The British 5th Division was a permanently established Regular Army division that was amongst the first to be sent to France at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front for most of the war except for a brief period in Italy.

Unit history

Formation

13th Brigade 

• 2nd Battalion, the King's Own Scottish Borderers
• 1st Battalion, The Royal West Kent Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (until December 1915)
• 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) (until January 1916)
• 1/9th (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (until February 1915)
• 14th (Service) Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment (from December 1915)
• 15th (Service) Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment (from January 1916)

Between February and April 1915 the brigade temporarily moved to the 28th Division , swapping with the 84th Brigade.

14th Brigade (until December 1915) 

• 1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
• 2nd Battalion, The Manchester Regiment
• 1/5th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (from February 1915)

In December 1915 the brigade moved to the 32nd Division, being replaced by the 95th Brigade. A number of the battalions returned to the division with the 95th Brigade.

15th Brigade 

• 1st Battalion, The Norfolk Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Bedfordshire Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment
• 1/6th Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment (until March 1915)
• 1st Battalion, The Dorsetshire Regiment (until December 1915)
• 1/6th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) (from February 1915 until November 1915)
• 16th (Service) Battalion, The Royal Warwickshire Regiment (from December 1915)

Between March and April 1915 the brigade temporarily moved to the 28th Division, swapping with the 83rd Brigade.

95th Brigade (from December 1915) 

• 1st Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment
• 12th (Service) Battalion (Bristol), The Gloucestershire Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The East Surrey Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

The brigade joined the division in December 1915 from the 32nd Division, swapping with the 14th Brigade.

Battles

• Battle of Mons
• Battle of Le Cateau
• First Battle of Ypres
• Second Battle of Ypres (13th Brigade)
• Battle of the Somme
• Third Battle of Ypres
• Battle of Vimy Ridge

External links

• The British Army in the Great War: The 5th Division