The 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division was an infantry formation of the Territorial Force created in 1914 as part of the massive expansion of the British Army during the First World War. It served on the Western Front during 1917 and 1918. The divisional number was reactivated for deception purposes during the Second World War.
Origin
On 31 August 1914 the War Office authorised the formation of a reserve or 2nd-Line unit for each Territorial Force (TF) unit that was proceeding on overseas service. The 2nd West Lancashire Division came into existence in November 1914, composed of 2nd-Line duplicates of the battalions of the peacetime West Lancashire Division that were due to be sent overseas. The 1st-Line division was temporarily dispersed as its units went to France piecemeal, many of the divisional staff and support elements transferring to the new formation, which became 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division in August 1915.[1][2]
History
The formations and units of 57th Division concentrated around Canterbury in early 1915 as part of Second Army, Central Force. Training was hampered by lack of equipment: the infantry trained on obsolete .256-inch Japanese rifles until .303-inch service rifles (many in poor condition) arrived in November 1915.[1][2]
In November 1915 the War Office authorised the re-formation of 1st West Lancashire Division (now designated 55th (West Lancashire) Division), and a number of its original units returned from 57th Division, being replaced by their newly raised equivalents.[3] The training of the 2nd-Line divisional artillery had been seriously delayed by lack of arms and equipment. One field artillery brigade had to borrow carbines from the PrestonChurch Lads Brigade. Only in mid-July 1915 did each field artillery brigade receive two 15-pounder BLC guns without sights. In September 1915 the 2nd-Line divisional artillery took over the obsolete 15-pounders and 5-inch howitzers when the 1st-Line artillery was re-equipped. The 2nd-Line received their modern 18-pounders and 4.5-inch howitzers in December 1915 and January 1916. Shortly afterwards the infantry battalions received their allotment of Lewis Guns.
In July 1916, 57th Division was transferred to the Emergency Reserves in the Aldershot area where it continued training.[1][2]
On 5 January 1917 the division was ready for overseas service, and between 7 and 22 February its units and formations crossed to France and disembarked at Le Havre. On 25 February it took over a section of the Front Line under the command of II ANZAC Corps. 57th Division served on the Western Front for the rest of the war, taking part in the following operations:[1]
On 1 November 1918 57 Division went into billets at Lille, and was still resting when the Armistice with Germany was signed. For the rest of 1918 its units were involved in clearing and evacuating stores from the Arras area. Demobilisation began in January 1919 and units were steadily reduced to cadres. The last cadres of 57th Division left France in July 1919, completing its disbandment.[1]
Order of battle
The following formations and units served in 57 Division during the First World War:[1][2][4]
CCLXXXV (2/I West Lancashire) Brigade RFA – joined September 1915
CCLXXXVI (2/II West Lancashire) Brigade RFA– joined September 1915
CCLXXXVII (2/III West Lancashire) Brigade RFA – joined September 1915; broken up on disembarkation and batteries distributed among remaining field brigades
The 57th Division was never reformed, but the number was used for deception purposes during the war. The 42nd Brigade headquarters was formed in the UK on 26 July 1943 and sent to North Africa to command internal security units on the Lines of Communication under Allied Force Headquarters. These units had a full complement of personnel, but 80 per cent of them were below Medical Category 'A' and they were armed only with personal weapons and a skeleton allotment of transport.[5]
The 42nd Brigade HQ landed on 25 August 1943, and was redesignated '57th Division' on 9 November to deceive the enemy. To aid the deception, the commanding officer, Brigadier P.H. Cadoux-Hudson, was given the appropriate local rank of Major-General, and three of the battalions were redesignated as brigades.[6]
The 'division' reused the First World War formation sign.[7] The 42nd Brigade HQ was disbanded in North Africa on 29 July 1944, and '57th Division' ceased to exist on the same date.[5]
Maj A.F. Becke, History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN1-847347-39-8.
Maj A.F. Becke, History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2b: The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th–69th), with the Home-Service Divisions (71st–73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions, London: HM Stationery Office, 1937/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN1-847347-39-8.
Mike Chappell, British Battle Insignia (2): 1939–45.
Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN978-1-84342-474-1.
