List of wartime orders of battle for the British 3rd Division (1809–1945)

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3rd Division
3rd Infantry Division
The divisional insignia used since 1940
ActiveRaised and disbanded numerous times between 1809 and present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
EngagementsNapoleonic Wars
Crimean War
Second Boer War
First World War
Second World War

An order of battle is a list of the various elements of a military formation organised within a hierarchical command structure. It can also provide information on the strength of that formation and the equipment used.[1] An order of battle is not necessarily a set structure, and it can change depending on tactical or strategic developments, or the evolution of military doctrine. For example, a division could be altered radically from one campaign to another through the adding or removing of subunits, but retain its identity and prior history. The size of a division can vary dramatically as a result of what forces are assigned and the doctrine employed at that time.

The first 3rd Division that was formed was a mere 3,747 men strong and did not include supporting weapons such as artillery.[2] In comparison, the 3rd Infantry Division, from the Second World War period, was over 18,000 men strong and supported by 72 artillery pieces and numerous other support weapons.[3] Each war that the division fought in, between 1809 and 1945, has a corresponding order of battle section.

Napoleonic Wars[edit]

See caption
A portrait of Thomas Picton, the man who commanded the division for the majority of the Peninsular War, by William Beechey.

During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the British Army grew in size. On 18 June 1809, Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, commander of the British forces in Spain and Portugal, ordered the creation of four divisions, including the 3rd Division.[4] During the division's first action of the Peninsular War (the name given to Napoleonic Wars fought in Spain and Portugal), the Battle of Talavera (1809), it was 3,747 men strong.[2] By the next year, it had grown to a strength of 4,743 men, including attached Portuguese troops.[5] The strength of the division fluctuated over the following years, partially as a result of Portuguese troops being attached and detached. In 1811, the division had increased to 5,480 men. It then peaked at 7,437 men strong during 1813, before decreasing to 4,566 during the final stages of the Peninsular War.[6] It was reformed on 11 April 1815, in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium), on the resumption of hostilities. It fought at the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, and had a strength of 6,970 men. It then marched into France. Shortly after, the Napoleonic Wars came to a conclusion. The division remained within the restored French kingdom, as part of the British Army of Occupation until it was disbanded in France during April 1817.[7]

Talavera Campaign (July 1809)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

3rd Division[8]

The division's 1st brigade:

The division's 2nd brigade:

Battle of Bussao (September 1810)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

3rd Division[5]

The division's 1st brigade:

The division's 2nd brigade:

Portuguese Brigade:

Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro (May 1811)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

3rd Division[9]

The division's 1st brigade:

The division's 2nd brigade:

Portuguese Brigade:

Vittoria campaign (June 1813)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

3rd Division[10]

The division's 1st brigade:

The division's 2nd brigade:

Portuguese Brigade:

Hundred Days campaign (1814)[edit]

3rd Division[11]

British Fifth Brigade

Second King's German Legion Brigade

First Hanoverian Brigade

  • Field Battalion Bremen
  • Field Battalion Verden
  • Field Battalion York
  • Field Battalion Lüneburg
  • Field Battalion Grubenhagen
  • Field Jäger Corps

Divisional Artillery

  • British Foot Battery
  • King's German Legion Foot Battery

Crimean War (1854–1856)[edit]

During the war, each division within the expeditionary force had a 1st and a 2nd Brigade.[12]

1854–1855[edit]

3rd Division[12]

1st brigade:

2nd brigade:

Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery

June–December 1855[edit]

3rd Division[13][a]

1st brigade:

2nd brigade:

Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery

  • F Battery
  • W Battery (rejoined the division by August 1855)
  • #4 Ball Cartridge Brigade

1856 (until April)[edit]

3rd Division[15]

1st brigade:

2nd brigade:

Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery

  • F Battery
  • W Battery
  • #4 Ball Cartridge Brigade

1856 (after April)[edit]

3rd Division[16]

1st brigade:

2nd brigade:

Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery

  • F Battery
  • W Battery
  • #4 Ball Cartridge Brigade

Second Boer War[edit]

On mobilisation in 1899[edit]

3rd Division[17]

5th Brigade (Irish Brigade)

6th Brigade (Fusilier Brigade)

Divisional Troops:

  • 14th King's Hussars (1 squadron)
  • Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery
    • No. 74 Field Battery
    • No. 77 Field Battery
    • No. 79 Field Battery
    • Ammunition Column
  • Field Engineer Company, No. 12
  • Supply Column (Train Company, No. 33)
  • Field Ambulance No. 7

January 1900[edit]

3rd Division[18]

5th Brigade

6th Brigade

Divisional Troops:

February 1900, onwards[edit]

3rd Division[19]

5th Brigade

6th Brigade

Divisional Troops:

April 1900, onwards[edit]

3rd Division[20]

22nd Brigade

23rd Brigade

  • Composition not known

Divisional Troops:

  • Divisional artillery, Royal Artillery
    • No. 74 Field Battery
    • No. 77 Field Battery
    • No. 79 Field Battery

First World War[edit]

On 28 July 1914, the First World War began. On 4 August, Germany invaded Belgium and the United Kingdom entered the war against the German Empire.[21] The division soon after deployed to France, as part of the British Expeditionary Force, and it then served on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918.

