History of the British 1st Division (1809–1909)
Aspect of the British Army unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1st Division is an infantry division of the British Army that has been formed and disestablished numerous times since 1809 and is still currently active as the 1st (United Kingdom) Division. Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley raised the division for service in the Peninsular War, which was part of the Coalition Wars of the Napoleonic Wars. The division was disestablished in 1814 but reformed the following year for service in the War of the Seventh Coalition. It then fought at the Battle of Waterloo, where it repulsed numerous attacks, including the final attack of the day that was launched by the French Imperial Guard. Following the battle, the division marched into France and became part of the Army of Occupation before being disbanded a few years later.
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Active | 1809 – present |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Nickname(s) |
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Anniversaries | Peninsular Day[1] |
Engagements | |
Website | Official website |
During the mid-to late-19th century, several formations bearing the name 1st Division were formed. According to the current division's official website, three such formations form part of its lineage. The first was formed in 1854 in Ottoman Bulgaria and took part in the Battle of Inkerman and the Siege of Sevastopol as part of the Crimean War; and was disbanded after the end of hostilities. in Africa in 1879, a new division was formed for service in the Anglo-Zulu War but made little impact on the campaign and was again disbanded once fighting ended. The final division to bear the name was formed in 1899 when the Second Boer War broke out. The division was raised in England, sailed to southern Africa, and then fought in most of the major battles to lift the Siege of Kimberley. These battles saw high casualties and were a mix of victories and defeats, and the division's defeat at the Battle of Magersfontein contributed to the political crisis of Black Week. The division saw more success in 1900 but was ultimately disbanded as the British Army reacted to the end of conventional warfare and moved to combat the guerrilla tactics adopted by the Boers.
While all of the earlier formations to bear the name were raised for a particular war, a new, permanent 1st Division was formed in 1902 in the UK. It fought in the First and the Second World Wars, was converted into the 1st Armoured Division in the 1970s, fought in the Gulf War, and was renamed the 1st (United Kingdom) Division in 2014.