56TH(LONDON) DIVISION, FORMERLY1STLONDON.First Line
The 56th Division does not seem to have been mentioned as a unit till 1916; the reason was that its individual battalions went to France early in the war, being attached to Regular divisions and, as in the case of the 55th, many months elapsed before the Division was concentrated.
Unofficial historians over and over again refer to the splendid service performed by battalions of the 56th during the critical first winter of the war, and in the second awful struggle at Ypres in April and May 1915. Before the Division was constituted as a unit in France many of these battalions had few of their original members left. Sir A. Conan Doyle mentions that on 12th May, 1915, before the close of the battle, the 5th London had only 200 men.
In Sir John French’s despatch of 20th November, 1914, dealing with the First Battle of Ypres, 11th October to 12th November, he said, paragraph 10: “In the period covered by this despatch Territorial troops have been used for the first time in the Army under my command,” and he mentioned “the London Scottish and Queen’s Westminster battalions” as among the units actually engaged; both were afterwards in the 56th Division. “The conduct and bearing of these units under fire, and the efficient manner in which they carried out the various duties assigned to them, have imbued me with the highesthope as to the value and help of Territorial troops generally.” Events were to prove these hopes well-founded.
Officers and men of the 5th City of London Regiment and of the 9th, 13th and 14th County of London Regiment were mentioned in the despatch of 14th January, 1915, for good work in the fighting before that date, and in the despatch of 31st May, 1915, many officers and men of the 3rd, 4th and 5th City of London and of the 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 16th County of London, gained mention; all these battalions were afterwards in the 56th Division.
In Sir John French’s despatch of 15th June, 1915, paragraph 4, regarding “The Battles of Ypres, 1915,” which commenced on the 22nd April of that year with the great “gas attack,” he mentioned two battalions of the 56th Division. As to the fighting on 8th May, quoting Sir Herbert Plumer, “A counter-attack was launched at 3.30 p.m.” “The 12th London Regiment, on the left, succeeded, at great cost, in reaching the original trench line, and did considerable execution with their machine gun.” As to the 13th May, when another serious German attack was made “after the heaviest bombardment yet experienced, ... the 5th London Regiment, despite very heavy casualties, maintained their position unfalteringly.”
The Division, like other first line Territorial divisions, had their full share of fighting in the big battles of 1916 and 1917.
Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 23rd December, 1916, paragraph 8 (Dent’s edition), shows that the 56th along with the 46th Division made the subsidiaryattack at Gommecourt, north of the Somme, on 1st July. They were then in the Third Army, VII. Corps. (See 46th Division.)
The 56th was afterwards sent to the XIV. Corps, Fourth Army, and took part in the successful attack of 9th September, now officially the “Battle of Ginchy.” Paragraph 23: “At Ginchy and to the north of Leuze Wood it met with almost immediate success. On the right (56th Division) the enemy’s line was seized over a front of more than 1000 yards.” Paragraphs 27 and 28 deal with another successful attack on 15th September and following days, officially the “Battle of Flers-Courcelette,” when the Division was again employed.
While the French worked up the south side of Combles, the 56th encompassed it from the north and, on 26th September, met their Allies in the town. Down to the close of the Somme battles, the Division, “hard-worked and splendid,” Sir A. Conan Doyle describes them, “were doing fine work always on the extreme right.”
The fighting between 25th and 28th September has been designated the “Battle of Morval,” and that between 1st and 18th October, the “Battle of the Transloy Ridges.”
The despatch of 25th December, 1917, paragraph 13 (Dent’s edition), shows that the 56th, again in the VII. Corps, Third Army, took part in the Battle of Arras which opened on 9th April, 1917. Paragraph 14: “By 12 noon the 12th Division had captured Observation Ridge and, with the exception of Railway Triangle, the whole of our second objectives were in our possession from south ofNeuville Vitasse, stormed by London Territorials (56th Division), to north of La Folie Farm.” A large number of prisoners were taken. The 56th had an extremely difficult task and met with stubborn resistance. As was to be expected, their losses were considerable.
Paragraph 17: “On 12th April our attacks on Héninel and Wancourt were renewed, and our troops (21st and 56th Divisions) succeeded in carrying both villages, as well as in completing the capture of the Hindenburg line for some 2000 yards south of the Cojeul river.”