The war establishment, the on-paper strength, of an infantry division in 1914 was 18,179 men, 5,594 horses, 18 motor vehicles, 76 pieces of artillery, and 24 machine guns. While there was a small change to the number of men and horses in a division in 1915, the main change was the decrease in artillery pieces to 48 and an increase in motor vehicles to 54. The establishment in 1916 increased the division size to 19,372 men, 5,145 horses, 61 motor vehicles, 64 artillery pieces, 40 trench mortars, and 200 machine guns. The 1917 changes saw a decrease to 18,825 men, 4,342 horses, 57 motor vehicles, and 48 artillery pieces, although the number of trench mortars remained the same, and the number of machine guns increased to 264.[22] By 1918, the number of front line infantry within the British Army in France had decreased because of casualties and a lack of eligible replacements, and this had led to a manpower crisis. To consolidate manpower and to increase the ratio of machine guns and artillery support available to the infantry, the number of battalions in a division was reduced from twelve to nine.[23][24] This resulted in the 1918 establishment of 16,035 men, 3,838 horses, 79 motor vehicles, 48 artillery pieces, 36 trench mortars, and 400 machine guns.[22]

First World War (1914–1918)[edit]

3rd Division[b]

7th Infantry Brigade (until 18 October 1915)

8th Infantry Brigade

9th Infantry Brigade[d]

85th Infantry Brigade (joined 19 February 1915, left between 2 and 6 April 1915)

76th Infantry Brigade (from 15 October 1915)

Divisional Mounted Troops

Divisional Artillery

  • XXIII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (until 21 January 1917)
    • 107th Battery
    • 108th Battery
    • 109th Battery (until 10 February 1916)
    • D (Howitzer) Battery (from 11 May 1916 until 21 January 1917)
    • XXIII Brigade, Brigade Ammunition Column
  • XL Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
    • 6th Battery
    • 23rd Battery
    • 49th Battery
    • 130th (Howitzer) Battery (from 14 May 1916)
    • XL Brigade, Brigade Ammunition Column
  • XLII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
    • 29th Battery
    • 41st Battery
    • 45th Battery
    • 129th (Howitzer) Battery (from 14 May 1916)
  • XXX (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (broken up on 14 May 1916)
    • 128th (Howitzer) Battery
    • 129th (Howitzer) Battery
    • 130th (Howitzer) Battery (until 25 June 1915)
    • XXX (Howitzer) Brigade, Brigade Ammunition Column
  • 48th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (until 19 April 1915)
    • 48th Heavy Battery Ammunition Column
  • X.3 Medium Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery (formed February 1916)
  • Y.3 Medium Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery (formed February 1916)
  • Z.3 Medium Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Field Artillery (formed February 1916, until February 1918 when distributed between X and Y batteries)
  • V.3 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (formed July 1916, until 6 March 1918)
  • 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column
  • No. 5 Pom-Pom Section (A.-A.) (from 20 September until December 1914)
  • 5th Mountain Battery (from 14 December 1914 until 3 March 1915)

Divisional Engineers, Royal Engineers

  • 56th Field Company
  • 57th Field Company (until 7 April 1915)
  • 56th Field Company
  • 1st Cheshire Field Company (from 22 December 1914; the company was later renamed the 438th (Cheshire) Field Company, and then the 438th Field Company)
  • 1st East Riding Field Company (from 20 September 1915; the company was later renamed the 529th (East Riding) Field Company, and then the 529th Field Company)
  • 3rd Divisional Signal Company

Divisional Pioneers

Divisional Machine Guns

  • 233rd Machine Gun Company (formed 18 July 1917)
  • No. 2 Battalion, Machine Gun Corps (formed 6 March 1918)
    • 3rd Machine Gun Company
    • 9th Machine Gun Company
    • 76th Machine Gun Company
    • 233rd Machine Gun Company

Divisional Medical Services, Royal Army Medical Corps

  • 7th Field Ambulance
  • 8th Field Ambulance
  • 9th Field Ambulance (until 26 August 1915)
  • 142nd Field Ambulance (from 26 August 1915)
  • No. 4 A Sanitary Section (from 9 January 1915; renamed No. 5 Sanitary Section, April 1916; left 3 April 1917)
  • 3rd Division, Ambulance Workshop (from 18 April 1915, until 9 April 1916 when merged with divisional supply column)

