25th Division (United Kingdom)


The 25th Division was an infantry division of the British Army, raised as part of Lord Kitchener's Third New Army in September 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the Great War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war.

Unit history

The component units of the division were assembled around Salisbury and moved to Aldershot in May 1915 to complete their training. The division was formed by Major-General Francis Ventris and crossed to France on 25–30 September 1915 under the command of Major-General Beauchamp Doran.
The division originally comprised the 74th, 75th and 76th Infantry Brigades, but the 76th Brigade was posted away on 15 October 1915 and replaced by the 7th Infantry Brigade.
In June 1916 Major-General Guy Bainbridge took command and the Division went on to fight at the Battle of the Somme, at the Battle of Messines, at the Battle of Passchendaele, in the German Spring Offensive of March/April 1918 and at the Battle of Aisne.
The 25th was unlucky during the 1918 German Spring Offensives, being attacked three times. It was on the northern flank defences during Operation Michael in March 1918 and was moved north to refit. There it lost more men in the Battle of the Lys attacks in April. Moved south to another quiet area, it was attacked for a third time in the Third Battle of the Aisne.
After suffering severe casualties in June 1918, it underwent a major refit and reorganisation, with infantry from divisions then serving in Italy. The reformed division moving back to France in September 1918. This Division played a major role in the final few weeks of the war its most noted success was the capture of the village of Beaurevoir on 5–6 October 1918.
The war came to an end over a month later with the signing of the armistice of 11 November 1918. The division was demobilised by the end of March 1919, having suffered 48,300 casualties during the war.

Order of battle

The following units served in the division.
;74th Brigade
During reconstruction in mid 1918
;75th Brigade
During reconstruction in mid 1918
A new 75th Brigade was formed in September 1918
;76th Brigade
;7th Brigade
During reconstruction in mid 1918
;Pioneers
;Machine Gunners
;Divisional Artillery
The Divisional artillery remained in France when the rest of the Division returned to England to re-fit in June 1918. It took part in the Second Battle of Bapaume, the Battle of Epehy and the Battle of the Saint-Quentin Canal, then rejoined the 25th Division on 4 October 1918.
;Royal Engineers
;Royal Army Medical Corps
;Division Troops