numbers form new battalions process words historian progressed paper stage second world war began september infantry division finally active september constituent units formed administered 42nd east lancashire division headquartered manchester composed major general given command division assigned november division transferred january given command division division based north manchester spread parts lancashire yorkshire war time deployment envisioned deployed reinforce regular army deployed european mainland equipment available plan envisioned deployment force waves divisions completed training final divisions deployed year outbreak war result division leave united_kingdom evacuated france june soon troops returned france british_army began implementing lessons learned campaign organizing formations army motor divisions brigades reformed regular infantry divisions brigades result disbanded june transferred went 1st assigned 55th general officer commanding division following commanders world war division following commanders second world war
66th Division (United Kingdom)