Paragraph 27: On 11th May “London troops (56th Division) captured Cavalry Farm.”
In addition to the actions mentioned in these extracts, the Division was engaged throughout the Arras operations on many other occasions, notably on 13th and 14th April and on 3rd May, when one brigade made an excellent advance. Throughout the battles of Arras the work of the 56th was of outstanding merit.
The fighting between 9th and 14th April is now the “First Battle of the Scarpe, 1917,” and that on 3rd and 4th May the “Third Battle of the Scarpe, 1917.”
The Division was employed on 16th August, 1917, in the second big attack in the Third Battle of Ypres, now “The Battles of Ypres, 1917.” The action of 16th August is now designated the “Battle of Langemarck.”
Paragraph 46 of the same despatch: “On the right of the British attack the enemy again developed the main strength of his resistance. At the end ofa day of very heavy fighting, except for small gains of ground on the western edge of Glencorse Wood and north of Westhoek by the 56th Division (Major-General F. A. Dudgeon) and the 8th Division the situation south of St. Julien remained unchanged.”
The losses of the Division on the 16th August were extremely heavy. In the Ypres battle they were in the II. Corps.
When the Cambrai battle commenced on 20th November the 56th were not in the main assault on the 20th but kept up a feint or subsidiary attack on that date.
In the despatch of Sir Douglas Haig, dated 20th February, 1918, as to the “Battle of Cambrai, 1917,” paragraph 6, he said that the 22nd November 1917 was spent in organising the ground which had been captured on the 20th and 21st, carrying out reliefs, etc. “Meanwhile, early in the night of the 22nd November, a battalion of the Queen’s Westminsters (16th London), 56th Division, Major-General F. A. Dudgeon, stormed a commanding tactical point in the Hindenburg line, west of Mœuvres, known as Tadpole Copse, the possession of which would be of value in connection with the left flank of the Bourlon position when the latter had been secured.”
Paragraph 7 deals with the renewal of the British attack on 23rd November. “Throughout this day also the 36th Division and troops of the 56th (London) Division (T.) were engaged in stubborn fighting in the neighbourhood of Mœuvres and Tadpole Copse and made some progress.”
On the 27th there was again heavy fighting.“During the afternoon the enemy also attacked our positions at Tadpole Copse but was repulsed.”
Paragraphs 10-11 deal with the great German counter-attack of 30th November, and a quotation in which the 47th and 56th Divisions are both said to have greatly distinguished themselves, is given under the former. The fine conduct of both divisions could not have been surpassed.
In Sir Douglas Haig’s despatch of 20th July, 1918, he gives a detailed account of the German attack in the Cambrai-St. Quentin district which commenced on 21st March, and compelled the retreat of the Fifth Army, and the partial withdrawal of the Third.
At paragraph 45 he describes the attack on the Arras front, an extension to the north of the earlier attacks. “Meanwhile, between 7 and 8 a.m. on the morning of March 28th, fighting of the utmost intensity had broken out north of the Somme from Puisieux to north-east of Arras. Finding himself checked on the northern flank of his attack the enemy on this day made a determined effort to obtain greater freedom for the development of his offensive, and struck in great force along the valley of the Scarpe at Arras.”... “After a bombardment of great violence, three fresh German divisions advanced to the assault along the north bank of the Scarpe river against the positions held by the 4th and 56th British Divisions under the command respectively of Major-General T. G. Matheson and Major-General F. A. Dudgeon, and were supported in their attack by the two German divisions already in line.”... “His troops were everywhere stoppedand thrown back with the heaviest loss before our battle positions.” “A second attack late in the afternoon north of the Scarpe, after a further period of bombardment, was also repulsed at all points. At the end of the day our battle positions astride the Scarpe were intact on the whole front of the attack, and in the evening successful counter-attacks enabled us to push out a new outpost line in front of them. Meanwhile the surviving garrisons of our original outpost line, whose most gallant resistance had played so large a part in breaking up the enemy’s attack, had fought their way back through the enemy.”
