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Revision as of 15:09, 29 June 2023 editEnigmaMcmxc (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers21,933 edits Started to source the regen period of the division. Removed mention of overseeing the Brunei and Gurkha troops and 2001 era OOB; Heyman's 96/96 work states these were controlled by Land Forces (which the div was part of) as does the 2002–2003 version (no access at present to 2001 edition, which this info was cited from but with no page reference provided). 2002 OOB does not support what was in the article. If anyone has access to the 2001 version, please reinsert with page ref.← Previous edit Revision as of 18:36, 30 June 2023 edit undoEnigmaMcmxc (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers21,933 edits →1995–2012: copyedit and minor expansionTag: harv-errorNext edit →
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By 1983, the division had been assigned the ], which was located in Colchester, England. This brigade was subsequently switched with the ] 33rd Armoured Brigade (based at ]), to bring the 4th Armoured Division up to a strength of three armoured brigades and with all its troops located in Germany.{{sfn|Blume|2007|p=5}} The end of the 1980s saw the ] and the end of the Cold War. In July 1990, the British government announced ]. This framework sought to restructure the British military based on the new strategic situation, allow for further cost saving measures to be enacted, and to reduce the BAOR by half.{{sfn|Taylor|2010|pp=8–9}} In July 1993, this resulted in the division being redesignated and becoming the ], and the 4th Armoured Division ceased to exist.{{sfn|Lord|Watson|2003|p=33}}{{sfn|Blume|2007|p=7}} By 1983, the division had been assigned the ], which was located in Colchester, England. This brigade was subsequently switched with the ] 33rd Armoured Brigade (based at ]), to bring the 4th Armoured Division up to a strength of three armoured brigades and with all its troops located in Germany.{{sfn|Blume|2007|p=5}} The end of the 1980s saw the ] and the end of the Cold War. In July 1990, the British government announced ]. This framework sought to restructure the British military based on the new strategic situation, allow for further cost saving measures to be enacted, and to reduce the BAOR by half.{{sfn|Taylor|2010|pp=8–9}} In July 1993, this resulted in the division being redesignated and becoming the ], and the 4th Armoured Division ceased to exist.{{sfn|Lord|Watson|2003|p=33}}{{sfn|Blume|2007|p=7}}


==1995–2012== ==Final decades==
], ], in use 1995 to 2012]] ], ], in use 1995 to 2012]]


During the mid-1990s, the British Army further restructured. Various ] were replaced by several regionally based divisions, which included the reformed 4th Division.{{sfn|Tanner|2014|p=13}} The 4th Division (alongside the ] and the ]) was dubbed a "regenerative" formation, holding administrative and training responsibilities for all units located within its geographical boundaries (] and parts of ], excluding the ] area). In the event of a major international crisis, the formation would be used as the core to form a combat-ready division around. On reformation, adopted a Tiger as its insignia, was headquartered at Aldershot, and consisted of the ] (headquartered at ]), the ] (Colchester), and the ] (Aldershot). It was between 13,400–14,400 strong, the largest British formation in the UK at the time, and also contained 26 ] tanks, 154 artillery pieces, in addition to other weapon systems and vehicles.{{sfn|Heyman|1997|pp=14, 22–23, 28}} During the mid-1990s, the British Army further restructured. Various ] were replaced by several regionally based divisions, which included the reformed 4th Division.{{sfn|Tanner|2014|p=13}} Alongside the ] and the ], the 4th was dubbed a "regenerative" formation; holding administrative and training responsibilities for all non-deployed forces located within its geographical boundaries (the ] and parts of ], excluding the ] area). In the event of a major international crisis, the formation would be used as the core to form a combat-ready division around. On reformation, on 1 April 1995, the division was headquartered at Aldershot and adopted a tiger as its insignia. It comprised the ] (headquartered at ]), the ] (Colchester), and the ] (Aldershot). It was between 13,400–14,400 strong, the largest British formation based in the UK at the time, and also contained 26 ] tanks, 154 artillery pieces, in addition to other weapon systems and vehicles.<ref name="MOD">{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/structure/2082.aspx|title=4th Division|publisher=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922091006/https://www.army.mod.uk/structure/2082.aspx|access-date=28 June 2023|archive-date=22 September 2010}}</ref>{{sfn|Heyman|1997|pp=14, 22–23, 28}}{{sfn|Heyman|2007|p=35}}

