# 18th (Eastern) Division > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/18th_(Eastern)_Division > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/18th_(Eastern)_Division.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_(Eastern)_Division > Source revision: 1323240322 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Infantry division of the British Army during the First World War For the unrelated Second World War formation, see [18th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)](/source/18th_Infantry_Division_(United_Kingdom)). 18th (Eastern) Division Active September 1914 – 20 March 1919 Country United Kingdom Branch British Army Type Infantry Size Division Engagements World War I Battle of the Somme Battle of Passchendaele Battle of Épehy Commanders Notable commanders Ivor Maxse Military unit The **18th (Eastern) Division** was an [infantry](/source/Infantry) [division](/source/Division_(military)) of the [British Army](/source/British_Army) formed in September 1914 during the [First World War](/source/World_War_I) as part of the K2 Army Group, part of [Lord Kitchener](/source/Herbert_Kitchener)'s [New Armies](/source/Kitchener's_Army). From its creation the division trained in [England](/source/England) until 25 May 1915 when it landed in France and spent the duration of the First World War in action on the [Western Front](/source/Western_Front_(World_War_I)), becoming one of the elite divisions of the British Army. During the [Battle of the Somme](/source/Battle_of_the_Somme) in the latter half of 1916, the 18th Division was commanded by [Major General](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) [Ivor Maxse](/source/Ivor_Maxse). ## History ### Formation The division was formed in September 1914 during the [First World War](/source/World_War_I) as part of the K2 Army Group, part of [Lord Kitchener](/source/Herbert_Kitchener)'s [New Armies](/source/Kitchener's_Army). It was formed in the [Colchester](/source/Colchester) area but relocated to the [Salisbury Plain Training Area](/source/Salisbury_Plain_Training_Area) in May 1915.[1] Major-General [Ivor Maxse](/source/Ivor_Maxse) took command in October 1914, leading it until January 1917.[2] ## Order of battle The following units served in the division.[1] ****[53rd Brigade](/source/53rd_Brigade_(United_Kingdom))**** - 10th (Service) Battalion, [Essex Regiment](/source/Essex_Regiment) - 8th (Service) Battalion, [Norfolk Regiment](/source/Norfolk_Regiment) (*disbanded February 1918*) - 8th (Service) Battalion, [Suffolk Regiment](/source/Suffolk_Regiment) (*disbanded February 1918*) - 6th (Service) Battalion, [Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment)](/source/Princess_Charlotte_of_Wales's_(Royal_Berkshire_Regiment)) (*disbanded February 1918*) - 8th (Service) Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment) (*joined February 1918*) - 7th (Service) Battalion, [Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)](/source/Queen's_Own_(Royal_West_Kent_Regiment)) (*joined from 55th Brigade February 1918*) - 53rd Machine Gun Company (*joined 13 February 1916, left to move into 18th MG Battalion 16 February 1918*) - 53rd Trench Mortar Battery (*joined 17 June 1916*) ****[54th Brigade](/source/54th_Infantry_Brigade_(United_Kingdom))**** - 10th (Service) Battalion, [Royal Fusiliers](/source/Royal_Fusiliers) (*left October 1914*) - 11th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers - 6th (Service) Battalion, [Northamptonshire Regiment](/source/Northamptonshire_Regiment) (*joined November 1914*) - 12th (Service) Battalion, [Duke of Cambridge's Own (Middlesex Regiment)](/source/Duke_of_Cambridge's_Own_(Middlesex_Regiment)) (*disbanded February 1918*) - 8th (Service) Battalion, [Royal Sussex Regiment](/source/Royal_Sussex_Regiment) (*reformed as divisional pioneers February 1915*) - 7th (Service) Battalion, [Bedfordshire Regiment](/source/Bedfordshire_Regiment) (*joined February 1915 merged with 2nd Battalion in May 1918*)[3] - 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (*joined May 1918*) - 54th Machine Gun Company (*joined 