List of wartime orders of battle for the British 1st Division (1809–1945)
Military unit / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about List of wartime orders of battle for the British 1st Division (1809–1945)?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
An order of battle is a list of the various elements of a military formation organised within a hierarchical command structure. It can provide information on the strength of that formation and the equipment used.[1] An order of battle is not necessarily a set structure, and it can change depending on tactical or strategic developments, or the evolution of military doctrine. For example, a division could be altered radically from one campaign to another through the adding or removing of subunits but retain its identity and prior history. The size of a division can vary dramatically as a result of what forces are assigned and the doctrine employed at that time.
| |
---|---|
Active | Raised and disbanded numerous times since 1809 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Engagements | Napoleonic Wars Crimean War Anglo-Zulu War Second Boer War First World War Second World War |
The 1st Division was an infantry division of the British Army, which was formed numerous times from 1809 to present. Several formations bore the name "1st Division", from 1809 through to the end of the 19th century. Per the 1st Division's official website, its lineage is described as including the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Crimean War, the Anglo-Zulu War, and the Second Boer War.[2] In 1902, following reforms within the British Army, a permanent 1st Division was formed that fought in both world wars.[3][4]
The original 1st Division, formed in 1809, was around 6,000 men strong. This formation did not include supporting weapons such as artillery.[5] In comparison, when the formation fought in the Second World War, it was over 18,000 men strong, supported by 72 artillery pieces, and numerous other support weapons.[6] Each war that the division fought in, from inception up until the end of the Second World War, has a corresponding order of battle section.