The 1998 ] resulted in several changes to the division. The 24th (Airmobile) Brigade was merged with the ] to form the ] in 1999. While this brigade was administered by the division, its operational command was held by ]. On 1 April 2000, the boundaries of the formation were expanded so that it then over oversaw ] (for budgetary purposes) and it took command of the ].{{sfn|Lord|Watson|2003|p=33}}<ref name="MOD"/>{{sfn|Heyman|2007|p=35}}


Following further reshuffling, 49th (East) Brigade came under the command of the 5th Division based in ] from 1 April 2007, ] was transferred to 4th Division on 1 April 2007 and 16 Air Assault Brigade became subordinated to ].{{sfn|Tanner|2014|p=13}} Following further reshuffling, 49th (East) Brigade came under the command of the 5th Division based in ] from 1 April 2007, ] was transferred to 4th Division on 1 April 2007 and 16 Air Assault Brigade became subordinated to ].{{sfn|Tanner|2014|p=13}}

Revision as of 18:36, 30 June 2023

British Army formation

4th Division
4th Infantry Division
4th Armoured Division
Shoulder sleeve insignia of the 4th Division, 1995 onwards
Active1809 - 2020
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Engagements
Insignia
c. 1939–1990s
First World War
Military unit

The 4th Infantry Division was a regular infantry division of the British Army with a very long history, seeing active service in the Peninsular War, the Crimean War, the First World War, and during the Second World War. It was disbanded after the war and reformed in the 1950s as an armoured formation before being disbanded and reformed again and finally disbanded on 1 January 2012.

Napoleonic Wars

The 4th Division was originally formed in 1809 by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, as part of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, for service in the Peninsular War. It fought in the Battles of Talavera, Salamanca, Roncesvalles, Vitoria, the Pyrenees, Orthez, and Toulouse, and the siege of Badajoz.

Peninsular War order of battle

The order of battle from January 1812 was as follows:

Major General Sir Charles Colville (to April 1812) Major General Lowry Cole (from June 1812)

  • 1st Brigade: Major General James Kemmis
    • 3/27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot
    • 1/40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot
    • 1/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot (from October 1812)
    • 2nd Provisional Battalion (2nd & 1/53rd Regiments of Foot) (from December 1812)
    • 1 Coy., 5/60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
  • 2nd Brigade: Major General Sir Edward Pakenham
    • 1/7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers)
    • 2/7th Regiment of Foot (Royal Fusiliers) (November 1810 to May 1811)
    • 20th (East Devonshire) Regiment of Foot (from November 1812)
    • 1/23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welsh Fusiliers)
    • 1/48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment of Foot (to October 1812)
    • 1/82nd Regiment of Foot (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) (October to November 1812)
    • 1 Coy., Brunswick-Oels Jaegers
  • 3rd Brigade: Major General Skerrett (October to December 1812)
    • 3/1st Foot Guards
    • 2/47th (Lancashire) Regiment of Foot
    • 2/87th (Prince of Wales's Irish) Regiment of Foot
    • 2 Cos., 2/95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles)
  • Portuguese Brigade: Major General Collins
    • 1/11th Line Infantry of the Portuguese Army
    • 2/11th Line Infantry of the Portuguese Army
    • 1/23rd Line Infantry of the Portuguese Army
    • 2/23rd Line Infantry of the Portuguese Army
    • 7th Caçadores of the Portuguese Army

Waterloo

At the Battle of Waterloo it was tasked with holding Wellington's right flank and, with the exception of its 4th brigade, took no active part in the fighting, but did capture the town of Cambrai afterwards. The commanding general at this time was Charles Colville. In his novel Les Misérables Victor Hugo credits Colville with asking for the surrender of the Imperial Guard at Waterloo and receiving General Cambronne's reply of "Merde".

Waterloo order of battle

Crimean War

The Division was also called for service during the Crimean War fought between the allied forces of the United Kingdom, French Empire and the Ottoman Empire on one side and Russia on the other. It saw action in the Battle of Alma the Battle of Inkerman and the Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 (famous for the Charge of the Light Brigade and the Thin Red Line).

