59th (2nd North Midland) Division


The 59th Division was an infantry division of the British Army during World War I. It was formed in late 1914/early 1915 as a 2nd Line Territorial Force formation raised as a duplicate of the 46th Division. After training in the United Kingdom and saw service in the Easter Rising in April 1916, the division joined the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front in early 1917. It saw action at Ypres and Cambrai, and was almost destroyed during the German Army's Spring Offensive in March 1918. The reconstituted division took part in the final advances of the war.

Origin

The formation of Reserve or 2nd Line units of the Territorial Force was authorised on 31 August 1914, and the units were quickly formed from the flood of volunteers coming forward, trained by those men of the 1st Line TF who had not signed up for overseas service or were medically unfit. At first the men had to live at home, and parade in civilian clothes until the county TF associations were able to issue clothing and equipment. In January 1915, the 2nd North Midland was created as an exact duplicate of the 1st North Midland Division, the units being differentiated by '1/' or '2/' prefix. The 1st North Midland Division was the first complete TF formation to reach the Western Front, where it received the designation 46th Division. The 2nd Line division was designated 59th Division in August 1915.

Order of battle

The composition of 59th until May 1918 was as follows:

176th (2/1st Staffordshire) Brigade

The infantry battalions of 176th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 9 May 1918 and transferred to 66th Division on 30 May 1918.

177th (2/1st Lincoln and Leicester) Brigade

The infantry battalions of 177th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 9 May 1918 and transferred to 16th Division and 30th Division.

178th (2/1st Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire) Brigade

The infantry battalions of 178th Bde were reduced to training cadres on 7 May 1918 and transferred to 16th and 30th Divisions.

Support troops

;Mounted Troops
;Artillery
;Engineers
;Pioneers
;Machine Guns
;Medical Services
;Transport
;Labour
Early in January 1915, the units assigned to the division concentrated round Luton, where it formed part of Third Army in Central Force. In February the men were issued with.256-in Japanese Ariska rifles with which to train, and it was not until November 1915–March 1916 that these were replaced with.303 SMLE rifles and Lewis guns. Similarly, the gunners had to train with 'Quaker' guns – logs of wood mounted on cart wheels – until March 1915 when a few 90 mm French guns arrived for training. Later, some 15-pounder field guns and obsolete 5-inch howitzers were received, without sights.
In June 1915, the 2nd Line units began to send drafts of reinforcements to their 1st Line parents serving on the Western Front, while the Home Service men were transferred to provisional battalions. This reduced the strength and delayed the training of the division. In July 1915 it moved to a training area around St Albans. Here in early 1916 the artillery finally received their establishment of horses, 18-pounder field guns and 4.5-inch howitzers.

Ireland

The 59th was the 'mobile division' in Home Forces, held in readiness to combat a landing along the East Coast; when the Easter Rising broke out in Dublin on 24 April 1916, it was ordered into immediate readiness and despatched to Ireland, the first TF formation to serve there. Here, units of the division – many with only a few weeks' training – were hastily thrown into combat, some taking heavy casualties; the 2/7th and 2/8th Sherwood Foresters lost over two hundred men killed or wounded at Mount Street on 26 April and at the South Dublin Union on 27 April. After the end of fighting in Dublin, the 59th moved to the Curragh for further training until the end of the year.
The division returned to England in January 1917 and began final battle training at Fovant, where there was a large purpose-built camp on the edge of the Salisbury Plain training area, before embarking for France on 17 February.

Western Front

Polygon Wood

The 59th Division took part in following the German Retreat to Hindenburg Line in March and April, but it was not until September that it was engaged in its first full-scale action, the phase of the 3rd Ypres Offensive known as the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. This was a carefully prepared assault with massive artillery preparation, and most of the objectives were taken easily. The next phase, the Battle of Polygon Wood, was equally successful, with 59th Division advancing steadily behind its barrage onto the final objectives.

Bourlon Wood

59th Division was next moved south to join in the Battle of Cambrai. The division entered the recently captured line between Cantaing and Bourlon Wood on 28 November. Fierce German counter-attacks began on 30 November. Two infantry assaults were made against 176 Bde, but both attacks were easily broken up under British artillery fire. Lance-Corporal John Thomas of the 2/5th North Staffords was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry in reconnoitring these attacks. That night the rest of 176 Bde in Bourlon Wood were subjected to a violent bombardment of high explosive and gas shells, but the division was not directly attacked the following morning. By 4 December the decision had been made to withdraw from the Bourlon Salient, and 59th Division held covering positions while this was carried out. By 7 December the British were back on the line that they would hold for the coming winter.
As a result of the BEF's manpower crisis at the end of 1917, the establishment of each infantry brigade was reduced from four to three battalions in January 1918. In 59th Division, each brigade saw one battalion disbanded to provide reinforcements, and one other absorbed its 1st Line parent from the 46th Division.