Divisional Veterinary Services, Army Veterinary Corps

  • 11th Mobile Veterinary Section

Divisional Services, Army Service Corps

  • 3rd Divisional Train
    • 15th Company
    • 21st Company
    • 22nd Company
    • 29th Company
  • 8th Divisional Employment Company (from 31 May 1917, renumbered 206th in June 1917)

Second World War[edit]

In 1939, following the German invasion of Poland, the United Kingdom declared war in support of the latter and entered the Second World War.[29]

The war establishment of an infantry division in 1939 was 13,863 men, 2,993 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 48 anti-tank guns, 361 anti-tank rifles, 126 mortars, and 700 machine guns. In 1941, the war establishment was changed to 17,298 men, 4,166 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 48 anti-tanks guns, 444 anti-tank rifles, 48 anti-aircraft guns, 218 mortars, and 867 machine guns. From 1944, the establishment was updated to 18,347 men, 4,330 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 110 anti-tank guns, 436 other anti-tank weapons, 359 mortars, and 1,302 machine guns.[3]

Second World War (1939)[edit]

7th Guards Brigade[30]

8th Infantry Brigade[31]

9th Infantry Brigade[32]

Divisional Troops

Second World War (1940–1945)[edit]

7th Infantry Brigade (Until June 1942)

8th Infantry Brigade[31]

9th Infantry Brigade[32]

185th Infantry Brigade (1943 onwards)[36]

33rd Tank Brigade (June 1942 - 1943)[37]

Divisional Troops

Notes[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ R. Ffrench Blake, a historian who has written about the Crimean War, provided an alternative order of battle for the division's 1st Brigade during July 1855. 1st Brigade: 4th (The King's Own Royal) Regiment of Foot, 14th (Buckinghamshire) Regiment of Foot, 39th (Dorsetshire) Regiment of Foot, 50th (Queen's Own) Regiment of Foot, and 89th (Princess Victoria's) Regiment of Foot.[14]
  2. ^ Unless otherwise noted, the division's order of battle during the First World War is sourced from Archibald Becke's Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1: The Regular British Divisions.[25]
  3. ^ During February 1916, the battalion rotated through the division's three brigades and was then attached to the divisional troops. On 9 February, the battalion left the division.[26]
  4. ^ The 9th Brigade was detached from the division on 17 February 1915, and rejoined 2 April 1915.[27]
  5. ^ Becke stated that the battalion was attached to the 9th Brigade effective 2 March 1915. Everard Wyrall, who compiled the history of the King's Regiment (Liverpool), stated the battalion joined the brigade on 25 November and quoted the brigade headquarters' diary to verify that date.[28]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ McDonald 2020, p. x.
  2. ^ a b Oman 1903, p. 645.
  3. ^ a b Joslen 2003, p. 131.
  4. ^ Haythornthwaite 2016, The Divisional System.
  5. ^ a b Oman 1908, pp. 545–546.
  6. ^ Oman 1911, pp. 618–619; Oman 1922, p. 751; Oman 1930, p. 556.
  7. ^ Weller 2010, p. 34; Siborne 1900, pp. 489, 783; Ross-of-Bladensburg 1896, pp. 48, 59–60.
  8. ^ Oman 1903, pp. 645–646, 650–651.
  9. ^ Oman 1911, pp. 618–619.
  10. ^ Oman 1922, p. 751.
  11. ^ Siborne 1900, pp. 783.
  12. ^ a b Warner 2001, p. 19; McGuigan 2001, pp. 8, 20, 34.
  13. ^ McGuigan 2001, pp. 41, 44, 50, 58.
  14. ^ Ffrench Blake 2006, p. 170.
  15. ^ McGuigan 2001, p. 66.
  16. ^ McGuigan 2001, p. 74.
  17. ^ Wisser 1901, pp. 230–231.
  18. ^ Creswicke 1900a, p. 93.
  19. ^ Creswicke 1900b, p. 123.
  20. ^ Creswicke 1900c, p. 91.
  21. ^ Cook & Stevenson 2005, p. 121.
  22. ^ a b Becke 1935, pp. 126–127.
  23. ^ Perry 1988, pp. 26–28.
  24. ^ Morrow 2005, p. 239.
  25. ^ Becke 1935, pp. 51–53.
  26. ^ London Rifle Brigade 1916, pp. 26–28.
  27. ^ Becke 1935, p. 51.
  28. ^ Becke 1935, pp. 52–53; Wyrall 2012, p. 99.
  29. ^ Ellis 1954, p. 1.
  30. ^ Joslen, p. 243.
  31. ^ a b Joslen, p. 246.
  32. ^ a b Joslen, p. 247.
  33. ^ "RA 1939–45 76 Fld Rgt". Ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  34. ^ Horrocks, pp. 76–92.
  35. ^ Keegan, pp. 225–241.
  36. ^ Joslen, p. 360.
  37. ^ Joslen, p. 206.

References[edit]

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