Crimean War order of battle

Commanding General: Major General Sir George Cathcart

First World War

Troops of the 1st Battalion, King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment) in the front trench at St. Marguerite, 22 September 1914. The officer is Second Lieutenant R. C. Matthews, probably the CO of "A" Company.

As a permanently established Regular Army division it was amongst the first to be sent to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force at the outbreak of the First World War. It served on the Western Front for the duration of the war and was present during all the major offensives including the Battle of the Marne, Battle of Ypres, Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele.

Order of battle

The order of battle of 4th Division during the First World War was as follows:

10th Brigade
11th Brigade
Map of the Western Front, 1915–16
12th Brigade

From early November 1915 until February 1916 the 12th Brigade was swapped with the 107th Brigade of the 36th (Ulster) Division.

Artillery

Engineers

  • 7th Field Company, Royal Engineers (until 29 April 1915)
  • 9th Field Company, Royal Engineers
  • 1st West Lancashire Field Company, Royal Engineers (from 14 February 1915 until 28 February 1916)
  • 1st Renfrew Field Company, Royal Engineers (joined 2 May 1916; became 406th (Renfrew) Field Company 3 February 1917)
  • 1st Durham Field Company, Royal Engineers (joined 20 September 1916; became 526th (Durham) Field Company 3 February 1917)

Pioneers

Second World War

France and Belgium

Men of the 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment in a section of trench named 'Pudding Lane', 4th Division near Roubaix, 3 April 1940. Note the hand grenades ready for use.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 the 4th Division, under Major General Dudley Johnson, who had won the Victoria Cross (VC) in the Great War, was sent to the border between France and Belgium as part of Lieutenant-General Alan Brooke's II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). All three of the division's brigades were commanded by distinguished soldiers, the 10th by Brigadier Evelyn Barker, the 11th by Brigadier Kenneth Anderson and the 12th by Brigadier John Hawkesworth. After the disastrous Battle of France in May–June 1940, where the division sustained heavy losses, and the evacuation at Dunkirk, it spent the next two years in the United Kingdom on anti-invasion duties and training for its next deployment.

The Duke of Kent inspects Universal Carriers of the 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, at Camberley, Surrey, 16 March 1942.

In June 1942 the division, now under Major General John Hawkesworth, was selected to be converted into a 'mixed' division, consisting of two infantry brigades and one tank brigade. As a result of this change, the divisions' 11th Infantry Brigade left the division and was replaced by the 21st Army Tank Brigade.

North Africa

Men of the 6th Battalion, Black Watch crouch down in a landing craft as it approaches the shore, during combined operations training in Scotland, 17 November 1942.

The division departed for North Africa in early 1943, arriving in Tunisia in March, coming under Lieutenant-General John Crocker's IX Corps, part of the British First Army. During the Tunisian Campaign it was involved in Operation Vulcan, the final ground attack against Axis forces in North Africa which ended the North African Campaign, with the surrender of nearly 250,000 German and Italian soldiers. During the assault the division suffered heavy losses, with four battalions sustaining over 300 casualties. After the Axis defeat in North Africa, in May 1943, the division was to remain there for the next 9 months, during which time it was converted back into a standard infantry division, with the 28th Infantry Brigade, consisting mainly of Regular Army battalions who had served on garrison duties in Gibraltar, arriving to replace the 21st Tank Brigade.

Italy

The division arrived on the Italian Front in late February 1944, relieving the British 46th Infantry Division, initially coming under command of Lieutenant-General Richard McCreery's British X Corps, then serving under the U.S. Fifth Army. In March the division transferred to Lieutenant-General Sidney Kirkman's British XIII Corps, part of the British Eighth Army. The division, now under the command of Major-General Alfred Dudley Ward, fought with distinction at the fourth and final Battle of Monte Cassino in May 1944, and later in severe fighting in the battles for the Gothic Line. During the battle of Cassino Captain Richard Wakeford of the 2/4th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Greece

However, in November 1944 it was dispatched, with the rest of III Corps, to Greece to provide assistance during the Greek Civil War, and was to remain there until the end of the war in Europe in May 1945.

