List of wartime orders of battle for the British 6th Division (1810–1941)

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  • 6th Division
  • 6th Infantry Division
ActiveRaised and disbanded numerous times since 1809
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
EngagementsNapoleonic Wars
Second Boer War
First World War
Second World War

An order of battle is a list of the various elements of a military formation organised within a hierarchical command structure. It can provide information on the strength of that formation and the equipment used.[1] An order of battle is not necessarily a set structure, and it can change depending on tactical or strategic developments, or the evolution of military doctrine. For example, a division could be altered radically from one campaign to another through the adding or removing of subunits but retain its identity and prior history. The size of a division can vary dramatically as a result of what forces are assigned and the doctrine employed at that time.

The 6th Division is an active division of the British Army, which was first formed in October 1810. It has since been raised and disbanded numerous times numerous times from then through to present.

Napoleonic Wars[edit]

During the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the British Army grew in size. On 18 June 1809, Lieutenant-General Arthur Wellesley, commander of the British forces in Spain and Portugal, ordered the creation of the army's first four divisions.[2] This was followed by the creation of the 6th Division the following year, on 6 October 1810.[3]

On formation (October 1810)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division[3]

The division's first brigade:

Portuguese brigade:

Battle of Fuentes de Onoro (May 1811)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division[4]

The division's first brigade:

  • 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 2nd Battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
  • One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

The division's second brigade:

Portuguese Brigade

  • 8th Portuguese Line Regiment (two battalions)
  • 12th Portuguese Line Regiment (two battalions)

Battle of Salamanca (July 1812)[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division[5]

The division's first brigade:

  • 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 2nd Battalion, 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
  • One company from the 5th Battalion, 60th (Royal American) Regiment

The division's second brigade:

Portuguese Brigade

  • 8th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 12th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 9th Caçadores

1813 campaign, including the Battle of Sorauren[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division[6]

The division's first brigade:

The division's second brigade:

  • 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade

  • 8th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 12th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 9th Caçadores

1814 campaign, including the Battle of Toulouse[edit]

During this period, brigades were referred to by their commander's names. Due to changes in command, the brigade names fluctuated frequently.

6th Division[7]

The division's first brigade:

  • 1st Battalion, 42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameron Highlanders)
  • 1st Battalion, 91st (Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment of Foot

The division's second brigade:

  • 1st Battalion, 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot
  • 1st Battalion, 61st (South Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot

Portuguese Brigade

  • 8th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 12th Portuguese Line Regiment
  • 9th Caçadores

Waterloo campaign (1815)[edit]

6th Division[8]

British Tenth Brigade

Fourth Hanoverian Brigade

  • Landwehr Battalion Verden
  • Landwehr Battalion Lüneburg
  • Landwehr Battalion Osterode
  • Landwehr Battalion Münden
  • Captain Rettberg's Foot Battery

Divisional troops

  • Major Unett's British Foot Battery
  • Captain Sinclair's British Foot Battery

Second Boer War[edit]

On mobilisation in December 1899[edit]

6th Infantry Division[9]

12th Infantry Brigade

13th Infantry Brigade

Divisional troops

February 1900[edit]

6th Infantry Division[10][11]

13th Infantry Brigade

  • 2nd Battalion, Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
  • 2nd Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
  • 1st battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
  • 1st Battalion, Oxfordshire Light Infantry

18th Infantry Brigade

1st Mounted Infantry Brigade (attached)

Divisional troops

  • Divisional artillery, Royal Field Artillery
    • 76th Battery
    • 81st Battery
    • Ammunition column
  • 38th Company, Royal Engineers

First World War[edit]

On 28 July 1914, the First World War began. On 4 August, Germany invaded Belgium and the United Kingdom entered the war against the German Empire.[12]

The war establishment (on-paper strength), of an infantry division in 1914 was 18,179 men, 5,594 horses, 18 motor vehicles, 76 pieces of artillery, and 24 machine guns. While there was a small alteration to the number of men and horses were supposed to be in a division in 1915, the main change was the decrease in artillery pieces to 48 and an increase in motor vehicles to 54. The establishment in 1916 increased the division size to 19,372 men, 5,145 horses, 61 motor vehicles, 64 artillery pieces, 40 trench mortars, and 200 machine guns. The 1917 changes saw a decrease to 18,825 men, 4,342 horses, 57 motor vehicles, and 48 artillery pieces, although the number of trench mortars remained the same, and the number of machine guns increased to 264.[13] By 1918, the number of front line infantry within the British Army in France had decreased because of casualties and a lack of eligible replacements, and this led to a manpower crisis. To consolidate manpower and to increase the ratio of machine guns and artillery support available to the infantry, the number of battalions in a division was reduced from twelve to nine.[14][15] This resulted in the 1918 establishment of 16,035 men, 3,838 horses, 79 motor vehicles, 48 artillery pieces, 36 trench mortars, and 400 machine guns.[13]

First World War (1914–1918)[edit]

9 September 1914[edit]

6th Division

Later in the War[edit]

6th Division

16th Infantry Brigade
17th Infantry Brigade (until 14 October 1915)

The brigade transferred to the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 71st Brigade.

18th Infantry Brigade
19th Infantry Brigade (until 31 May 1915)

Originally an independent brigade before being attached to the division, the 19th Brigade moved to the 27th Division in May, 1915 and was not replaced, reducing the division to the standard three infantry brigades.

