34th Division (United Kingdom)


The 34th Division was an infantry division of the British Army that was raised in 1914, during the First World War. The division was raised from volunteers for Lord Kitchener's New Armies, that was originally made up of infantry battalions raised by public subscription or private patronage. The division was taken over by the War Office in September 1915. It served in France and Belgium in the trenches of the Western Front for the duration of the war.

Unit history

The Division was one of the six created for the Fourth New Army on 10 December 1914. The division was originally made up of Pals battalions, and two brigades of the Northumberland Fusiliers; the Tyneside Scottish and Tyneside Irish. Major-General Edward Ingouville-Williams took command of the division in June 1915. It landed in France in January 1916. The division's first major action was the attack at La Boisselle on the first day of the Battle of the Somme during which the division suffered heavy casualties and many of the original Pals were killed. It went on to suffer further losses at the Battle of the Lys in April 1918.

Order of Battle

The following units served with the division:
; 101st Brigade:
After reorganisation in July 1918:
; 102nd Brigade :
After reorganisation in July 1918:
; 103rd Brigade :
After reorganisation in July 1918:
On the First day on the Somme, the division had the largest number of casualties of the British divisions, the 102nd Brigade had and the 103rd Brigade incurred From the brigades were swapped with the 111th and 112th brigades of the 37th Division, which was holding the line on a quiet sector at Vimy Ridge.
Divisional Troops
Thirteen other infantry battalions joined the Division for short periods during its reorganisation in mid 1918, all had left by July 1918)
Royal Artillery
The Divisional artillery was placed under temporary command of 5th Division while the infantry was being reorganised in mid 1918.
Royal Engineers
Royal Army Medical Corps