Order of battle

The 4th Infantry Division was constituted as follows during the war

10th Infantry Brigade

11th Infantry Brigade (left 5 June 1942)

12th Infantry Brigade

21st Army Tank Brigade (from 6 June 1942, left 12 December 1943)

28th Infantry Brigade (from 24 December 1943)

Divisional Troops

Post War and Cold War

Further information: Cold War

The 4th Infantry Division remained in Greece, during the Greek Civil War. During its time in Greece, the division was deployed to Attica. In February 1946, it moved to the northern part of the country after the 4th Indian Division returned to India. It was relieved by the 13th Infantry Division in Attica. The following month, it was disbanded while still in Greece.

In Germany, on 1 April 1956, the 4th Infantry Division was reformed at Herford following the conversion and redesignation of the 11th Armoured Division (the latter division's 91st Lorried Infantry Brigade was reorganised as the 12th Infantry Brigade in the process of joining the 4th Infantry Division). The newly formed division, now part of the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), was also allocated the lorried infantry brigades of the 6th and the 7th Armoured Divisions. Two years later, following the disbanding of different BAOR formations and further restructuring, the division comprised the 4th (Guards), the 5th Infantry, and the 20th Armoured Brigades. Around this time period, the term "infantry" was dropped from the division's title so that it was known simply as the 4th Division. During February 1963, the division undertook Exercise Iron Bar, which trialed merging the divisional headquarters with the divisional signal regiment. It proved successful and became permanent in 1965, followed by Exercise Open Glove to further test the arrangement. By the 1970s, the division consisted of the 6th and 20th Armoured Brigades.

Armoured division

The 1975 Mason Review, a government white paper, outlined a new defence policy that restructured the BAOR. As a result, on 1 January 1978, the 4th Division was renamed the 4th Armoured Division. It then restructured to consist of two armoured regiments, three mechanised infantry battalions, and two artillery regiments, as the Mason Review had removed brigades and replaced them with a concept of task forces or battlegroups. It was intended that the division could form up to five battlegroups, with each commanded by either an armoured regiment or an infantry battalion. These groups were to be formed for a specific task and allocated the required forces needed. The divisional commander (general officer commanding (GOC)) would oversee these battlegroups, but early training showed this to be impractical. To compensate, the divisional headquarters was increased to 750 men (wartime strength) and included two brigadiers. Each officer would command a flexible task force, which consisted of the battlegroups the GOC had formed. The division's task forces were named Task Force Golf and Task Force Hotel. These were not a reintroduction of a brigade command structure and had no administrative responsibilities. The approach intended to provide greater flexibility in tailoring forces to meet unforeseen events and allow for an overall reduction in the size of a division by 700 men. The task force concept was dropped by the end of the decade, having been deemed to have not met expectations. With the reintroduction of brigades, the division consisted of the 11th Armoured Brigade (based at Minden) that comprised one armoured regiment and two mechanised infantry battalions, and the 20th Armoured Brigade (located in Detmold) that consisted of two armoured regiments and one mechanised infantry battalion.

By 1983, the division had been assigned the 19th Infantry Brigade, which was located in Colchester, England. This brigade was subsequently switched with the 3rd Armoured Division's 33rd Armoured Brigade (based at Paderborn), to bring the 4th Armoured Division up to a strength of three armoured brigades and with all its troops located in Germany. The end of the 1980s saw the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. In July 1990, the British government announced Options for Change. This framework sought to restructure the British military based on the new strategic situation, allow for further cost saving measures to be enacted, and to reduce the BAOR by half. In July 1993, this resulted in the division being redesignated and becoming the 1st (UK) Armoured Division, and the 4th Armoured Division ceased to exist.

Final decades

4th Division Headquarters, Aldershot, in use 1995 to 2012

During the mid-1990s, the British Army further restructured. Various regional districts were replaced by several regionally based divisions, which included the reformed 4th Division. Alongside the 2nd and the 5th Divisions, the 4th was dubbed a "regenerative" formation; holding administrative and training responsibilities for all non-deployed forces located within its geographical boundaries (the south east and parts of eastern England, excluding the Greater London area). In the event of a major international crisis, the formation would be used as the core to form a combat-ready division around. On reformation, on 1 April 1995, the division was headquartered at Aldershot and adopted a tiger as its insignia. It comprised the 2nd Brigade (headquartered at Shorncliffe Army Camp), the 24th Airmobile Brigade (Colchester), and the 145th Infantry Brigade (Aldershot). It was between 13,400–14,400 strong, the largest British formation based in the UK at the time, and also contained 26 Challenger I tanks, 154 artillery pieces, in addition to other weapon systems and vehicles.