71st Infantry Brigade (from 11 October 1915)
  • 9th (Service) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
  • 9th (Service) Battalion, Suffolk Regiment (disbanded February 1918)
  • 8th (Service) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment (to 16th Bde. November 1915)
  • 11th (Service) Battalion, Essex Regiment (to 18th Bde. October 1915)
  • 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment (from 16th Bde. November 1915)
  • 2nd Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (from 18th Bde. October 1915)

The brigade joined from the 24th Division in October 1915, swapping with the 17th Brigade.

Royal Field Artillery
Royal Engineers

Second World War[edit]

In 1939, following the German invasion of Poland, the United Kingdom declared war in support of the latter and entered the Second World War.[16]

The war establishment of the infantry division in 1939 was 13,863 men, 2,993 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 48 anti-tank guns, 361 anti-tank rifles, 126 mortars, and 700 machine guns. In 1941, it was changed to 17,298 men, 4,166 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 48 anti-tanks guns, 444 anti-tank rifles, 48 anti-aircraft guns, 218 mortars, and 867 machine guns. From 1944, the establishment was updated to 18,347 men, 4,330 vehicles, 72 artillery pieces, 110 anti-tank guns, 436 other anti-tank weapons, 359 mortars, and 1,302 machine guns.[17]

Second World War (1939–1941)[edit]

6th Infantry Division

Artillery

Engineers

  • 2nd Field Company, Royal Engineers 19 Feb – 30 Apr 41 & 29 Jun – 9 Oct 41
  • 12th Field Company, Royal Engineers 20 May – 7 Jun 40, 5 Mar – 6 Apr 41 & 15 Jun – 9 Oct 41
  • 54th Field Company, Royal Engineers 6 Mar – 7 Apr 41 & 11 Aug – 9 Oct 41
  • 219th Field Park Company, Royal Engineers 29 Jul – 9 Oct 41
  • 6th Divisional Signals Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals 3 Nov 39 – 7 Jun 40 & 1 Mar 41 – 9 Oct 41

22nd Infantry Brigade

6 Division 3 Nov 39 – 11 Mar 40 & 10 – 17 Jun 40

22nd Guards Brigade

6 Division 17 Feb – 6 Apr 41

14th Infantry Brigade

6 Division 29 Mar – 30 May 40 & 10 Jul – 9 Oct 41

16th Infantry Brigade

6 Division 23 Mar – 7 Jun 40

23rd Infantry Brigade

6 Division 29 Jun – 9 Oct 41

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ McDonald 2020, p. x.
  2. ^ Haythornthwaite 2016, The Divisional System.
  3. ^ a b Reid 2004, p. 61.
  4. ^ Oman 1911, p. 619.
  5. ^ Oman 1914, pp. 597, 599.
  6. ^ Oman 1922, pp. 752, 770.
  7. ^ Oman 1930, pp. 559–560.
  8. ^ Siborne 1900, pp. 330, 786.
  9. ^ Maurice 1906, p. 480.
  10. ^ Maurice 1906, p. 437.
  11. ^ Maurice 1907, pp. 21–22.
  12. ^ Cook & Stevenson 2005, p. 121.
  13. ^ a b Becke 2007, pp. 126–127.
  14. ^ Perry 1988, pp. 26–28.
  15. ^ Morrow 2005, p. 239.
  16. ^ Ellis 1954, p. 1.
  17. ^ Joslen 2003, p. 131.

References[edit]

  • Becke, Archibald Frank (2007) [1935]. Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1: The Regular British Divisions. Uckfield: The Naval & Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84734-738-1.
  • Cook, Chris; Stevenson, John (2005). The Routledge Companion to Britain in the Nineteenth Century, 1815–1914. Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-34582-8.
  • Ellis, L. F. (1954). Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The War in France and Flanders 1939–1940. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. OCLC 1087882503.
  • Haythornthwaite, Philip (2016). Picton's Division at Waterloo. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-78159-102-4.
  • Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN 978-1-84342-474-1.
  • Maurice, John Frederick (1906). History of the War in South Africa, 1899–1902. Vol. I. London: Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 85910290.
  • Maurice, John Frederick (1907). History of the War in South Africa, 1899–1902. Vol. II. London: Hurst and Blackett. OCLC 85910290.
  • McDonald, Janet (2020). Supplying the British Army in the Second World War. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-52672-533-2.
  • Morrow, John Howard (2005). The Great War: An Imperial History. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-20440-8.
  • Oman, Charles (1908). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. III Sept. 1809 – Dec. 1810. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 185228609.
  • Oman, Charles (1911). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. IV Dec. 1810 – Dec. 1811. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 699709225.
  • Oman, Charles (1914). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. V Oct. 1811 – Aug. 31, 1812. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 185228609.
  • Oman, Charles (1922). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. VI September 1, 1812 – August 5, 1813. Oxford: Clarendon Press. OCLC 185228609.
  • Oman, Charles (1930). A History of the Peninsular War. Vol. VII August 1813 – April 14, 1814. Oxford: Oxford University Press. OCLC 185228609.
  • Perry, Frederick William (1988). The Commonwealth Armies: Manpower and Organisation in Two World Wars. War, Armed Forces and Society. Manchester: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0-719-02595-2.
  • Reid, Stuart (2004). Wellington's Army in the Peninsula 1809–14. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-517-4.
  • Siborne, William (1900). The Waterloo Campaign (5th ed.). Westminster: Archibald Constable and Co. OCLC 672639901.

Further reading[edit]

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