His defeat on the 28th weakened the enemy’s offensive and it eventually closed a few days later. The stand made by the Division, on the flank of the attack, where it was strongly pressed, was not excelled by the performance of any other unit during the March battle, and greatly contributed to the cessation of the German effort. The fighting on 28th March is now the “First Battle of Arras, 1918.” The Division was at that time in the XIII. Corps, First Army (see paragraph 45 of the despatch). It was the only division of the First Army engaged on the 28th.
In his telegraphic despatch of 13th September, 1918, as to the good work of various divisions in the early days of the last British offensive, under the heading 56th Division, Sir Douglas Haig said: “The 56th Division, which on March 28th assisted in the repulse of the German attack north of the Scarpe, on August 23rd attacked successfully, with the 52nd Division, at Boyelles and Hénin-sur-Cojeul.These two divisions met with very vigorous resistance about Croisilles and the important feature known as Hénin Hill to the north of it, but captured both places. On August 29th by a daring operation the 56th Division and the 57th Division captured Bullecourt and Hendicourt-lez-Cagnicourt. The possession of both villages was fiercely disputed, but on September 1st the 52nd and 57th Divisions secured firm hold of them and took Riencourt-lez-Cagnicourt. Also on September 2nd the 52nd and 57th Divisions continued the attack, with the 63rd Division, and captured Quéant, Pronville and Fontaine-lez-Croisilles.”
The despatch of 21st December, 1918, shows that the 56th Division was on 23rd August in the VI. Corps, Third Army. These events are again referred to in paragraphs 22, 23 and 28.
Paragraph 22 as to 24th August states: “On the left troops of the 56th Division, Major-General Sir C. P. A. Hull, had heavy fighting about Croisilles and on the high ground north-west of that village known as Hénin Hill.”
About 25th August the XVII. Corps was formed with the 52nd, 56th, and 57th Divisions, and later the 63rd. In the beginning of September the 56th became part of the XXII. Corps, First Army. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, vol. vi. p. 133, puts the losses of the Division between 27th and 31st August at 2723 and the prisoners they took at over 1000.
In paragraph 23 as to 29th August, Sir Douglas Haig said: “To the north of Bapaume a gallant thrust by the 56th and 57th Divisions penetratedthe enemy’s position as far as Riencourt-lez-Cagnicourt.”
Paragraph 35: “The Battle of Cambrai and the Hindenburg Line, 27th September-5th October,” states: “On the extreme left the 56th Division of the XXII. Corps” (on 27th September) crossed the canal and, having cleared Sauchy Lestrée and Sauchy Cauchy, moved northwards to Palluel.
About 11th and 12th October the Division was employed in attacks; it took Fresnes and moved forward, overcoming various obstacles.
The various actions between August and October are now officially defined as follows: 21st-23rd August, the Battle of Albert, 1918; 26th-30th August, Battle of the Scarpe, 1918; 2nd-3rd September, Battle of the Drocourt-Quéant Line; 27th September-1st October, Battle of the Canal du Nord; 8th-12th October, Battle of Cambrai, 1918, with Pursuit to Selle.
Paragraph 50 describes “The Battle of the Sambre, 1st-11th November.” Regarding the 4th-6th November: “On the front of the First Army, the XXII. Corps and the Canadian Corps advanced against little opposition except on their right. Here the 11th and 56th Divisions, having crossed the Aunelle river and captured the villages of Le Triez, Sebourg and Sebourg Quiaux, were counter-attacked on the high ground east of the Aunelle and pressed back slightly.”
On the 6th the Division after heavy fighting gained its objectives. The advance continued between 7th November and the 11th, Armistice Day.
It will have been observed that all referencesto the work of the Division were invariably of a laudatory character.
The 1/10th and 1/11th County of London Regiment, originally belonging to the 56th, served with the 54th (East Anglian) Division at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, and in Palestine, their places being taken by the 1/7th and 1/8th Middlesex from the 44th (Home Counties) Division.
The 1/6th City of London Regiment, originally belonging to the 56th, but which served with the 47th, the 1/9th County of London Regiment of the 56th and the 1/7th Middlesex, which belonged to the 44th, but served with the 56th, were selected for the Army of the Rhine. The 1/10th County of London Regiment, which, as above stated, served with the 54th, was chosen for the Army of Occupation, Egypt.