The 1998 Strategic Defence Review resulted in several changes to the division. The 24th (Airmobile) Brigade was merged with the 5th (Airborne) Brigade to form the 16 Air Assault Brigade in 1999. While this brigade was administered by the division, its operational command was held by Land Command. On 1 April 2000, the boundaries of the formation were expanded so that it then over oversaw London District (for budgetary purposes) and it took command of the 49th (Eastern Brigade).

Following further reshuffling, 49th (East) Brigade came under the command of the 5th Division based in Shrewsbury from 1 April 2007, 43 (Wessex) Brigade was transferred to 4th Division on 1 April 2007 and 16 Air Assault Brigade became subordinated to Joint Helicopter Command.

The Division reported to Army Headquarters at Andover from 2010. The new HQ Support Command in Aldershot began operation in January 2012 when HQ 4th Division in Aldershot disbanded. HQ 2nd division in Edinburgh and HQ 5th division in Shrewsbury were both disbanded in April 2012.

See also

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

  1. Lipscombe, Nick (2014). Bayonne and Toulouse 1813–14: Wellington invades France. Osprey. p. 23. ISBN 978-1472802774.
  2. Fletcher, Ian. Men-at-Arms Campaign 48: Salamanca 1812. Great Britain: Osprey History, 1991. ISBN 1-84176-277-6.
  3. Siborne 1993, p. 678.
  4. "Chapter XIV. The Last Square". les miserables.
  5. Pemberton, p. 74
  6. "4th Division". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  7. Becke, pp. 57–63.
  8. "The history of 4th Division".
  9. Richard A. Rinaldi, Royal Engineers, World War I at Orbat.com Archived 24 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "badge, formation, 4th Infantry Division". UK: Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  11. p. 79, Alexander's Generals, the Italian Campaign 1944–45, Gregory Blaxland
  12. Medley, R. H. (1995). Cap Badge: The Story of Four Battalions of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (T.A.), 1939-47. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-0850524345.
  13. p. 289, Alexander's Generals, the Italian Campaign 1944–45, Gregory Blaxland
  14. p. 80, Alexander's Generals, the Italian Campaign 1944–45, Gregory Blaxland
  15. "Medal entitlement of: Major Richard Wakeford". Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  16. p. 229, Alexander's Generals, the Italian Campaign 1944–45, Gregory Blaxland
  17. Joslen 2003, pp. 45–46.
  18. Joslen 2003, p. 248.
  19. Joslen 2003, p. 249.
  20. Joslen 2003, p. 250.
  21. Joslen 2003, p. 448.
  22. "17 Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  23. "22 Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  24. "30 Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  25. "77 Fd Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  26. Litchfield, p. 304.
  27. "14 A/T Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  28. "91 LAA Rgt at RA 1939–45". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  29. ^ Lord & Watson 2003, p. 33.
  30. ^ "Badge, formation, 4th Infantry Division". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  31. "Last Indian Troops To Leave Europe". The Times. No. 50374. London. 12 February 1946. p. 4.
  32. Lord & Watson 2003, pp. 33, 36, 86–87.
  33. "4th Division". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  34. "No. 41326". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 February 1958. p. 1429. and "No. 41839". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 October 1959. p. 6415.
  35. ^ DeVore 2009, pp. 281–282.
  36. Taylor 2010, pp. 6–7.
  37. Mason 1975, p. 23.
  38. Isby 1988, pp. 331–332.
  39. Dodd 1977, p. 375.
  40. Isby 1988, p. 332.
  41. Stone 1998, p. 224.
  42. Blume 2007, pp. 4–5.
  43. Blume 2007, p. 5.
  44. Taylor 2010, pp. 8–9.
  45. Blume 2007, p. 7.
  46. ^ Tanner 2014, p. 13.
  47. ^ "4th Division". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  48. Heyman 1997, pp. 14, 22–23, 28.
  49. ^ Heyman 2007, p. 35. sfn error: no target: CITEREFHeyman2007 (help)
  50. "New Army's HQ Land Forces base is opened in Andover". BBC News. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  51. First tranche of Army unit moves confirmed Defence News, 10 November 2011
  52. House of Commons Library: Standard Note: SN06038

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