Spring Offensive

When the German Spring Offensive opened on 21 March 1918, 59th Division was holding the line of the Bullecourt Salient, with a thinly held 'Forward Zone', covering Bullecourt itself. This was where the heaviest German attack fell, following a hurricane bombardment and covered by morning mist. The battalions in front were driven from their defences and forced back through the village. Here and in the defences further to the north west a few survivors fought on for some hours. 176th and 178th Brigades were virtually destroyed, and the reserves moving up were swamped. The division's field guns in the forward zone were captured after firing over open sights at the advancing Germans. The line was held by rear details, including the gunners using rifles and Lewis guns. Only two batteries of 59th Divisional Artillery escaped.
Over the next few days, 177th Brigade and the remaining divisional artillery remained in action under the command of 40th Division, fighting rearguard actions during the British Army's 'Great Retreat'. 59th Division was sent north to recuperate, but there the survivors were caught up in the second phase of the Spring Offensive at the Battle of Bailleul and the Battle of Kemmel Ridge. About 2,000 men of the division, under Brig-Gen C.H.L. James of 177th Brigade, formed 'James's Force' and fought on for a couple more days under the command of 49th Division, but then the exhausted 59th Division was withdrawn from the front line.
at Gauchin, 30 March 1918. They are accompanied by Brigadier General T. G. Cope and Major General Cecil Romer.
In May 1918 the shattered 59th Division was temporarily disbanded at Saint-Omer and its battalions and trench mortar batteries reduced to training cadres, the surplus men being drafted to other units.
However, the Divisional Artillery remained in the Line, serving with various formations as required: 62nd Division, 37th Division, XVIII Corps, 5th Division and 61st Division.
The 59th Division was reconstructed at Hestrus from Garrison Guard battalions sent from the United Kingdom. Until June, it was employed in digging rear defences, then it underwent training to enable it to hold a sector of the front line. On 25 July the reconstructed division went back into the line.

Reconstruction

The order of battle of the reconstructed 59th Division was as follows:

176th Brigade

;Mounted Troops
;Artillery
  • CCXCV Brigade, RFA
  • * A, B, C and D Batteries
  • CCXCVI Brigade, RFA
  • * A, B, C and D Batteries
  • 59th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade, RFA
  • * X.59 and Y.59 Medium Trench Mortar Batteries
  • 59th Divisional Ammunition Column, RFA
;Engineers
  • 59th Divisional Engineers
  • * 467th, 469th and 470th Field Companies, RE
  • * 59th Signal Company, RE
;Pioneers
;Machine Guns
;Medical Services
;Transport
;Labour
;Attached Allied Troops
On 21 August the 59th Division once more took part in active operations, at the Battle of Albert. 59th Divisional Artillery rejoined on 27 August. From 2 October until 11 November 1918 the division participated in the final advance in Artois and Flanders. On 2 October, 59th Division ordered two minor operations in which detachments advanced under cover of smoke and a creeping barrage; these determined that the enemy had retired, and so the division advanced against little opposition. On 16 October the division fought its way through the old defences of Lille, and liberated the city against minimal opposition the following day. Opposition stiffened at the River Schelde was approached, but this was crossed in early November. The Armistice on 11 November found the division astride the Schelde north of Tournai.

Demobilisation

After the Armistice, 59th Division moved first to the area around Lille and then around Béthune. It was engaged in training and education. On 8–10 December it sent 178th Brigade, with 2/2 NM Field Ambulance and 516 Co ASC to Dunkirk to operate a dispersal camp for miners who were being demobilised early from the British Expeditionary Force. On 13–15 January 1919, 177th Brigade moved to Dieppe for demobilisation duties, where it was joined on 25 January by the pioneer battalion to build the demobilisation camp. On 8 March, Divisional HQ moved to Calais, and during the month other units followed. On 21–23 May, the units of 176th Brigade left for service in Egypt and were replaced on 16 June by 19th Brigade transferred from 33rd Division:
19th Brigade
By now, the division's responsibility was to train drafts for the forces serving in Egypt and the Black Sea. 59th Divisional Artillery was demobilised on 8 August, and on 29 August orders arrived to break up the rest of the division. Divisional HQ closed on 1 September 1919, and during the month the remaining cadres returned to England.

General Officers Commanding

The following officers commanded 59th Division during its existence: