7th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)

7th Division
Active	September 1914 – 1918/19 October 1938 – November 1939
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Regular Army
Type	Infantry
Size	division
Engagements	Peninsula War Battle of Fuentes de Onoro Battle of Vitoria Battle of the Pyrenees Battle of Nivelle Battle of the Nive Battle of Orthez First World War First Battle of Ypres Battle of Neuve Chapelle Battle of Aubers Ridge Battle of Festubert Battle of Loos Battle of the Somme (1916) Third Battle of Ypres Battle of Vittorio Veneto

The 7th Infantry Division was established by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsula War and was active also during the First World War from 1914–1918/19 and also in 1938–1939 in Palestine and Egypt.

Peninsula War

The 7th Division was formed during the Peninsula War by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington it was present at the Battle of Fuentes de Onoro the Battle of Vitoria the Battle of the Pyrenees the Battle of Nivelle the Battle of the Nive and the Battle of Orthez.

Composition During the Peninsula War

• Commanding General Major General Hope.
• 1st Brigade: commanded by Colonel Colin Halkett
  • 1st Light Battalion, King's German Legion (to December 1812)
  • 2nd Light Battalion, King's German Legion (to December 1812)
  • 1/6th (1st Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot (from November 1812)
  • 3rd Provisional Battalion (2/24th and 2/58th Regiments of Foot) (from December 1812)
  • 7 Coys, Brunswick-Oels.
• 2nd Brigade: commanded by Major General de Bernewitz
  • 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry)
  • 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) (from July 1811)
  • 1/82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) (from November 1813)
  • 85th (Bucks Volunteers) Regiment of Foot (Light Infantry) (to October 1811)
  • Chasseurs Britanniques
• Portuguese Brigade: commanded by Colonel Collins
  • 1/7th Portuguese Line
  • 2/7th Portuguese Line
  • 1/19th Portuguese Line
  • 2/19th Portuguese Line
  • 2nd Caçadores

First World War

The 7th Division was a Regular Army division that was formed by combining battalions returning from outposts in the British Empire at the outbreak of the First World War. The division began moving to France on 6 October 1914. The division fought in most of the major battles on the Western Front through to 1917 before being sent to Italy for the remainder of the war. At the battle of Loos in 1915, the Division's GOC, Major-General Thompson Capper, was killed in action at the height of the fighting. Unlike the first six regular divisions of the B.E.F., a third of whose strength was made up of regular reservists, the 7th Division was composed entirely of serving regulars, which gave rise to its nickname The Immortal Seventh.

Composition During First World War

20th Brigade

• 2nd Battalion, The Border Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders
• 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
• 2nd Battalion, the Scots Guards (to 3rd Guards Bde. August 1915)
• 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion, the Gordon Highlanders (until January 1916)
• 8th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from May 1915)
• 9th (Service) Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment (from August 1915)

The Guards battalions departed in August 1915 when the British Guards Division was formed.

21st Brigade

• 2nd Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own (Yorkshire Regiment)
• 2nd Battalion, the Royal Scots Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment)
• 1/4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from April 1915, to 91st Bde. December 1915)

The brigade transferred to the 30th Division on December 19, 1915, swapping with the 91st Brigade.

22nd Brigade

• 1st Battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers
• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment
• 1/8th Battalion, The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (until August 1915)
• 1/7th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) (from November 1915 until January 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
• 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (to 91st Bde. December 1915)
• 20th (Service) Battalion (5th City), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915)
• 24th (Service) Battalion (Oldham), The Manchester Regiment (from December 1915 until May 1916)
• 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (from May 1916 until October 1916)
• 2/1st Battalion, the Honourable Artillery Company (from October 1916)

91st Brigade

• 2nd Battalion, the Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
• 1st Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment (from 22nd Bde. December 1915)
• 21st (Service) Battalion (6th City), The Manchester Regiment
• 22nd (Service) Battalion (7th City), The Manchester Regiment
• 1/4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders (from 21st Bde. December 1915 until January 1916)

The brigade joined from the 30th Division in December 1915, swapping with the 21st Brigade. A number of battalions swapped to the brigade from other 7th Division brigades during the transition.

Artillery on formation

• XIV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery left to become XIV Army Brigade, RHA on 10 February 1917
  • C Battery, RHA to 19 October 1914
  • F Battery, RHA
  • T Battery, RHA from 21 December 1914
  • 57th (H) Battery, RFA from 27 November 1914 to 2 March 1915
  • D(H)/XIV Battery, RFA from 17 May 1916
  • 509th (H) Battery, RFA from 7 October 1916 to 13 February 1917
  • XIV RHA Brigade Ammunition Column
• XXII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
• XXXV Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Battles During First World War

• First Battle of Ypres
• Battle of Neuve Chapelle
• Battle of Aubers Ridge
• Battle of Festubert
• Battle of Loos
• Battle of the Somme (1916)
• Third Battle of Ypres
• Battle of Vittorio Veneto

Second World War

Richard O'Connor served as Military Governor of Jerusalem & General Officer Commanding, 7th Infantry Division in Palestine and Egypt from 29 September 1938 – 3 November 1939. When O'Connor was formally appointed on 4 October 1938, the division had not yet been fully formed, but the 19th Infantry Brigade had been earmarked for the new formation.

The Times noted on 19 October 1938 that "There will be enough infantry to give ... two divisions [the other apparently being the 8th Infantry Division]. Already on duty are the 14th, 16th, 17th and 19th Brigades, the brigade from India, and one made up from home and Malta. Soon there will be added units of a mounted brigade."

The Division included the Cairo Brigade, which became the 29th Infantry Brigade on 20 September 1939.

The Division was redesignated the 6th Infantry Division on 3 November 1939.

General Officers Commanding

Commanders have included:

• 1902–1906 Lieutenant-General Sir Gerald Morton
• 1906–1907 Major-General Herbert Plumer

• 1914–1915 Major-General Thompson Capper
• Apr 1915 – Jul 1915 Major-General Hubert Gough
• Jul 1915 – Sep 1915 Major-General Sir Thompson Capper
• 1915–1917 Major-General Herbert Watts
• Jan 1917 – Apr 1917 Major-General George Barrow
• 1917–1919 Major-General Herbert Shoubridge

• 1938–1939 Major-General Richard O'Connor

See also

• British Divisions in World War II
• British Army Order of Battle - September 1939