13 February 1916, left to move into 18th MG Battalion 16 February 1918*) - 54th Trench Mortar Battery (*joined 1 June 1916*) ****[55th Brigade](/source/55th_Infantry_Brigade_(United_Kingdom))**** - 7th (Service) Battalion, [Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)](/source/Queen's_(Royal_West_Surrey_Regiment)) - 7th (Service) Battalion, [Buffs (East Kent Regiment)](/source/Buffs_(East_Kent_Regiment)) - 8th (Service) Battalion, [East Surrey Regiment](/source/East_Surrey_Regiment) - 7th (Service) Battalion, Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) (*transferred to 53rd Brigade February 1918*) - 55th Machine Gun Company (*joined 13 February 1916, left to move into 18th MG Battalion 16 February 1918*) - 55th Trench Mortar Battery (*joined 17 June 1916*) **Divisional Troops** - 6th (Service) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment (*left November 1914*) - 10th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (*joined October 1914, left March 1915*) - 8th (Service) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (*joined as Pioneer Battalion in February 1915 from 54th Brigade*) - 15th Motor Machine Gun Battery (*joined 22 July 1915, left 4 May 1916*) - 18th Battalion [Machine Gun Corps](/source/Machine_Gun_Corps) (M.G.C.) (*formed 16 February 1918 absorbing brigade MG companies*) - Divisional Mounted Troops - C Sqn, [Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry](/source/Westmorland_and_Cumberland_Yeomanry) (*joined 15 June 1915, left 10 May 1916*) - 18th Divisional Cyclist Company, [Army Cyclist Corps](/source/Army_Cyclist_Corps) (*formed 8 December 1914, left 21 May 1916*) - 18th Divisional Train [Army Service Corps](/source/Royal_Army_Service_Corps) - 150th, 151st, 152nd and 153rd Companies - 30th Mobile Veterinary Section [Army Veterinary Corps](/source/Royal_Army_Veterinary_Corps) - 219th Divisional Employment Company (*joined 3 June 1917*) **[Royal Artillery](/source/Royal_Artillery)** - LXXXII Brigade, [Royal Field Artillery](/source/Royal_Field_Artillery) (R.F.A.) - LXXXIII Brigade, R.F.A. - LXXXIV Brigade, R.F.A. (*left 25 January 1917*) - LXXXV (Howitzer) Brigade, R.F.A. (*broken up 3 December 1916*) - 18th Divisional Ammunition Column R.F.A. - 18th Heavy Battery, [Royal Garrison Artillery](/source/Royal_Garrison_Artillery) (*raised with the Division but moved independently to Egypt in October 1915*) - V.18 and W. 18 Heavy Trench Mortar Batteries R.F.A. (*V battery formed 28 April 1916, left for [II Corps](/source/II_Corps_(United_Kingdom)) on 19 February 1918. W battery formed 21 May 1916, but broken up by 26 November 1916*) - X.18, Y.18 and Z.18 Medium Mortar Batteries R.F.A. (*formed 19 June 1916, Z battery broken up 19 February 1918 and distributed to X and Y batteries*) **[Royal Engineers](/source/Royal_Engineers)** - 79th Field Company - 80th Field Company - 92nd Field Company - 18th Divisional Signals Company **[Royal Army Medical Corps](/source/Royal_Army_Medical_Corps)** - 54th Field Ambulance - 55th Field Ambulance - 56th Field Ambulance - 35th Sanitary Section (*left 24 March 1917*) ## Battles **1916** - [First Battle of the Somme](/source/Battle_of_the_Somme_(1916)) - [Second Battle of Albert](/source/Battle_of_Albert_(1916)) - [Capture of Montauban](/source/Capture_of_Montauban) - [Battle of Bazentin Ridge](/source/Battle_of_Bazentin_Ridge) - [First Capture of Trônes Wood](/source/Capture_of_Tr%C3%B4nes_Wood): 14–15 July 1916. - [Battle of Delville Wood](/source/Battle_of_Delville_Wood) - [Battle of Thiepval Ridge](/source/Battle_of_Thiepval_Ridge) - [Battle of the Ancre Heights](/source/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights) - [Capture of Schwaben Redoubt](/source/Capture_of_Schwaben_Redoubt) - [Capture of Regina Trench](/source/Capture_of_Regina_Trench) - [Battle of the Ancre](/source/Battle_of_the_Ancre) **1917** - [Operations on the Ancre](/source/Operations_on_the_Ancre%2C_January%E2%80%93March_1917) - [Actions of Miraumont](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Actions_of_Miraumont&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Capture of Irles](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capture_of_Irles&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Operation Alberich](/source/Operation_Alberich) - [Second Battle of Arras](/source/Battle_of_Arras_(1917)) - [Third Battle of the Scarpe](/source/Third_Battle_of_the_Scarpe) - [Capture of Chérisy](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capture_of_Ch%C3%A9risy&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Third Battle of Ypres](/source/Third_Battle_of_Ypres) - [Battle of Pilkem Ridge](/source/Battle_of_Pilkem_Ridge) - [Battle of Langemarck](/source/Battle_of_Langemarck_(1917)) - [First Battle of Passchendaele](/source/First_Battle_of_Passchendaele) - [Second Battle of Passchendaele](/source/Second_Battle_of_Passchendaele) **1918** - [Operation Michael](/source/Operation_Michael) - [Battle of St Quentin](/source/Operation_Michael#St._Quentin) - [First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux](/source/First_Battle_of_Villers-Bretonneux) - [Battle of the Avre](/source/Battle_of_the_Avre) - [Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux](/source/Second_Battle_of_Villers-Bretonneux) - [Hundred Days Offensive](/source/Hundred_Days_Offensive) - [Battle of Amiens](/source/Battle_of_Amiens_(1918)) - [Second Battle of the Somme](/source/Second_Battle_of_the_Somme) - [Third Battle of Albert](/source/Battle_of_Albert_(1918)) - [Capture of Tara-Usna Hills](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capture_of_Tara-Usna_Hills&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Second Capture of Trônes Wood](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Capture_of_Tr%C3%B4nes_Wood&action=edit&redlink=1) - [Second Battle of Bapaume](/source/Second_Battle_of_Bapaume) - [Battles of the Hindenburg Line](/source/Hindenburg_Line) - [Battle of Épehy](/source/Battle_of_%C3%89pehy) - [Battle of St Quentin Canal](/source/Battle_of_St_Quentin_Canal) - Final Advance on Artois - [Battle of the Selle](/source/Battle_of_the_Selle) - [Battle of the Sambre](/source/Battle_of_the_Sambre_(1918)) ## Commanders Rank Name Date Notes Lieutenant-General Sir Lawrence Parsons 14 September 1914 Transferred to 16th (Irish) Division 22 September 1914 Major-General Ivor Maxse 2 October 1914 Major-General Richard Lee 15 January 1917 ## Footnotes 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-trail_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-trail_1-1) Baker, Chris. ["18th (Eastern) Division"](http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/18th-eastern-division/). *The Long, Long Trail*. Retrieved 17 November 2018. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Ivor Maxse"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070731053916/http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/MAXSE.shtml). Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from [the original](http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/locreg/MAXSE.shtml) on 31 July 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Bedfordshire Regiment"](http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/bedfordshire-regiment/). The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 24 December 2015. ## See also - [United Kingdom portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:United_Kingdom) - [List of British divisions in World War I](/source/List_of_British_divisions_in_World_War_I) - [Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke](/source/Alan_Brooke%2C_1st_Viscount_Alanbrooke), who served with this division from 1916−1917 and ultimately rose to become [Chief of the Imperial General Staff](/source/Chief_of_the_General_Staff_(United_Kingdom)) (CIGS) during the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II) ## References - Nicholls, G.H.F. (1922). [*The 18th Division in the Great War*](http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100022557085.0x000002). Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons. ## External links - [The British Army in the Great War: The 18th (Eastern) Division](http://www.1914-1918.net/18div.htm) ## Further reading - [Maxse, Ivor](/source/Ivor_Maxse) (1917). [*The 18th Division in the Battle of the Ancre, 1916*](http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100007720574.0x000002). v t e Divisions of the British Army Active Administrative units Guards and Parachute Union Queen's Light Combat units 1st (United Kingdom) Division 3rd (United Kingdom) Division Post-Cold War period Administrative units Guards King's Light Prince of Wales's Queen's Scottish Scottish, Welsh and Irish Combat units 1st (UK) Armoured 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Multi-National Division (South-West) (Bosnia) Multi-National Division (South-East) (Iraq) Cold War Administrative units Guards King's Light Prince of Wales's Queen's Scottish Airborne 6th Airborne 16th Airborne Armoured 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 6th 7th 11th 49th (West Riding) 56th (London) Infantry 1st 2nd 3rd 5th 13th 40th 42nd (Lancashire) 43rd (Wessex) 44th (Home Counties) 50th (Northumbrian) 51st/52nd (Scottish) 53rd (Welsh) Other Artillery Division 1st Commonwealth Division 17th Gurkha Division Second World War (list) Airborne 1st Airborne 6th Airborne Armoured Guards 1st 2nd 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 42nd 79th Infantry Guards 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th (Highland) 12th (Eastern) 15th (Scottish) 18th 23rd (Northumbrian) 36th 38th (Welsh) 42nd (East Lancashire) 43rd (Wessex) 44th (Home Counties) 45th 46th 47th (London) 48th (South Midland) 49th (West Riding) 50th (Northumbrian) 51st (Highland) 52nd (Lowland) 53rd (Welsh) 54th (East Anglian) 55th (West Lancashire) 56th (London) 59th (Staffordshire) 61st 66th 70th 76th 77th 78th 80th Anti-Invasion "County Divisions" Devon and Cornwall Dorset Durham and North Riding Essex Hampshire Lincolnshire Norfolk Northumberland West Sussex Yorkshire Anti-Aircraft 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Deception See British deception formations in World War II African 1st (African) 2nd (African) 11th (African) 11th (East Africa) 12th (SDF) 81st (West Africa) 82nd (West Africa) Other 1st Cavalry Beauman Division Royal Marines Y Division British Army in India First World War (list) Regular Army Guards 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 27th 28th 29th New Army 1st New Army 9th (Scottish) 10th (Irish) 11th (Northern) 12th (Eastern) 13th (Western) 14th (Light) 2nd New Army 15th (Scottish) 16th (Irish) 17th (Northern) 18th (Eastern) 19th (Western) 20th (Light) 3rd New Army 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th 26th 4th New Army 30th 31st 32nd 33rd 34th 35th 5th New Army 36th (Ulster) 37th 38th (Welsh) 39th 40th 41st Territorial Force 1st Line 42nd (East Lancashire) 43rd (Wessex) 44th (Home Counties) 46th (North Midland) 47th (1/2nd London) 48th (South Midland) 49th (West Riding) 50th (Northumbrian) 51st (Highland) 52nd (Lowland) 53rd (Welsh) 54th (East Anglian) 55th (West Lancashire) 56th (1/1st London) 2nd Line 45th (2nd Wessex) 57th (2nd West Lancashire) 58th (2/1st London) 59th (2nd North Midland) 60th (2/2nd London) 61st (2nd South Midland) 62nd (2nd West Riding) 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) 64th (2nd Highland) 65th (2nd Lowland) 66th (2nd East Lancashire) 67th (2nd Home Counties) 68th (2nd Welsh) 69th (2nd East Anglian) Other 63rd (Royal Naval) 71st 72nd 73rd 74th (Yeomanry) 75th Cavalry Cavalry 1st 2nd 3rd Mounted 1st 2nd 2/2nd (later 3rd) 4th Yeomanry Second Boer War (list) Infantry 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th Colonial Cavalry Cavalry Mounted 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Crimean War (list) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Cavalry Highland Light Napoleonic Wars (list) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th Light --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [18th (Eastern) Division](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_(Eastern)_Division) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_(Eastern)_Division?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.